The “great commission” has been too often used as an excuse for the attitude of “convert, leave, submit, or die.” Brian McLaren in his book “Do I Stay Christian?” spends the first 10 chapters giving us a rather disturbing yet accurate view of some of those atrocities. It is amazing what we do in the name of Jesus, Prince of Peace.
And yet, if we stop and consider what is being said in these few lines of scripture, we might get a different perspective on their meaning than our ancestors did.
First let’s take a minute to go up on the mountain where Jesus calls us to meet him. The air is fresh and thin, so we need to breathe deeply and rest a bit. We need to take in the sounds of nature around us and clear our minds of our schedules, our expectations, our assumptions, and of all things that are not love. Weary from the climb, we find we can do nothing else but sit at Jesus’ feet, (or fall if you will) and worship him.
The New Jerusalem Bible says some hesitated. Other versions say some doubted. It doesn’t matter which one you choose. Bottom line, the disciples are very much like us. Even with Jesus in sight, doubts, uncertainties, hesitations are inevitable. Let’s just stay at his feet for a moment anyway and see what happens.
With me so far? Now if it were up to me, I would stay there in silence and go no further. But that is only the first line in the pericope, so let’s move on.
“All authority has been given to me.” Here is our first stumbling block. Authority means power to do as one pleases. But what is it that Jesus does with that authority? Does he whip people into submission? Does he use it to demolish people’s homes and families? Does he use it to destroy the earth? Answer is of course no, only we do. He uses it to create, love, and heal. As Jesus might say, “Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
“ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” or peoples. Disciples. A true disciple is not just a student or a learner, but a follower: one who applies what he has learned. I had a seminary professor from whom I learned a lot. Believe me when I tell you he is one smart cookie. I promise you, however, I am not his follower. My prayer is to never be like him. (I’ll just leave it at that.) Am I his disciple?
My biggest fear for our young people is that we are making them students not disciples. And oftentimes, we make them students of the church rather than of Jesus. In order to explain, let me read more of the text.
“Baptize them in the name of the FAther and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you.”
Jesus’ instructions are about how to live, not what to believe. Jesus does not command us to learn the apostle’s creed, some pertinent dogma, or even the “Prayer Jesus taught us to pray.” Actually Jesus tells us to pray like this. These things have their place and I love praying the Lord’s prayer together. But these were not the priorities.
Teaching them to observe the commands Jesus gave.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. Or in all actuality, Jesus’ command was simply to love one another. Make them disciples, loving one another just as Jesus loved. I’m not sure our catechisms or confirmations or whatever name they go under teach this. And when we subvert a nation of people to convert, leave or die, we are not obeying that command either.
So how do we teach this? I love this. Baptize them. Now the word baptize is one of those words that has grown in meaning. In the Greek, the word baptize means to dip or immerse and was used in washing hands or dyeing material. Yes John baptized and the disciples baptized for repentance. But Jesus doesn’t mention repentance here. Baptize them in the name (singular) of the Father Son and HS (name of God). Immerse them, soak them in that name and all it means and who God is so that like material with dye, they soak it up and become like God. Is that not beautiful?
And how do you immerse them in that way of life? By living it, soaking them in the love, forgiveness, mercy. This is how Jesus wants his disciples,us, to change the world. By immersing it in the love of God.
And finally, I am with you always!
How? Because you have been immersed, soaked in me and just like the dye is now part of the cloth, so am I part of you. What are your true colors?
Have you ever thrown something red in the wash with a lighter color? What happens? The red shares its colors with the lighter item.
When people look at you or at the church, what are the colors they will see? If they become immersed in the culture of the church, what color will their cloth become? Is it that “love one another” color? Or is it love the institution or the dogma or the creeds color? Or is it the color of if I go to church I’ll go to heaven?
We are called to immerse people in the love of Jesus. We are called to do that by loving one another. How simple is that?
Ever been to a dance, wedding reception, or any sort of party with a band and no one is on the dance floor? What does it take to get other people dancing? It takes someone else getting up to dance and thus giving permission for others to.
Sydney Carter wrote the hymn the Lord of the Dance.
He writes;
I see Christ as the incarnation of the piper who is calling us. He dances that shape and pattern which is at the heart of our reality. By Christ I mean not only Jesus; in other times and places, other planets, there may be other Lords of the Dance. But Jesus is the one I know of first and best. I sing of the dancing pattern in the life and words of Jesus.
Whether Jesus ever leaped in Galilee to the rhythm of a pipe or drum I do not know. We are told that David danced (and as an act of worship too), so it is not impossible. The fact that many Christians have regarded dancing as a bit ungodly (in a church, at any rate) does not mean that Jesus did.
Let’s get out on the dance floor and dance the dance of Jesus. Let’s give others permission to dance that dance. It’ll be fun.
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