Matthew 28:16-20

16-17 Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally.

18-20 Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”

Reflection/Sermon: 

I.       As with many verses in the Bible, today’s has caused so much misunderstanding and harm — it has caused wars and torture and death.  Whole populations and cultures have been erased from the earth because of this passage.  The horrors of the Crusades, the Inquisition, the witch trials of Salem, women drowned and burned at the stake — even the Muslim Travel Ban of 2017 and other forms of religious discrimination can be linked with this passage today.

II.     Jesus said:  “Make disciples of all nations.”  In our translation today he said:  “Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life.”  Gradually, people interpreted Jesus’ words to mean:  “Go — make as many people as you can accept the Christian faith and persecute, punish or kill anyone who won’t.”

III.    Through the centuries, Christianity came to be understood as something — a formula or set of words — a person says to show they are “saved” or “Christian” or a disciple of Jesus.  Then you needed documents to show that your are a member in good standing.  And if you don’t have these documents, you can’t be married or baptized.

IV.     Christianity became something that Jesus didn’t intend — it resembled the religion of Jesus’ enemies, the Pharisees and priests of his time. 

Remember when Jesus told Zacchaeus he was saved?  Zacchaeus did not make any confession about Jesus, he didn’t accept Jesus as his Lord and savior, didn’t fast or kneel down at an altar — he just told Jesus he’d stop stealing from people and would return what he stole.  He was still rich.  He was still a tax collector.  But something changed in his heart and he treated people differently.

V.      I watched all the episodes of the series on Netflix called The Last Kingdom, and most recently the movie which continues the story called Seven Kings Must Die.  One of the parts of this story that make it so interesting is how religion was understood and used and abused by people.  Some of the most evil or sociopathic or simply ignorant characters identify themselves as “Christian.”  And — some of the noblest characters are also “Christian.” 

Which is just how it is in real life, where we have people from Donald Trump to Pope Francis who say they are “Christian.”  Trump stands in front of a church and holds up a Bible — and so does Francis.  Which one is the disciple of Jesus?  It depends on who you ask.

VI.     So how do we follow the command of Jesus today where he says:  “Go — and train everyone you meet in this way of life….instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you.”  How do we do it?

VII.    The same gospel, Matthew — and only Matthew — gives us a little story, a clue I think, of how we are to “make disciples of all nations.”  It’s been called “The Story of the Two Sons.”  (Matthew 21:28-32)

Jesus says:   “Tell me what you think of this story: A man had two sons. He went up to the first and said, ‘Son, go out for the day and work in the vineyard.’

 “The son answered, ‘I don’t want to.’ Later on he thought better of it and went.

 “The father gave the same command to the second son. He answered, ‘Sure, glad to.’ But he never went.

 “Which of the two sons did what the father asked?”

They said, “The first.”

VIII.   We make disciples of the nations by what we do — the testimony of our lives.   We make disciples of the nations by  becoming a disciple ourselves — someone whose heart and mind have been changed, like Zacchaeus, into the heart and mind of Jesus. 

We are our proclamation.  As to who becomes a disciple because of our example and who doesn’t — that’s God’s work.  We don’t have to worry about that.