Matthew 28
‘And surely I am with you always........’
The author of this gospel was, at one time, a despised tax collector. As I read this it struck me the journey Matthew must have taken and the challenges he had to face. His final challenge was to ‘make disciples of all nations’. What must he have thought?
What do we think, when we read the final part of this gospel? How do we react to Jesus’ great commission? Daunted? Frightened? Lacking in confidence? Wouldn’t it be better if the vicar did it?
There is no option. We have to obey Jesus, to witness to others in whatever way we can, using whatever skills or talents we have (hospitality, friendship, teaching, organising events etc.)
Bottom line: We need to communicate the Good News to our friends, family, work colleagues and neighbours. We need to be able answer questions such as who is Jesus, why do you go to church or what does being a Christian mean to you?
The final chapter tells of Jesus rising from the dead, the final act of his life on earth. The revelation for his disciples and for us is Christ is Lord and we can do anything in His name.
The final words in v 20, ‘And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age,’ should replace our doubt with belief, fear with confidence and apathy with energy. Why don’t you make this your prayer today?