Go! [Trinity Sunday A - Matthew 28:16-20]
The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah Williamson
Matthew 28:16-20
Go!
St. John, Delhi
Another week; another mountain. The disciples have once again gathered at
altitude to watch the resurrected Jesus leave.
It feels like we just did this.
Two Sundays ago, on the Seventh Sunday of Easter, on the Sunday after
the Ascension, we heard of a similar scene, that time from Luke’s perspective,
this time from Matthew’s.
And while the stories do bear a striking resemblance, there
is an important distinction between these two goodbyes. In the telling we heard two weeks ago, the
disciples were told to huddle up in an upper room and prepare for the coming of
the Holy Spirit. That is not the message
of this Gospel passage, these final verses of Matthew’s Gospel. In Acts, the disciples were directed to wait;
here they are told to “GO”!
This “go” is famously how the Gospel of Matthew ends. It is a stirring and memorable climax to the
first book of the New Testament. Jesus
is leaving but the disciples are sent forth to continue the work of Jesus – but
not just continue, to expand the reach of the Gospel message, to carry the
teachings of Jesus into the wider world.
Jesus’ last words are a vote of confidence in the fledgling Church. This holy charge is often, and famously,
called, “The Great Commission.”
It is a beloved passage.
Loved by Christians of all stripes; but perhaps loved by no group of
humans as much as by the clergy. You
see, it is quite a boost to hear one’s job description in the mouth of
Jesus. Baptize and teach is what we do. But it is not what every Christian does. Not every Christian baptizes; not every
Christian feels at home in the classroom.
I suspect in this present gathering of followers of Jesus, at
St. John’s in Delhi, NY, only a few of us, likely the ones in priestly vesture,
have baptized anyone in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit. I have baptized around two
hundred people into the Church, into the Body of Christ. It is one of the great joys of my
ministry. I don’t do quite as many now,
as a bishop; most of my baptisms were during my priestly ministry, a majority
during my ministry in Colorado Springs.
Before ordination, I only assisted in one baptism. While the ministry of baptism is typically
reserved for a Bishop or a priest, with the liturgical assistance of a deacon,
in the case of an emergency, typically impending death, any baptized Christian
can administer the sacrament. I did that
once, while working as a hospital chaplain.
A Roman Catholic sister and I were called to baptize a baby that died
shortly after birth. It is amazing that
a single moment can be packed with so much sadness and beauty simultaneously.
So it is possible that a lay Christian will find themselves
in a situation in which they are commissioned to carry out the baptismal charge.
But, if we are being realistic, we know
that it is really only a small percentage of the Church that is actually doing
the baptizing. And that can make this
passage feel a little impersonal to those Christians who are not ordained –
which is to say most Christians.
And then there is teaching.
While ordained clergy are expected to teach, in word and example, there
are many talented lay teachers in the Church.
According to the Apostle Paul, teaching is one of the gifts with which
God has blessed some members to nourish the entire community. Paul also says that not all Christians are
called to be teachers. He writes to the
Romans, “For as in one body we have many members and not all the members have
the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually
we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the
grace given to us.”
For some, maybe even for you, this Great Commission feels
exclusive or unattainable because we focus on the badges of office, like baptizing. Or innate gifts, like teaching. But it is not
because the heart of the command, where this commissioning begins, is making
disciples. Making disciples is the
calling of every Christian. It is right
there in the Prayer Book’s Catechism: your calling is “to bear witness to
Christ wherever you may be; and, according to the gifts given you, to carry on
Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world.”[1] Jesus wants you to shine so brightly with his
irresistible love that every person you encounter desperately wants to follow
you to the source. You don't need a stole, a title, or a lesson plan to model
the heart of Christ to a friend, to a neighbor, to a stranger.
This Great Commissioning is not the only commissioning in
Matthew’s Gospel. Earlier in this same
book Jesus gives his followers more general marching orders. He says, “You are the light of the world…. [L]et
your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give
glory to your Father in heaven.” You do
not need to be ordained to let your light shine. You do not need to be articulate or verbose
to let your light shine. You do not need
to be well-versed in the Church fathers or in 20th century
liberation theology to let your light shine. That light is already in you.
Clergy stand at the font, but without the incredible ministry
of the laity, the font would be a pretty lonely place. You are the ones who are lighting the path to
the baptismal font. You are the ones who
are teaching and modeling the love of Jesus in the common corners of this
world. The Gospel goes, not because of
the ordained (there are simply too few of us).
The Gospel goes because of you, because of the baptized lay ministers of
the Church. The Church exists because
you go out and bring others in.
We all have different gifts.
We all have different ministries and responsibilities. But we, ablaze with the light of Jesus, all
respond to the same calling. Jesus tells
us to GO.
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