As lockdown eases out, it is no longer returning back to the normal, but we are called to move forward towards an uncertain future, relying on the assurance of the presence of God with us always. In that movement towards an unknown future, what are our specific tasks as followers of Jesus Christ? As I hear from people around, I gather for some, their immediate task is to open the church building either for worship or even for private prayers maintaining two meters distance, following the guidelines. For some others it is coming together for fellowship which they have missed for more than ten weeks due to this lock down. For some others it is to open up their building to the groups that have been using it so that they can pull up their financial resources. The kind of tasks that we take up as we move towards an uncertain future defines our purpose and relevance of being disciples of Jesus Christ today.
On this Trinity Sunday, the reading from the lectionary Matt 28:16-20, has been the final words of the risen Jesus as recorded my Matthew, which are known as ‘the great commission’ where Jesus commissions his disciples with certain tasks to do. I use the word com(e)mission because it was an invitation of Jesus to come and join with him in those specific tasks in the mission of God, and according to Taiwanese theologian C. S. Song, the only commissioning Jesus was interested was that of love. Little did the disciples know what their future would be like, as they gathered there on that mountain. Their future was very uncertain. They did not know what would it be not to have Jesus physically with them anymore. They did not know what would it be for them as a team to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ into that unknown future. They cannot just go back to their fishing careers, and not continue the mission of Jesus forward. There was an uncertain future ahead of them. Here they have come to encounter the risen Jesus, not knowing these are the last moments that they are spending with him.
When the eleven men disciples had their first encounter with the risen Jesus on that mountain in Galilee, even though some worshipped him and some others doubted him (17v), Jesus assigns all of them with equal tasks to do as a continuation to his ministry. Jesus did not mistrust those who doubted him, nor eulogised those worshipped him, but kept his trust equally on all his disciples and entrusted them equally the tasks to continue. The disciples were not all on the same page, for on meeting the risen Jesus they reacted differently, each according to their own conviction. The disciples then mirror so much like our church folk today, with different opinions, with different perspectives and with different approaches. Jesus like then even today does not discount any perspective and trusts all of them equally, for on hearing from him through the women disciples they have all come to witness the risen Jesus Christ. Jesus entrusts the tasks to his disciples not based on the disciples’ reaction on meeting him, but entrusts the tasks based on his equal trust that he has in all of them, no matter whether they demonstrate their faith in worship or in doubt. The key factors in assigning the tasks to his disciples are: firstly, God in Jesus is faithful for God trusts impartially in Jesus’ disciples, irrespective of their identity, faith and gifts. Secondly, all that matters for the disciples is their encounter to witness the risen Jesus.
To the disciples who were moving towards an uncertain future, Jesus sandwiches the words of his com(e)missioning between a preamble and an epilogue that provides assurance and strength for them. As a preamble Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (18v). One of the concerns of the disciples was about power and authority that they would face in their future, for they were already known as the disciples of Jesus, the messiah, and were most sought after to be imprisoned. The first century Palestinians were living under the fear of the occupation of Roman empire, who exercised power ruthlessly over them, and the disciples knew that Jesus was publicly executed by that empire for preaching the Kingdom of God over against the Kingdom of Rome. The disciples were also concerned about the kind of opposition that they would face from the authorities of the Jewish temple religion as they move forward. In light of such fears as they move towards their uncertain future, Jesus assures his disciples that all authority, be it in heaven or on earth has been with him, so that neither empire nor temple religion can exercise power over them and can curtail their work. As we read through the Acts of the Apostles, we recognise this assurance coming true in the lives of the disciples, that despite all the oppositions from the powers of their time, the gospel of Jesus Christ flourished through the witness, the wonders and the work of these disciples. The com(e)missioning of disciples was foregrounded on the assurance of Jesus that no power is above him, and God in Jesus moves and works with them contesting the oppressive powers and offering life to all people.
The epilogue of Jesus for these com(e)missioning words, where he said, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (20b V) is also very reassuring for the disciples. Jesus assures his disciples that he will be with them not sporadically, not only in times of trouble and need, but ALWAYS. In the Old Testament lesson for this Sunday from Genesis 1, we read about the creation of God. I know we have discussed this question earlier, where did God do his creation? To answer this question, we need to answer another question, what/who was before the creation? Now to give a summarised answer to both these questions, it was God alone who was before creation, and so there was no space which was not of God. So, God created this creation in God’s own space, and therefore God has seen it as good in everything God created. The presence of God has always been there in the entire creation, before the creation as the Spirit hovered over the waters, right from the day the creation came into being, and throughout histories will be in all the futures to come. So, Jesus when he was reassuring his disciples that he is with them always, he was reaffirming that God in Jesus is always with them to the end of the age. Jesus was reassuring his disciples that there is no time or space where there is an absence of the presence of God. In a way Jesus was offering hope to his disciples to move forward into the uncertain future with all courage and grace, for Jesus is with them always (depth of God’s presence) and to the end of the age (length of God’s presence.)
Jesus assigns four tasks to his disciples as they move towards an uncertain future (19-20v).
1. Go therefore:
The first task that I recognise that Jesus was entrusting to his disciples was to go, to move, to proceed from that mountain, from the present state, from their previous experiences and from their previous normal to an uncertain future. Jesus was pumping confidence and hope as he was inviting them to go. That invitation to go was a wakeup call for them not to be complacent with their experiences and memories that they have shared with Jesus, not to get struck in that present moment of venerating the encounter of seeing the risen Jesus, not to be withdrawn because of their fears, but to go, go to the uncertain future with the accompaniment of the power of Jesus and the presence of Jesus with them.
2. Make disciples of all nations:
The second task that Jesus entrusts his disciples was to make disciples of all nations. The original Greek word used for ‘nations’ was ‘ethne’ which is also translated as ‘ethnicities,’ for it serves as the root to the word ‘ethnicity.’ In their com(e)missioning, the disciples were called to make disciples of all ethnicities. At Pentecost we have seen that people from all nations (ethnicities) gathered and understood their languages being spoken there (Acts 2:5). In the entire book of Acts the task of discipleship was to celebrate the inclusion of people of all ethnicities into the fold of God’s love. In the vision of the new earth and new heaven, it was mentioned that the nations (ethnicities) will walk by its light (Revelation 21:5). For the early church it was ‘making’, but in reimagining it for our times, it would be ‘becoming’ which is an ongoing process. So, what does “becoming disciples of all ethnicities” mean today?
The times in which we live today particularly are defined on one hand where it is reported that Black Asian Ethnic Minority group members are at high risk of dying due to this pandemic than the rest of the populations in UK, and on the other hand, discrimination, oppression and killing of Black people based on racial prejudice has been continuing unabated, what does make disciples of all nations and ethnicities mean to us as followers of Jesus Christ today?
In our becoming disciples, it starts by affirming in the equal image of God among all people of all ethnicities. Becoming disciples is upholding in the equity and equality of people of all ethnicities. Becoming disciples is contesting the supremacy of one particular ethnicity over the other, for such division is against the design of God’s equal love for all. Becoming disciples is respecting the diversity of ethnicities and is accepting one another in love and with grace. Becoming disciples of all ethnicities is to join in solidarity with those people who are demanding justice for people who are crying ‘I can’t breathe’ due to the knees of racial prejudice put against their necks. Are some churches globally guilty of suffocating creative thinking and closing down ‘breathing spaces’ of reimagining mission relevant for our times? The disciples of Jesus continued this mission to make disciples of all ethnicities in the early church as they moved into the uncertain future and accomplished it to their best possibility, following in the footsteps of Jesus in discipling people. It is also important for us to recognise that Jesus did not say make ‘members’ of a particular church of all nations, nor Jesus said make ‘leaders’ of all nations. Discipleship is the key task entrusted to the disciples in moving forward, to which we are called to carry it forward. In the current scenario of online worship services, as many appreciate the participation of big numbers, the key question that needs a wider discussion is ‘how is discipleship nurtured at these online spaces?’
3. Baptise them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy spirit:
Having made the disciples, the task further was to baptise them in the name of Triune God. Baptism is an invitation to join with Jesus in his death and resurrection experience, a task Jesus invites his disciples to com(e)mission as they move forward. Paul in Romans 6:3-5 writes:
“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death? Therefore, we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”
Baptism is also an invitation for the disciples to walk with the triune God in newness of life in their public spheres. The disciples as they moved into the uncertain future, baptised people as act of public testimony of experiencing new life offered in Jesus in their lives. Baptising people is a public witness to their new creation experience. Also remember the words of John the Baptist who proclaimed that he is baptising them with water, whereas the one who is coming after him, Jesus “will baptise you with Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16). Jesus was inviting his disciples to baptise like him with Holy Spirit and fire, which is burning down all injustices and boundaries drawn to oppress people. Baptising people is not about a numerical count, as to how many people did we dip in the water, but a public act of celebrating new life in Christ, critically reflecting on their old self, and also forgoing their privilege. Jesus’ baptism of fire is an invitation for a deepened and self-critical reflection on oneself where he forges a new identity for the Kingdom of God, which does not privilege any one by their ethnicity, by their gender or colour, but which will be governed by inclusivity, justice, equality and liberation. Therefore, to baptise people is an invitational call for a self-critical reflection on the privileges of power and domination, and foraging for a renewed community in Christ. As we move into the uncertain future from this current lockdown, the task for us is to offer that newness of life in Jesus to people around us, by giving up our own privileges and powers.
In the context of growing hunger and poverty in our contexts today, baptising people is to offer newness of life by meeting their hunger and addressing their poverty. In the context of the ongoing racial discriminations, the invitation to baptise is to join with people who have been discriminated based on their colour in their struggles for justice and be part of a new by practising equality and by respecting them as people. Baptising people is also about giving up our privileges and to identify with the weak and the marginalised people.
4. Teaching them to obey everything that Jesus has commanded to them:
The final task that Jesus com(e)missions the disciples was teaching people to obey everything that Jesus has commanded, which can be summed up in loving God and loving our neighbour. The disciples moved into the uncertain future by teaching people in every context the importance of loving God which is manifested in loving neighbour and a stranger. Their lives were a teaching demonstrating the love God towards their neighbours, who included, people of all ethnicities, migrant people, people from non-Jewish backgrounds, slaves, young and old people. Their love for the neighbour did not know any limits, by which they witnessed and taught about loving God. In our context today, if we are failing in not loving our neighbour, we are failing the very gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our call as we move into the uncertain future is demonstrating the love of God as Jesus commanded by loving the neighbour and loving the stranger, particularly those who do not look like us and who do not believe like us. There is a longing and belonging of people who have been pushed to margins and have been oppressed because of their identity, the first thing on our movement forward is to offer an unconditional love towards the ‘other’ just as Jesus commanded, preached and practiced.
The call for us all is to reimagine these tasks that Jesus has given to his disciples as we move into an uncertain future by going into the communities, living out our discipleship by offering hope and newness of life and by demonstrating love beyond any measures to all people, overcoming the barriers and divisions that we have drawn based on our privilege and prejudice. Let’s be assured of God in Jesus’ power and presence to be with us, so that we join with Jesus in com(e)missioning for the kingdom of God offering signs of hope for new creation. Let us move forward into the uncertain future in all boldness, courage, love, and grace, for God in Jesus works with us and through us in realising the new creation here in our midst.
Allow me to conclude in a prayer that I have written during the week, as a prayer of solidarity for #Blacklivesmatter
Every knee shall bow
In weeping for George Floyd who lost his breath
Every knee shall bow
In protest against the knees of prejudice that put him to death
Every knee shall bow
In repentance for white supremacy whose oxygen is discriminations
Every knee shall bow
In solidarity with those protestors demanding justice in ‘this-crime-nations’
Every knee shall bow
In defiance of the oppressive status quos in the society
Every knee shall bow
In respect for those who dream and strive for equality
Every knee shall bow
In support of Black people who are beautifully made in God’s equal image
Every knee shall bow
In giving up our privilege and identifying with the powerless in our global village
Every knee shall bow
In anger at the silence of people on the face of injustice now
Every knee shall bow
In prayer for peace, for equity, for justice, for action, for forgiveness, for grace and for love.
Rev. Dr. Raj Bharat Patta,
4th June 2020
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