Ascension & The Great Commission
“They worshiped, but they doubted.”
Some Bible scholars argue about this verse. They do not want to believe the eleven doubted, so they try to insist that there were others also present who doubted. Saint Thomas Aquinas collected the thoughts of the early teachers of the church. Those teachers did not hesitate to affirm it was some of the eleven who doubted. They point to Saint Thomas the Apostle, who doubted, and remind us that it is because of his doubt that we have answers to our own doubts and hesitations to believe the resurrection. Because Thomas doubted, we get to see Jesus eat, and that he had a solid body, and was not only a ghost or a spirit.
There are many enemies of our faith, but honest doubt is not the greatest of them. Too much certainty is a greater enemy. Apathy is perhaps the greatest. Our doubts are only a little obstacle to faith, and God will often use our doubts to help us learn.
In the end, it doesn’t matter who doubted. Maybe it was the eleven apostles. Maybe it was others. What matters is that Jesus told those people, those people who doubted, that they should go into all the world and make disciples.
Jesus told doubters to go into all the world and make disciples.
We call this “the Great Commission.” We are commissioned by Jesus to go into all the world, to make disciples, to baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and to teach them to obey all that Jesus commanded.
This Great Commission is not just for a few perfect people. It is for all of us.
Jesus is not just for a few perfect people. He is for all of us.
We do not have to be perfect to be obedient.
The Great Commission we have received has three parts. First, go. Then, make disciples. Then baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Then teach them to obey his commandments.
Go.
Do not sit, and wait for things to be just right, or for yourself to be just right. Go, and wherever you go, bring Jesus with you. Bring his presence, and bring your story of how Jesus has worked and is working in your life.
Make disciples.
A disciple is someone who follows another, and hopes to become like them. We are disciples. We are following Jesus, and we want to become like Jesus. We are not perfect. We have not become very much like Jesus, but we are becoming more like Jesus. We are learning, but we do not know everything. We are becoming more holy, even if we are not very holy yet. We are not masters, we are students, and we are not sent to make masters, but to make more students.
Baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
The very beginning of our life in Christ is in baptism. In baptism, we acknowledge the Trinity, in whom we believe, even though none of us perfectly understand the mystery of the relationship between the persons of the one God. Our baptism is, in a way, a confession that we are not enough, and that we do not know enough. We do not fully understand, but we understand enough to believe, and to desire to know and to understand better. We say, along with the father who wanted his child healed, “I believe, help my unbelief.”
Then, teach them to obey his commandments.
And what are his commandments? Love God. Love your neighbor. So simple and easy to say. So complicated and difficult to do. But that is why it comes last, and not first. We do not obey the commandments, and therefore become worthy to be accepted as disciples and receive the life of Christ in baptism. No, on the contrary, we are accepted as disciples, then receive the life of Christ in baptism, and then learn to obey these commandments.
And, we do not teach only with our words. People often quote Saint Francis as saying “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary use words.” It is a nice saying, but Saint Francis did not say it. In fact, Saint Francis preached with words almost constantly, even to the animals. But, the point is still good. The best way to teach others to love God and to love their neighbors is not by lecturing them, but by loving.
We are not left alone to fulfill this great commission to go, to make disciples, to teach, and to love. We do not invite others to follow us. We do not depend upon our own goodness or ability. We invite others to follow Christ with us, as we follow Christ. We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to grow in faith, in hope, and in love. Through the power of that spirit, we go forth to fulfill this great commission to go, to baptize, and to teach others to obey the commandments of Jesus to love God and to love our neighbors.
