Go therefore

… Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. …” – Matthew 28:18-20

We call it the Great Commission. These were Jesus’ final words in the Gospel of Matthew, his last command to his disciples. We are to go and make disciples. We’re to teach people everything that Jesus has commanded.

But we usually don’t. I realized this recently. At the beginning of the year, I spent a few weeks praying for my congregation and seeking God’s guidance for us. Through that time, I realized we do a lot that is wonderful, but much of it involves people coming to us. Very seldom do we go to people outside our congregation.

Living as God’s people is, however, how you make disciples. For we are never living out this call to ‘Go and make disciples’ without Jesus by our side. Through the joys and the sorrows of a life of discipleship, Jesus is our constant companion. Giving more depth to our happiness and bringing hope in the midst of deepest hurts, he whispers through it all, ‘And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

“Go therefore…” was excerpted from the All Anew devotional coloring book produced by Women of the ELCA and Gather magazine.

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