S152P7 – Our saintly duty: make disciples
Mt. 28:16-20
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
When I read a biblical command from the Lord, I look for the purpose behind the rule. Perhaps it is simply the way my mind works, but I need to know why I am being led in a certain direction. The thing is, God does not do anything haphazardly or without purpose. If He commands it, He has a reason. He is not a puppet master pulling the strings and making us dance because it entertains him. He is not a taskmaster who simply wants to see us work. He is a God with a mission and a plan, and He wants us to help accomplish it. Even though the command in this scripture was to the disciples of Christ, this command is not only for those men. The nature of discipleship itself tells us that.
Before Jesus left, He told his disciples that they then were to make disciples as well. If we think about this logically, what is created here is a perpetual process. This is simply replication. Jesus trained his disciples to do what He no longer could do without being physically here. As Jesus led these men and others, He was teaching them how to lead by his way. If they did what they saw Jesus do, they then would create disciples who they could send out to do likewise. The point of the disciple is to learn from the teacher then turn around and teach others the same thing. No student is to keep his knowledge for himself. The goal never was for discipleship to reach an end in this system, and the only way to make disciples of all nations is through this replication over time.
The eleven men who were Christ’s audience in this passage were not enough to fulfill this command. However, by making disciples who would make disciples who would make disciples, the nations of the world would be taught God’s truth in time. This process continues even today; it is still incomplete. We exist somewhere on this continuum of discipleship, which means that our job is to continue it further. We can spend our whole lives learning the truth, but we are not to be just students. At some point we will be charged with raising others up in it, which is the duty of every disciple. Father, give us opportunities to teach others as we have been taught, helping raise up the nations in your truth.