Gospel Reflection May 17 – Fr. Fox
Sunday, May 17
The Ascension of the Lord
Matthew 28: 16-20
Gospel:
The eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
Then Jesus approached and said to them,
“All power 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, until the end of the age.”
Gospel Reflection:
Big things come in small packages. Our very short gospel passage for this weekend is called “The Great Commission,” and is the final instructions Jesus gives to His disciples on top of the mountain where He ascends into heaven. It is a vital call to action for every Christian, meant to inspire us to embrace our purpose and motivate us to live out our faith actively.
The first distinction is that Jesus’ command to the Apostles, and all His followers, is to “Go, and make disciples of all nations. Notice here the use of the word “nations” rather than “individuals”. It’s a curious distinction. What is a nation but a massive grouping of individuals that has built a society? From one person, to a family, to a community, to a nation. Jesus wants ALL to be included. The whole is greater than just its individual parts, so our personal commission is to make Jesus known firstly to all individuals, then families, communities, and therefore encompassing the whole of our society.
Jesus tells us earlier in the gospels that “a house divided against itself cannot stand,” and we really need to look at that and ask ourselves where, as individuals or as an entire society, we have strayed from the instructions of Jesus. What laws are we legislating that contradict the Christian message of life, hope, and love? Are we truly a nation that serves the principles outlined in the gospel, and if we are not, then what can we, as individuals, do to ensure Christianity is reflected in its entirety throughout our land?
This commission is also a call to bring ALL nations into the Christian flock; we cannot relax our efforts to just our own people, but must incorporate the whole of humanity into this mission. We need to reach out with our abilities and make Jesus’ message of love reach the farthest ends of the earth. Now, this may seem like an impossible task, but if we can do something, the greatest thing about being a Christian nation is that when we work together, we can accomplish so much more than we can as individuals. Opportunities will arise in which we can be a help to the world and reach out beyond our borders to embrace those who are trying to establish Christianity in their own societies. One such opportunity may be closer than you think and will become available to us soon, so watch out for how we can help!
It is in these final instructions that Jesus gives us our main purpose on this earth. Our mission and purpose are to spread the good news that life is not simply constrained to this planet, but that humanity now has the opportunity to live eternally with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That our time here on earth is not the only thing to hope for, but instead to think about the greater picture of never-ending life and joy. All are invited to share this greater reality. So we must be God’s instruments in making Him known to all people, from us as individuals, to our families, to our communities, to our nation, and finally to the entire world. A world united under the banner of Christ’s love for us, and to have all humanity caring for one another and guiding us back to our forever home.
Fr. Fox