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.”
Matthew 28:18-20
All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”Matthew 11:27-30
I've been lovingly impressed by Jesus' words in Matthew 11 in light of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). As believers, we've been given the task of making disciples; this is often called discipleship. Through the history of the American church (the only one I've ever been a "part of") we've dressed it many different outfits: small groups, one-on-one coffee shop meetings, and book studies. All of these are good, but I fear that too often we place this burden of performance on ourselves labeled discipleship.
Typically, we are faithful to our small group, one-on-one meetings, and book studies for a stretch of time and then. . .we're not. As a result, disappointment and a feeling of not measuring up to the task settle in. "I'm supposed to be a disciple. I'm supposed to be pouring into others," we clamor to ourselves. If you're pattern is anything like mine has been, then you'll carry this around until something new comes along, be faithful to that, and then. . .you won't be--repeat shame cycle.
Have you ever considered Christ's words in Matthew 11 in light of your failures in this area? If we are following Him faithfully and our hearts are bent on showing others what the Savior looks like, our burdens should be light. This does not mean that we approach the ministry of life with a foolhardy attitude, accepting no real responsibility for the care and discipleship of others. The call of Matthew 28:16-20 is serious; Christ has not simply called us to hang out with each other and wait for sparks to fly. Yet, in a sense, He has (more on that in a bit).
Ministry is done with our lives, and the task of discipleship happens through our lives and the relationships we have with the lives of others. Surely, the Savoir of the world did not come under the wrath of His Father, for the sins of many just so we could work like mad at maintaining well versed chats over coffee, and producing Puritan-literate Christians. You see, answering that kind of call is too easy. We can crank that out in our own strength with ease. All the while, we carry this heavy burden of performance that is never satisfied. I can't count the times I've gone begrudgingly into "discipleship situations" where I said to myself, "I'm not measuring up today. I just need to get through this and I can go home." I performed my duties, went home, and no one really noticed. My task was too easy, but too heavy for me to bear at the same time.
Christ's burden is light because He has accomplished the work, and carried our burdens. Christ call is more challenging than ours because He calls us to acknowledge our weakness as we depend on the Spirit and not in our own strength for results. Christ's call to make disciples is easy because He calls us to build meaningful relationships with others and spend time with them--hang out. Christ's call to make disciples is more challenging than ours because in those relationships we are called to transparently show others what He is like, living fruitful lives of sacrifice and repentance. In the Kingdom and Family of God we don't really get the luxury of limiting discipeship to a comfy chair and a cappuccino. We are called to bear our lives for the glory of God.
Questions for you to consider
- When I think of ministry, do I think of a series of tasks to complete, or do specific people come to my heart and mind?
- Am I faithfully investing in the relationships that God has given me with believers and non-believers by intentionally making them a part of my life so that they (and I) can see and hear the Gospel?
- Have I marginalized my relationships?
- Am I prayerful before and after I go to "hang-out"with people (believers and non-believers)?
- Do I consistently look for evidence of God's grace, and the work of the Spirit in my relationships?
