COMMISSIONED

Chapter 28 in the book of Matthew gives us the Great Commission that Jesus expects us to carry out. According to the Message, "Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name:Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."

That's our task. It's a tough one. But you know what? Jesus knew that. That's why He vowed to be with us when we share the Good News of the gospel with the world. He was rejected; He was abused, insulted, mistreated, and put to death, the most agonizing death one could suffer. All for His faith. So I'd say He knows about suffering. But He also knows about righteousness or right thinking. He knows what lasts. He knows about eternity and joy.

He even knows what separation from the Father is. He was separated at the time He took on the sins of the world, for God cannot look upon sin. Thus, when Jesus is carrying the sin of the world to the cross, He was separated from Him. And Jesus knew how terrible that is.

He was at creation, He was in Heaven, He came to earth to live as a man, He was temped by the same things that tempt us, He suffered, He died. But He lived again. Witnessed by over 500 people, the resurrected Jesus appeared again. It's what we have to tell. To all.

A man who I graduated from high school passed away this week. We weren't close. We had a few PE classes together. That's all. His obit revealed absolutely no religious affiliation or reference to his faith. It saddened me. I've thought about him all week. About the separation he now has from God. Forever and ever. It still hurts me.

If I could go back in time, I'd love to, just to say to Art as we dressed in street clothes next to each other, "Hey, do you know the Lord? Do you attend church? Would you like to go with me? We have a great bunch of guys in our Sunday School class: Bernie, Connie, Alan, Len, Jimmy, Bobby, Terry, Johnny, Mike, Donovan, Rickie, Mike De Vivo. Most of us play Church League Basketball. We could use another big guy. What d'ya say?"

But I had the chance and passed. Maybe that's all he would have needed for the Holy Spirit to act in his life. You never know what you could mean to someone else. But when you don't obey the commands of the Lord, you rob yourself of the blessing.