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Scripture |
Matthew 28:16-20 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
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Devotional |
The last four verses of Gospel of Matthew have always puzzled me. The disciples go to the mountain where Jesus had directed them and there they worshipped him and some doubted him. Some doubted him, this sounds like the disciples. This was the same group who did not understand Jesus, argued about who would get the best seat, call down destruction on a village that did not welcome them, scattered after promising to be faithful, and hid in the upper room. The next view we have of them, they are doing everything correct. Totally committed to the project. Does actual experience resemble the first or second example? This remind me of one of my favorite cartoon which take place at Lucy’s psychology booth where Charlie has come for some practical advice about life. “Life is like a deck chair, Charlie,” she says. “On the cruise ship of life, some people place their deck chairs at the rear of the ship so they can see where they have been. Others place their deck chair at the front of the ship so they can see where they are going.” The good “doctor” looks at her puzzled client and asks, “Which way is your deck facing?” Without hesitating, Charlie Brown replies glumly, “I can’t even get my deck chair unfolded.” I can identify with Charlie Brown. I can’t get my spiritual deck chair unfolded. Meanwhile there is a team of teachers and experts waiting to tell me God’s plan for where to place my deck chair. In a world of spiritual giants, I have an abundant amount of advice of where to place my chair but little on how to unfold the chair. I am waiting for forty days like these disciples had just experienced. They were transformed from the motley crew to obedient disciples who knew exactly what to do. Also, I wait the time when I walk into a room to find a great spiritual guru that even smells like God who will tell me how to unfold my spiritual chair. I believe if I can get the chair unfolded I will be able to discern which direction God wants me to face on this great spiritual cruse ship. There is no indication of the expectations of the disciples as they gathered on the mountain. We see the results in the forming of a church. What was the purpose of the newly developing church? It seem to me that in the world of Christian spirituality we have many to tell us which direction to place our deck chair but very few who can help us unfold our spiritual deck chair.
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