A couple of weeks ago, we went to the cinema to watch the latest ‘Mission Impossible’ film. Since I hadn’t seen any of the others in the franchise, I had been given a crash course and screening of most of those in the series so that I was grounded in the necessary character profiles and history required to make sense of the plot. Basically Ethan Hart (Tom Cruise) is given an outrageous assignment to do, which of course he accepts, even going so far as to perform his own stunts as he fulfils his task which gets riskier and more complex as time goes on.
It started me thinking about The Great Commission Jesus gave his disciples just as he ascended into Heaven (Matthew 28: 19-20) ‘ Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising … and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.’ Seems pretty straightforward (if you say it quick!). But these were a group of men who had just gone through the trauma of brutally losing a friend, then, just as they were coming to terms with their loss, the miraculous happens and He comes alive again. Now he was leaving them again. They didn’t know if they (or he) were coming or going! Nothing had happened like this before, and nothing would again. They were under Roman domination, they didn’t have the knowledge of other languages, there wasn’t any easy ways of transport. In practical terms, this mission seemed impossible.
What about now? Jesus gives the same commission to His disciples today. We can get apps to help us with linguistics, travel the world easier and can evangelise to others on a screen without moving from our homes. We have freedom of speech but need to be aware of cultural differences and political correctness. We can’t bully or threaten or scare people into the Kingdom. And we look around at our churches and see our numbers dwindling and our demographics getting more elderly. People don’t have the grounding in Christianity that they used to have. Cases of historic abuse have eroded respect.
As we begin a new year in the Methodist church, should we be down-hearted and view Jesus’ Commission as impossible? Logic says it’s outrageous. Reason says it’s absurd. Hold on, haven’t we forgotten something? Or Someone? – Jesus last words (v 20) ’And surely I am with You always, to the very end of the age.’ That’s it! Jesus is our secret weapon – with Him mountains are conquered, the battle is already won, and the quest accomplished. ‘For nothing is impossible with God’ Luke 1:37