The end of the Gospel of Matthew consists of what is known as the “Great Commission.” The Risen Jesus tells his disciples to go out, to make disciples, to teach them, and to baptize. The Church has taken this as a mandate to bring the whole world into its fold. The lectionary (daily book of readings) starts with St. Luke today when Jesus inaugurated his ministry by quoting from the Prophet Isaiah: Jesus stood up to read and he found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor… Jesus’ personal mission plan according to St. Luke, unlike the Great Commission, is not to bring people in but that he would go out, go out to meet people where they were — in their troubles and difficulties. Given the state of disbelief in the world today the strategy of Jesus might be our most effective way to evangelize. Instead of the institutional concern of bringing people in, let’s go out and encounter people in their real life situations and find the presence of God there.
