Matthew ends his gospel with the words of Jesus-- the one who was crucified and buried. The chief priests thought that they had rid themselves of this troublemaker, but here he is
again! He's risen from the dead and speaks to his followers the instructions that change everything. Jesus was Jewish. As he lived, he taught and preached to the nation Israel. He was considered a rabbi. He had a message for his people. Now the temple curtain had been torn-- a symbolic event that speaks to shredded boundaries. Paul would later say more about this when he says there is no longer Jew nor Greek... but here is Jesus, not saying baptize the nation Israel in my name... but instead, go and make disciples and baptize people of
all nations. Jesus died for all.
When you consider who you let in to your life, your school, your home... is your love conditional? Do you truly share the love and grace of Jesus with as many people as you can, or do you restrict your interactions to only certain political, racial, or religious types? Think about someone you could work on developing a relationship with who is different than you. Learn to love them-- for God's sake.
Readings: Exodus 37:1-38:31; Matthew 28:1-20; Psalm 34:11-22; Proverbs 9:9-10
