Jesus loves you — and there is no ‘but’

Matthew 28:19-20 – 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 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of age.

The Great Commission. The words from Jesus to head out and do the work. Spread the good news and bring followers to Christ. A powerful set of verses. A cry to the faithful. But how badly have we missed the point?

What was Jesus getting at here? He tells his disciples to go out and make more disciples. Some may interpret that a little forcefully. Follow Jesus or else… But if we look at the original Greek used in this verse, we find a different story.

The Greek imperative translated as “make disciples” (matheteuo) is not a command to force behavioral compliance or secure institutional numbers. It is an invitation to guide others into a lifelong, relational apprenticeship with Jesus. Offer the hand, it is up to them if they want to take it out not. And does this mean that they are wrong and lost souls if they don’t? My brain says no.

People’s salvation does not hinge on my interpretation or judgement of their salvation. AKA – it’s their faith journey, let them walk it.

Furthermore, the mechanics of this discipleship are explicitly laid out in the text: “teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” What did Jesus command?

Throughout the Gospels, his teachings are anchored in the Sermon on the Mount, the beatitudes of meekness and peacemaking, and the absolute commandment to love God and love one’s neighbor as oneself. This is where we seem to get it wrong.

Christians love to use the “Jesus loves you, but…” sentence. That’s not a compound sentence. There is no requirement or stipulation for that love. There is no hierarchy of who Jesus loves more. Jesus loves you. Period. End. Jesus’s love for us is the same love he had for the disciples.

And it will be the same love that he has for the next generations too.

There is nothing that we can do to change that. Pretty awesome isn’t it?

The Great Commission was never meant to be a military campaign or a mandate for cultural consistency. It was intended to be an organic, loving overflow of a community that had been transformed by the resurrection.

True discipleship is an act of deep hospitality and humility. It requires listening, serving, and embodying the radical love of a Savior who stated that he “came not to be served but to serve.” When Christians reclaim this true meaning, the Commission ceases to be a weapon of domination and becomes what it was always intended to be: a gentle, world-changing invitation to healing, reconciliation, and peace.

So what do we do with this? My gut tells me that I need to love God and love my neighbor. I don’t need to just care about the people I see in pews on Sunday mornings. I need to show love and compassion to everyone, even those I don’t agree with. And you should too. There has been a lot of “church hurt” over the years because of people claiming to know the correct way to Jesus and God’s Kingdom. Sentiments like this have driven many people away from religion and faith. If you feel that way, and I am guessing many of you do, just remember that it is not Jesus that brings that hurt. More often than not, it’s people or an institution.

Just look to verse 20. “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of age.”

No one you meet will be in charge of your salvation. Dig into the scriptures and find what that relationship with Jesus looks like to you. And wherever that leads you, is exactly where you need to be.

Blessings to you as you wander.