by Randy Siever

When I disciple people I always tell them the secret to success in spiritual growth and in ministry is really quite simple: Just keep showing up. About 90% of life is about showing up, whether or not you feel inspired, prepared, brave, energized or motivated. Just show up and see what happens. Do your part and God will do His part. Your part: Just show up.

I had no concise biblical text for this pearl of wisdom, just a lot of years of showing up and an apparent oxymoronic biblical principle that apart from Christ we can do nothing (Jn. 15:5), but we can also do anything through Christ who strengthens us (Phil. 4:13). So it’s pretty much all about what HE does, not what WE do. Fact is, HE likes to do stuff through US, and if we don’t show up He’ll either not do that stuff or He’ll do it through somebody else. So just show up, or miss the party.

Recently I got slapped upside my theological head by a couple of verses I had evangelically filtered out in my systematic reading and studying of the scriptures. Most of us are familiar with what we reverently refer to as “The Great Commission” in Matthew 28:18-20. Of course, Jesus never said it was a great commission. Not even a “fairly significant commission.” Still, it’s pretty great in scope and size in that it encompasses pretty much the entire world. Most of us can recite the verses (well, at least some parts of the verses). It’s been our battle cry for 150 years at least, and in more recent years our favorite bludgeoning tool to whip those self-centered, evangelistically slacker brethren into participating in the daunting task of evangelism. (Hasn’t worked, that bludgeoning tactic, by the way. Despite our best floggings, we still have more than 90% of our team inactive).

So anyway, I noticed the two verses just before verse 18. I noticed them at a church service where they were put up on the screen (because, I assume, the title “The Great Commission” in the NIV sits right above verse 16…not verse 18, where everyone knows it SHOULD be). I only had my iPhone with the “Holy Bible” app installed, and so I quickly looked the verses up in The Message version (my default version on my iPhone). Here’s the Great Commission including the first two verses which we never quote:

16-17 Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally.

18-20 Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”

Verse 16 sets up the scene. “The eleven disciples” (because, you know, the whole Judas thing left them a guy short) were heading up to a mountain that was pre-set for an appointment with THE RESSURRECTED JESUS, who they had previously known and lived with for three years, 24/7, and had more recently been hanging out with, post-death, for 40 days. They had seen it all..the life, death and resurrected Jesus. Nobody had more information about Jesus than them. Nobody had more hands-on experience of who and what Jesus was. This was the remnant, the core leadership, the few, the proud…the ELEVEN.

So the eleven see Jesus on top of the mountain and as you would expect, they all fall down and worship him as their Lord and God. Ok…so apparently only SOME of them worshipped him (v.17). “Some held back, unsure about worship, about risking themselves totally.”

Huh?

Some of WHO? Some of the ELEVEN? How many? What were their names? Couldn’t be Thomas, right? He already got the tag, “Doubting Thomas” for all of history, even though prior to this particular moment on the mountain, he had come to see and profess Jesus as, “My Lord and my God.” So there were OTHER doubting guys in the ELEVEN? I was stunned. How could this be? And how could I have totally missed this?

This had to crush Jesus, right? I mean, what else could he do? If coming back from the dead won’t convince a guy, what’s left? I’d be totally devastated. I’d probably have told the doubters to have a seat and then gathered up the guys who “got it” for a team huddle, and give THEM the commission. But look at the way The Message puts the beginning of verse 18, Jesus’ response to this stunning doubt:

“Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge:”

Undeterred. Almost like it really didn’t matter what those doubters believed about him just then. He huddles up the WHOLE team of ELEVEN and gives ALL of them the commission to go make disciples. ALL of them. The believers and the doubters alike.

So what qualified these eleven guys to receive the Great Commission? Was it because they all believed the right things about Jesus? Clearly that’s not what qualifies them, since they all didn’t believe the same thing. Some weren’t certain about worshipping him as God…but even those guys got the commission. So what qualified them?

They all showed up. They just showed up where Jesus asked them to show up, doubts and all. If they hadn’t showed up that day…well, I don’t know what would have happened. I’m just glad they did. Because they showed up that day, a lot of stuff happened to and through them that resulted in me knowing and following Jesus today. I’ve never felt more thankful, or amazed, about that than right now.

I think showing up is still the only thing that qualifies us to participate in that same commission…or any other part of what following Jesus is about. Most of the time that means physically showing up, but sometimes it also means emotionally showing up, or even just being totally present in the moment. It looks like paying attention to people who are all around you in your normal routines of life…noticing them. Or praying for them behind their backs. And sometimes it looks like keeping your mouth shut long enough to really listen.

Just show up…and see what Jesus would do through you. Doubters welcome.