Faithful Presence

In Matthew 28:16–20, the resurrected Jesus gathers his disciples on a mountain in Galilee.*  This final commissioning begins not with certainty but with ambiguity: “When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.” Even here, at the threshold of resurrection life, doubt remains present alongside devotion.

This intertwining of doubt and commitment feels deeply familiar to many of us. The call of discipleship has never rested on having complete clarity — beyond the initial invitation. Rather, living into call has simply depended on our stepping forward into a life of love, justice, reconciliation, and community.

Recently I began re-reading the life of George Müller, and I have been struck by the radical simplicity of his trust in God’s provision. Müller operated orphanages serving thousands of children without fundraising campaigns or financial guarantees, trusting that what God called into being, God would also sustain. Müller’s witness invites us to imagine what is possible if we truly believe that God is already at work ahead of us, preparing the way. The Great Commission is our first lesson that the call of discipleship is less a call to clarity and more a call to trust.

Equally important, Jesus sends the disciples not simply to spread beliefs, but to form communities of transformed living: “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” The Great Commission is not a command to build institutions for their own sake. It is an invitation to follow Jesus into the world — fortified by prayer, inspired by compassion, driven by courage, accompanied by ambiguity.

The clarity we receive as Jesus departs is not a blueprint but a promise: “I am with you always.” Institutions change. Resources ebb and flow. Yet the sustaining center remains the living presence of Christ among ordinary people trying to live faithfully together. That promise is enough.