IMMANUEL

William Carrey's 87-page pamphlet, "An Inquiry into the Obligation of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathen," was an exposition of Matthew 28: 19-20. Published in 1792, it is considered as the first published work on the theology of missions. Centuries later, interpreters of the passage, which is Sunday's lection, still resonate with Carrey's exposition. Many missions dedicated to convert the "heathen" continue to be grounded on Carrey's exposition of "The Great Commission."

I have always argued that Immanuel, "God-with-Us," serves as the thread that binds the 28 chapters of the Gospel of Matthew. The Gospel, in 1.23, proclaims that Mary's son will be called Immanuel, meaning "God-with-Us" (echoing Isaiah 7.14). At the end of the Gospel, in 28. 20, Jesus proclaims, "I am with you always..." God-with-Us to the end of the age! The Gospel has one promise. We will never, ever, be alone.

One can ask, "What does it mean to experience Immanuel, to feel God's presence in our lives?" And, more often than not, the answer is, "Be God's presence in someone else's life!" Matthew's Jesus was.

Friends, our great commission is to do likewise. Do what Jesus did. Feed the hungry. Visit the prisoners. Welcome the stranger. Befriend the lonely. Let people know for sure that they are not alone, and then they will feel God's presence.

*art, "The Mission to the World," (JESUS MAFA, 1973, Cameroon), from the vanderbilt divinity library digital archives.