Matthew 28:19-20:
“Therefore go 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 I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
In a village in northern England, around 400 A.D. a young man named Patrick was abducted and thrown onto a ship headed for Ireland where he was sold into slavery. Through his sufferings he came to know Christ and, after much prayer and fasting, he managed to escape and return home. One night in a dream, Patrick received a letter from someone in Ireland that said, “Holy Boy, please return to us, we need you.” After much struggle in his heart, he set sail for Ireland, to minister to the same people who had enslaved him.
Patrick certainly did live out the words from Christ’s Great Commission. The resurrected Christ gave these instructions as His last personal directive to his disciples: go, teach, baptize, obey and make disciples. Patrick’s life as a missionary to Ireland lasted 29 years; he baptized over 120,000 and planted 300 churches. These words from one of his poems can inspire us even today as we, in our own mission fields, make disciples.
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in the mouth of friend and stranger.
Father, we thank you for the example of St. Patrick and understand why a day would be set aside to honor this remarkable man. May his story inspire us to pray for how You would lead, encourage and empower us to be missionaries right where we are. You may not call us to cross oceans or trek thousands of miles to make disciples. Our “mission field” of influence might be within our sight, just steps away. Help us to obey your Commission, Lord God. For Your sake we pray.
~ painting by Hall Groat II
