God and Beyond: Matthew 28:16-20 - Holy Trinity Sunday

¹⁶Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (NRSV)

Altar frontal created by Sharlotte DeVere, daughter of the congregation

I’m a child of the eighties—but even if you’re younger than me, you’ve probably seen one of these:

It’s the formidable Rubik’s Cube—the 3-D combination puzzle that’s solved by strategically maneuvering all six colors to the same side of the cube.

Currently, a fifteen-year-old student holds the world record for solving a Rubik’s cube in 5.25 seconds.

This makes me feel a little stupid- because I’ve never solved a Rubik’s cube, in spite of numerous attempts. 

A Rubik’s cube can be solved—but one puzzle you cannot solve is the Holy Trinity: one God in three persons, coeternal and coequal; a mystery as old as Christianity itself.

The doctrine of the Trinity isn’t spelled out in the Bible.  In fact, the closest we get is the Great Commission from today’s Gospel, to go and make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

In my opinion, the task of making disciples is as formidable as that of understanding the Holy Trinity.  And everything Jesus says today reeks of the word “should”:  that you should understand and that you should make disciples, and if you don’t, you’re not worth your weight in sale to God.  But this is not what any of this is about.

Bear in mind that Jesus’ disciples were extraordinarily ordinary.  They doubted; they failed; and they questioned.  But Jesus still sends them, and they go. Ultimately, it is the Triune God that makes disciples—and the Triune God makes you a disciple-maker!  This is the heart of the Gospel today!  A disciple is someone who is invited into the life of the Triune God for the sake of the world—and who gets to be part of the action.  The Great Commission is not about obligation.  It’s about opportunities and possibilities that do not exist apart from God. 

Because you are baptized in the name of the Triune God, this power is already at work in you.  In fact, the Trinity has been working in you ever since the beginning of time.  One of the best parts of what I do is hearing you tell your stories about what God has been up to in your life!

Jesus has delivered you through trials and tribulations that are far beyond anything I’ve ever known.  I’ve not had cancer.  I’ve never been in a serious accident or faced a life-altering surgery.  I’ve not a parent, a sibling, a spouse, or a child who’s died.  Many of you have—and there is no greater joy for me than to see the ways God is not only taking care of you but also healing you and using you to heal others!  I see God’s strength as you face life-changing trials with unfathomable courage and hope. I see in you a love and compassion that radiates with the grace of Jesus.  I see your faithfulness to the Great Commission in the countless hours you invest in this church—and not just to keep the doors open, but because you know that our being here matters to the community. 

And I’ve heard great stories: Of people showing up to help you in a moment of need who you’d swear were angels…  You have been angels to children separated from their parents in malls and amusement parks; how through simple conversations you show people the courage not to give up on living; and about seeing God at death’s door and yet living to tell the tale. 

This is why I believe in a Triune God—not because I should, but because of all God is up to.  Perhaps God is Three Persons so that our minds and imaginations won’t be limited what can be easily explained and understood.

Sometimes, there will be doubt.  Faith does not exist without it.  But one of our church’s best-kept secrets that shouldn’t be a secret anymore is that this is a safe place to doubt.  Jesus doesn’t reject doubters and neither do we.  Jesus sends forth doubters toward the fulfillment of his promises.  When there’s doubt, we stay together, trusting that the Triune God will banish away the darkness and bring us into the light once again. 

Today, you are invited into the awesome mystery of who God is for the sake of the world.  Discipleship is God’s way of animating your daily life in the world so your every word and deed can be colored with the presence of Christ.  It is God’s way of calling you out of the shadows of death and away from illusions of personal grandeur for you to see and know that the God who is beyond your comprehension but never beyond your seeing and knowing.