As I reconfigure the words of the Great Commission in my head, I wonder what kind of service Jesus had in mind when he issued us our final job description. He begins the deposition with the words, “All authority has been given unto me.” So in that name—the one with all the power—we go. Our crummy little broken selves are somehow decked out with that same authority.
Like Clark Kent slipping into a phone booth, we pull on the blue lycra saviour suit—in our case with a big red “J” stitched across the chest. Not exactly the Man of Steel, perhaps, but deputised all the same. We get to carry that power into the world: changing lives, making disciples, and teaching them what Jesus taught us. Magnificent. And yet, sometimes the heroics look less like capes and more like a warm meal, a listening ear, or simply showing up—hospitality as a subtle kind of superpower.
The latter part—“I am with you”—takes the emphasis off the “dress for success” requirements and places it instead on simply being with him. He is with us.
The full instructions are:
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptising 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.’” — Matthew 28:18–20
When we get curious about evangelism, hospitality deserves a mention, for it quietly plays a supporting role by truly noticing and caring for the needs of others. And honestly, that kind of simple kindness can create space for something deeper: a real connection, spirit to spirit. It’s a softer kind of evangelism, the kind that happens naturally over dinner and conversation.
But there are reasons we sometimes resist a more natural, relational approach to evangelism. We like programmes. We like step-by-step plans and clear outcomes. There’s comfort in having a formula. Somewhere along the way, getting someone “over the line” began to feel like a goal to achieve—just another item on the checklist—rather than something that flows out of genuine connection. My prayer for me is that I can be that kind of missionary—one who loves, cares, and connects.