Mark 16:15-20
“But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.” (Mark 16:20)
In today’s Gospel, we are all commissioned by Jesus to “go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” Jesus does not ask us to tell only our closest friends but to go out and tell the whole world. This great commission of the Lord includes all possible ways of living out this call. No matter our profession or vocation, we are sent by the Lord to proclaim his love and truth to the world, all in his name.
The Lord calls us to be missionaries in our world through our words and actions. Our actions may not always result in miracles, but they offer opportunities for the Holy Spirit to work through us and result in outcomes beyond what we could have done alone. I find that even the simple or mundane actions we take can be used by God for something greater. When asked by someone what I am doing on a Wednesday night, I could easily leave out the fact that I am attending a bible study, but instead, the Lord wants us to share these things with others because you never know where an open conversation about faith may lead.
Mark tells us that the Lord “was taken up into Heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God,” and the Apostles began their ministry. He adds that “the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.” The first phrase may make us think that the Lord is far away, but the second reveals its true meaning. The Lord left this earth, no longer present in the way He had previously dwelt among us, so that He could be present to all in a new way. Through the Spirit, He can work with us and confirm his word through signs.
I pray that the Lord will remind us that we are never alone, that just as He sends us forth, He walks with us and accompanies us. Today, let us pause to make little acts of faith in Him throughout the day to inspire others.
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