The Great Commission, Doubt, and Post-Colonialism

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The Great Commission, Doubt, and Post-Colonialism

Herb Montgomery | May 29, 2026

If you’d like to listen to this week’s article in podcast version click on the image below:

Our reading this first week after Pentecost is from the gospel of Matthew:

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore 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 that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)

The very first sentence in our reading this week says that all eleven disciples left and went to Galilee. This is starkly different from Luke’s version that we read a couple weeks ago: Luke says that all eleven disciples stay in Jerusalem in Judea, not Galilee, and the ascension happens there. The endings of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke offer two different geographical visions of the early Jesus movement, and each reflects the theological priorities of the communities where each version of the gospel emerged. In Matthew’s Gospel, the disciples leave Jerusalem after the resurrection and travel north to Galilee, where the risen Jesus commissions them on a mountain. Galilee is significant because it is the borderland of Israel, a place associated with outsiders, Gentiles, and the poor. Earlier in Matthew, Jesus’ ministry began in “Galilee of the nations,” a region already marked by cultural mixture and political marginality. By ending his Gospel there, Matthew presents the Christian mission as emerging from the edges rather than the center. From this northern frontier, Jesus sends the disciples to “make disciples of all nations.” The movement outward to the whole world begins from a place already connected to diversity and inclusion.

Luke’s Gospel presents a very different ending. Instead of leaving Jerusalem, the disciples remain there after the resurrection. Jesus instructs them to stay in the city until they receive power from the Holy Spirit. In Luke and its sequel, Acts, Jerusalem becomes the sacred center from which the gospel spreads outward: first to Judea, then Samaria, and finally to the ends of the earth. Luke roots the Christian movement firmly in the story of Israel, emphasizing continuity with the Temple, Jewish worship, and the promises of God. The mission to the nations begins not from the margins but from the historic and spiritual heart of Jewish faith.

Together, these two endings reveal complementary truths. Matthew emphasizes the gospel arising from the periphery and moving beyond boundaries, while Luke emphasizes the gospel flowing outward from sacred tradition and communal continuity. One begins in Galilee, the other in Jerusalem, but both envision a message destined for the whole world.

What jumps out next in this reading is a phrase used referring to the 11 disciples: “some doubted.” This brief phrase is one of the most strikingly human moments in the Gospel of Matthew. The disciples have reached Galilee, the place Jesus instructed them to go, and when they see the risen Jesus, they worship him. Yet Matthew adds that “some doubted.” Even in the presence of the resurrected Jesus himself, faith and uncertainty exist side by side.

The Greek behind our Engish translations here can suggest hesitation, wavering, or uncertainty. Rather than being the enemy of faith, the word communicates honesty. The disciples are not rejecting Jesus; rather, they are struggling to comprehend the overwhelming reality before them. And yet, they are still included among the 11. They are not rejected for their doubt. Their uncertainty is not a deal breaker. Matthew presents resurrection faith not as instant certainty, but as something emerging through awe, fear, and wonder. And this gives me hope that, today, for those who are inspired to follow the ethical teachings found in the Jesus story yet who remain uncertain about some of the supernatural claims of the Jesus story, there is still room. 

This phrase, “some doubted,” also gives authenticity to the Gospel narrative. Matthew does not portray the disciples as flawless heroes with unshakable confidence. Instead, they are ordinary people trying to grasp an extraordinary event. Their doubt becomes part of the story of discipleship itself.

Importantly, Jesus does not rebuke or exclude the doubters. Immediately afterward, he commissions all of them to go into the world and make disciples. In Matthew, then, mission does not wait for perfect certainty. The risen Jesus sends questioning followers who still are inspired by the ethics of love and justice he taught them into the world anyway.

Before we consider a healthier alternative interpretation of Matthew’s great commission, I want to take a moment to address the way the “Great Commission” of Matthew has proven vulnerable to abuse and discuss how colonizers used it as a key text to justify their atrocities. 

The “Great Commission” has often been interpreted as a call to spread the message of Jesus to all nations. Within the history of European colonialism, however, this passage was frequently distorted into a theological justification for conquest, cultural domination, and forced assimilation. Colonial powers often merged Christian mission with imperial expansion, treating the command to “make disciples of all nations” as permission to control lands and peoples rather than serve them.

During the colonial era, missionaries sometimes traveled alongside armies, traders, and empire builders. Indigenous cultures, languages, and spiritual traditions were frequently dismissed and erased as inferior or “uncivilized.” In many places across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, conversion to Christianity became tied to abandoning local identity. Schools and churches established by colonial governments often prohibited native languages and practices, teaching instead that European culture was synonymous with Christianity itself. The gospel became entangled with Whiteness, nationalism, and empire. (This stands in stark contrast with the lessons we gleaned from the Pentecost stories in Acts last week.)

This abuse of Matthew’s text ignored the larger teachings of Jesus found throughout the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus consistently rejected domination and violence. He taught humility, service, love of neighbor, and solidarity with the marginalized. The same Gospel that contains the Great Commission also contains the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus blesses the poor and commands love for enemies. Colonial uses of Matthew 28 often emphasized authority while neglecting compassion, justice, and mutuality.

The phrase “all nations” was transformed from an inclusive vision into a program of religious and cultural control. Rather than recognizing the humanity and wisdom of different peoples, colonial Christianity often attempted to erase them. This created lasting wounds that continue to shape relationships between Christianity and Indigenous communities today.

Many theologians today, especially those from postcolonial and liberation traditions, argue that Matthew’s Great Commission should be understood differently. It is undeniable that The Great Commission in the Gospel of Gospel of Matthew has too often been distorted into a mandate for domination rather than discipleship. In the hands of colonial powers, “go and make disciples of all nations” became an excuse for conquest, forced conversion, cultural destruction, and the blessing of empire. Indigenous peoples across the world experienced the “gospel” arriving alongside military violence, economic exploitation, and racial hierarchy. In this misuse of the Commission, Christianity was separated from the teachings of Jesus and fused with power, nationalism, and control.

Yet the Gospel of Matthew itself points toward a radically different vision. The risen Jesus does not commission armies or empires. He commissions disciples who have learned the way of the Sermon on the Mount: peacemaking, mercy, humility, justice, reconciliation, and love of neighbor and enemy alike. The Great Commission is not a command to erase cultures or dominate nations. It is a call to embody the liberating teachings of Jesus within every culture and community.  In many of the Indigenous populations Colonialism erased, these ethics were already being practiced, and rather than being affirming, Colonialist Christians committed the exact opposite of what the Jesus of their gospel story intended.

Recovering Matthew’s commission from its colonial misuse requires repentance, listening to marginalized voices, and separating the message of Jesus from the history of empire that too often claimed to speak in his name. A healthy, life-giving understanding of the Great Commission sees these words in Matthew not as a justification for seeking control over others but as a call to solidarity with them. It calls Christians to confront systems that crush human dignity and to participate in healing, liberation, and restoration. To “make disciples” means nurturing communities shaped by compassion, economic sharing, nonviolence, truth-telling, and radical welcome.

Matthew’s Gospel ends, not in the centers of imperial power, but in Galilee, a marginalized region far from Rome’s throne. From the margins, the disciples are sent into the world carrying the love, compassion, inclusion and justice of Jesus rather than the sword of empire: “I am with you always,” Jesus tells them. In this vision, the Great Commission becomes an invitation to join the Divine’s work of justice, liberation, and beloved community among all peoples. It becomes an invitation to form communities shaped by the teachings of love. These teachings are rooted in mercy, justice, reconciliation, and humility shared through teaching and learning. The Great Commission calls Christians especially not to impose power but instead to embody a radically different way of living together: one where all humans find around them a safe, compassionate, just space where even the most vulnerable among us can feel at home.

Discussion Group Questions

1. Share something that spoke to you from this week’s podcast episode with your discussion group.

2. How does the abusive history surrounding Matthew’s Great Commission inform your own justice work, today? Share and discuss with your group.

3. What can you do this week, big or small, to continue setting in motion the work of shaping our world into a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone? 

Thanks for checking in with us, today.

I want to say a special thank you to all of our supporters out there. And if you would like to join them in supporting Renewed Heart Ministries’ work you can do so by going to renewedheartministries.com and clicking donate. 

My latest book Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political and Economic Teachings of the Gospels is available now on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and also on Audible in audio book format.

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Right where you are, keep living in love, choosing compassion, taking action, and working toward justice.

I love each of you dearly,

I’ll see you next week.

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New Episode of The Social Jesus Podcast

A podcast where we talk about the intersection of faith and social justice and what a first century, prophet of the poor from Galilee might have to offer us today in our work of love, compassion and justice. 

This week:

Season 3 Episode 23: The Great Commission, Doubt, and Post-Colonialism

Matthew 28:16-20

Recovering Matthew’s commission from its colonial misuse requires repentance, listening to marginalized voices, and separating the message of Jesus from the history of empire that too often claimed to speak in his name. A healthy, life-giving understanding of the Great Commission sees these words in Matthew not as a justification for seeking control over others but as a call to solidarity with them. It calls Christians to confront systems that crush human dignity and to participate in healing, liberation, and restoration. It means nurturing communities shaped by diversity, compassion, economic sharing, nonviolence, truth-telling, and radical welcome.

Available on all major podcast carriers and at:

https://the-social-jesus-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/the-great-commission-doubt-and-post-colonialism

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Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels.

 

by Herb Montgomery

Available now on Amazon!

In Finding Jesus, author Herb Montgomery delves into the profound and often overlooked political dimensions of the gospels. Through meticulous analysis of biblical texts, historical context, and social discourse, this thought-provoking book unveils the gospels’ socio-political, economic teachings as rooted in a profound concern for justice, compassion, and the well-being of the marginalized. The book navigates the intersections between faith and societal justice, presenting a compelling argument for a more socially engaged and transformative Christianity.

Finding Jesus is not just a scholarly exploration; it is a call to action. It challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of Christianity’s role in public life and to consider how the radical teachings of the gospels can inspire a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and compassion. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the social implications of Christian faith and a blueprint for building a more just and inclusive society.

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