Jesus said to his disciples:
“Go into the whole world
and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them,
was taken up into heaven
and took his seat at the right hand of God.
But they went forth and preached everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them
and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.
Just before Jesus went to heaven to be with his father, he told his disciples what to do next and tells us what it is we are to do. “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” If we are to do that, we need to know what this gospel is, how to proclaim it, and the power it contains.
The gospel is for you to know that God created you and everything about you and that he loves you. There is nothing you could ever do to make him love you more, and there is nothing you could do that would make him love you any less. Nothing will stop him from totally loving you.
Jesus loves you so much that he wants always to be with you, and for you to be where he is. He died for you, so that your sins could be forgiven and no longer separate you from him. He rose from the dead, he is alive and will be with you and you can be with him forever. The Gospel is the love of Jesus. We provide hope to others when we proclaim it.
So, how do we to proclaim it?
Pope Francis in his exhortation The Joy of the Gospel, says that if we are to proclaim this Gospel as Jesus tells us, we need to constantly be ready to bring the love of Jesus to others. For most of us “proclaiming” will happen in a conversation with someone we meet, and it begins with “listening.”
When we put aside all distractions and make ourselves totally present to someone; and listen to them tell us their joys, hopes, sorrows, and concerns, we show them how much we care. When they know we care, they will listen to us. Then and only then, can we proclaim the Gospel, and speak the love of Jesus, into their lives and their circumstances. Never judging, criticizing, advising, or even correcting their thought process, but humbly and gently helping them realize how much they are loved. If the situation is right, praying with them for their concerns. Then they know that they’ve been heard and understood, their concerns are given to God, and that he cares about them and their life. They have hope. In this exchange though, we’re not alone, Jesus works with us.
When we proclaim the Gospel the power of Jesus accompanies us and makes things happen. Through our proclamation, it’s the power of Jesus that heals. It’s the power of Jesus that comforts and consoles in times of sorrow, stress, and anxiety. It’s the power of Jesus that overcomes division, unites us, and helps us to love one another. It’s the power of Jesus that discredits the devil’s accusations and offers us forgiveness and mercy. It’s the power of Jesus that undoes the lies we believe about ourselves and reveals to us who we really are. It’s the power of Jesus that frees us from death and gives us life. Our proclaiming the Gospel, accompanied with the power of Jesus, transforms life and gives hope.
“Go into the world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” There is nothing to be afraid of. You have everything you need. He will place in your life those longing to hear the Gospel. As you proclaim, they will hear what he needs them to hear, know how much they are loved, and experience the power of Jesus to make things happen.