On this occasion Jesus sent his apostles to do the work committed to
them, not among the Gentiles, but only among the Jews; or as he calls
them--"the lost sheep of the house of Israel," v. 5,6. But, after his
resurrection, and just before he went up to heaven, he enlarged their
commission. His parting command to them then was--"_Go ye into all
the world, and preach the gospel to every creature_." St. Mark xvi:
15.

When Jesus, their Master, went to heaven they were to take up and
carry on the great work that he had begun. Those twelve men were to
begin the work of changing the religion of the world. They were to
overturn the idols that had been worshiped for ages. They were to
shut up the temples in which those idols had been worshiped. They
were to "turn men from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan
unto God." Acts xxvi: 18. They were to go up and down the world,
everywhere, telling the wondrous story of Jesus and his love. And in
doing this work they were to be the means of saving the souls of all
who believed their message, and in the end of winning the world back
to Jesus, till, according to God's promise, he has "the heathen for
his inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for his
possession." Ps. ii: 8.

This was the grandest and most important work that men were ever
called upon to do. The apostles spent their lives in doing this work;
and then they left it for others to carry on. The work is not
finished yet. And, if we learn to love and serve Jesus, we may help
to carry it on. We may be apostles, too, though in a lower sense than
that in which the first twelve were apostles. An apostle means--one
_sent_. But Jesus _sends_ into the vineyard to work for him all who
become his loving children. And, in this sense it is true that all