Reading: Matthew 10. 40-42
40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”
Reflection
This short passage tells us of all about welcoming, how important it is. Welcoming or accepting here doesn’t seem to be a huge task. But, we see that this simple action can be a channel which connects us with God. And what Jesus says is much more than that. He says, ‘Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward’. It is not just to say ‘By welcoming strangers, you will get favour’. It is, in a sense, building a new community within believers, by receiving and welcoming each other. This new relationship can be understood as something which can replace the family division, as Jesus mentioned earlier in verse 35. And, for this relationship, what is needed is simply welcoming and serving each other, as his disciples. Moreover, the greater thing is, if we receive a prophet, we can also receive the prophet’s reward as well. In other words, we cannot all be shining examples of goodness. Or, we cannot all stand out to the world as righteous. But, if we can help ‘a good man’ to be good, then, we can also receive a good man’s reward as well.
As an example, I am going to introduce a story from William Barclay’s commentary.
There was a lad in a country village who, after a great struggle, reached the ministry. His helper, in his days of study, had been the village cobbler. He had done much for the lad. In due time, the lad was licensed to preach. And on that day, the cobbler said to him, “It was always my desire to be a minister of the gospel, but the circumstances of my life made it impossible. But you are achieving what was closed to me. And, I want you to promise me one thing – I want you to let me make and cobble your shoes, for nothing, and I want you to wear them in the pulpit when you preach, and then I’ll feel you are preaching the gospel that I always wanted to preach, standing in my shoes.”
Without any doubt, the cobbler was serving God as the preacher was, and his reward would one day be the same.
Our service must be all different, as we have been given all different gifts. And, it doesn’t have to be a big thing. A small kindness should be fine. As Jesus mentioned, it could be just ‘a cup of cold water’. Although the church will need a great preacher, a great teacher or a wonderful leader, we must know that the church also needs those who have a warm heart of welcoming and the caring love, and those whose hands are always busy in all their services. These actions may look very simple. But, we see that they are all counted for the final judgement. Amen.
Prayer
In the care and compassion of family and friends,
come to us with joy.
Open our hearts to receive you.
In stretches of boredom or anxious waiting,
come to us with joy.
Open our hearts to receive you.
In uncertainty, loneliness, or desperation,
come to us with joy.
Open our hearts to receive you.
In grief and desolation,
come to us with joy.
Open our hearts to receive you.
In claps of thunder or a still small voice,
come and speak to us.
May we welcome you
into the clutter and chaos of our homes and hearts.
Amen.