Hospitality for Disciples

Because I think Matthew 10: 40-42 (June 26 scripture) is confusing about who's talking & who's he talking to, I offer my adaptation of the NRSV translation: Jesus says, "Whoever welcomes you (disciples) welcomes me (Jesus), and whoever welcomes me (Jesus) welcomes the one who sent me (God). Whoever welcomes a prophet (someone who speaks God's truth) in the name of a prophet (Jesus) will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person (someone who walks with God) in the name of a righteous person (Jesus) will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones (disciples) in the name of a disciple (Jesus) - truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward."

After a long chapter (10) of describing the hardships of the discipling life, Jesus switches to the hospitality offered to disciples who go forth and share their faith. If we are the ones welcoming or receiving someone sharing their faith with us, how refreshing a simple cup of cold water will be in the desert tradition of hospitality. For those of us who can so easily turn a faucet for water, we mustn't take for granted the gift of cold water. For those of us who have pre-conceptions about what a visitor in Jesus' name might look like (ie. like us), we might want to be careful about those upon whom we turn our backs (the shabby, the homeless, the needy) & instead turn toward them & receive their witness - their stories.

For those of us who are being received, how wonderful it is to be received after a long day in the desert of life - a long day in the office or on the crowded highways. When we are thirsty, a cup of cold water is exactly what we need.

For all of the above, the reward offered is a place & a part to play in the kingdom of Gd.