Whoever Welcomes You

Proper8A/Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, July 2, 2017, St Martin’s Episcopal by Annette Fricke

            The tone of this part of Mathew, chapter 10, is one of comfort when it talks about when a person does something good, a reward will follow.  However, if we are to step back just one verse, we hear quite the opposite.  Verse 39 reads, “Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”  It is important to read scripture as a whole, not just the little passages we listen to on Sunday mornings as though that is all there is in the Bible.  I once knew a student at the Catholic seminary who thought that the Bible consisted of only those Biblical passages read during Mass.  What comes before the gospel helps to illuminate the meaning of the present text.  Our gospel’s meaning is better understood in the context of what precedes; that half a sentence which says, “Those who find their life will lose it.”  The contrast compels us to think about our motivations in life.  To pursue anything irrespective of our relationship to God is always a mistake.  It will cost us.  We may be making new friends who we believe value the same things as we do, but at the same time without our rootedness in God, drive us further from God.  Our faith wavers when we grab onto such things as security—that better job, that better salary—that better position.  Are we doing it for selfish reasons or because we sense that God is pushing us forward in that direction?  Opportunities for change seldom come in a package where it is an easy decision.  The decision-making process is usually filled with all sorts of pros and cons, where when chosen one way or the other still makes us wonder if the decision we made was the right one.  Perhaps either way was the right one.  Perhaps either way was the wrong one. A friend of Dad’s once told me when he was over 90 years old, “I still don’t know if marrying Doris was the right choice.”  Despite that thought that he would mull over in his mind periodically, he remained faithful to her. Despite that our thoughts and behaviors may betray our loyalty to God, the choice to follow or not is always there.  The choice to follow will sometimes send us in a direction we didn’t really choose to go.  The way of God is the way of sacrifice.

            In today’s reading we hear the words, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”  For the day in which this was written, it was meant to be the same as if in the presence of the sender.  Whoever welcomes you, welcomes Jesus, and whoever welcomes Jesus, welcomes the Father; for all of these are one and the same.  These words bring to mind the ancient Jewish tradition of sending messengers.  They did not have newspapers, television, radio or computers then.  Everything was sent by way of a messenger and what was sent by messenger was the same as if that person was speaking directly to you.  Even in the middle ages, the tradition continued.  If the king sends a messenger, it is the same as if the king was speaking directly to you.  This tells us something very important.  If we see ourselves as disciples of Jesus Christ, our ministry is Jesus himself.  We are not just the messenger or gopher.  We are not simply middle management.  We are not simply the poor laborer or slave of our master.  As we look back a few Sundays to John, chapter 14, it said that we are in Jesus just as Jesus is in the Father.  We are God to the person to whom we minister.  People know God through us as Christian believers.  Yet even though we are in the community of Christ, we are amongst a sea of unbelievers and atheists which are quite numerous.  This may be cause to feel like one of the little ones, as the early Christians felt.  But God is with us in the most profound way possible.

            So, with that in mind, here is our challenge.  Our bulletin proclaims every Sunday, “St. Martin’s is a welcoming, vibrant community that fosters spiritual growth to serve Christ in all people.”  Will we walk away?  Will we take responsibility?  Will we see that this simple sentence and guiding principle is accomplished over and over so that our small Christian community will increase and the work God has given us to do will be done?  Do we not also pray every time we gather, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven?”  In order that our prayers be effected, action must follow.  We are to seek God’s guidance and go forward, as we proceed, discerning where God would have us be as a congregation, using the resources we have and trying different strategies.  We should be asking the questions as to how to make our ministry to others work.  A challenge requires a response, a united response where we work together, not each person doing their own little thing by themselves.  We are called to relationship and we are to be about the building of relationships with each other and our community, the local as well as the global community.

            We are called to meet basic needs, to see that basic needs are distributed and received.  That is the grace of God at work.  That is the reward of servanthood.  That is the reward of sainthood.  The life packs are a great example of meeting basic needs.  Outside our community were several places in need of drinkable water such as Airway Heights and Flint, Michigan.  Many during this time of the year are victims of house fires in need of temporary shelters.  We are not expected to meet everybody’s needs, but we do have the resources to meet the needs of many.  We are a strong congregation, but our strength is stronger when we unite in common goals, pitch in and work together.

            If we are to seek validation of what Matthew is telling us in this gospel passage, there are two other gospels to consider.  Mark’s gospel says that the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.  John’s gospel says that from his fullness we have all received grace upon grace.  I think we can put these together.  Is not our reward in serving others the grace of God which we ourselves have received?  Isn’t it God who makes us God’s righteous servants, to walk humbly beside God in service to others in need and giving them what they need?

            And how do we decide?  During my time as a Camp Counselor one summer, we had the kids make a list of “Needs and Wants.”  What do we really need to live on this earth?  We need food, clothing, and shelter—and I might add, drinkable water.  If the water is making us sick, it is not drinkable.  Basics.  Campers need to know that it is possible to live without a cell phone and other items they would be tempted to put on the “needs” side of the list. One counselor decided that he would wear the same pair of camp shorts for a whole year without washing them.  It is up to us as a congregation to decide.

We are called by God to give the simplest of things, like water, because the simplest is the most needed; giving water, a smile, a hand, a compliment.  Give that which will brighten someone’s day and make their load just a bit easier.  It doesn’t have to be big, just help where help is needed.  Listen where listening is needed.  Care where caring is needed.  Do the righteous thing and distribute God’s grace to all of God’s children.  We are all God’s children.  We are all brothers and sisters.  “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.  And whoever gives even a Dixie cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple---truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”
Copyright Annette Fricke 2017.