Last Sunday we heard Jesus tell the disciples that they are more special than sparrows. We remember that disciples are people who follow Jesus and learn from him. Jesus wants the disciples to go out to teach more people, so that those people can follow and learn, too. We wonder if the disciples feel uncomfortable about going out to teach, away from Jesus. They know people want Jesus, not them. In the Gospel reading for this Sunday, Jesus speaks to the disciples about this concern.
“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”
Welcoming someone means to be friendly to someone who comes to our home.
Welcoming someone makes them feel comfortable in our home. Our home is a friendly place to be!
Jesus says, whoever welcomes the disciples welcomes him. When people are friendly to the disciples, when people make the disciples feel comfortable in their home, Jesus feels comfortable there, too.
Not only that, Jesus says, but the one who sends Jesus also feels comfortable in that home, too. Who is the one who sends Jesus? We know that it is God. When people welcome the disciples, they welcome Jesus. When they welcome Jesus, they welcome God.
What a wonderful thought! God feels comfortable in a home when someone welcomes a disciple! What a gift that would be! The gift of God feeling comfortable with us.
When the disciples feel uncomfortable about teaching, Jesus talks about welcoming. Perhaps the Kingdom of God is not about teaching, but about feeling at home. When people are friendly, when they welcome us, we feel at home. We feel we belong.
We belong to the people we know.
We have heard Jesus speak about knowing his sheep.
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. (John 10:14-15)
Welcoming is about knowing, is it not? The sheep know Jesus. They feel welcomed by him. They are comfortable with him. They know Jesus, and Jesus knows God, so the sheep also know God, too, do they not? When they know Jesus, they know God. When people welcome the disciples, they welcome Jesus, too, because the disciples know Jesus. And then everyone knows God, too.
But the disciples wonder how do people welcome? Jesus says,
whoever gives even a 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.”
A cup of cold water to these little ones... Who are these little ones?
Do we know anyone who is little?
Do we know anyone who lives with people who are all bigger than they are?
Could it be that Jesus is speaking about...children? About...you? Could it be?
When someone gives you a cup of cold water, do they make Jesus feel welcome in their home? They will not lose their reward, Jesus says. Do they receive the gift of God feeling comfortable with them?
How good it is for them that you are here! They need you, so that they can welcome Jesus! God needs you so that God can feel comfortable in everyone's home.
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