Matthew 10:40-42

July 2, 2023

The Rev. Todd R. Goddard, Pastor

Rush United Methodist Church

Matthew 10:40-42

“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and 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.”

| Centering Prayer |

A little bit of kindness and hospitality goes a long way.

Here at the end of the tenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew,

these final words of Jesus must have come as a welcome surprise to his disciples.

In a continuation of the past two Sundays,

Jesus was enlisting the help of his disciples

into welcome relief for his exhausting ministry

to the growing throngs of people:

of preaching, teaching, healing, casting out demons, and raising the dead.

If I had been one of his disciples

and Jesus told me that I’d be doing these things,

truth be told, I’d be incredulous.

I’d be scared to death.

“Healing lepers? You’ve got to be kidding. I’m not touching that!”

“Raising dead people? Thanks, but no thanks, I’m not in the Frankenstein business.”

“Preaching and teaching?” Couldn’t we just hire someone to do it for us?

“Leaving home, family, business, and money behind – certain to face persecution?”

I’ve got a mortgage payment to make.

There must be a better way.

Truth be told, ministry is hard work.

It’s dirty work.

And most of us would like an easier way out.

So when Jesus tells us this morning

that a cup of cold water

given to a parched throat

will do the trick

– we rise up and say “Amen to that, brother!”

Is Jesus setting the bar of expectation for discipleship

– a cup of cold water –

So low that we are distracted

From his greater message?

…

We live in a religious environment that celebrates bigness.

Big, fast growing auditorium type churches

are the envy of bishops, pastors and laypersons alike.

Big screens with professionally done presentations,

audio and video,

more volume for the bands,

more seating for the orchestra,

higher ranks for larger choirs,

atriums with welcoming kiosks, flowing fountains, and free cups of coffee,

big parking lots filled with big fleets of buses to bring attendees in,

big programs for kids and youth.

Church, like larger society, often reflects the same values:

It seems like the mantra is

more, bigger, and better.

The underlying message is

If you’re not big, you’re doing something wrong.

Today, Jesus lifts up small and seemingly insignificant acts of faithfulness;

welcoming a prophet or a righteous person,

welcoming Jesus,

or simply,

lauding the act of giving a cup of cold water to a little one.

You will receive the reward of the righteous.

None of these (acts of kindness) will lose their reward,

Jesus instructs his disciples.

Well, now, there you have it.

Even I lend my voice to

The voice of an anonymous person working the line,

Collecting spare change in a canning jar for junior’s college fund,

Suspicious of The Man.

Jesus speaks and

The little man wins.

Not the free market.

Not democracy, nor dictatorship.

Not the rich, nor the powerful.

Jesus speaks the language of

Welcome.

Hospitality.

Empathy.

Jesus wins.

Welcome.

Welcome one and all.

Welcome Jesus, and his disciples.

Welcome the prophet, and the righteous.

Welcome preschoolers and the children of faith.

Give them a cup of cold water to quench their thirst.

“preach it, Jesus!”

Can faithfulness really be this easy?

I mean what about “turn your other cheek,”

and “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”

and “go the second mile”

and “sell all that you have and give to the poor and come and follow me?”

What happened with those things?

Each time I’ve visited Washington, DC,

I am reminded of

The value of big thinkers, dreamers, and leaders.

Everything is big in Washington:

Museums, the Mall, the Houses of Government, Institutions of the State.

The nation’s capital was built in a small time by people with lofty aspirations.

There is always a need and a place for bigness in our world.

So, how does a little act of hospitality and kindness compare?

Today, Jesus tells us that smallness matters.

Details matter.

Genuine hospitality and simple acts of kindness

are just as important as the big issues of faithful discipleship.

In an environment today of Kia and Hyundai car-jackings,

offering someone a ride can be

a significant act of faithfulness.

In an era of home invasions,

answering the door with a smile and a kind “hello”

becomes a radical act of faithfulness.

In a hospital filled with antibiotic resistant diseases,

SARS, Mersa, and more flavors of Covid than you can shake a stick at,

the simple effort of showing up,

holding a hand,

becomes an act of radical discipleship.

Going to visit an old friend might mean

Risking fall or frail health.

That takes faith, my friends.

In today’s world where 26% of the earth’s population

does not have access to clean, potable drinking water

and 46% lack access to basic sanitation,

accepting a cup of clean, cold drinking water becomes a true act of faith

“and intestinal fortitude.”

(UN World Water Development Report 2023)

“In this kind of world,

a world of walls and barriers,

violence and intense loneliness,

Christian hospitality becomes a prophetic act.”

(Craig T. Kocher, Pulpit Resources, June 26, 2005)

Jesus tells us that smallness matters.

There are certainly many well-meaning speeches

That were delivered during this recent baccalaureate season.

Most offer wisdom about seizing opportunity,

Being the best you can be,

And leaving the world in a better state than the way you found it.

I’d like to add this wisdom of Jesus to the chorus for our new graduates:

Do your very best in the big things,

At the same time, make certain

you bring excellence to the small things in life.

Smallness matters.

Details matter.

Consider the way you greet someone.

A smile, eye contact, and a sincere look on your face

Is just as important as the business deal you are about to negotiate.

Remembering and using a person’s preferred name

Replaces an anonymous waitress

with a person of worth,

who has a valuable story to tell.

“Yes, ma’m,” and “No, thank you” are more than simple rules of etiquette.

They are radical acts of kindness.

“Political correctness” lost to angry partisans

Should be resurrected by the faithful,

renamed “love of neighbor,”

Empathy for the circumstance of others,

honesty, integrity, transparency, and always doing the right thing.

The use of simple social values

Communicates to the world that

Respect matters.

Dignity is worth preserving.

Love is important.

Faith has taught you well.

Christian hospitality becomes a prophetic act.

…

One final point:

In all things – big and small –

Do so in the name of Jesus Christ.

By our baptism

Each of us are given a new identity.

We share a common Heavenly Father,

A common blood line,

Co-mingling of both mortal and immortal DNA.

We have been marked as one of God’s precious, beloved children;

Named as a disciple of Jesus Christ, God’s own Son.

This is who we are;

Therefore, this is where life should point.

The socks we darn: we do it for the glory of God.

The email we send: we do it in the name of Jesus.

The family we build: we do it for Christ.

The budgets we create: we do it on behalf of Christ and his kingdom.

The laws we draft: we do so as a faithful child of a just, loving, and benevolent God.

Behavior matters;

In the big things,

In small things,

When no one is watching.

Behavior that exudes radical discipleship

Is a signpost directing the world to God.

Too often we forget this capstone of faith:

When we fail to connect actions with belief with a relationship with Jesus Christ,

When we stop using our life to point to Jesus, the cross, and the empty tomb,

Then we slowly become just another well-meaning humanitarian.

We slowly erode our identity of who we are, and whose we are.

So, in all things – big and small –

Do so in the name of Jesus.

A little bit of kindness and hospitality

In the name of Christ

Goes a long way,

Is as refreshing as a cup of cold water

In a parched, dried out world.

Disciplined, loving Christian behavior becomes

a prophetic act of radical discipleship.

A cup of cold water

When drawn from the well of faith

Becomes living water that

quenches every thirst

And leads to life eternal.                

Amen.