On Welcoming: A Cup of Love
Scripture Reading
“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.”
– Matthew 10:40-42, NRSV
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
Reflection
This month Jan and I enjoyed some time with our grandsons Max and Wyatt. We spent hours playing with them on the floor or outside in the sandbox. Who knew grandchildren could be so much fun?
Jesus often spoke of children. I believe it’s because Jesus always noticed the people on the edge of the crowd, the ones others did not notice. Think about what children are like. They are vulnerable, with little or no control over their lives. Children depend upon others to provide for their needs. Jesus says we are to be like children.
In the final scene of that great movie, Driving Miss Daisy, Hoke visited Daisy in a senior care facility. That once-proud matriarch of the family was now vulnerable and frail, dependent upon the care of others. As they talked, Daisy had trouble eating her dessert, so her friend Hoke gently took her fork and lovingly began to feed her. Daisy had become like a child, vulnerable and powerless, living at the margins of society.
One of the challenges of aging is that we sometimes become as dependent as children. When our physical or cognitive abilities decline we sometimes experience limitations in what we are able to do. The humility of aging can be like becoming a child all over again.
Jesus said, “Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” When the disciples asked who would be the greatest, Jesus said the one who was greatest was like a child – those he also described as humble, vulnerable, and powerless. That doesn’t sound very great to me!
To follow Jesus is to reject human values of what is great – self-gratification, wealth, and power. Those are the three great temptations faced by Jesus in the wilderness, described in Matthew 4. The more you are controlled by desires of self-gratification, wealth, and power, the less you are following Jesus.
To be a follower of Jesus is to put aside those values and choose the humility of being vulnerable and powerless. To be great in the eyes of Jesus, you must put aside the desires of self-gratification, power and wealth and be as humble as a child.
Jesus said his followers would include ordinary people, those who live their lives through Jesus as his presence in the world. But who does he also include at the end? Children. Whoever gives even a cup of water to these little ones will find reward.
What is this welcoming, accepting, receiving that Jesus refers to? This is the Kingdom of God Jesus preached about. When we welcome others, we are welcomed into the Kingdom of God – here on this earth, in our lives today.
What does it mean to welcome? Jesus gave one example – offering a simple cup of cold water, an act of kindness and compassion, to a little one. We are to welcome people by accepting them and offering them kindness and compassion. The kindness and compassion you offer to the least important person you know is kindness offered to Jesus.
In these two passages, Jesus tells those of us who follow Jesus to be like children. We are to welcome those who are powerless and on the margins of life with acts of kindness and compassion. Remember, those who welcome the least, welcome Jesus himself.
Exercise
Think of a child you know. What is that child like? How does that child exhibit the humility Jesus talked about?
How could you choose to be more like a child? In what ways can you become more humble, moving beyond self-gratification, wealth, and power?
Think of a person who is like the least important in our society, perhaps someone who is old, or poor, or a minority. What personal characteristics do they exhibit?
How can you welcome them as Jesus said? What kindness and compassion can you show this person?
Ask God to show you how to be more humble, like these least of the little ones.
Greg Smith, Director of Legacy Ministry, First Baptist Church Decatur