"Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever
receives me receives the one who sent me.” Matthew 10:40
Jesus once again presents a challenging demand in the Gospel today. His
disciples must love Him above all else, even above their own families. They
must be willing to take up the cross and even lay down their lives for His
sake. Yet on the other hand, He makes promises that are just as phenomenal.
Something as simple as offering a glass of cold water, a welcome, to one who
comes in His name is enough to earn a righteous man’s reward.
The woman in today’s Old Testament reading offers a spare room to the
prophet Elisha, a generous act that is repaid with a miracle: the promise and
gift of a baby son. The woman and her husband have opened their hearts and home
to Elisha because he is a man of God, and they are rewarded with the
fulfillment of their desires for a child. Who but the Lord could give such a
gift? Can the Lord ever be outdone in generosity?
Jesus demands a lot from us, but He sees and honors even our smallest acts
of love and kindness, especially those done in His name for His disciples. These
days, we may not see itinerant preachers in dusty sandals entering the town in
need of lodging. But remember that whatever we do for the least of His
disciples we do for Him. A welcoming smile, a hand extended in friendship, an
invitation to coffee and conversation, or taking time to listen to someone who
may be suffering from sorrow, loneliness, or isolation, could be that
refreshing drink of cold water we offer in His name. When we give generously to
the littlest disciples of Christ, we may be surprised in turn by God’s generous
gift of the fulfillment of our own heart’s desires.
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