The Need for Welcome

Based on Matthew 10:40-42
First delivered June 28, 2020
Rev. Dr. Kevin Orr 

            One of our American traditions is the welcome wagon. Some neighborhoods still have these organized methods of welcoming new families into the neighborhood. Whoever the designated person is welcomes the new neighbors and gives them some cookies or something else sweet, along with a bag with helpful information about the neighborhood and the community. The bag may even have some coupons. It is a great way to make a positive impression of the neighborhood.

            Being a pastor in the United Methodist Church, I have done my share of moves. I can’t say we have ever been the recipients of a welcome wagon. But there have been times where a few of our new neighbors would come over to the house to introduce themselves, and to give us cookies or cupcakes. It felt good to be welcomed in the neighborhood and to know some people that we could reach out to. Of course, there was the added benefit of having a new church family that welcomed me in. For those of you who have had to move into a new community in which you really didn’t know anyone or where anything is, it is comforting to be welcomed and included in the life of your new community.

            For those who do the welcoming, it can be a rewarding experience. It feels good to make a new connection, to help someone feel included. You give of yourself to meet the needs of a stranger. It can be exciting to lay the foundation of a new relationship as you learn about each other, your backgrounds, your shared interests. It is rewarding to see how your simple act of welcoming someone into the neighborhood puts a smile on their face and they respond with a word of appreciation.

            Here’s a question for you: which would you rather be, the one who is welcoming a new neighbor or the new neighbor being welcomed? If you are the one doing the welcoming, that puts you in the position of giving of yourself. You are meeting a need. You are helping someone feel welcome. You are doing something helpful. That can be very gratifying, to know you made someone feel welcome. Then again, it does put you in a bit of a vulnerable position. What if for some reason the person you came to welcome doesn’t want to be bothered? What if they tell you to go away? It also takes some courage to go up and meet a stranger. What about the one being welcomed? What’s nice about this is that you get some goodies! You also get to meet some new people and start to feel connected in the neighborhood. But you may also feel like you are being checked out and maybe even judged whether you fit or belong in the neighborhood. You also may be in the middle of something and didn’t want to be interrupted. There’s pros and cons being the one who welcomes and the one being welcomed. There are some enjoyable aspects but also potential vulnerability, of being rejected or inconvenienced.

            This passage in Matthew we heard this morning concludes Jesus’ instructions to his disciples about their mission. He has told them what to bring, what to do when they enter a town, what to say. He has told them about potential rejection and even persecution. He told them not to be afraid and reminded them that they matter to God. And now he gives these final instructions before moving on to the next section of the gospel. It isn’t instruction so much as letting them know that as they go from place to place, those who welcome them will be rewarded by God for their hospitality. Those who welcome them as prophets and righteous people will receive a reward, even if it is as simple as offering a cup of cold water.

            Now, although these instructions are presented as those Jesus gave his disciples, Matthew intends these instructions to be applied to his church community. Especially these verses we hear today are meant to be heard by those in the church who are doing the welcoming instead of those apostles going about sharing the gospel.

            See, one way you could describe Matthew’s church is to divide it into two groups: itinerants and those who stay home. The itinerants, like the apostles, went from place to place to share the gospel, to offer healing to the sick, and to cast out demons. They were continuing the ministry of Jesus. But most of the Christians were not itinerant apostles. Their task was to provide hospitality and support for the itinerants as they passed through. These are the ones who welcomed the itinerants as the prophets and righteous people they were. These are the ones who offered the cold water when the itinerant apostle came into town.

            There must have been some prestige about being one of the itinerants, one of those who had been called and sent out to go from place to place, continuing the ministry of Jesus. As we heard earlier in chapter ten, those who lived this itinerant life had to bear a good deal of risk. They may not be welcomed. They may be mocked. They may be beaten. They may be run out of town. Itinerating like this may put a strain on their families and they would have to make a difficult choice between being faithful to their mission and tending to domestic life. It was not an easy life. So, for those who lived the itinerant life, they deserved a degree of respect and honor by those who understood the sacrifices these itinerants made in order to do this apostolic work. They should expect to be acknowledged by their Father in heaven and to have a share in Jesus’ inheritance.

            But in this word we hear this morning, those who stay put are told they will not lose their reward if they welcome the itinerant. Those who stay but welcome the prophet and righteous person will receive the same reward. Even if all you do is offer a cup of cold water. Even if it isn’t as risky and demanding. These are very generous words. For those who did not have the prestige or responsibility of being itinerant apostles, it was good to know that they still had a share in the coming reward. They were not left out. They would also benefit from participating in the great work of God as they were able. There was more than one way to participate. That’s good news.

            I want to push us a little and ask, how willing are we to be itinerant? Are we willing to be the ones who need to be received? Let me be more direct. Are you willing to go around and introduce yourself to your neighbors? The benefit of having people come to visit you is that if you don’t want to be bothered, don’t answer the door. Don’t answer the phone. To be the one who knocks on the door, you don’t know how or even if you will be received. Especially the introverts among us given the challenge to be the one initiating the visit is enough to break out into hives. It does take effort to be out and about meeting people, initiating conversations, building new relationships, for the sake of bearing witness to Jesus.

            I understand. Putting yourself out there is not for everyone. Some of us have been called into itinerant ministry. That’s part of my calling, to be sent from place to place. Some of us are wired to be outgoing, to work a crowd. Some of us are extroverts who are energized by visiting with people. There are people who go to Costco as an excuse to talk to people, I’m sure of it. Other people are more private, more reserved. The thought of being in a group of people they don’t know makes their stomach get all tied up in knots. That’s ok. Like we heard this morning, those who receive itinerants will also be rewarded. Receiving guests, welcoming those who are just passing through, answering the knock at the door, allowing for the interruption to engage with someone who wants to introduce themselves, these are all acts of grace and create an opportunity to represent Jesus.

            I want to encourage all of us to at least consider putting ourselves in the position of being welcomed, of initiating conversations, of reaching out to people and building relationships. I know, in this time of physical distancing it is even more challenging to go around and meet new people. Maybe I’m just planting a seed today. I know there are people in our community who feel isolated and alone. They need to be in relationship with someone who represents Jesus. They need to be in relationship with you. Remember verse 40: “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” When we go out to meet our neighbors, to introduce ourselves to people we don’t yet know, we are going about as representatives of Jesus. Or, as Paul said it, we are ambassadors of Christ. Exerting the effort and taking the risk to meet new people is one way we serve as ambassadors of Jesus. Yes, it’s easier for some than others. Yes, this is challenging during a pandemic. Just let this encouragement stay with you. Keep it in the back of your mind. When the time is right, perhaps the Spirit will stir within you to take up that challenge and to reach out to those you don’t know, giving them the opportunity to receive you.

            For a long time people have been saying that our society is becoming balkanized. What I mean is, we surround ourselves with people who agree with us and shut out those who we disagree with. We put ourselves in echo chambers that reinforce our politics and opinions. Thus, you have people who only watch MSNBC and others who only watch FOX, just as an example. People who are not in our group, our tribe, are written off, labeled, stereotyped, dehumanized. It sometimes feels like there is this big gap in our society. We don’t feel very unified as a nation. It’s been that way for years. In fact, the last time I sensed our nation as unified was those few months after the 9/11 attack. But after a few months, we all fell back into our camps.

            As followers of Jesus, we should not find this state of affairs as acceptable. Jesus shed his blood for everyone. Jesus loves everyone. Jesus longs to be in relationship with everyone. And we are the body of Christ. We represent Jesus in the world. How might we be the means for Jesus to be welcomed? How might we, as ambassadors of Jesus, bring people together? I believe that initiating the exchange of welcome, either putting ourselves out there to be received by others or receiving anyone who crosses our path, we are doing our small part to make our community more welcoming. We are doing our small part to bring people together, to make our community more healthy. We are contributing to the work of reconciliation, all for the sake of Jesus who came to reconcile the world to God. It is a step in the right direction to be welcoming.

            Whether you are the one who is welcoming or the one being welcomed, be open to other people, especially people who have different perspectives, different lifestyles, different backgrounds. Especially people who feel isolated and alone. Don’t close the door or turn away from others. Now is the time for all of us to make it a priority in our lives to draw closer to people, physical distancing notwithstanding, rather than push people away. And it’s not just for the reward promised in Matthew 10:40-42. It is for the sake of the world and for the cause of Christ.