July 2, 2017: Welcome!

THE WORD IN THE GOSPEL

Matthew 10:40-42

Hear these words of Jesus: “Those who receive you are also receiving me, and those who receive me are receiving the one who sent me. Those who receive a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Those who receive a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. I assure you that everybody who gives even a cup of cold water to these little ones because they are my disciples will certainly be rewarded.”

THE MESSAGE   “Welcome”

Do you believe in coincidences? Yes, no?

According to the dictionary, a coincidence is “a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection.” In other words, a coincidence is when two or more unrelated things seem to come together in a remarkable and surprising way that cannot be easily explained.

Some people say that there are no coincidences, and that everything is destined or planned or put into place by God or fate or some other power. I’m not willing to go that far. I believe there are times when God is obviously at work in our lives, but I don’t think God controls or plans everything that happens. 

For instance, is it a coincidence that today’s gospel reading is one in which Jesus is talking to his disciples about hospitality and welcome? Today, of all days? The day when many United Methodist pastors are starting their ministry among their new congregations?

I’m not sure God planned that. After all, many people from many different faith traditions and denomination worked to put together the schedule or cycle of bible readings that we use, and that we call the lectionary. They weren’t all United Methodists!

I think this is just a coincidence. But . . . I also believe that sometimes, a coincidence can be a great gift if we choose to see it as one. And I believe that God can work through those times when surprising things happen that we can’t explain.

So, I’m grateful for this gift of a very appropriate gospel reading on this day when the idea of “Welcome” is very much on my mind. And I trust that, as we explore this reading, God will speak to us and through us, and will use this coincidence to help us grow in faith and love.

Let’s look again at one verse of that reading: Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”

In our modern world, we understand the act of welcoming someone to consist of greeting them warmly, perhaps shaking their hand or giving them a hug, or saying, “We’re so glad you’re here today.”

But when Jesus talks about welcome, he means something more. To truly welcome someone as Jesus intends means to show them hospitality. And hospitality goes far beyond those polite acts of welcome that we extend to each other and to visitors and guests. To show true hospitality requires that we go beyond the surface, that we dig a little deeper, and that we get to know the people we want to welcome.

When I moved into the parsonage on June 19, the welcome I received was overflowing with gracious hospitality, because some people had taken the time to learn something about me.

Sitting on the kitchen counter was a beautiful basket filled with all kinds of Twinings Tea bags! Someone found out that I simply adore my morning cup of Twinings Tea! And that made me feel very welcome indeed.

And then, a few days later, someone arranged to have the catalpa tree in full bloom for me. I’d really like to thank whoever made that happen! The tree was gorgeous and I really appreciate it!

Extending welcome and hospitality means stepping outside our comfort zone to get to know people, especially people who are different from us.

According to the wonderful theologian Letty Russell, hospitality is “the practice of God’s welcome by reaching across difference to participate in God’s actions bringing justice and healing to our world.”

In order to keep our act of welcoming from being shallow and superficial, we need to take very seriously the lives, situations, concerns, and fears of others. Again, Letty Russell writes, “To welcome another person is to look beneath the surface of what they say and do, to understand ‘where they are coming from.’”

Christian hospitality can be understood as solidarity with strangers. But to be in solidarity with anyone, we must get to know them first.

The word for hospitality in the Greek New Testament is philoxenia, which means “love of the stranger.” This stands in stark contrast to the ideology that pervades our society: an ideology of xenophobia, or hatred of the stranger.

The most profound kind of hospitality – and the kind we are called to practice as disciples of Jesus Christ – is the kind that extends a welcome on the basis of trusting in the possibility that Jesus is present in others – even those we don’t agree with, even those we distrust, even those we call our enemies.

The ministry of the church – our ministry – is to welcome those who Jesus welcomed. Not just those who look like us or act like us or believe like we do or think like we do. But to welcome and extend hospitality to everyone and anyone.

Jesus makes it clear in this passage that this act of welcoming and showing hospitality is not just a polite or moral thing to do. It is a divine act, a sacred act, a sacramental act. Because by welcoming the stranger, we are welcoming Jesus himself: “Whoever welcomes you,” Jesus says, “welcomes me.”

Does that sound familiar? It should. One of my favorite passages in the Bible is also from the gospel of Matthew. Chapter 25, to be exact. Let’s look:

Jesus said, “Then the king will say ‘I was hungry and you gave me food, thirsty and you gave me a drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you gave me clothes, sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.’

“Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done these things for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.’”

I had to get my love of cats into this message somehow, so there it is . . .

You know, it’s amazing to think that in the simple acts of giving water to someone who is thirsty, or food to someone who is hungry, or providing care to someone who is hurting . . . or welcoming someone who is a stranger . . . we are serving Jesus, and we are revealing God’s hospitality, welcome, and love.

I know I’m a stranger to some of you, and some of you are still strangers to me. But in the coming months, as we continue the act of welcoming and as we practice Christian hospitality, we will get to know each other better.

It is my prayer that as we begin our shared journey in faith and ministry, we will all take the time, accept the risks, and make the effort to get to know more about the lives of every person who walks through the doors of this building. Because that’s what it means to extend God’s welcome, and that’s what helps turn strangers into friends.

But let’s start by sharing this ultimate symbol of welcome and hospitality: this meal. Jesus invites and welcomes everyone who wants to know the power of his presence in our lives and in this community of faith. Let us accept Jesus’ gracious act of welcome so that we can be empowered to be God’s welcome to others.

Remember:

We are welcome at this table . . . not in spite of all that God knows about us, but because of all that God knows about us.

And that’s very good news. Amen.