Wednesday's Word

When one first reads Matthew 10:40-42, the Gospel lesson for the fifth Sunday of June this year, one is not overwhelmed by some great demand from Jesus. It focuses on the simple acts of hospitality such as welcoming people and sharing a cup of cold water. But there is great power in these words of Jesus.

When we are gracious to others, we are being gracious to Jesus. One of the major hopes of our faith is God will be gracious to us. That God will be open to us and care for us even when we have not been all that we were created to be. These verses are asking for us to return that same grace to others. We can never “repay” God for all that God has done for us but we can be gracious to his children.

A gift as simple as a cup of cold water can carry a powerful message when done in a caring way. When we take the time to tell others that we care, that we are thinking of them, we are helping to build a better world.

Why make a complicated thing out of our faith. At times it can be as easy as a kind word, a friendly smile, or sharing a cup of water. Henri J. Nouwen put it well when he wrote, “The concept of hospitality is one of the richest biblical terms that can deepen and broaden our insight into our relationships with our fellow human beings.”

May God bless you and yours,