Reflection by The Ven. Dr Deborah Broome

A glass of cold water

[Jesus said] “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

I remember travelling down from Auckland once, to go to something in Wellington. The trip seemed to go on forever, leaving early in the morning and doing the distance in a single day. It was hot, we were tired from the journey, and tired from the exams that had just finished. And I remember how it felt, coming down the Ngauranga Gorge into the city and thinking: in ten minutes I’ll be dropped off at the place where I’m staying. I’ll be able to get out of this cramped car, stretch my legs, and Peter will come out, take my bag inside and give me a cool drink. And it happened just like that and the warmth of the welcome and the coldness of the drink were just what I needed. Maybe you’ve had an experience like this too.

In the Israel of Jesus’ time it was like that – but even more so.  In the dry regions Jesus travelled through water was precious and a very powerful symbol of life. Difficult terrain made hospitality much more than a social pleasantry. Life depended on water and welcome. To give the gift of either was to give compassion, hope for the future, to give life itself. To receive the gift of either was to experience grace itself. Matthew links water and welcome here to show us how the presence of Christ may be revealed in basic acts of hospitality.

Matthew’s Jesus is talking about the connection between disciples and God.  Jesus’ words affirm the relationships between disciples, Jesus, and God: whoever welcomes disciples (who are God’s representatives) welcomes God.  We – church folk, people trying to live in tune with God – are disciples.  And Jesus is saying we, Jesus, and God are intimately connected, and that small acts of service to people the rest of the world might consider unimportant actually matter very much.  It’s about living out our relationship with God, living out our trust in God, on a daily basis.  And even a cup of cold water helps – especially on a hot day.  Quiet hospitality.  Ordinary acts.  Faithfulness that often goes unnoticed by those around us.  All these actions have a dignity about them because they make concrete the identification of believers with Jesus and, in turn, with God.

But there’s an irony here, isn’t there. We start by thinking of ourselves as those who offer hospitality – those who carry in the bags, who give the cups of cold water. But Matthew’s Jesus was talking to those who would be the recipients of hospitality. To his disciples who were sent out to proclaim the good news, to heal, to give life and hope, to tell people that God loves them. That’s also us. We are those who have been called into the Church by Jesus and who are then sent back out again to bring life to the world.  

We’re the ones who get up each day and try to shine with the light of Christ. Taking action in Jesus’ name, being the hands and feet of Christ in the world around us. And that means we’re the ones who get to the end of each day, tired from a long journey, craving a cool drink and a word of welcome. Jesus was telling his disciples they would be dependent on the provision of God and the hospitality of others. He was telling them that what they were going to do for God would be tough, difficult, and would sometimes exhaust them.

And yes, that’s true. Sometimes we get to the end of a day worn out from trying to show love, joy and patience in situations which can so easily call forth the opposite responses. But alongside this there is the hope, and the joy, and the promise that at the end of each day’s journey we know the welcome that Christ gives us, Christ who is himself the living water, who cleanses, refreshes and makes all things new. 

 Picture credit: Nicolas Ruiz, Unsplash