The God Pause Daily Devotional - The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Thursday, 29 June 2017 - Matthew 10:40-42

The God Pause Daily Devotional - The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Thursday, 29 June 2017 - Matthew 10:40-42

Matthew 10:40 “Whoever receives you is receiving me, and whoever receives me is receiving the One who sent me. 41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive the reward a prophet gets, and anyone who receives a tzaddik because he is a tzaddik will receive the reward a tzaddik gets. 42 Indeed, if someone gives just a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my talmid — yes! — I tell you, he will certainly not lose his reward!”
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"All are welcome" has become a near universal statement for Christian congregations to put in their mission statements, on a sign in front of the church or on their letterhead. And yet that mantra means quite different things to different people and different churches. Most all would agree that Christ welcomes everyone, so his people ought to do the same. However, the real difference is whether congregations welcome people "as they are" or as "they (the congregation) believe God desires these newcomers to become." How quickly outsiders can sense which kind of "welcome" a given congregation intends. Therefore, the question that deserves some thought and prayerful consideration is whether it is Christ's unconditional welcome or our conditional welcome that greets people who enter. Are there particular issues, about which reasonable people disagree, that quickly inform visitors to our congregations whether we are truly welcoming or only conditionally "open."
Shape us, O God, to have our welcome for others resemble your welcome of us. Help our love for others to be as unconditional as your love of us. May your righteousness shape our lives and our loves. Amen.
John Matthews, '75
Pastor, Grace Lutheran Church, Apple Valley, Minn.
Matthew 10:40 "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
41 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;
42 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." [New Revised Standard Versiion]

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Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
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