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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." (Mathew 10:40-42 NRSV)
Happy Monday, dear Friend! I pray all the dads who read ConCafe had a splendid day and that love was shared and received. I loved the quote my brother had on his wall during high school years, attributed to Bishop Patrick Flores, Diocese of San Antonio, that said, "The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother." I also believe fathers should show their love and affection to their children. Make time for your kids always!
Like most of you, my thoughts were on my Dad. I miss him so much. I miss his calls and my calling him. Sundays were days we touched base, and I miss that contact. My father was all about hospitality. He was usually the initiator of visits to the homes of all of our relatives. We visited all of my aunts and uncles, and one uncle and my dad, had a trick they would play on each other when they would not find the other at home. I don't know who started the prank, but it was fun for us kids to get quickly out of our car, grab all of my uncle's lawn furniture and stack it all against his front door. I'm beginning to realize who may have started it! ha ha. And, we would often come home to find our lawn furniture up against our front door as well.
The passage for today has Jesus saying a powerful truth; "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcome me welcomes the One who sent me." Such is the authority given to disciples by Our Lord that anyone who welcomes those who call on others in the name of the Lord, also welcomes Jesus, and God. So, a visit done to someone in the name of the Lord is a powerful one. And it is part of the Lord's mandate to reach as many as we can to grow the kingdom. Our words, our actions, our affections should demonstrate our love of God and our love for others; anything less and we have not fulfilled what we were called to share.
Jesus continues that those who welcome prophets in the prophet's name will be recompensed with a prophet's reward. We remember that a prophet was a spokesman for God, who spoke an unpopular, but truthful word about what God expected, but was not getting. And a prophet's reward is that which is eternal and not of this world. We also remember that most prophets were rejected, ridiculed, beaten and even killed. Yet, we know the story of Elijah who was rewarded with a trip to Heaven without death on a chariot of fire.
Those who welcome a righteous person in the name of the righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous, which again is the eternal reward of life in the presence of God. And a perfect setting, with a perfect beginning gesture? "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." My wife tells the story of a long walk she and her mother and siblings took from their home in La Joya almost all the way to Rio Grande City in the heat of summer along the mostly unpaved Military Highway to go and wish my father-in-law a Happy Birthday. Along the route, a kind old woman, who was blind, heard them coming and stopped them to offer them cool water and even boiled potatoes. The stop provided them with a time of rest and refreshment and they were able to complete their nearly twenty mile journey. A kind gesture, given with fullness of heart, blessed an entire family and whose deed is being shared even to this day so many years later.
What Jesus is asking is to show hospitality and love to all people. A place to rest, a cup of water with which to refresh and be strengthened, but in the name of those who know God and God's love blesses us in ways we may not even see now, but we will in the presence of God. For some, this is easy, we are already doing it; for others it is asking a lot, and fear cripples them from moving forward to showing the most basic of human decency. But, we hide not behind excuses, but move ever forward and upward.
PRAYER: Loving Father, as we start this work week, make us aware of the needs all around us. There are, as hard as it is for some to believe, people who have never been welcomed with love; help us to welcome them and to show them compassionate rest like no other. Help us to see the thirst in the lives of those who have yet to taste the sweet waters of life that Jesus offers, and grant us the wisdom and the boldness with which to share it. We pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Start by quenching your own thirst, then share waters of hope with as many as you can today!
Receive my blessings of love and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
