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The Rev. Kathi Johnson
Time After Pentecost - Lectionary 13 - Year A
Text: Matthew 10:40-42
Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Grand Prairie, Texas
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Grace and peace be with you, from
God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Maybe five years ago, while Steve
and I were still living in Austin, most of the State of Texas was under extreme
drought conditions. Mandatory watering restrictions helped people control how
much water we used on our lawns, and the City of Austin passed a temporary
regulation for restaurants that said that they weren’t supposed to bring
glasses of water automatically to their customers’ tables. In other words, we
could have water, but we either had to ask for it, or wait for it to be offered
to us.
Now, to me, a Texan for most of my
life, this changed a pretty basic routine. I was so accustomed to sitting down
in a restaurant and having a glass of water brought to me without even having
to ask – so refreshing on a hot summer’s day! I didn’t mind asking for the
water, once I got into the habit, but I had to get used to this very simple shift
in the way restaurants were able to offer hospitality.
Before Steve and I went to the Holy
Land in February, one of the most-repeated pieces of advice I received was:
“Drink LOTS of water and don’t let yourself get dehydrated. You’ll find bottled
water everywhere that doesn’t cost much. Buy it and drink it!”
And, sure enough, our bus driver
had figured this all out. Built into the dashboard of the bus was a cooler, and
he kept it stocked with bottles of water, available for $1 each. Because we
were almost always either on or near the bus during the day, if we needed
water, all we had to do was reach in, grab a bottle, and leave a dollar in the
little basket nearby. Our guest houses also left bottles of water for us in our
rooms. It was a simple detail, but one that was so appreciated.
The three short verses from today’s
gospel lesson from Matthew are part of a bigger speech given by Jesus to the
twelve disciples. The speech begins at the start of chapter 10, when Jesus
gathers the Twelve around him to send them out to do the work of God’s Kingdom:
to heal in God’s name. Before they leave, he gives them a bunch of instructions
to help them prepare for what they will likely encounter as they travel.
“Proclaim the good news,” he says. “Cure
the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received
without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in
your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff…
Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay
there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is
worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace
return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake
off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town.”[1]
In other words, as they travel, the
disciples are to be completely dependent upon the hospitality of those whom
they encounter. They are to travel lightly so they can stay on the move and
cover more territory, but also so that they have
to ask for help along the way. They have
to go into peoples’ homes – which of course means that they’ll be more likely
to build relationships with these people. And it is through these relationships
that God will work, throwing his love out into the world through these
disciples and their ministry.
In today’s short reading, toward
the end of this same speech to the Twelve, Jesus says the word “welcome” six
times: “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.”[2]
It becomes clear that it is through
this welcoming – through this process of bringing others into homes and
communities and giving something even as simple as a cup of water – God blesses
these efforts greatly.
Have you ever given a cup of water
(or maybe a bottle of water) to someone who really, truly needed it? Someone
who was parched – maybe even on the verge of dehydration? It’s such a small
gesture – to hand over some water to someone else – whether it’s a cup of water
to someone who’s just done yard work or a bottle of water handed through a car
window to a construction worker who’s toiling in 100-degree heat. I’ve done
both – and the gesture feels small. Yet the blessing for them is so very great,
and – somehow – out of the blessing they received, I was also blessed.
I learned something as a teacher,
and I’ve continued to learn it as a pastor: I cannot solve every problem or
heal every illness. And, while I really, really wish that I could, I cannot fix
everything that is broken in the world, whether it’s physical pain, family
conflict, or the grief of a deep loss.
But here’s the other thing that
I’ve learned in my years of ministry, in this church and in others, and as a
teacher: I can offer what I can offer.
I can offer a simple cup of water - or a cup of coffee. I can offer a prayer in
a hospital room, or a conversation in a waiting room, or a shoulder to cry on
or lean on. I can tell you a corny joke if you need a laugh, or laugh at a
corny joke you’re telling me when you need to lighten the mood.
I can offer what I can offer. These
are all very simple things – maybe not particularly world-changing or
earth-shattering. But these simple gifts can be such blessings to those who
receive them.
I know you all give out many simple
gifts, too – many cups of water, so to speak. I know you bless others both in
this place and in other areas of your lives with blessings great and small. I
give you my thanks for that work. And I give you encouragement that, even when
it feels like your work is in vain, it isn’t. God sees your simple gifts, too –
and as God blesses others through those gifts, may you also be blessed.
Amen.
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