Day 11: Genesis 27-28; Matthew 10:26-42
"He who receives and welcomes you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me." (Matthew 10:40, AMP)
The Greek language tends to be very concrete. A literal reading of the word translated 'receives, welcomes, accepts' is 'to take with the hand' (Joseph Thayer). What a picture that creates. In the context, this is what I see: you walk into a room, see a familiar person (perhaps one you have not seen for a season), extend a hand of greeting and fellowship, and the hand-grasp soon becomes and embrace, maybe even a bear hug. There is a welcome! It's so much more than a handshake. You are genuinely delighted to see the one you welcome and embrace, and the physical action is an expression of a hearty welcome into the joy of sweet fellowship...a sharing of the journey of life and faith, being fully present and wholly committed to the welcomed one. This is the Community of Faith called the Church. In Matthew 10:40-42 'to take with the hand' is used six times. The 'welcome' conclusion is this: "Whoever gives a cup of water to a 'tiny one' (quite literally - the word is 'mikron') in my name, very truly (literally, amen) I tell you, will never lose their reward." Here is a Fellowship where everyone, prophet, disciple, little one, WHOEVER, is welcome...has a hand extended to them and is invited into the embrace of the Family of God.
Now, catch the full weight of what Jesus was saying: whoever takes a Jesus-follower by the hand, takes Jesus by the hand. And, whoever takes Jesus by the hand, takes the hand of the One Who sent Him. Wow! Embrace me, as I embrace you, for Jesus sake and you embrace Him. Embrace Jesus and you embrace the Father with a present welcome into the inner place of family, the core of our being. God loves this behavior and rewards it. This is the Family of families, the Household of households, the Family of God. This is the Place God delights to bless! Welcome! Let's take one another by the hand and learn how to grow in being a welcoming place.
The Greek language tends to be very concrete. A literal reading of the word translated 'receives, welcomes, accepts' is 'to take with the hand' (Joseph Thayer). What a picture that creates. In the context, this is what I see: you walk into a room, see a familiar person (perhaps one you have not seen for a season), extend a hand of greeting and fellowship, and the hand-grasp soon becomes and embrace, maybe even a bear hug. There is a welcome! It's so much more than a handshake. You are genuinely delighted to see the one you welcome and embrace, and the physical action is an expression of a hearty welcome into the joy of sweet fellowship...a sharing of the journey of life and faith, being fully present and wholly committed to the welcomed one. This is the Community of Faith called the Church. In Matthew 10:40-42 'to take with the hand' is used six times. The 'welcome' conclusion is this: "Whoever gives a cup of water to a 'tiny one' (quite literally - the word is 'mikron') in my name, very truly (literally, amen) I tell you, will never lose their reward." Here is a Fellowship where everyone, prophet, disciple, little one, WHOEVER, is welcome...has a hand extended to them and is invited into the embrace of the Family of God.
Now, catch the full weight of what Jesus was saying: whoever takes a Jesus-follower by the hand, takes Jesus by the hand. And, whoever takes Jesus by the hand, takes the hand of the One Who sent Him. Wow! Embrace me, as I embrace you, for Jesus sake and you embrace Him. Embrace Jesus and you embrace the Father with a present welcome into the inner place of family, the core of our being. God loves this behavior and rewards it. This is the Family of families, the Household of households, the Family of God. This is the Place God delights to bless! Welcome! Let's take one another by the hand and learn how to grow in being a welcoming place.
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
1 Comment
This reminds me of that song from my youth- "Put Your Hand In The Hand" circa early 1970's. I still hum this to myself, it's words are meaningful. Sung by a group called Ocean I think.