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
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2023
January
Day 1: Genesis1-2; Matthew 1Day 2: Genesis 3-5; Matthew 2Day 3: Genesis 6-8; Matthew 3Day 4: Genesis 9-11; Matthew 4Day 5: Genesis 12-14; Matthew 5-6Day 6: Genesis 15-17; Matthew 7Day 7: Genesis 18-22Day 8: Matthew 8Day 9: Genesis 23-24; Matthew 9Day 10: Genesis 25-26; Matthew 10:1-25Day 11: Genesis 27-28; Matthew 10:26-42Day 12: Genesis 29-30; Matthew 11Day 13: Genesis 31-32; Matthew 12:1-21Day 14: Genesis 33-37Day 15: Matthew 12:22-13:23Day 16: Genesis 38-40; Matthew 13:24-58Day 17: Genesis 41; Matthew 14:1-21Day 18: Genesis 42-43; Matthew 14:22-36Day 19: Genesis 44-45; Matthew 15:1-20Day 20: Genesis 46-48; Matthew 15:21-39Day 21: Genesis 49-Exodus 4; Matthew 16Day 22: Genesis 49-Exodus 4; Matthew 16Day 23: Exodus 5-6; Matthew 17Day 24: Exodus 7-10; Matthew 18:1-20Day 25: Exodus 11-12; Matthew 18:21-35Day 26: Exodus 13-15; Matthew 19:1-15Day 27: Exodus 16-18; Matthew 19:16-30Day 28: Exodus 19-22; Matthew 20:1-16Day 29: Exodus 19-22; Matthew 20:1-16Day 30: Exodus 23-25; Matthew 20:17-34Day 31: Exodus 26-28; Matthew 21
February
Day 32: Exodus 29-30; Matthew 22:1-22Day 33: Exodus 31-33; Matthew 22:23-46-Day 34: Exodus 34-36; Matthew 23:1-22Day 35: Exodus 37 - Leviticus 1; Matthew 23:23-39Day 36: Exodus 37 - Leviticus 1; Matthew 23:23-39Day 37: Leviticus 2-3; Matthew 24Day 38: Leviticus 4-6; Matthew 25:1-30Day 39: Leviticus 7-9; Matthew 25:31-46
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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.