Matthew 10:40-11:1
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.”
11 Now when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and proclaim his message in their cities.
Meditation
At first glance this text seems to be about ancient hospitality. Norse and Greek Mythologies, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Judaism (and probably other philosophies, myths, and religions) all have “rules” concerning hospitality. For example: the host is to serve the guest the best they can offer, no one who requests hospitality is turned away (they might be an angel or a god in disguise), the guest is to offer a story or news and may not turn down what is served, and there is some sort of reward for the host.
Jesus, is speaking to the disciples before they are sent on their first mission trip (see the previous texts – Matthew 10:1-39). He is giving them instructions on what they are to do. “As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘the kingdom of heaven has come near.’” (Matthew 10:7) As well as, letting them know what to expect. “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16). With allusions to ancient hospitality beliefs, Jesus ends the commissioning instructions with a blessing. A blessing not only for the disciples’ mission, but also for the recipients of their message. The blessing for the disciples is about how they will know if their mission is successful – they will be welcomed. The blessing for the recipients is the reward that all good hosts receive for welcoming strangers. By offering hospitality to the disciples (even after hearing “the news”), the hosts will not “lose their reward.” (Matthew 10:42) So, this text is really about evangelism. When going into the world, request hospitality and as a good guest tell them about Jesus (that is, the “Good News”). No need to worry if they “accept” the story. As long as someone offers proper hospitality and listens to the news, they in essence entertained Jesus through the disciple and will receive their reward. “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these . . . , you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40).