[Today’s Old Testament reading about the sacrifice of Isaac is very confronting. You might like to read the sermon by the Rev’d Suzanne Grimmet. You can find it here. https://anglicanipilly.org.au/2026/06/28/turning-this-dark-gem-of-a-story/?fbclid=IwY2xjawStrvhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeKmPHFZml_NaG9rntmYImzqUOa2Iq6Ch0TngedgxGBFZxjyYe5vykAG1gOsg_aem_YWdncwBbaPtKfuXeOgSKxq5ZiZ6i&brid=YWdncwGzd4MctsrFZRMPEGHjM3mQ]
Pentecost 5 – 2026
Matthew 10:40-41
Marian Free
In the name of God, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-Giver. Amen.
For centuries mission societies saw their role as one of converting “the heathen” to Christianity. In retrospect we can acknowledge that missionary activity was often associated with colonialism and with an air of condescension. There was a commonly held view that Western civilisation was superior to all other civilisations and that “the heathen” not only needed to accept Jesus, but that they had to adopt Western values and behaviours. During the last century most missionary societies have recognised the arrogance of this approach and the damage that was been done as a result – loss of culture and language being just two examples. Today, these organisations work alongside local cultures assisting them to identify their needs and providing resources and education to help them achieve their goals.
Jesus’ “mission charge” (to which we have been listening over the last two weeks) instructed the disciples to “proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.” (Mt 10:6-8). Two weeks ago, we explored the apparently exclusive nature of this mission. Jesus tells the disciples, “go nowhere among the Gentiles. Go only to the lost sheep of Israel.” Even though the disciples are going only to their own, Jesus informs them that sharing the good news will come at a cost. Jesus knew from experience that those with power, wealth and authority would not welcome the disciple’s message, just as they had not welcomed his message. Jesus warns, the disciples that they could expect to be hated, persecuted and betrayed.
What I find interesting about this “missionary discourse” is that nowhere does Jesus mention that the disciples are to convert people from one form of belief to another. Their task is to bring hope and healing and the good news that the kingdom is near.
Today we come to the end of Jesus’ instructions to the disciples. For reasons that I don’t understand, these three verses are often misinterpreted. Whereas the wording suggests that those who are rewarded are those who welcome and support the disciples, it is usually read to mean that the disciples who do good works will be rewarded. Both the commentaries I read this week suggested that Jesus’ meaning was that if we welcome a prophet, give “one of these little ones” a glass of water that it will be credited to our account. Indeed, as Chelsea Harmon points out the conclusion to Jesus’ instructions is often called the “rewards” section. That is, after Jesus has carefully delineated the problems and the dangers the disciples will face and the near certainty that they will be persecuted, Jesus turns to what it is that the disciples will receive.
It is certainly tempting to believe that Jesus concludes his descriptions of all the trials that the disciples will face, with a promise of reward or recompense.
But is that what the text says? Does Jesus actually say that the disciples who are open, kind and generous will be rewarded. OR, does it the text say that those who are open, kind and generous to the disciples will be rewarded? I suggest that the text refers to what other people give or do to us not what we give or do to others.
“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.”
“Whoever welcomes you welcomes you welcomes me.” “none of these” (not “none of you”). Jesus is not speaking of what the disciples will do for others, but what others will do for them.
If this is the case, it completely upends the idea that our role is to “do good” and to bring others to faith. If this reading is correct, it makes much more sense of the confronting and exclusive direction with which Jesus began his discourse, go only to “the lost sheep of Israel.” It shatters the notion that Jesus thought that everyone had to believe in him in order to receive the reward (presumably eternal life). The “lost sheep of Israel” (as we saw two weeks ago) were a special concern of Jesus because they had gone astray. Those who did not belong to the house of Israel were not outside Jesus’ line of sight, but it seems clear from today’s gospel that their welcome and support of Jesus’ representatives, was an indication of their acceptance of him and of the one who sent him – even if they didn’t themselves become disciples.
There is no evidence here that the disciples are being sent out to make people believe in him, no suggestion that Jesus want the disciples to compel people to change, and certainly no implication that if the disciples give someone a drink of water that they will be rewarded.
If this interpretation is correct it means that narrowly limiting a “reward” to those who profess faith in Jesus misses the mark. Openness, welcome and generosity towards those who profess faith seem to be the prerequisites for receiving a reward.
Jesus concludes his directions to the disciples with a statement that completely undermines any notion of exclusivity and any idea that it is only the lost sheep of Israel who will be saved (rewarded). Jesus appears to be saying that those who will receive rewards will not be exclusively those who belong to the house of Israel, or that rewards be given only to those who profess faith in Jesus. The reward it seems will be extended to those who recognise that someone has a message from God, those who accept that a person is righteous and those who offer something as apparently insignificant as a cup of cold water to someone who does believe in Jesus.
It is not our task to think about whom God rewards and why. Our task is spread the good news, to bring hope and healing and, instead patting ourselves on the back because we have done so well, we are to politely and thankfully receive from those who are different from but gracious to us.
Swallowsrest 