When Jesus chose his 12 disciples he warned them that they would not always be welcomed where they went and in fact said the world would hate you because of me. But he gave them instructions to follow regarding those who welcomed or didn’t welcome them. 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. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
Now, to keep our spirits up, he focuses just on the positives of those who do actually welcome us when we bring a word of God to them. But it is also about how we treat others who may come to us. Jesus teaches that small acts of welcome carry eternal weight. In God’s kingdom, hospitality is holy and every act of love—no matter how small—participates in God’s mission. In fact the Book of Hebrews emphasises this fact when it says: Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
Jesus has just finished sending the disciples out with nothing but trust—no bag, no money, no spare tunic. They are utterly dependent on the hospitality of others. And now he says something astonishing: “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me.”
Not: whoever performs miracles. Not: whoever preaches eloquently. Not: whoever has perfect theology. Not: whoever casts out demons. Whoever welcomes you.
A church can have the best teaching and preaching– the most vibrant Sunday School – most active youth group – but if it does not show acts of welcome then it fails in the mission of God. How many people remember what the sermon was about but if they don’t feel welcome may never return. Jesus locates divine encounter not in grand gestures but in the ordinary, human act of receiving another person. Hospitality becomes a doorway into communion with Christ himself. In fact Jesus exercised welcome in his ministry and we know that this was divine work because the religious leaders criticised him: The Pharisees and the teachers of the law grumbled, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
This is a radical redefinition of what “holy” looks like. Holiness happens at the front door. We put up signs – all welcome – but do we live it. Do people feel it. And it doesn’t take much so that anyone can do it. “Whoever gives even a cup of cold water… will not lose their reward.” A cup of cold water. Not a feast. Not a donation large enough to name a building.
Not a heroic sacrifice. A cup of cold water. That’s why St Paul says, when describing what love looks like: If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Cold water – the simplest, most basic act of care. Anyone could give it. It requires no wealth, no status, no special skill.
Just a heart for others in need. Jesus is saying: In my kingdom, nothing done in love is small. This is good news for every person who has ever felt like they don’t have much to offer. Good news for the tired parent. Good news for the overwhelmed carer. Good news for the person who feels unnoticed or unimportant. God sees. God honours. God remembers.
Jesus links welcome to identity: When we welcome someone we welcome Jesus When we welcome Jesus we welcome the Father. And we participate in their mission even if we know nothing about mission. When we welcome a prophet we share in the prophet’s reward When we welcome a righteous person we share in their righteousness When you welcome someone who carries God’s mission, you become part of that mission. You are central and essential to their mission.
It is relational as we participate. The kingdom of God spreads not only through those who go, but also through those who receive, support, encourage, and sustain. It’s similar to our mission strategy – Go, Grow, Enable and Prayer.
Each is essential in the ministry and mission.
Some preach. Some teach. Some serve. Some give. Some pray. Some offer a cup of water. It’s what St Paus says in Romans 10: For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news! All are essential. All are honoured. All participate in the work of Christ.
Hospitality and welcoming is not about entertainment. Not about performance. Not about perfection. Hospitality is the sacred act of making space for another person—especially the vulnerable, the weary, the stranger, the one who cannot repay. And in today’s modern world it could be a text message or phone call. A listening ear. A word of blessing. A card – a visit. A prayer for someone who is struggling. These are cups of cold water. Those who welcome, give, and sustain the work of the gospel are not “helpers on the sidelines.” They are full partners in the mission of Christ. And they support Christ himself as he once said: For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
In a world that tends to focus on and highlight big achievements, Jesus dignifies the small. Your quiet acts of love are not unnoticed. Your hidden sacrifices are not wasted. Your daily kindness is not insignificant. At the heart of this passage is a picture of God’s own character. God is the One who welcomes. God is the One who gives. God is the One who notices the small just as he noticed Zaccheaus in the tree. Just as he noticed the bleeding woman who snuck up behind him. Just as he noticed the woman caught in adultery. The woman who washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. God is the One who honours the humble. God is the one who offered a Samaritan woman living water to drink. And now God offers us living water in the waters of our Baptism.
Matthew 10:40–42 invites us to see our daily lives through kingdom eyes. Every welcome is an act of worship. Every kindness is a participation in God’s mission. Every small gesture of love echoes into eternity. May we be people who welcome Christ in others. May we be people who offer cups of cold water freely. May we trust that nothing done in love is small or insignificant.
