The sermon in church this morning was called “War and Peace” and was based on the famous passage of Jesus where he says that he did not come to bring “peace” but the “sword”. Not the first thing you think of with Jesus but historically accurate nevertheless. Our minister also read the remaining part of Matthew 10 alongside verses 34-39 about the division that Christianity would bring to friendships and families. But the passage doesn’t end there even though this morning’s sermon did. It continues with a strange little passage: Matthew 10:40-42 reads:
“40Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me. And anyone who welcomes me also welcomes the one who sent me. 41Anyone who welcomes a prophet, just because that person is a prophet, will be given the same reward as a prophet. Anyone who welcomes a good person, just because that person is good, will be given the same reward as a good person. 42And anyone who gives one of my most humble followers a cup of cool water, just because that person is my follower, will surely be rewarded.”
Jesus is talking to his disciples and followers, he has just spoken of the conditions of war approaching where family will be torn apart by the allegiance that Christianity would demand. The implication of this passage however is that in these wartime conditions there will be some who will show favour to the various followers of the faith of Jesus. They will not be fully fledged “believers” or initiates but rather simply those who “welcome” in many ways the people of faith. It may be as simple as offering cool water to the followers of Jesus. The result of these actions of welcome is that they will be rewarded. Their actions will not go unnoticed and will be rewarded with, bizarrely, the same reward as the good followers of Jesus that are spoken about.
I find comfort in this passage, to me it fits with my impression of the personality of Jesus I have met in the pages of the Gospels. It goes alongside the previous few verses that talk about division and offers another perspective on what will happen throughout history. There is indeed a wideness in the river of God’s mercy and I am glad to have seen it here. To those who have offered a safe and pleasant harbour to the followers of Jesus yet do not fit into the black and white categories of belief, they in turn are offered a haven of no less quality, the grey havens of Matthew 10:40-42.
Posted by PaPa Brown on June 11, 2007 at 9:20 am
I find myself shocked at this general passage. my cute and cuddly Jesus melts away into the mist… and yet don’t we just want that. I know there’s something in me that just wants him to be lovely and never angry or wrathful, I honestly want everyone to end up in heaven in the end.
So I wonder are you still looking for some tiny remnant of that cuteness. Are you looking for the grey and so finding it here? Do you see reward and read salvation – maybe that’s what the greek means, I’m no scholar.
I suppose I read in light of the rest of NT 2 possible meanings.
1. Reward = something generally good will happen to you
2. Reward = salvation, but only those actually seeking God will really “receive” his “little ones”
Generally I’m still thinking in the black and white…
Posted by voxo on June 11, 2007 at 9:41 am
I think the wrath is still there, its just that the friends of the winning team get benefits. The “enemies” still get it in the neck.
Reward – the passage says they get the same as the followers.
If you compare to Matthew 25 you see the similarity of ideas… the people who are friendly to the followers of Christ unknowingly are accepted into the kingdom.
I didn’t make it up. Jesus did.
Posted by PaPa Brown on June 11, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Well you see you’re giving away something of your theology on Matt 25 here.
Do you read “righteous” as “non-believers who are good and so get into heaven”; or as ” metaphorical believers wondering when they ‘literally’ saw Jesus” – to whom Jesus is teaching, as I would contend he is in the rest of matt 25, that actions are as important as words. Much like James.
I’m not by the way excluding the possibility that Jesus may welcome some into the kingdom without their overt response to the gospel. I just don’t think this passage reliably teaches this. Is there actually such a passage?
This in mind I stand by my previous reply re Matt 10
Again I’m detecting that search for greyness? Maybe you did make it up after all?
Posted by voxo on June 11, 2007 at 2:49 pm
My hope is to exegete the text as best as possible within the ancient context and using the same language ideas consistently throughout Matthew, the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The closing paragraph of Matthew 10 is set in the persecuted mission context of the previous portion of Matthew. It is an addendum to the dangerous conditions of the historically divisive mission of Jesus. It is not a treatise on who should be accepted into the “church” or not.
Matthew 25 which is about those who find themselves (at the end of time looking back) counted amongst the righteous and unrighteous (sheep and goats) irrespective of what earthly designations have been made. It is not about good works per se, rather it is specifically about how the followers of Christ have been received – if you like it is specifically about the good works of welcome that have been done to the followers of Christ.
How else should “little ones / least of these” be intepreted within the language and interests of Matthew’s Gospel?
The text doesn’t imply “only those who are really seeking God” will welcome the messengers. That is not the interest of this text. The emphasis is the other way – those who are ‘open/welcoming/kind’ enough to welcome these little followers will find themselves blessed by their sender. Matthew isn’t interested in the theological formulas of “Were they really seeking after all” but if that makes it work for you then grand.
Posted by the Answer to the Grey Havens of Matthew 10:40-42 « Vox O’Malley on June 26, 2007 at 8:52 pm
[...] 26th, 2007 by voxo I’m afraid that the previous post on Matthew 10:40-42 will remain unanswered. I am going on holiday this Saturday to the French part [...]