Matthew 10:40-42 Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.
Jesus is sending out his twelve disciples into the Israelite communities. He assures them that God will be with them as they traverse throughout Israel. He has given them power to conquer the devil’s attack against them. Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. (Matthew 10:1) In the above verses, Jesus tells them that the people who receive them will be blessed by God, for they will be welcoming God into their midst. Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Because God is a transforming power, when He is welcomed into people’s lives, the people who receive the disciples will be blessed by God in an eternal way. By receiving these twelve as prophets, they will receive a prophet’s reward. If they welcome them as righteous and good people, they will receive a righteous person’s reward. And even if they do not do anything more than give a cup of water to the twelve, they will not lose their reward of God’s touch on their eternal souls. Salvation, culminating in eternal life, is the final solution for all who receive God by faith. The Israelites, by doing good to the disciples, express faith in Jesus as the Messiah: the One sent by God himself to his chosen people. They are trusting in Jesus by accepting the works of the disciples; consequently, salvation has come not only near them, it is a promise to them for eternity. As Paul writes, For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” (Romans 1:16-17) The Israelites who receive the twelve willingly as God’s presence in their communities will receive God’s eternal blessing on their souls. The Jews have been looking for the Good Shepherd for generations, now the Messiah might be in their midst, so they were open to the Good News of salvation coming to Israel in the form of Jesus Christ.
Ezekiel foretold the Good Shepherd coming to Israel. For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. …You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord. (Ezekiel 34:11-12, 31) Jesus fulfills this prophesy by telling the disciples to look after the welfare of the Jews, revealing to them that the kingdom of heaven has come near to them, that their day of salvation is near. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” (Matthew 10:5-8) In Jesus’ ministry, He was especially harsh on the leaders of the Jewish community. He knew that Ezekiel’s prophesy foretold accurately the condition of the Jewish people. They were not only in slavery to another people, they were also enslaved by the recklessness and ruthlessness of their religious leaders. The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.’” (Ezekiel 34:1-4) We see Jesus coming as the Good Shepherd, the one who recognizes the people of Israel as his sheep, sheep that need a shepherd who is concerned about the needs of the flock. He is the one who will go out in the dark places and rescue the one who is lost, leaving the ninety-nine safely in the fold. He is the one who will care for the hurting, the disabled, the lame, the blind. He is the one who will feed and care for the poor and lonely, the disenfranchised of the community. The people of the Jewish communities knew this about their coming Messiah, so many accepted the disciples as ambassadors of this Good Shepherd. The disciples demonstrated the goodness of Jesus by healing the sick, casting out demons, and caring for the outcast such as the blind and disabled. Consequently, the people were willing to receive them as prophets, righteous men, and as representatives of the Good Shepherd. Jesus said they would receive their eternal reward because of their recognition that the Messiah was now in their midst. They knew as Ezekiel proclaimed, I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign Lord. (Ezekiel 34:15, NLT) As the disciples were going from one community after another in Israel, they proclaimed by their acts and words, that the One who promised them eternal peace had come to them in the man, Jesus. For all who placed their trust in him, He would give eternal life to them that would never pass away. The household of God would be theirs forever.
Today, the same message of eternal peace remains outstanding for all who put their trust in the Messiah, Jesus. He is the Good Shepherd for all people who come to him in faith. As Simeon prophesied when he had the baby Jesus in his arms, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” (Luke 2:29:32) God has prepared the Messiah for all people. He is the great light from God to be revealed to all the nations of the world. Simeon said, Jesus would be received by many but also rejected by many causing a dagger in the parents’ hearts. Actually, even his parents had a difficult time believing Jesus was carrying the divinity of God in him. At one time his siblings and his mother wanted him to quit his ministry, but Jesus knew that no flesh could actually hold this mystery of him being the Son of God without a direct revelation from God. When Peter said that He was the Son of God, Jesus told him that this understanding did not come from man or even his acquaintance with Jesus, but it came directly from God the Father. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. (Matthew 16:15-17) Blessed are people today that receive that revelation in their hearts and in their lives by faith and share it through the fruit they produce. The Messiah has come to the world. Many of the lost sheep of Israel in the time of Jesus realized that they needed a Good Shepherd. They accepted the apostles in their communities as representatives of this Good Shepherd, Jesus. Because of this, Jesus said their reward in heaven would be great. Even if they gave only a glass of water to the disciples, not necessarily a wonderful reception, they would not lose their reward in heaven. God rewards those who in any way willingly accept the Good News of the Messiah, Jesus. Dear friends, even if you have come in late in knowing this truth about Jesus and his divinity, even though you might struggle to wholeheartedly accept this Good News, God will reward you abundantly. Abundant life is an eternal life, one that does not fade away, one that exists forever. Jesus said, I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10) Jesus also said the good master gives the same payoff no matter who you are or how long you served him. You might not be among the strong who were hired early in the day to work for the master. You might not have been working for him all of your life. You might have been busy walking the streets of life as others were working for the master. Whatever your situation, the master pays off the same whether you have worked all day or at your death bed you pay tribute to his divinity. His rewards are generous and full of his grace and love: eternal life to all who accept Jesus as their Savior. Jesus tells the disciples that God pays off well to those who greet them with favor for they represent the Messiah who was sent to rescue the human race from destruction. Today, we can look for the unsaved who will welcome the Good News in Jesus’ name.
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