Daily Devo w/ Pastor Eric October 12, 2021
What is the Prophet’s Reward?
Matthew 10:40-42, NIV - 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.”
There’s
a lot to unpack in these three verses, so let’s dive right in. First, remember that this passage is part of
Jesus’s instruction to the twelve as He sends them out on their first mission.
Jesus has just told them pretty forcefully that they will encounter stiff
resistance as they seek to represent Him to others. But He ends these instructions with a
positive; there will be people who will welcome them and welcome the message of
Jesus. And Jesus is trying to
communicate what a beautiful thing that is.
He explains that welcoming the apostles is the same as welcoming Jesus
and welcoming Jesus is welcoming God.
People who receive the messenger and the message receive God into their
lives and that will become the greatest source of greatest blessing.
Jesus teaches
that “whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a
prophet’s reward.” It begs the
question, “what is a prophet’s reward?”
The short answer is that it’s hard to pin down exactly what the prophet’s
reward is. Jesus doesn’t expound here or
anywhere else that we know of. However, there
are some important things to notice about what Jesus does say. Some scholars believe Jesus is alluding here
to a story in 2 Kings 4 where the prophet Elisha encounters a Shunammite woman
who shows him great hospitality. The
woman is childless and her hospitality to the prophet is rewarded with a her
giving birth to a son. The son dies
suddenly at a young age, but is brought back to life by Elisha after the boy’s
mother goes to get the prophet. Two amazing
miracles are experienced by this Shunammite because of her hospitality to God’s
messenger.
Does
this mean that whoever exhibits such hospitality will personally experience
miracles. From my experience, the answer
is “not always.” However, what I can say
from experience is that, to the extent that you are open and welcoming of God
into your life, you will be able to see God so miraculous things. Every prophet in the Old Testament had a
front row seat to see God’s activity – serving people on behalf of God puts one
in proximity to God serving people through the one who serves. In my two-plus decades of serving God’s
people, I have seen dozens of miraculous things happen that I can only describe
as God’s activity. It is truly humbling
when it happens and the blessing that I have experienced for just being present
and open when it happens defies words. Being open to God and God’s message is a
way of opening yourself to the wonders that God does among us.
I encourage
you to notice one other thing about Jesus’s words about the “reward.” The prophet, the one who receives the
prophet, the righteous person, the one who receives the righteous person, the
disciple (“these little ones”), and the one who so much as gives that disciple
a cup of cold water ALL receive a blessing/reward for their openness. I don’t think it’s as necessary to pin down
exactly what that blessing/reward is as it is to recognize Who is offering it. Whether you are a prophet, a righteous
person, disciple, or just someone who is hospitable to a disciple, you will be
rewarded/blessed for your openness to God and God’s message.
Question: Miraculous
things happen all around us all the time.
Are we open enough to God’s message and activity to see them?
Prayer: Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth
thou hast for me. Open my ears that I
may hear
voices of truth thou sendest clear.
Open my mouth and let me bear gladly the warm truth everywhere. Open my heart and let me prepare love with
thy children thus to share. Amen. (prayer from the lyrics to “Open My Eyes That
I May See)
Prayer Focus: Spend some time reflecting on and thanking
God for the miraculous things you have been blessed to experience over your lifetime.
Song: Open My Eyes – Jesse Manibusan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI3tQLnD8yM
Daily Devo w/ Pastor Eric October 12, 2021
What is the Prophet’s Reward?
Matthew 10:40-42, NIV - 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.”
There’s
a lot to unpack in these three verses, so let’s dive right in. First, remember that this passage is part of
Jesus’s instruction to the twelve as He sends them out on their first mission.
Jesus has just told them pretty forcefully that they will encounter stiff
resistance as they seek to represent Him to others. But He ends these instructions with a
positive; there will be people who will welcome them and welcome the message of
Jesus. And Jesus is trying to
communicate what a beautiful thing that is.
He explains that welcoming the apostles is the same as welcoming Jesus
and welcoming Jesus is welcoming God.
People who receive the messenger and the message receive God into their
lives and that will become the greatest source of greatest blessing.
Jesus teaches
that “whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a
prophet’s reward.” It begs the
question, “what is a prophet’s reward?”
The short answer is that it’s hard to pin down exactly what the prophet’s
reward is. Jesus doesn’t expound here or
anywhere else that we know of. However, there
are some important things to notice about what Jesus does say. Some scholars believe Jesus is alluding here
to a story in 2 Kings 4 where the prophet Elisha encounters a Shunammite woman
who shows him great hospitality. The
woman is childless and her hospitality to the prophet is rewarded with a her
giving birth to a son. The son dies
suddenly at a young age, but is brought back to life by Elisha after the boy’s
mother goes to get the prophet. Two amazing
miracles are experienced by this Shunammite because of her hospitality to God’s
messenger.
Does
this mean that whoever exhibits such hospitality will personally experience
miracles. From my experience, the answer
is “not always.” However, what I can say
from experience is that, to the extent that you are open and welcoming of God
into your life, you will be able to see God so miraculous things. Every prophet in the Old Testament had a
front row seat to see God’s activity – serving people on behalf of God puts one
in proximity to God serving people through the one who serves. In my two-plus decades of serving God’s
people, I have seen dozens of miraculous things happen that I can only describe
as God’s activity. It is truly humbling
when it happens and the blessing that I have experienced for just being present
and open when it happens defies words. Being open to God and God’s message is a
way of opening yourself to the wonders that God does among us.
I encourage
you to notice one other thing about Jesus’s words about the “reward.” The prophet, the one who receives the
prophet, the righteous person, the one who receives the righteous person, the
disciple (“these little ones”), and the one who so much as gives that disciple
a cup of cold water ALL receive a blessing/reward for their openness. I don’t think it’s as necessary to pin down
exactly what that blessing/reward is as it is to recognize Who is offering it. Whether you are a prophet, a righteous
person, disciple, or just someone who is hospitable to a disciple, you will be
rewarded/blessed for your openness to God and God’s message.
Question: Miraculous
things happen all around us all the time.
Are we open enough to God’s message and activity to see them?
Prayer: Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth
thou hast for me. Open my ears that I
may hear
voices of truth thou sendest clear.
Open my mouth and let me bear gladly the warm truth everywhere. Open my heart and let me prepare love with
thy children thus to share. Amen. (prayer from the lyrics to “Open My Eyes That
I May See)
Prayer Focus: Spend some time reflecting on and thanking
God for the miraculous things you have been blessed to experience over your lifetime.
Song: Open My Eyes – Jesse Manibusan
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