06.28.2026 - Pride Sunday  - Pastor Chris

I believe it is our natural reaction to identify with the disciples when we read passages like these, we aim to be followers of Jesus after all, but could we also identify with those whom the disciples serve? For example, could we be those who welcome the ones that Jesus has sent, and what would that look like? How important is hospitality in regards to the Christian faith?

Now when we flip it back to identifying with the disciples, this is closer to our default perspective and then this passage emphasizes how important our work is and how expansive the Christian community is. When “welcome” happens, those present aren’t merely the ones in the room but extend to Jesus and even God. That’s a pretty cool dinner!

Now what are your thoughts of prophets? We hear of prophets in the Old Testament and we may even think of John the Baptist as a prophet but what does a modern day prophet look like and what is a prophet’s reward? From our understanding a prophet is one who shares the word of God. I hope we dont think of those who preach judgement from the street corners as prophets, rather a modern day prophet is one who shares the gospel. Certainly the gospel has challenging elements within it, but the gospel is mostly a story of God’s unconditional love revealed in the person of Jesus. What then is a prophet’s reward? Maybe that reward is as simple as someone who hears these words and is changed by them. (We could then do the same thing for a righteous person as that is the next distinction shared by Jesus/Matthew.)

Speaking of simple, what is Jesus getting at with a cup of cold water? One, how easy was it to get a cup of cold water in Jesus’ day? They didn't have filtered water pitchers in their fridge or chilled ice and water at the touch of a cup, but this is still a simple gesture. Maybe that’s what Jesus is trying to relay here, even a simple act can make a difference. We may be quick to dismiss our work as prophets or the righteous, but even the little things that we do can make a big difference. May we never downplay the differences that we can make.

This reward talk can be difficult for Lutherans/Protestants. After all, pushing back against works righteousness was one of the first acts of the Reformation, but are there rewards for living out one’s faith? I have long referred to what ensues because of our faith as byproducts. This is simply what happens when we live in response to who God is and what we have received from God. These byproducts do make the world a better place, they do change lives, and they make a difference. Maybe we dont like to think of what ensues because we are living out our faith, but faithful lives do make a difference and they will ultimately fill our souls with joy and that is something to celebrate.