Receiving and Rewards

Announcements

Church Planter Retreat

I will be at a church planter retreat Monday-Wednesday of this week, but I will be back in time for Prayer Service on Wednesday

We will be up in Cannon Beach for the yearly conference that the NWBC puts on for Church Planters. The topic will be Soul Care, so please pray that I would have the humility to hear and reflect on what the Lord brings

Possible Change

I’ve received the comment of having Prayer Service a little later so we can do both Prayer Service and a new Bible Study on Wednesday Nights.

Please continue to mention ideas to me for this next week

Revelation

Psalm 94:1–15 ESV

1 O Lord, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth! 2 Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve! 3 O Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult? 4 They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast. 5 They crush your people, O Lord, and afflict your heritage. 6 They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless; 7 and they say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.” 8 Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise? 9 He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? 10 He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge— 11 the Lord—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath. 12 Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law, 13 to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked. 14 For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; 15 for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

Introduction

In order to read our verses for today properly, it would seem best to first review where we’ve been in this chapter and what the focus has been. Matthew 10, in a nutshell, began as a specific anointing for the Twelve Apostles. Anointing, by the way, is just a way of saying “choosing.” Christ was setting His Apostles apart and telling them what they would endure in their specific mission.

In the first 4 verses, we review who the Twelve were, and even have the admission of Judas Iscariot who was to betray Jesus. In verses 5-15, Christ tells them the difficulty of their journeys: What they must do, where they are to go, what they must take, and what to do when someone rejects them. Then, in verses 16-25, Christ focuses on the specific trials they will face, as wolvish false believers come against them, as families begin to tear apart because of hatred of the gospel, and the theological reason that disciples of Christ will be hated by worldly sinners just like they hated Christ.

Over all, the first half of this chapter is somewhat terrifying, but then in verses 26-33 Jesus encourages His Apostles of God’s absolute sovereignty. Those who come against His Apostles will face judgment, nothing will be hidden from God’s sight. No despicable terror that people inflict on Christ’s own will be ignored by God, and a solid trust in Christ will bring endurance.

Then, last week we went through verses 34-39 where Jesus expands on what that trust should look like. As families crumble because of some believing the gospel and some hating it, as sufferings come, as wolves attack the disciples of Jesus, His people must be firmly grasping Him and looking to Him. This, of course, Christ modeled perfectly throughout His earthly life. No matter what came at Him, even crucifixion and death, He remained unwaveringly trusting in His Father’s plan. Facing the most painful style of murder, Jesus Himself trusted His Father so deeply that He was able to say “Not my will, but yours be done” (Matthew 26:39).

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So, there we have it. All of Matthew 10 combined and leading up to our point today, where we meet Jesus’ conclusion to this instruction. The inevitability and difficulty of persecution expounded directly to Jesus’ disciples. How fearful they must’ve been hearing these words! Perhaps they were waning in the short-term, having a hard time reconciling what they were about to face.

The text doesn’t mention their state of mind, but I can only imagine what it would be like to hear these words addressed specifically to myself. I would struggle against denial (this surely won’t be me), disbelief (I can’t believe this would happen to me), anger (how could this happen to me), and fear (I don’t want to go through this). And, considering that there were Twelve men standing before Christ and listening to these words, I’m sure there was a whole gamut of emotions circling through them.

So, how does Jesus conclude His instruction? Let’s read.

Matthew 10:40–42 ESV

40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

Receiving the Sender

The Lord’s first words are clear: Receiving Christ means receiving God the Father Himself. But, not all people are going to see Jesus in the flesh, which means that there must be more messengers to go out and give God’s Word to the masses. In this context, as made clear in verse 5-6: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

These words, then, are meant for the disciples to hear and apply specifically within the confines of Israel, but the same principle holds true to us now. When we announce the gospel, the Good News of Jesus’ atoning death, bringing us into right relationship with God… If the person accepts that message then they have not accepted our message, but the message of Christ. They have received the person of Christ, and therefore the whole of God the Father, who sent Jesus into this world for this very plan.

Therefore, whoever received the Apostles, received Christ. And whoever received Christ, received Him who sent Christ.

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Just think about the logic of that. I’ve used this example previously, but if I tell my daughter “Go tell your brothers I said..... something.” Then when she goes to her brothers and tells them “Daddy said...” then they are receiving my message through her.

That is what Christ is showing here, as well. To receive the messenger is to receive the sender of the message.

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Notice how Christ begins verse 40 with “Whoever.” Not all who are given the message will receive it. Many will reject it, they will fight against it, and when they do, that’s where persecution can begin. The Lord is not blaming the Apostles for these people rejecting it, but is instead putting the burden on the receiver of the message.

Receiving

The rest of our verses today are a continuation of the encouragement that Jesus is giving. He’s illustrating His point.

Now, if you have other Bible translations, you might’ve heard me say something different in verse 41. The Greek, literally for this verse, could be translated this way: “The one who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward.” This is idiomatic phrasing. Jesus does not mean that all prophets should be accepted, but He is implying that this person is a TRUE prophet. Someone who has really come in the name of the true Messenger, of the true Righteous One.

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I mention this because there are false prophets out there. As evidenced in Matthew 7:15-16, where Christ says: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits.” Therefore, Christ is not saying that we are to listen to all who claim to be prophets. In fact, we ought to be skeptical of those who tell us a message from God that isn’t in the Bible, but that’s another topic for another time.

So, let’s keep in the context of the encouragement that Christ is giving. Again, whoever receives the Apostles has received Christ, and whoever receives Christ has received the Father. Therefore, whoever receives a true prophet has done a good thing and receives a reward for doing so.

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So, back to the point, how can we understand this illustration? If we remember that Jesus is trying to clarify His first point in this section, then we should probably define some terms. Knowing that the Greek literally says “in the name of” for prophet and righteous person, then let’s understand what “in the name of” really means.

When we read the phrase “in the name of...” it means “by the authority of.” For instance, when I preach God’s Word, I’m not trying to add anything but clarify what God has already said. I don’t bring you my words as much as I bring God’s words to you, helping us to live and apply the text. Therefore, I come to proclaim God’s message in His name, not my message in my name. I don’t appeal to my own authority, but I appeal to the authority of God.

Or another example would be praying “in Jesus’ name.” That phrase that we close prayers with means that we are approaching the Father not of our own authority, but by the authority Christ has granted us. We come before the throne of glory not of our merits or abilities, but through Christ who has given us that right.

So, when we read verse 41, Jesus is not saying that the prophet comes on His own authority, He’s actually implying that the prophet has come under the authority of the One who gave him the message.

For interpretive purposes, we could even paraphrase the first verse to say this: “Whoever receives you in my name, receives me. Whoever receives me in the name of the One who sent me, receives the One who sent me.” I say paraphrase because that’s not what the Lord’s direct words were, but if it helps us understand the principle, then let’s think of it that way.

Hospitable and Compassionate

What, then, does it mean that the Apostles will be received? Often in Christian circles, you hear the phrase “receive Christ.” Unfortunately, that sentence doesn’t mean much to a person who isn’t acquainted with Christian verbiage. And, in reality, most Christians don’t really know what that means… But they’ve heard it said so much that they just repeat it.

To “receive,” in the sense that Jesus is using it here, means to “welcome” or “be hospitable towards.” This is clarified in verse 42, where a simple act of hospitality that anyone could provide is mentioned. “And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

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Now, this is where we should probably define some more terms to understand Jesus’ statements. Who are the “Prophets, Righteous Persons, and Little Ones?” It seems that Christ is throwing three categories of persons in here, but remember He is not trying to apply them as “offices.” Instead, we should see these as broadening categories. The “prophets” would be mature believers who bring God’s message, the “righteous ones” would be mature believers who are living a holy life.

The final one, the “little one” doesn’t actually mean “child,” but seems to imply an immature of new believer.

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And if you play out these situations in your mind, you’ll admit that most people would be happy to accept a prophet or a righteous person into their home. If we had a big-name preacher, or a really famous Christian come through here, most Christians would probably fight over who would “host” or “receive” them into their homes. They would make a big deal of it, cleaning their homes with white gloves and setting up their best guest room. Or maybe they’d be happy to contribute to a fund to get them a good hotel in Newport, or something.

Everyone would want to help a famous Christian, they’d be happy to receive such a blessing into their homes and lives.... But what about the immature and new believers… Who wants to take them in and give them even a small amount of hospitality?

Here lies what should grip us as the rebuke to our own selves. Notice in verse 42 where Jesus switches from “he will receive a reward” to “he will by no means lose his reward.”

I think in our proneness to help the prophets and the righteous ones, we are also prone to forget the little ones. We would rather associate with the high and powerful and simultaneously ignore the believer who is “rough around the edges.”

If you help that person, you will by no means lose your reward! Give patience to the hard-to-love Christians, to the unsaved who are in need of the gospel. Give them grace and receive them too!

Application

The purpose of Christ in these verses was the encourage His Apostles that they would be received and helped, and that those who take them in will receive a reward by God for doing so.

The command for us in these verses is to remember that we should be hospitable in receiving the true prophet, the righteous person, and we will receive the rewards for doing so. But, do not neglect the little one. You are not wasting your time or ruining your rewards for spending time with these people.

You are not “paying it forward” by doing these things, by the way. I hate that phrase. It’s like saying “God owes me for doing this good deed.” Instead, you are to show Christian compassion and hospitality to those whom the Lord sends you.

As the author of Hebrews puts it:

Hebrews 6:10–12 ESV

10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.