Welcome

What does it mean to be welcome? Who do you welcome into your home? Are you welcome everywhere you go? Is the church a welcoming place for visitors? How can we be more welcoming?

I’m sure many of us have heard the saying, “So-so has worn out their welcome.” We may have said it ourselves. It may have been said about us. But what does that mean? Being no longer welcome can be a harsh reality we face.

In one respect, Jesus is saying that those who welcome us are welcoming Him. That means the other person is welcoming God along with us. But is that always true? That is a question each of us should wrestle with.

The reason we need to wrestle with it is we may not be Jesus’ representative, or at least not a good one, at all times. We may be seeking retribution, repayment, or retaliation. However, if we are representing Jesus well, His statement is true.

Jesus was stating this to His disciples after having defined to them what it meant to be a disciple. He knew His disciples well and knew they were going into the world to be His representatives. He knew their hearts were in it. He knew they would not purposely misrepresent Him. We are to conduct ourselves in such a way as to have Jesus put His confidence in us the same as He did His disciples.

I pray we all represent Jesus well. I pray we strive to be His ambassadors in the best way possible. I pray each one of us are welcomed by those who greet us and they are blessed for having welcomed us. Be a welcoming person. Represent Jesus well. Be someone others welcome.

Matthew 10:40 “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”