11Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave.12As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. (Matthew 10:11-15)
Thoughts: The disciples were to search for a person who would respond to the good news. To welcome them is to welcome God and Christ. To not welcome them and show hospitality is to reject Christ- which means God will reject them. Too many think there are no consequences for being mean to God's servant. Here the consequences are described in the harshest terms- judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah. There is perhaps no stronger way to speak of destruction than this. Being hospitable to God's servants and missionaries is being hospitable to God. For some reason, we can easily talk about blessing and cursing about caring or not caring for the poor- the least of these as caring or not caring for Christ (Matthew 25). So we are called to be hospitable to God and to His servants in His name.
Prayer: Lord, give me an opportunity to be kind to those who serve you.
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