He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
Who welcomes Christ's faithful messengers as his representatives welcomes Christ himself, and in welcoming him welcomes the Father who sent him, a truth that holds for his servants today as much as for his first disciples. To receive them and their message is to receive him, while to reject, neglect, or treat them with indifference is to reject and neglect him. No kindness done in his name for his servants goes unnoticed, for he recognizes, records, and rewards it, even when shown to the weakest and lowliest believers in God's family. Therefore receiving traveling evangelists and missionaries is receiving Christ, and all among whom they labor owe them the duty of hospitality, making a home for them even at considerable personal sacrifice. That same service to Christ includes caring generously for worn and overworked ministers and workers, receiving them liberally and giving them rest without anxiety about expense or high charges, since selfish indifference and close dealing toward them dishonors God.
Christ Received in Messengers
Receiving Jesus' faithful messengers and servants as his representatives is receiving Jesus himself, and receiving Jesus is receiving the Father who sent him, and this holds for his servants today as well as for his first disciples. The same welcome and care extends to the weakest and lowliest believers in God's family, with every act of kindness done in Christ's name recognized, recorded, and rewarded, so that none goes unnoticed. The disciples were sent out only after learning from Jesus, so their work and teaching carried his authority. On their first mission they were to accept the hearty hospitality of those who welcomed them, and their presence, prayers, praise, and teaching would bring blessing to the household.
The same principle supported sending the seventy into Samaria and other places, even though the twelve had earlier been told not to enter Samaritan towns, because their mission represented him and receiving them was receiving Christ. Christ identifies himself with the human agents he sends, so that receiving them and their message is receiving him, while rejecting them is rejecting him. Neglecting a servant Christ sends, or treating a messenger of Jesus Christ with indifference, is neglecting the Master who sent him, and those who ask the Lord to work for them must accept the help he sends through his appointed messengers. Hostility toward them follows the world's hostility toward Christ, while acceptance of the messengers identifies them with him in the midst of opposition to Christ and his followers.
Christ, though divine, came clothed in humanity with works testifying that he was the Redeemer, and he sends human agents with messages of mercy to perishing people. He is therefore to be recognized in those encountered, including the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, and imprisoned. The passage gives a work to do for Christ with assurance of the Lord's help up to this time. Help and rest in that work are found by coming to Jesus in full faith, taking his yoke and learning from him, for he is meek and lowly in heart and gives rest to souls, and his yoke is easy and his burden light.
Welcoming and Caring for Servants
Receiving faithful servants in Christ's name is receiving Christ himself, and receiving Christ is receiving God the Father who sent him, a principle that holds for his servants today as for his first disciples. Every act of kindness done in his name for his servants is recognized, recorded, and rewarded by Christ, so that no such act goes unnoticed. This welcome and care extends to the weakest and lowliest believers in God's family. Receiving traveling evangelists and missionaries is receiving Christ, and the duty of hospitality toward them belongs to all church members among whom they labor. It means making a home for these workers even at considerable personal sacrifice, with Christ keeping account of every expense incurred in entertaining for his sake and supplying all that is necessary for the work. Those who for Christ's sake entertain their brethren, doing their best to make the visit profitable both to guests and to themselves, are recorded in heaven as worthy of special blessings, for hospitality toward God's servants brings blessing, while refusing hospitality can turn people away from the truth.
Caring for worn and overworked ministers and workers with generosity and hospitality is service to Christ himself, because Christ is received in the person of his messengers who are bound to him. Such liberality is genuine medical missionary work in God's sight. They are to be received with liberality, especially in sanitariums, made to feel at home with opportunity to rest and recover strength, without continual anxiety about expense, without high charges for board and treatment, and without being regarded as beggars. Treating them indifferently, selfishly, or with close dealing dishonors and displeases God, and his blessing will not attend it.
A family that takes Christ's servants into its home receives Christ in them and fulfills a gospel requirement in serving God and his cause. Those so received are entitled to care, a place at the table, and the privileges of the home. The obligation is mutual, for guests must bear their share of domestic burdens, regard the convenience and interests of their hosts rather than seeking only their own ease, and must not selfishly neglect duties or treat care as owed to them. To the degree friends have favored and waited on them for Christ's sake, even cheerfully inconveniencing themselves, God holds them as debtors to those friends, and they are responsible for what through selfishness they have left others to bear. Receiving a sent worker who arrives as a stranger in a foreign country means caring for him, easing his change of habits and customs, giving sympathy, love, and cooperation, doing all possible to make his mission a success, and willingly being taught by him and accepting his counsel and plans as one of more mature experience sent by God to guide the work. Questioning his suggestions, casting doubt, creating suspicion and jealousy toward him, disregarding his counsel, and leaving him to make his way alone is neglect of the Master who sent him, for how believers treat the servant Christ sends is how they treat Christ himself.
Receiving Christ's medical missionaries is receiving Christ, and they are to be welcomed and supported in their work as Christ would be. Ministers should welcome them as they would welcome Christ and work with them in the churches. Receiving Christ's servants also includes gratefully welcoming the ministers God sends and accepting the benefit of each one's teaching from the Word. Different ministers have different gifts that can supply what others lack, so their gifts should be valued and the truths they teach humbly received above personal attachment, without idolizing any minister or choosing religious favorites.
Who welcomes Christ's faithful messengers as his representatives welcomes Christ himself, and in welcoming him welcomes the Father who sent him, a truth that holds for his servants today as much as for his first disciples. To receive them and their message is to receive him, while to reject, neglect, or treat them with indifference is to reject and neglect him. No kindness done in his name for his servants goes unnoticed, for he recognizes, records, and rewards it, even when shown to the weakest and lowliest believers in God's family. Therefore receiving traveling evangelists and missionaries is receiving Christ, and all among whom they labor owe them the duty of hospitality, making a home for them even at considerable personal sacrifice. That same service to Christ includes caring generously for worn and overworked ministers and workers, receiving them liberally and giving them rest without anxiety about expense or high charges, since selfish indifference and close dealing toward them dishonors God.
Christ Received in Messengers
Receiving Jesus' faithful messengers and servants as his representatives is receiving Jesus himself, and receiving Jesus is receiving the Father who sent him, and this holds for his servants today as well as for his first disciples. The same welcome and care extends to the weakest and lowliest believers in God's family, with every act of kindness done in Christ's name recognized, recorded, and rewarded, so that none goes unnoticed. The disciples were sent out only after learning from Jesus, so their work and teaching carried his authority. On their first mission they were to accept the hearty hospitality of those who welcomed them, and their presence, prayers, praise, and teaching would bring blessing to the household.
The same principle supported sending the seventy into Samaria and other places, even though the twelve had earlier been told not to enter Samaritan towns, because their mission represented him and receiving them was receiving Christ. Christ identifies himself with the human agents he sends, so that receiving them and their message is receiving him, while rejecting them is rejecting him. Neglecting a servant Christ sends, or treating a messenger of Jesus Christ with indifference, is neglecting the Master who sent him, and those who ask the Lord to work for them must accept the help he sends through his appointed messengers. Hostility toward them follows the world's hostility toward Christ, while acceptance of the messengers identifies them with him in the midst of opposition to Christ and his followers.
Christ, though divine, came clothed in humanity with works testifying that he was the Redeemer, and he sends human agents with messages of mercy to perishing people. He is therefore to be recognized in those encountered, including the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, and imprisoned. The passage gives a work to do for Christ with assurance of the Lord's help up to this time. Help and rest in that work are found by coming to Jesus in full faith, taking his yoke and learning from him, for he is meek and lowly in heart and gives rest to souls, and his yoke is easy and his burden light.
Welcoming and Caring for Servants
Receiving faithful servants in Christ's name is receiving Christ himself, and receiving Christ is receiving God the Father who sent him, a principle that holds for his servants today as for his first disciples. Every act of kindness done in his name for his servants is recognized, recorded, and rewarded by Christ, so that no such act goes unnoticed. This welcome and care extends to the weakest and lowliest believers in God's family. Receiving traveling evangelists and missionaries is receiving Christ, and the duty of hospitality toward them belongs to all church members among whom they labor. It means making a home for these workers even at considerable personal sacrifice, with Christ keeping account of every expense incurred in entertaining for his sake and supplying all that is necessary for the work. Those who for Christ's sake entertain their brethren, doing their best to make the visit profitable both to guests and to themselves, are recorded in heaven as worthy of special blessings, for hospitality toward God's servants brings blessing, while refusing hospitality can turn people away from the truth.
Caring for worn and overworked ministers and workers with generosity and hospitality is service to Christ himself, because Christ is received in the person of his messengers who are bound to him. Such liberality is genuine medical missionary work in God's sight. They are to be received with liberality, especially in sanitariums, made to feel at home with opportunity to rest and recover strength, without continual anxiety about expense, without high charges for board and treatment, and without being regarded as beggars. Treating them indifferently, selfishly, or with close dealing dishonors and displeases God, and his blessing will not attend it.
A family that takes Christ's servants into its home receives Christ in them and fulfills a gospel requirement in serving God and his cause. Those so received are entitled to care, a place at the table, and the privileges of the home. The obligation is mutual, for guests must bear their share of domestic burdens, regard the convenience and interests of their hosts rather than seeking only their own ease, and must not selfishly neglect duties or treat care as owed to them. To the degree friends have favored and waited on them for Christ's sake, even cheerfully inconveniencing themselves, God holds them as debtors to those friends, and they are responsible for what through selfishness they have left others to bear. Receiving a sent worker who arrives as a stranger in a foreign country means caring for him, easing his change of habits and customs, giving sympathy, love, and cooperation, doing all possible to make his mission a success, and willingly being taught by him and accepting his counsel and plans as one of more mature experience sent by God to guide the work. Questioning his suggestions, casting doubt, creating suspicion and jealousy toward him, disregarding his counsel, and leaving him to make his way alone is neglect of the Master who sent him, for how believers treat the servant Christ sends is how they treat Christ himself.
Receiving Christ's medical missionaries is receiving Christ, and they are to be welcomed and supported in their work as Christ would be. Ministers should welcome them as they would welcome Christ and work with them in the churches. Receiving Christ's servants also includes gratefully welcoming the ministers God sends and accepting the benefit of each one's teaching from the Word. Different ministers have different gifts that can supply what others lack, so their gifts should be valued and the truths they teach humbly received above personal attachment, without idolizing any minister or choosing religious favorites.