God Speaking

“Who ever welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and who ever welcomes me does not welcome me, but the one who sent me.”

(Mark 9: 37)

For some funny reason a silly song from my childhood kept running through my mind when I read this verse in a recent Bible study. 

If I knew you were coming, I would have baked a cake

Baked a cake, baked a cake

And spread the welcome mat for you.

I am a very structured person and for some unknown reason I don’t do well with people who drop in to see me unexpectedly and I had a flash of shame when I read the words of Jesus. Do I welcome everybody into my home with the welcoming love of Jesus? Or am I proud of myself because of my delicious baking and take the praise for myself and invite special people who I like and would like to impress. 

I decided to look up the dictionary to find what the word, welcome meant. Here is what I read 

To receive gladly and offer hospitality

Hospitality is emphasized in Paul’s and Peter’s letters to new believers to encourage them to spread the good news by welcoming all who are seeking the Savior, so they are accepted into God’s family. 

Paul puts it simply. 

“Practice hospitality.” (Romans 12: 13)

Peter adds a bit more, especially for me 

“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” (1 Peter 4: 9)  

Welcoming does not always mean a delicious supper if we go back to the definition, it starts with to receive gladly, and this is so important in our church family. Newcomers who arrive at our services will feel the love of Jesus if they are welcomed gladly, to feel accepted whoever they are. 

Lots of different people enter our every day lives and this again is when we can use the love of Jesus to welcome them, perhaps a new family in the neighborhood or new person at work or at school.  To receive someone new into our midst, especially into our church family, is truly welcoming them if we are prompted by the love of Jesus. 

In John’s third letter to his friend, Gaius, he praises him and his church for welcoming strangers who were spreading the good news of Jesus Christ, we would call them missionaries today, he praised the church for offering them hospitality and urged others to follow this example. John tells Gaius that those men have spread the news about how well they were treated 

“They have told the church about your love.” (3 John 1: 6)

Then John tells others to follow suit 

“It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.” (3 John 1:  7 – 8)

The other beautiful message about welcome is that we can welcome God’s word and receive it gladly. Welcoming the truth, we find there and spreading it to others.