God's Last Words

“Wrong Questions”

Matthew 10: 40-42

A man sitting under a walnut tree was wondering why God had placed a large pumpkin on a small vine and such a small walnut on such a big tree. While he was lost in thought, a walnut fell from the tree and hit the man on the head.

The man rubbed his head and said, “I’m glad there aren’t pumpkins up there!”

A man went to a psychiatrist. He said, “I’ve got two problems.” The psychiatrist said, “Okay, tell me all about it.” The man began, “Well, I think I am a Coke Vending Machine.” The shrink sat the man right down and started going through his usual assessment techniques, but nothing seemed to help.

Finally, out of ideas, the doctor jumped to his feet, took three quarters from his pocket, forced them down the man’s throat, grabbed the man’s head and shook him until he swallowed the coins, and said, “Okay, now give me a Coke.”

The man smiled at the doctor, shook his head and replied, “I can’t Doc. That’s my second problem; I’m out of order.”

When we look at God we need to see that His priorities are not ours. We need to hear Jesus teach us what is important. We need to see that God thinks eternally.

“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of the prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple – truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

Jesus is telling us of the logic of being a believer is eternal and not based on frail human ideology. Sometimes our problems come because we ask the wrong questions or concentrate on just being human. A few examples of the wrong question:

Why do people ask a person digging a car out of a snow-bank, “Are you stuck?” If they answer, “No, my car died, and I’m giving it a decent burial,” probably wouldn’t make sense.

Nor would being asked if you have a flat tire, when you’re wet, disgusted and irritated while changing said tire on a stormy night on a dark highway;

“Oh no,” you feel like replying, “of course not. I always rotate my tires at night on a busy road when it’s raining.”

Or, “Can you get cavities in your dentures if you use artificial sweetener?” Since there is a speed of light and a speed of sound, is there a speed of smell? Or, “The Scarecrow got a brain, Tin Man got a heart, Lion got courage, Dorothy got home, what did Toto get?” Lastly: What is a "free" gift? Aren't all gifts free?

In our text “welcome” and “welcomes” (hu-po-lam-bano) means “to greet and make at home, to extend the protection and hospitality of your home to others." (It can also be translated “receive” and receives.) It is meant as an extension of the commands to be both a good and loving neighbor to others.

But (ever notice in the Kingdom of God there is always a “but?”) the welcome must be in Jesus’ name. You can do all kinds of good things for people but it won’t be noticed in God’s Kingdom unless you’ve already given everything to God in submission to His will.

There isn’t some kind of reward program that returns parts of good deeds to be used in the future like some “heavenly reward club.” Butch is right in his message.

This passage speaks to both welcoming and supporting those whose who do God’s work and those who are learning it through instruction, example and faith. The idea is expressed in the Greek word “ge-nos-co” or learning by experience.

Tarassos (troubles), lead to genosco (learning by experience).

Jesus tells us that our first experience in His Kingdom will be by attempting to live it here on earth first. It will matter in how we treat others and ourselves.

Jared and his dad were playing a game of catch one afternoon, when Jared asked, “Dad, is there a God?”

The dad, named Joe, had the same helpless feeling he experienced on the high school baseball team when he lost sight of a fly ball in the blazing sun. He didn’t know whether to move forward, backward, or just stay put. A string of answers raced through his mind. In the end Joe went for honesty, “I don’t know,” he replied.

Yet Joe’s agnosticism failed to stifle his son’s curiosity. Jared dug a little deeper, “If there is a God, how would you know him?” “I have no idea, Jared. I only went to church a couple of times when I was a kid, so I don’t know a lot about God.”

Jared seemed deep in thought for a few minutes as the game continued.

Suddenly, he headed for the house. “I’ll be right, back,” he yelled over his shoulder. “I have to get something.” Jared soon returned with a balloon fresh he had gotten from the circus along with a pen and an index card.

“Jared, what in the world are you doing?” Joe asked. “I’m going to send a message to God – airmail,” the boy replied. Before Joe could protest, Jared started writing on the index card, “Dear God, if you are real and if you are there, send people who know you to Dad and me.”

Joe kept his mouth shut, not wanting to dampen his son’s enthusiasm. This is silly, he thought as he helped Jared fasten the card to the balloon’s string. “But God, I hope you’re watching,” he added to his silent petition. After Jared let go of the balloon, father and son stood with their faces to the sky and watched it sail away.

Two days later, Joe and Jared pulled into a free car wash that a church was holding as part of their outreach into the community on a Saturday morning. “How much?” Joe asked as they neared the line of buckets, sponges and hoses. “It’s free,” the guy told him. “No strings attached.”

“Really!” Joe exclaimed. He was intrigued by getting something for nothing. “But why are you doing this?” “We just want to show you God’s love in a practical way.”

It was as if that simple statement opened a hidden door to Joe’s heart. The look on his face was incredible, “Wait a minute,” he practically shouted. “Do you know God?” “Yeah, we’re Christians,” the man replied. “I guess you’re the answer to one of the strangest prayers God’s ever received,” Joe said.

Yesterday nobody asked who the money was for, they pitched in to help, no strings or conditions. Just welcoming others in Jesus name; the Grace of God.

Jesus said, “Go and do likewise!”

We welcome others in Christ’s name and support the work of His Kingdom.

Amen