Receiving God’s Messenger

Call To Prayer

Title: Receiving God’s Messenger

By: Njuacha Hubert

Date: 24.08.2024

40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”    Matthew 10:40-42

The opening verses today may be quite longer than usual but I decided to use it to explain how we should receive God’s messengers. The verses already explain in simple terms that we have a lot to gain when we receive God’s messenger and it also talks of giving to “…these little ones who is my disciple”. But let’s still explain further.

The passage mentions a prophet’s reward, a righteous man’s reward and even a little disciple’s reward. One interpretation, is that no matter the level of anointing a man of God has, he carries a reward from God for you if you receive him well. To receive a man well, means to honour him or her. And you see the passage ends with giving as an example of how to receive someone well. Giving is a practical way of honouring. 

Another aspect to receiving a man of God is receiving the message he/she brings. Sometimes we don’t receive the man of God sent to us because of what is termed familiarity contempt. Familiarity contempt is when you begin to simplify or look down on someone because you know them closely.  This also happened to Jesus. The bible records that when he went to minister in his home town his people began to look down on him and could not accept that he was anointed and hence they could not receive only a little of Christ’s rewards (Matthew 13:56-58). 

Another reason one might despise a man of God and not receive his message is because of his appearance; so judging by looks instead of by the message. Some people would not listen to a man of God unless he is popular and acclaimed. They won’t listen unless he sounds a certain way. Unless he is dressed in a suit, mature of age etc. Is your focus the message or the eloquence? Did you know every popular man of God was once unpopular? While we are encouraged to be presentable, the appearance(flashiness) is not the most important.

In summary, let’s receive men of God well by honouring them, by giving to them if and what we can and by receiving the word of God regardless of the appearance of the vessel. And as we practice this, we will not miss the great rewards God has placed in the messengers He sends our way.

Prayer Point. 

Let’s thank God for the word today. Let’s pray for the grace to honour the Lord’s messengers and receive the word regardless of the vessel.