Jesus talked to his disciples about welcoming. "Those who welcome you welcome me, those who welcome me welcome the one who sent me." "Those who welcome a prophet receive a prophet’s reward and those who welcome a righteous person receive a righteous person’s reward."
I don't know what a prophet's reward is, nor do I know what a righteous person's reward is. From my search on the internet, no one else seems to either. Since everyone else is making a guess, I might as well hazard one mysef. My guess comes from some recent experiences I've had.
I belong to several groups which focus on different areas of study and interest. Some are biblical, a couple are fairly esoteric, some are related to health and healing, some to forms of recovery, as well as some others. While engaging in each of these groups my spirit and intellect are engaged in different ways. My interests are expanded and energized, and I come away from them refreshed and renewed in one or more areas of my life.
I attended a session of our Sunday morning Bible Study last week and had a wonderful conversation about the Book of Acts, and I received a Bible student's reward in that part of my intellect and spirit was refreshed. I attended an ecumenical clergy meeting earlier in the week and we had a spirited conversation ab out Biblical laws from Christian, Moslem and Jewish points of view, and I received the reward of collegial study and interfaith dialogue.
So my thinking about the prophet's reward and that of a righteous person is colored by these experiences. Prophets have a way of engaging the world that interpret God's activity and relationship in the world with social justice and connections between faith and action for the good of all people. The righteous person engages the world focused more on individual relationships and day to day encounters. Welcoming these people brings a reward of opening our eyes and hearts to the lessons they teach and helping us engage the world and, in fact, live in the world with a wider vision and a deeper sense of God's grace in it.
But then Jesus ends this section of the conversation with the most important part. Those who welcome children with even a cup of water will not lose their reward. Children bring a joy and simplicity, an openness and wonder. A child's reward is innocence and unambiguous joy. Not a bad reward for a cup of water.
This weekend in New York culminates in the Gay Pride parade. Each year it gets bigger and it's voice gets louder. The passage of the Marriage Equality legislation is an astounding stride forward in social justice. It is a wonderful form of being welcomed. It is a prophet's reward, and the rewards of many righteous people are abounding.
Many months ago I was asked by friends, two men, to do their wedding in Connecticut. They are New York residents and since at that point Marriage equality in New York didn't seem possible, they decided Connecticut was their best option. So the plans were made for a simple ceremony in a lovely park in Greenwich. I called them in the morning and asked if the NYC ruling changed their plans and they said no. So off we went. I got there early and sat in the park reading the paper with a cup of coffee. The early priest gets the early priest's reward!
While I was sitting there an older man walked by, seeing me in my collar and no doubt seeing the front page of the Times which I was reading said, "Today's not as good as yesterday." I didn't feel like a debate so I simply responded "Any day the sun goes up and comes back down, is a good day." He chuckled and went his way. Perhaps his reward was in a simple exchange.
When the couple arrived with the guests we held the brief ceremony and it was very emotional, not only for the vows that every married couple or those in Civil Union make, but just the deep and spiritually refreshing experience of the access these two men had to a legal and sacramental ceremony that has only been granted for a relatively short time. We've done several Civil Unions here in this church and to experience something so simple and yet so profound that is still violently debated is very powerful. That is a prophet's reward.
After the ceremony we were wiping our tears and taking pictures and enjoying the beautiful day and the exquisite moment when a woman came down the path with a newly made bouquet of flowers. This total stranger, her own eyes glistening said she was so happy for these men as she watched unseen from a distance that she felt compelled to do something and handed the flowers to them. A little different from a cup of water, but such beautiful simplicity and gracious welcome felt like an angel's visit. She was a righteous person whose joy was the type of reward that the man I'd encountered earlier could not have understood. I'm not suggesting that he's unrighteous, but there is so much joy available, it's a shame not to experience as much as we can.
The first lesson this morning describes God's call to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. He came so close to losing his son because he felt it was God's will. Only at the last minute did he get deflected and heard the greater call to spare his son and restore his family. Genesis said that God tested Abraham in doing this. I'm not sure God puts us to that kind of test, but I do understand the kind of temptation that can destroy things we love all the time thinking we're either doing the right thing or at the very least a harmless thing.
Remaining on the topic of Gay Pride Week, many parents have sacrificed their children thinking they were doing God's will and haven't heard the call to stop. Last week we heard a powerful witness of the struggles that inspired the Negro Spirituals in our recognition of Juneteenth. In it was another example of destruction of God's children in many ways, while adhering to a belief in God's will, permission or obscene gift. God's will is love, peace and justice. Despite the many temptations society finds to sacrifice the innocent for purposes they feel are justified and defended, even inspired by God - in the end it is life and restoration that is the will of God. So we welcome prophets, and righteous people and children in the name of God and in doing so receive their reward. Amen.
© 2011 St. George's Episcopal Church, Maplewood, NJ
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