The Sixth Sunday after Creation (G)

Matthew 10:34-42

³⁴ “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶ And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. ³⁷ Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 

⁴⁰ “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. ⁴¹ The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴² And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” 

What in the world is a prophet's reward? Moses was rejected by his own people repeatedly, and finally died at the age of 120 years on the top of a mountain. Samuel was rejected by the guy he made King. Nathan seemed to do okay. Elijah was taken up in a wirlwind, after spending most of his life fleeing for his life. Elisha lived like a hermit. Jonah was swallowed by a large fish. Jeremiah was imprisoned repeatedly. Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Daniel don't seem to have it extremely bad. Jesus was crucified. St Peter was crucified upside down. St Paul was beheaded.

What in the world is a prophet's reward? Even Obediah hid away several prophets, yet if he would have been caught, he would have been executed. The Widow at Zeraphath welcomes Elijah only to have her son die and then be raised to life again. Granted she didn't die of starvation earlier in the story.

How do you lose your reward? Do I lose it by not taking the reward? Do I lose it because I don't want to stick my neck out? So I guess it is true. If I seek to live my life for myself and to gain life, then ultimately my reward and everlasting life will be removed from me. If I seek to sacrifice my life for God and his people and his message, then just maybe I will gain the reward of everlasting life.

What is this reward? Is it simply Jesus Christ who died for the forgiveness of all my sins? Is it simply the resurrection and the life everlasting? Yeah, I think that is pretty close. The prophets believed and through their faith were made righteous and give the gift of eternal life. The righteous man only receives his righteousness from him who is righteous, namely Jesus Christ. He has given you his righteousness.