Matthew 10:37-42

Matthew 10:37-42; Matthew 10:40-42

Matthew 10:37-42
(Matthew 10:40-42)
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Reading the Text:
- NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
- Greek Interlinear Bible, ScrTR, ScrTR t, Strong, Parsing, CGTS, CGES id, AV.
- The Bible Gateway: NRSV, RSV, NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
- The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Greek text with concordance, commentaries.
- The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary, exposition & sermons.
Historical References, Commentary and Comparative Texts:
- The Five Gospels Parallels, John W. Marshall, University of Toronto.
- "Receiving the Sender," "Saving One's Life," "Carrying One's Cross," The Jesus Database, an online annotated inventory of the traditions concerning the life and teachings of Jesus. Dr. Gregory C. Jenks, FaithFutures Foundation.
- Chapter IX, The Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans, Ignatius of Antioch (c. 50 - 115). (Longer Version only - 4th cent interpolation)
- Chapter IX, On Baptism, Tertullian (c. 198)
- IV.6, Stromata, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
- From the Catena Aurea, Patristic Commentary by St Thomas Aquinas.
- From the Geneva Notes.
  - "God is both author and revenger of his holy ministry."
- From Matthew Henry's Commentary.
  - "Christ does not say that they deserve a reward; for we cannot merit any thing from the hand of God; but they shall receive a reward from the free gift of God."
- From Wesley's Notes.
  - "One of these little ones - The very least Christian."
- From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
  - "And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones--...Originally taken from Zec 13:7. The reference is to their lowliness in spirit, their littleness in the eyes of an undiscerning world, while high in Heaven's esteem."
- From The People's New Testament, B.W. Johnson, 1891.
  - "Good deeds are never lost."
Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis:
- Commentary, Matthew 10:40-42, Stanley Saunders, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2014.
  - "The theme that binds these two triads of relationship into a unit is "welcoming," which is at the heart of every relationship in these verses. Jesus is not merely pointing in a general way to the importance of welcoming or hospitality, already an important value among the communities in which he ministered."
- "No Small Gestures," David Lose, Dear Working Preacher, 2014.
  - "There is no small gesture, Working Preacher, and through their cups of cold water, hugs, helping hands, and listening ears they are caring for the world God loves so much."
- "'Oh, Jesus Christ, Is It You Again?'" Debra Dean Murphy, Ekklesia Project 2014.
  - "My neighbor, in all her neediness, is Christ for me."
- "Claim Your Reward," Alyce M. McKenzie, Edgy Exegesis, 2014.
  - "When we give our lives away for some purpose beyond ourselves, that paradoxically results in a gain. As Christians we would call that the reward of the righteous."
- Gospel Study, Brent Anderson, "Echoes of Scripture," 2014.
  - "Total commitment."
- "Guests of Honor," David F. Sellery, 2014.
  - "These are the basics of Christian hospitality… no surprises… nothing fancy… just an active awareness that all these "little ones" are our guests of honor… the honor of Christ."
- "Thought Experiment," Russell Rathbun, Question the Text, 2014.
  - "The only time you care about the good of society is when someone asks you for a dollar."
- "Welcoming and Watering," D. Mark Davis, Left Behind and Loving It, 2014.
  - "To 'welcome' someone or not is a topic that begins in v.14 of this chapter. It is paired with 'hearing one's word.'"
- Pulpit Fiction, plus podcast. Reflections of lectionary text, pop culture, current events, etc. Robb Mc Coy and Eric Fistler, 2014.
- "Cross Purposes!" Thomas Beam, 2014.
- "Pure Hearts," Nancy Rockwell, The Bite in the Apple, 2014.
  - "Life, wrote Kierkegaard, can only be understood backwards. But it must be lived forwards. And that's where the heart finds its pure hour, and its holy day."
- The Moonshine Jesus Show Lectionarycast, Mark Sandlin and David Henson, 2014.
- "Sit Up Straighter" Rick Morley, 2014.
- La Paradoja de Ser "Pequeño", Comentario del San Mateo 10:40-42 por Dan González Ortega, Working Preacher, 2014.
- "Salvation," Frederick Buechner, Buechner Blog.
  - "Who knows how the awareness of God's love first hits people. Every person has his own tale to tell, including the person who wouldn't believe in God if you paid him."
- "The God of Love and Peace," Alan Brehm, The Waking Dreamer, 2014.
  - "Whenever we make the essence of spirituality and holiness a matter of following religious rules, we have missed the mark. For Jesus, a truly spiritual way of living is about being willing to give someone a cup of cold water on a hot day. It's really no more complicated than that."
- Radical Gratitude, lectionary-based stewardship, Northwest United Methodist Foundation. (.pdf)
- Commentary, Matthew 10:40-42, Elisabeth Johnson, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2011.
  - "What would happen if we stopped expecting people to come on their own initiative through our church doors, and instead took seriously our calling to bring the gospel to them?"
- "First Thoughts on Year A Gospel Passages in the Lectionary," Pentecost 2, William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.
  - "Here in these verses is an opportunity to address that feeling and affirm mutual ownership of the gift given to all of us to own and to exercise: allowing ourselves to be involved in God's life in the world. And what could be more natural than that and more inclusive!"
- Holy Textures, Understanding the Bible in its own time and in ours, Matthew10:40-42, David Ewart, 2011.
  - "Welcoming "in the name of" means welcoming in the honour of; in the reputation of. It means welcoming in a way that is true to the integrity and character and goals of the one being welcomed. In a way that is truly worthy of the one being welcomed. "
- Exegetical Notes by Brian Stoffregen at CrossMarks Christian Resources.
  - "In the first century, there was not a sense of 'the individual,' but the individual was always part of a group. So, even if an individual welcomed another individual, they symbolized one group welcoming another group."
- Lectionary Blogging, June 26, 2011, John Petty, Progressive Involvement, 2011.
  - "The smallest act of help to these 'little ones' is noted. Here, it refers to the slightest assistance for the Twelve."
- "Mission Trip Guidelines from Jesus," Alyce McKenzie, Patheos, 2011.
  - "Without the preventive medications and small comforts of daily life, I am afraid a Jesus-led mission team would all come back home sunburned, dehydrated and with blisters on our feet."
- "Cold Cup of Water in the Face," Russell Rathbun, The Hardest Question, 2011.
  - "The question is simple do you give him a dollar? You don’t know what he will use it for. It might be drugs or alcohol. Can you get a hamburger for a dollar? Are you really helping him? There are larger issues at stake here."
- Commentary, Matthew 10:40-42, Greg Carey, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2008.
- Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
- "Welcome," Gospel Analysis, Sermons from Seattle, Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington. Detailed background and exegesis.
  - "When a household welcomes a prophet, a righteous person or a little one, God will bless that household."
- "God is Indebted to No One," Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources. Includes detailed textual notes.
  - "We tend to refrain from telling others of Jesus because we fear rejection. How is this passage an encouragement in discipleship?"
- Matthew in the Margins, by Brian McGowan, Anglican priest in Western Australia.
- Wellspring of the Gospel, Ordinary 13A, Catherine McElhinney and Kathryn Turner, Weekly Wellsprings.
- "Priority of Faith and Hospitality," Larry Broding's Word-Sunday.Com: A Catholic Resource for This Sunday's Gospel. Adult Study, Children's Story, Family Activity, Support Materials.
  - "How can I extend hospitality to other Christians, especially those in need?"
- "Commission of the Twelve," "But to Bring a Sword," wikipedia.
Recommended articles from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are linked below. ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices. Annotated list of "starting place" articles at ATLAS for this week's texts (includes direct links).
- Beare, R.W., "The Mission of the Disciples and the Mission Charge: Matthew 10 and Parallels," Journal of Biblical Literature, 1970.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Clark, John C., "Martin Luther's View of Cross-Bearing," Bibliotheca Sacra, 2006.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- "Homiletical Helps," Concordia Journal, 2011. (Section on this text begins on page 148)
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerial
- Morosco, Robert E., "Redaction Criticism and the Evangelical: Matthew 10 A Test Case," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 1979.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Orton, David E., "We Felt Like Grasshoppers: The Little Ones in Biblical Interpretation," Biblical Interpretation, 2003.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Throckmorton, Burton H., Jr., "Language and the Bible," Religious Education, 1985.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Ulrich, Daniel W., "The Missional Audience of the Gospel of Matthew," Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 2007.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
Sermons:
- "Hospitality: A Crucial Cup of Cold Water," the Rev. Dr. Dan DeLeon, Day 1, 2014.
- "The Art of Welcome," the Rev. Dr. Trace Haythorn, Day 1, 2008.
- "Welcome," Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Sermons from Seattle.
- "Will the True Bible Family Please Stand Up?" the Rev. Barbara K. Lundblad, Day 1, 1996.
- Father Andrew M. Greeley, "Priest, Author, Sociologist," Commentary and Homily
  - Ordinary 13, 2005
  - Ordinary 13, 2002
  - Ordinary 13, 1999
  - Ordinary 13, 1996 (Dr. Mary G. Durkin)
With Children:
- Worshiping with Children, Including children in the congregation's worship, using the Revised Common Lectionary, Carolyn C. Brown, 2014. 2011.
- "Storypath Lectionary Links: Connecting Children's Literature with our Faith Story," June 29, 2014, Union Presbyterian Seminary. Genesis 22:1-14 and God Gave Us You by Lisa Tawn Bergren, Romans 6:12-23 and Jamaica's Find by Juanita Havill, Matthew 10:40-42 and How Full Is Your Bucketi by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer.
- "Welcoming God," CSSPlus.
- "Welcoming," Fr. Max Bowers, Kid's Church.
- "What Does It Mean to Follow Jesus," Sunday School Lessons: Family Bible Study, art projects, music, stories, etc.
- "A Cup of Cold Water Is a Wonderful Gift," Sunday School Lessons: Family Bible Study, art projects, music, stories, etc.
Drama:
Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
- Clip Art Images: Matthew 10:40-42, Misioneros Del Sagrado Corazón en el Perú.
- Matthew 10:37-42, Liturgical Drawing, Maria d.c. Zamora, Claretian Resources, Philippines. ("Download and use these for free.")
- Matthew 10:37-42, at Cerezo Barredo's weekly gospel illustration. Liberation emphasis.
Hymns and Music:
- “A Prophet Has a Lonely Task” an original hymn by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, 2011, calling the Church to welcome the prophets among us today. Tune: WAREHAM 8.8.8.8 (“The Church of Christ in Every Age”) and CANONBURY 8.8.8.8 (“Lord, Speak to Me, That I May Speak”).
- Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
- Contemporary/Praise Song suggestions, Together to Celebrate, David MacGregor.
- "Kingdom of Mystery," "We Played the Flute," Brenton Prigge, NewHymn.
Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
Movies scenes with the following themes, listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance:
Study Links and Resources for the Book of Matthew