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A Welcoming Posture Toward Justice

A Welcoming Posture Toward Justice

Last updated on: June 24, 2026 at 1:38 pm by Herb Montgomery

A Welcoming Posture Toward Justice 2026-06-24T13:38:20-04:00 Herb Montgomery

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Our reading this week is from the gospel of Matthew:

“Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 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. 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)

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This is Part 1 of the series Welcoming Prophets and the Justice Implications of a Cup of Cold Water

The Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are often read primarily as texts about personal morality or individual salvation. While these themes are present in these stories, theGospels are more fully understood when interpreted through the lens of the social injustices Jesus was challenging and the societal changes he hoped to inspire. Jesus consistently addresses the social, political, and economic realities that shape human life, not only individual behavior.

Throughout the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus stands with those pushed to the margins of society such as the poor, the sick, women, foreigners, and those considered sinners or outcasts. His ministry challenges systems that created exclusion and suffering. He proclaims good news to the poor, liberation for the oppressed, and a vision of God’s kingdom in which the last are first and the powerful are called to account.

The kingdom of God, the central theme of Jesus’ teaching in these three Gospels, is not a promise of heaven after death. It is a call to transform relationships and communities here and now. Jesus condemns religious hypocrisy, economic exploitation, and the abuse of power. He teaches that love of God is inseparable from love of neighbor, especially the most vulnerable.

Reading the Synoptic Gospels through a societal justice lens reveals Jesus as more than a spiritual teacher concerned with private faith. He emerges as a prophetic voice, standing within the prophetic tradition of his culture and calling for a society rooted in compassion, equity, dignity, and collective flourishing. This reading helps modern communities discern how Jesus’ teachings continue to challenge injustice and inspire the work of social transformation today.

Let’s begin this week with Jesus’ saying, “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” These words carry profound implications for justice work done by Jesus followers. These words identify the presence of the Divine in the work we do to make our world a just, safe, compassionate place, especially among the vulnerable and marginalized.

Also in the context of Matthew 10, Jesus has commissioned his disciples to travel without wealth, status, or political power. They are to depend entirely on the hospitality of others. To welcome them is not merely an act of personal kindness; it is also a decision about what kind of society we wishes to build. Hospitality becomes a form of resistance against systems that divide people into insiders and outsiders, worthy and unworthy, powerful and powerless.

Jesus teaches that our relationship with the Divine is revealed through how we receive others. The stranger, the refugee, the activist, the poor, and the person excluded by society are not obstacles on our path to encountering the Divine; they are often the very places where the Divine is encountered. Welcoming those whom society ignores or rejects is a sacred act.

Jesus’ words also challenge hierarchies of power. Jesus does not identify himself with emperors, religious elites, or wealthy patrons. Instead, he identifies himself and his disciples with ordinary people carrying a message of healing, liberation, and justice. The measure of faithfulness is therefore not how closely one aligns with power but how willingly one opens doors to those working for compassion, human dignity, and the inclusion of those who are excluded.

Matthew’s Jesus reminds us that hospitality is never neutral. Every act of welcome either strengthens communities of justice or reinforces systems of exclusion. To welcome those who labor for a more compassionate world is to welcome Jesus himself, and in so welcoming Jesus, we participate in the sacred, Divinely-infused, ongoing work of healing, reconciliation, and social transformation.

Next in our reading, Jesus tells his disciples, “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.” These words challenge us to consider how we respond to those who speak truth, pursue justice, and advocate for the well-being of marginalized people.

Biblical prophets were rarely welcomed for a very specific reaspon. We’ll pick up here in Part 2.

Begin each day being inspired toward love, compassion, justice and action. Free.

General Christian

Politics and Religion

About Herb Montgomery

Herb Montgomery, director of Renewed Heart Ministries, is an author and adult religious educator helping Christians explore the intersection of their faith with love, compassion, action, and societal justice. You can read more about the author here.

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June 24, 2026 Justice Implications of a Cup of Cold Water

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