In today's reading from Luke, Jesus appoints seventy followers and sends them in pairs to all the towns he plans to visit. He tells them, "Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' " Those who do not welcome them are treated with disdain, although they too are told, "the kingdom of God has come near."It had never really hit me until I was reading these words this morning how welcome is the only criterion Jesus applies. He does not say to cure the sick of those who believe your message, but of those who welcome you.
The Bible places a great deal more importance on welcome and hospitality than we do. They are much more than social graces. And biblical welcome was not always easy. It could mean housing strangers who were traveling through your village. That sort of welcome was precisely what "the seventy" would need in order to have lodging on their journey.
What if Jesus were to judge me, not on how well I understand doctrine, know the Bible, or believe the correct things, but on how welcoming I am?
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