May the words of my mouth and this meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, LORD, our Rock and our Redeemer. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Welcome! Willkommen! For me, these are some of the most beautiful words in the English and the German language. To me, welcome, willkommen just sounds warm and inviting. And some of the beauty of this word lies in its meaning – when it is spoken, someone is invited in, drawn in, they are being told: you belong. In that sense, I want to say to all of you again, no matter where you are: Willkommen! Welcome!
Welcome, be it in its ancient or the modern form we use, is a very positive word – try to say without a smile, and you’ll find that it’s kind of hard to do. ‘Welcome’ describes a positive relationship between those who offer the welcome and those who are being welcomed and the invitation goes way beyond a feeling of obligation and mere tolerance.
(*)We hear the word ‘welcome’ several times in today's gospel; six times in two verses, to be exact. “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous…”
It seems that the concept of welcome, of wanting someone to be in one’s space and one’s life, was important to Jesus and essential to the life of his followers.
Jesus’ followers probably were quite uncomfortable hearing him talk about this kind of welcome. In order to understand that, we have to take a big step back into the Judea of the 1st century.
Back then, the idea of a human being as an individual was foreign. Everyone was defined and identified by the groups they belonged to: family, tribe or clan, religion, region, social status, profession.
When a person was taken out of their social context, and they became nothing, invisible so to speak.. So, people were usually identified by their family ties –think of James and John, the sons of Zebedee – or by their place of origin – like Jesus of Nazareth.
Of course this way of thinking might be the case for most of us. Until recently many folks identified with the social entity that their people came from. Think of your last name for a moment – chances are, that they either point to a place of origin, a profession, or the family you or your spouse are from.
And one could make a case that these arbitrary divisions are still important today. However, to us, who grew up to value individuality, sometimes to a fault, this concept of being defined by some form of community seems archaic and outdated.
But back in the Jewish society of Jesus’ time, people had such strong communal ties and were defined by them . They had very clear ideas about who was welcomed, who belonged – and who didn't.
Certain people were just not welcomed into a proper Jewish household, the temple or synagogues: non-Jewish people like gentiles and sinners. On the flipside, a pious Jew would never let themselves be welcomed to or enter into the house of someone considered improper or uncouth or unclean. There was a line.
But Jesus challenged this notion. Not only did he enter the houses of outsiders – like the house of Zacchaeus, the despised tax collector, collaborator of the Romans – how scandalous! – but he also taught his followers this: whoever welcomes you, welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. And maybe the most important word here is ‘whoever’. Whoever!
To Jesus it didn't matter who it was. They didn't have to be a member of the tribe or so -called valued members of the community. He offered welcome and hospitality to all. How do we offer welcome?
What if they don’t share your experience or your opinion? What if this person is a stranger, or maybe someone considered inappropriate or even a sinner? Someone your mom – or your community – told you not to play with or be associated with.. We need to set that aside. In God’s eyes, everyone is worthy. Allow yourself to be a source of welcome.
We just heard that Jesus sent his followers out into the world, teaching them to have open hearts and minds and not to discriminate. Whoever welcomes you, welcomes me. Whoever receives you with a glad and willing heart, whoever accepts you, whoever invites you into their life and shares it with you, whoever gives you the feeling that you belong, receives me. There Jesus implies, I belong.
Jesus calls his followers, to overcome prejudices and preconceived notions of people’s worthiness. And this revolutionary idea helped the apostles to go out after his death and resurrection and spread the gospel in all the known world. They had to cross visible and invisible lines and allow themselves to be welcomed in unfamiliar and uncomfortable places.
They had to enter the houses of Roman citizens, of non-Jew folk aka gentiles and of independent women. They had to mingle with slaves. All of these folks were seen as outsiders, not the in crowd.
The apostles made themselves vulnerable by going out, by stepping out and entering unknown territory. There is always something humbling about entering someone else’s space, someone else’s territory. You have to play by their rules and can’t just do what you want. You don’t hold all the cards anymore, you are not in control of the situation.
Yes, those who went out to spread the gospel had something to offer, the good news of Jesus Christ, who lived and died and rose again for the sake of ALL the world. But they had to proclaim – and to embody – this good news in a way that they were truly welcomed – and not merely tolerated or, even worse, despised for their message. And how did they – how do we – do that?
Definitely not by hitting someone over the head with the Bible. First of all that would be rude and inconsiderate and outside the law of Love that Jesus preached and proclaimed.
They found acceptance and welcome in new communities by listening to them, by becoming part of their lives, their struggles, their joys. They showed they cared. That’s what Jesus did, after all, he took part in people’s lives. And as his followers so must we.
(+)For in Hebrews 13:2 we hear, “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it” Remember the story of Abram and the 3 strangers outside his tent from Genesis.
He ran to the stranger even though he was recovering from a self-preformed circumcision and welcomed them. Abram brought the strangers into the shade of his tent, offered them water and food. He made them feel comfortable and accepted. This complete type of welcome could be seen as radical so maybe we should call it radical hospitality.
This is a profound calling that challenges us to open our hearts and lives in extraordinary ways. We move beyond mere kindness and politeness. Radical hospitality calls us to live Jesus’ Law of Love through our actions of welcoming all, especially those on the margins of society and those in need with open arms and genuine compassion.
Radical hospitality is not just a social courtesy but it is a spiritual practice that helps us mature in our discipleship. Jesus modeled this idea of radical hospitality , often eating with sinners, healing the outcast and welcoming children. His life was a living testimony to unconditional love and acceptance.
Radical hospitality calls us to go beyond our comfort zones and cultural norms. It asks us to step out in faith as the apostles did. To embrace radical hospitality we must look inward and confront our biases, fears and prejudices. We must see others as Jesus sees them, beloved children of God, deserving dignity and respect.
It is radical because it challenges social barriers, breaking down walls of race, class, nationality, sexual orientation, political persuasion or religion. Radical hospitality fosters a community rooted in love and equality.
Practicing radical hospitality requires that we have intention in our actions. It might mean inviting a neighbor into your home, supporting a refugee or impoverished family, volunteering at a homeless shelter or restorative justice committee.
Perhaps the simplest action required with radical hospitality is to listen without judgement. Each time we act with genuine hospitality we reflect Jesus’ love in tangible and visual ways and in doing so we help to transform another person. We then help nurture our community and build a trust that God’s kingdom is present here on earth.
Since the church is the body of Christ, it is imperative that we are who we profess to be the church; be a welcoming community with an open and expansive table where ALL are invited and valued.
Our world and especially our local community is full of hurting people. Some might be strangers, unknown to us, but many might be people estranged from their own families, their country of origin even perhaps estranged from God and have a deep sense of unworthiness.
When we offer radical hospitality in the name of Jesus, we extend God’s grace, a shelter in a wind-tossed world and the loving arms of Jesus. Radical hospitality is more than being friendly or hosting events. It is a lifestyle that invades every fiber of our being, where we truly become the arms, the hands and the feet of Christ.
Our walk of faith becomes deeper with every step we take, we become transformed into living signs of hope and grace. The radical love of Jesus is shown in every interaction we have with others, where love has no boundaries and everyone is welcomed home.
Blessings on your day.
Notes: Preached (Delivered) June 28, 2026, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Falun, Wisconsin and Bethany Lutheran Church, Grantsburg, Wisconsin
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost Year A June 28, 2026
Readings: Jeremiah 28:5-9, Psalm 89: 1-4, 15-18, Romans 6:12-23, Matthew 10:40-42
Some Ideas from: (*) St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, San Francisco and (+) Northstar.church (Northstar Church 1998-2026
