The Rough Road

As I think back to all my congregations, I do see believers in Christ, believers who are maturing, growing, struggling, allowing the power of Christ to change and renew you. At the same time, I see people who are living examples of the "theology of the cross" which says life in Christ is cross bearing, life in Christ is a rough road, life in Christ is not easy.

And because we are believers, then Jesus says in the verses beginning with verse 40 that we should show hospitality to others. We bear our crosses, life is not always easy, but in spite of that, we are to show hospitality to others as Jesus shows hospitality to us.

As Jesus says in verse 42 " And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water".

Hospitality is giving respect to others, is allowing ourselves the freedom to give of ourselves even if our life has not been easy. Hospitality is giving even if we have been hurt by another.

A closing story speaks about this freedom of hospitality by an unknown author says:

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?"

"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins in it.

"How much is a dish of plain ice cream?" he inquired. Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit impatient.

"Thirty-five cents," she said brusquely.

The little boy again counted the coins. "I’ll have the plain ice cream," he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and departed. When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she saw. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies - her tip.

AMEN

Written by Pastor Tim Zingale June 24, 2002