The Welcome Chain

⁴⁰ “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. ⁴¹ 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. ⁴² 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)

This scripture presents a series of events... one based on the other. Whoever welcomes you [disciples], welcomes me [Christ] and whoever welcomes me [Christ] welcomes the one who sent me [the one who sent Christ, God]. So, it goes...

Welcoming disciples = Welcoming Christ = Welcoming God

But then there is more added to it - righteous persons and prophets also merit the same welcoming. Just by welcoming others, we are welcoming Christ, welcoming God.

Now it may seem a little strange at first... why are these all important disciples referred to as "one of these little ones"? We may remember that they were sent to different towns and cities, left everything to follow Jesus. Just like today's missionaries, these are 'little ones'. They are dependent and need protection, because they have let go of all their own possessions and positions, relying solely on God. So whatever we do for these little ones, we do for God.