Reward...

"He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet receives a prophet's reward." -- Matthew 10:41.  Jesus, describing to us the reward of discipleship.  He is also telling the disciples that whoever would receive them would also be receiving Jesus.  We find in this passage that he or she who will welcome a disciple of the Lord will receive a reward.  

Reward.  What do you think of when you think of a reward?  Maybe you think of the old west wanted posters.  Maybe you think of the reward posters you see now a days that are posted when someone has lost a pet.  Whatever the case, we usually associate a reward for something we have done.  

Reward.  Another thing we typically associate with reward is some sort of monetary reward.  Well as you may already know the reward spoken of in this verse is most definitely not of a monetary nature so if its a money reward you seek, I would suggest stop reading now :).  

Reward.  I wrestled with this verse because while I knew this was not speaking of a monetary reward, the question burned in my mind, what reward is Jesus referring to here?  A heavenly reward? Perhaps.  However, as I discussed this verse with my best friend, one of the most logical conclusions we drew was that this reward was not heavenly but something a little more immediate than that. 

Reward.  What I mean is this.  Think of the last time you got together with your brethren in Christ whether it was at church services or some other event where you were able to fellowship with the brethren.  I don't know about you but one thing that never fails after spending time with the brethren is that I walk away encouraged and fired up.  While Jesus could be referring to a heavenly reward here, we must also consider that we always get something out of being with other Christians.  We always get a reward. 

Reward.  Again, this reward is not monetary but it is something that helps us.   Being with the brethren and receiving the brethren makes us stronger.  Being with the brethren helps us become better Christians.  Being with the brethren is just plain AWESOME!  It really boggles my mind as to why many who claim to be Christians refuse to attend worship services and/or other fellowship events.  Being with the brethren is one of the most encouraging times a Christian could ever have. If that's not a reward I don't know what is :).  Don't pass up the opportunity. 

Reward.  Finally, you may be wondering why I chose a blank reward poster as my image for this blog.  Well besides the obvious in relation to the title of this blog, I chose the image because what I would like all of us to do is to take a blank piece of paper.  At the top of that paper write the word "REWARD" and start listing down all the benefits you could receive from spending time with the brethren.  After doing so post that paper somewhere visible and take the initiative to maybe invite some of the brethren to lunch after services this coming Sunday or even better have some of them to your home for a meal.  You can't go wrong with this because you are guaranteed not only a good time but also you will be able to encourage one another. So go get your reward! And remember the words of our Lord. "He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet receives a prophet's reward." 

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!