3 John 7-10
It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth. I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.
According to John, we should welcome brothers and sisters in Christ, especially the preachers, for they have offered themselves to the Lord and we should provide for all their needs in Christ. Actually the first thing Jesus did to others in His ministry was to welcome them. When the Lord was among the needy, he didn't just starting with his message about heaven, hell and repentance. What He did first was to welcome them, just like how he welcomed Zacchaeus in the New Testament. According to the Bible, Zacchaeus was very short. He was also a tax collector, an IRS official in that generation, not so popular with others. One day he heard that Jesus was going to pass through Jericho, and he wanted to see Jesus. But there was a big crowd there. He tried to squeeze in, but others saw him and blocked him. So he had to climb onto a sycamore tree to watch. To his surprise, Jesus passed under the sycamore tree. He looked up and saw Zacchaeus. He then said: "Zacchaeus, come down quickly!" If you were Zacchaeus, how would you react? I am afraid you would be trembling with fear. At this time people around were very happy, amazed that this prophet just called the great sinner down. They were expecting something great to happen. But the first thing Jesus said to Zacchaeus was to their surprise. Jesus didn't say: "Repent!" Instead, he said: "Zacchaeus, I am going to stay at your house tonight. Nobody would go stay at Zacchaeus' house.
According to the Bible, nobody wanted to be friends with tax collectors and sinners. But when Jesus said: "I am going to stay at your house tonight", he meant that he had completely accepted Zacchaeus. When Zacchaeus experienced the Lord's love of acceptance, he immediately repented by giving up half of his possession to the poor and repaying four times what he had taken from others. When Jesus worked on people, he always started with welcome. But the church today is doing the opposite. Instead of welcoming people, it judges, just like Diotrephes who not only refused to welcome John, but also stopped those who wanted to do so and put them out of the church. John said in verse 11 that people like Diotrephes not only don't know God, but also haven't seen God. The Lord has already welcomed us like this. Shouldn't we also welcome one another?
Pray with Pastor Tong Liu
Lord, we thank you, for you welcomed us first. May you put such love in our heart, so that we can welcome one another among brothers and sisters. When others see the testimony that we welcome one another, they will return to You. We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
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