Matthew 10 Hospitality Again?

40 He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.

I think this passage needs to be seen in light of Jesus final public words concerning the sheep and the goats. Matthew 25:31-46

37-40 (below)
Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40 The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

I would like to focus in on Hospitality being an extremely high Kingdom value. So high that Jesus is using it as a measuring stick for Judgment. I would quickly point out that the motivation for this hospitality must be devotion to Christ. It is the one who give the water “because he is my disciple.” I am not pushing a value in hospitality apart from our action done under and in Jesus.
So with this in mind I again want to ask us to consider our mission field and our actions as missionaries. I believe our mission field is one of isolation and anonymity. I am feeling and seeing it more and more as I am “converted to the gospel of Jesus Kingdom.” It feels wrong to talk to strangers or invade anyone’s space. It feels normal to objectify to who serve me at Walmart, McDonalds and Starbucks.

Does anyone else think the isolation in our culture is a barrier to Jesus Kingdom?
How do we begin to break the barrier?

Next Face to Face meeting (at the IkeBox) Thursday May 25 at 6:30pm