Open Doors: a Burnt End Blog on Matthew 10:14-15.

Have you ever felt unwelcomed? It’s a horrible feeling, isn’t it? God created all people and created us to live together. No one should feel unwelcomed in Church. As a pastor it breaks my heart when I hear of anyone not being welcomed at any church. This is among many other things; egregious hospitality.

Which is a major problem for Jesus! In the lectionary text for this Sunday (6/14/26), when Jesus sent out the 12 apostles he told them; “If anyone will not welcome you…shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town.  Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement than for that town.” (Matthew 10:14-15.) Wow, more tolerable than the scorched earth that Sodom and Gomorrah become. (Genesis 19:1-29).

***Counter to the often loudly spouted opinion, I personally do not think it is appropriate to associate the situation of Sodom, (ie xenophobia, attempted breaking and entering, desire to rape angels-not human men…) with a committed relationship between two consenting adult men. In my own opinion, this Biblical account seems to be concerned with the care of foreigners and the dangers of vainly living only for your own pleasure. It is appalling to me that the very story Jesus references to illustrate how horrendous turning someone away is, is the very story used to exclude and harm LGBTQIA+ persons.

Inhospitality to the Gospel proves to be a heinous sin. Why is being unwelcoming directly linked to Sodom and Gomorrah? Angels were sent into Sodom because of the sins of hedonistic living. Individuals were doing whatever made them feel good without any care for anyone else’s well-being or needs. Despicable behaviors were common practice in Sodom and Gomorrah, such as; the rich having lavish parties of gluttony while others starve, rich old men taking young boys as a sex slaves, treating women as property, making sacrifices to pagan gods... Their hearts were ‘turned inward’ (Martin Luther’s definition of sin), caring for immigrants was the furthest thing from their minds. Neglect for the care of the whole community naturally leads to decay of laws, morals, economic stability, and any sense of civil community.

When any traveler came to a town it was customary for residences of the community to take them in overnight. People in Sodom were living purely for themselves, they had no compassion for anyone else, much less strangers passing through town. Lot was the only one in town who offered to take in the traveling angels.  (Gen 19:1-3). Perhaps, because Lot himself is called an ‘alien/foreigner’ (Gen 19:9). Then all the men of the town try to break into Lot’s house and force themselves upon the angels.  Lot protects the angels and he is spared from the destruction.  All the rest of Sodom is completely laid to ruins, a devastating example of what living selfishly and refusing to care for strangers leads to.   

If the church closes our doors to anyone, we are sinning. If we dare to think we have the authority to decide who is ‘worthy’ to come to church, then we are putting ourselves in the role of God.  The United Methodist Church’s slogan is ‘Open Hearts, Open Doors, Open Minds.’ FUMC strives to keep our doors wide open to anyone who wants to grow closer to Christ and transform the world into God’s Kin-dom. As pastor I pray that when you are a guest at FUMC you will also feel the love of hearts open to your needs, and minds open to your dreams.

Hopefully, next time we hear about Sodom and Gorromoah we pray that God may destroy anything within our hearts that is inhospitable to the Gospel message and the Kin-dom of God.