Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck
A reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 10:37-42
Dear Friends in Christ,
There’s a house on the edge of town, old but warm, with wide porches shaded by tall trees. In it live Mary and Joseph—an older couple, married nearly fifty years. Their children are grown, the rooms are mostly empty, but their hearts have only grown larger with the years. They’ve made a quiet promise to God: if someone is lost, hurting, or needs a place to begin again, their home will be open.
One winter, a man named Tom came knocking. He’d once worked with Joseph, years ago, when things were easier. But Tom’s world had unraveled—alcoholism, a painful divorce, and now, jobless, he was left with two small children and nowhere steady to go. He was ashamed to ask for help, but Joseph and Mary didn’t hesitate. They welcomed him and his children in. Mary cooked warm meals; Joseph sat with Tom late into the night, listening, praying, helping him plot a way forward. For months, Tom lived in that house. The children slowly smiled again. Tom found sobriety, and eventually, work. He moved out, but he never forgot the gift of shelter and hope—given not because he could repay it, but because he was in need.
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