Bible Strands
Matthew 10:40
He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses His twelve disciples as He concludes His commissioning instructions, directly following a warning about losing one’s life and preceding a promise regarding rewards for hospitality. He frames their outgoing mission as an extension of His own presence and authority.
The words — The Greek verb δέχομαι (dechomai) means to welcome or receive, appearing twice to link the disciple, Jesus, and God. This term establishes a chain of acceptance where hospitality toward the messenger equals acceptance of the sender.
The thread — This theme of representative authority appears in John 13:20, Luke 9:48, and Luke 10:16. Each passage repeats the formula that welcoming the sent one is equivalent to welcoming the sender.
Why it lands — The text demands that readers treat the messenger’s message with the same weight as the messenger’s source. It requires active acceptance rather than passive observation.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
Cross-references
- John 13:20 Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever receives the one I send receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives the One who sent Me.”
- Luke 9:48 And He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. For whoever is the least among all of you, he is the greatest.”
- Luke 10:16 Whoever listens to you listens to Me; whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
- Matthew 18:5 And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.
- Matthew 25:40 And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
- Mark 9:37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes not only Me, but the One who sent Me.”
- John 20:21 Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.”
- Galatians 4:14 And although my illness was a trial to you, you did not despise or reject me. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus Himself.
- 2 John 1:9 Anyone who runs ahead without remaining in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever remains in His teaching has both the Father and the Son.
- Matthew 25:45 Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’