NOTES for Pmn 1:17-25
The words “receive him as you would me” echo Jesus' parable (Matt 25:34-46) about how we should receive the poor, the sick, and simply those whom we meet along the way. “I was sick and you visited Me.” The pronoun “me,” the comparison “as you would me,” seems excessively personal, because it is impossible to practice constantly seeing the Savior's features in every person. Faith in God and trust in God often cannot help us with this. Then Paul's rational argument, which appeals to our reason, comes to our aid. If you cannot understand or explain this, if you do not want to live this way, remember how much you personally owe God for your salvation. You can repay that debt in only one way: by receiving the other, the one who is different, who differs from you in every respect.