Seek to Show Hospitality (Romans 12:11)

The increase of hotel chains and other forms of accommodation are a feature of the twenty-first century and they show no signs of decreasing. Simultaneously, there is an increase in restaurants, ranging from fast food to fine dining. Moreover, the rigidity of time management, even at a personal level, has compelled individuals to focus on their agenda for the day. You may wonder where I am going with this, but it is obvious that they affect aspects of Christian living that Paul and the other biblical authors highlighted as important. One of those aspects is hospitality and I would like us to think about it briefly.

Jesus and hospitality

Perhaps the first thought that comes to mind is that he and his family were not shown any hospitality when he was born. This fact is often mentioned, but we could ask ourselves, ‘What would I have done had I been living in Bethlehem at that time?’ It is a challenging question because we know what should have happened. The challenge is not in the knowledge but in the action.

When we move on in his life as it is described, we come to the account of the conversion of Levi or Matthew. There are many interesting details in his conversion experience, but one is the rapidity of his desire to show hospitality. On the evening of his conversion, he invited his fellow-tax collectors to his house where they could meet with Jesus and his disciples. Where did that desire come from? Would we expect a new disciple to do this? Still, Matthew did it and received wonderful insight into Jesus as his defender from unjust criticism and as his deliverer from the awfulness of sin.

Later in his three years of public ministry we find Jesus enjoying the hospitality of a family in Bethany. We know the names of some of the family – Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Mention is also made of one called Simon the leper (it is assumed that he had been healed of this disease by Jesus). Maybe he was the father of the family or he was the husband of Martha, and it may have been through his healing that the family became friends with Jesus.

One interesting detail about the story of this family is that they provide an example of wrong hospitality and an example of correct hospitality. The wrong example is seen in the occasion when Martha was annoyed at the fact that Mary spent the time sitting with Jesus and learning from him rather than helping Martha with practical chores. He pointed out that in providing hospitality it was more important to listen to what he said than in getting exasperated over practical concerns.

The right example occurred after Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. On that occasion, the ladies are still doing what they did on the previous occasion except now both are engaged correctly in their involvement. Mary is still listening to Jesus and Martha is still serving. But how different is the attitude of the latter. It became the opportunity of Mary expressing her devotion to Jesus in front of her family and friends when she poured costly ointment on Jesus. We can say that more than one kind of fragrance filled the room.

A third example of hospitality from the life of Jesus occurred on his resurrection day when he went to the house in Emmaus where Cleophas lived. Often we focus on the talk that took place as Cleophas and his friend (his wife!) were joined as they walked by a Stranger who spoke to them about himself. They did not recognise him until they showed him hospitality. What would have been their experience if they had not, that instead of asking him to join them, they had let him continue his journey? They would have lost out knowing that their Saviour was present to help and comfort his depressed followers. At best, they could have said that they had talked to an individual who knew a lot about the Bible. But hospitality gave them a greater blessing.

Hospitality in the Book of Acts

The Day of Pentecost brought revival and remarkable growth to the church in Jerusalem. One of the consequences was that people opened their homes daily for hospitality. No doubt, there were exceptional aspects to that time, perhaps because of the numbers of converts who came from other locations. Still, they adjusted to the circumstances and one of the activities in which they engaged was hospitality. The outcome or a continuing feature of the situation was that more and more people were converted.

Another kind of hospitality is described in the Book of Acts, this time connected to persons who were seeking to know about God. It took place in the house of a Roman centurion called Cornelius. He received instructions to send for Peter and then arranged for a group of people to meet in his home to listen to the apostle. The outcome was that Cornelius and his friends became Christians, and then he invited Peter to stay with him, which Peter was willing to do even although before he was a believer he would not have stayed with Gentiles. Hospitality was a means of breaking down barriers that needed to be removed.

We have another example of hospitality in the person of Lydia whose heart was opened by the Lord as she listened to Paul at the riverside in Philippi. In some ways she was like Cornelius because both were Gentiles seeking to find God and were being led by him to hear the gospel. The first response she made after believing the gospel was to show hospitality and invite Paul and his friends to stay with her. Probably, it was in her home that the church in Philippi met on each Lord’s Day for a while, perhaps even a long time.

Hospitality in Romans 16

Sometimes we may wonder at the list of names found at the end of several of the New Testament letters. One of the longest is found in Romans 16 and when reading it we can see several activities of those believers, and one of those activities is hospitality. There we read of Phebe described as a patron to many, which means she gave practical help in various ways, one of which would have been hospitality. We are also told about that amazing couple Priscilla and Aquila in whose home believers gathered for worship and fellowship (others who opened their home in this way are also mentioned). Paul also mentions the mother of Rufus who had acted as a mother to Paul during one period in his life. Whatever else, a mother means, it includes providing hospitality on different levels.

Hospitality in the Pastoral Letters

Paul mentions hospitality in connection with two types of person, although he is not limiting it to them. One group is elders and he mentions that hospitality is one feature of anyone who fills that role. He does not merely mean that they begin to practice hospitality after they have become elders. Rather it is one of the practices that a future elder should be engaged in. It tells others what he thinks his assets should be used for.

The other type of person concerns which females should be placed on a list of older women whom the church should look after in a special manner. Probably, this list was necessary because the civil government did not provide social care at that time. Yet Paul’s words indicate that certain qualifications were needed to be on this list and one of them was that they had shown hospitality in the past: ‘Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work’ (1 Tim. 5:10).

Aspects of hospitality

One of the benefits connected to hospitality is the surprize of discovering who we are showing it to. The author of Hebrews mentions that we should show hospitality to visitors because in the past some unknowingly were entertaining angels. It looks as if the author is referring to Abraham when he showed kindness to the three strangers who came to his tent. Two of them were angels, and the other was the Lord himself.

A story is told of J. N. Darby, one of the originators of the Brethren. He had come to a location one weekend as an unknown preacher. After the service, no one offered him any hospitality apart from one poor couple who offered to share with him what they had. A few years later he returned, but by then he was a famous preacher. After the service, loads of people with ample resources were competing to show him hospitality. He spotted the poor couple and asked them if they would share with him what they had, which they were glad to do. We should not forget those who show hospitality.

It is probably the case that good actions are in danger of being spoiled by particular sins. What sins would be connected to hospitality or be a threat to its practice? Peter mentions one when he writes, ‘Show hospitality to one another without grumbling’ (1 Pet. 4:9). He does not say why grumbling was a threat in their situation, probably because it is a threat in every situation. In the context, Peter is urging his readers to show love to one another, and he regarded hospitality as one way of doing so.

Jesus will give a reward for hospitality shown in his name. In Matthew 25, Jesus mentions various practices that will be valuable on the Day of Judgement. As we read the list, we can see that several of them are connected to hospitality. Regarding them, we can say that they can be done frequently. We do not do them to obtain a reward, nevertheless Jesus will recognise that they were done for him.

The last aspect that I would mention is that the practice of hospitality is used by God to illustrate the blessings of the gospel. For example, he says in Isaiah 55:1-2: ‘“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.’ The Lord invites us to a feast that he has provided and among the items on the table are pardon of our sins, adoption into his family, the presence of the Spirit, and the prospect of glory. We can enjoy eating such provision and it is all free for us to have.

In Revelation 3, when speaking to the church in Laodicea, Jesus used the practice of hospitality to encourage backsliders to return to him. When he had come to that church, Jesus found himself left outside, with none of the members showing any interest in spending time with him. Jesus then gave an offer to any individual in that church who wanted to spend time with him to come and do so. He likens the meeting to a meal that is shared, but of which he is the host. The Saviour has blessings for backsliders to enjoy, and when they participate they find that they are on the road of spiritual health. So whether we are believing for the first time, or are believers who need to be restored, or are Christians who are maintaining a consistent walk, we all need to experience the rich hospitality of God. And all his people can do so throughout life.