Isaiah 58:10 -- Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble.Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
It’s really quite simple, if you feed the hungry, and do it in the name of Jesus, you are touching the Kingdom of God. In doing simple acts of kindness you are able to let your light shine and bring glory to God. It is been said that we are His hands and His feet, perhaps we are the only reflection of Jesus that someone will ever see.
I remember on several occasions when the Lord laid on my heart to entertain a stranger. There were times when I would pick them up when they were hitchhiking and there were times, to my wife’s surprise, that I would bring them home for a meal. Today, it’s not all that wise to do these sort of acts but there are ways, quite simple ways, that we can provide hospitality to strangers.
The very act of hospitality is indeed a biblical expression and it is a demonstration of the very attribute of God. We see this demonstrated throughout the Scriptures as God’s people helping others. The act of sharing as a community or giving to others is a form of this. In Acts the breaking of bread and the distribution of food is also part of this. Later in Acts we find that there were godly people who were chosen to provide food for the widows in the early church.
hos-pi-tal'-i-ti, host (philoxenia, "love of strangers," xenos, "guest," "friend"; pandocheus, "innkeeper")
- Bible Study Tools
In modern days, hospitality is often a word that brings anxiety and stress. We think those times when we are having guest in our home, we worry about cleaning the house and bringing out the finest dishes. At the very core hospitality is simple. In our modern day and age when we want to impress our neighbors and friends, we want everything to be perfect.
You may feel like those in this video that was published by Mainstay Ministries during their 50 Day Spiritual Adventure series. Picture yourself attending Entertainers Anonymous support group. View video here.
In biblical terms, this isn’t the case. Especially when we think about the needs of our most vulnerable, the poor, the oppressed, and children; hospitality means something very different.
In Luke 10 we find the instructions that Jesus gave to his disciples as they went out to announce the good news of Jesus. They were instructed to carry very little with them and depend upon the very hospitality of people, strangers in fact. Jesus said to them that wherever they go they are to announce this good news. They were told to welcome and eat whatever is put before them and to say, "the Kingdom of God has come near to you today."
In theory that is a good idea but in practice it’s not so easy. I remember being invited to come to her home after church one Sunday, this was years ago in my local church ministry. The family that invited us was not known for cleanliness, in fact we were quite concerned when we receive the invite. I told my wife that this is an opportunity to care and bring dignity to a family that was not wealthy. The day came when we were received in their home. The kitchen was a mess, there was a stench of older that lingered from the trash, the table was a mix matched set of plates and utensils and the food was, we thought, creative. There were hot dishes on the menu and there were cold dishes that were presented for the meal. The food didn’t taste bad but the ambience wasn’t exactly up to par. They had indoor animals that seem to take charge of the dining room.
I thought of how difficult it could’ve been for even his disciples when they were to eat whatever was put before them and to share the good news with whomever welcomed them in their home. The picture became very clear to me that it wasn’t about the disciples and it wasn’t about us either. It was about the message of the good news. I assure you that we did not get sick and our worst fears were an exaggeration of our imagination. It was a blessing to be in the home of that family and they truly wanted to know more about Jesus. That day taught me many lessons in my ministry and there were many homes like this that I entered with a bit of trepidation but God always provided.
Allow me too set context to the meaning of what I’m writing about today. I’m a firm believer in capitalism. I’m not one who is convinced that socialism provides the best solution. Whenever capitalism is paired with compassion there is the opportunity to be benevolent with the resources we have. We are stewards in fact. Socialism, while it may seem to be biblical (Many to Acts 2 as an example) the truth is that we can be selfish whether we have little or plenty. I believe that when we are hospitable toward others, we consider their needs before her own and we serve to represent Christ by our actions. Models of socialism means that resources are taken not given. Most of those models do not work and have proven to minimize the work ethic and distort and dehumanize people. Often people are exploited.
Of course there are problems with capitalism because of materialism and greed but if we see our role, as God does, we are stewards of resources and we are as generous as we are compassionate.
Hospitality, as defined in biblical terms is a simple way to communicate the good news of Jesus Christ by acts of kindness. Historically Christians have been generous and compassionate, even forming hospitals, and housing for the homeless. Reforms to the prison system have been developed by Christians and even Probation as an alternative for juveniles or adults who commit crimes is a Christian model. When we think about social service we quickly think of the compassion of Mother Teresa and the Minitries of the Catholic Church, community food banks are often managed by Christians. Whenever there are natural disasters most international aid comes from private donations of Christians and the church.
To practice hospitality is a way to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether it’s in your home or the organizer of a community dinner, the practice of hospitality is an expression from the heart of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Do you want to make a difference? Begin to practice biblical hospitality. Begin with those whom you know but remember those who are strangers to you as well. Keep it simple and be genuine, everything else is just extra. Remember to genuinely love in Christ will be seen in you and through you. God will bless and you will light up the night as noon!
