Practice Hospitality

Lesson from Tidewater Singles Shepherding Devo, January 31, 2020…

Introduction

What was God’s plan for evangelism in the Old Testament? How would a non-Jew become part of the nation of Israel?

The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 19:34 New International Version (NIV)

God instructed the Israelites to treat foreigners residing among them as if native-born! Note that Leviticus is attributed to Moses as the author, so this may have been from the time Israel was in the desert. This means that there were likely Egyptians who left with Israel during the Exodus, and possibly Jewish converts.

“A foreigner residing among you who wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land. No uncircumcised male may eat it.
Exodus 12:48 New International Version (NIV)

Israelites were instructed on how to accept a foreigner and how foreigners could take part in the Passover. To become a Jew, a Gentile needed to be welcomed into the home and lives of an Israelite family, and all non-Israelite males needed to be circumcised! Thankfully today this uncomfortable physical requirement has been replaced with committing to repentance and baptism.

God’s evangelism plan started with Israelite families practicing hospitality. The welcoming of strangers was part of the culture of the people of Israel. Examples of hospitality in the Old Testament include:

Abraham and Sarah (Gen. 18:1-3)
Lot (Gen. 19:1–2)
Gideon (Judg. 6:11–24)
Manoah’s wife (Samson’s mother) (Judges 13:6–20)

Their stories reveal that the strangers they entertained were actually special messengers from God, bringing both blessings and warnings. Hebrews 13:2 tells us that when we entertain strangers with our hospitality, we may be entertaining angels!

The New Testament Greek word for hospitality is “philoxenia”, from “phileo” or brotherly love, and “xenia” or strangers. Hospitality means showing love and kindness to strangers. How should we do this?

Point 1: Practice Hospitality With Love

Hospitality is one of the ways we show love to others.

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Romans 12:9-13 New International Version (NIV)

The author of Romans describes sincere love, which includes hating what is evil, devotion to one another, honoring others above ourselves and being joyful, patient and faithful. He ends the list by encouraging his readers to show love by practicing hospitality.

Jesus also told us to show our love for one another and that this love would be how everyone would know that we are his disciples.

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34-35 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus commands us to love one another, and hospitality is a way for us to show our love. That’s why it’s important to cultivate our heart for hospitality.

Point 2: Practice Hospitality With Joy

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
1 Peter 4:9 New International Version (NIV)

What is your attitude when asked to host something in your home, or to bring something to a Bible Talk or Devo, or to share a welcome or communion message during a worship service or midweek? If you’re like me you probably have grumbled at least once or twice about how inconvenient it will be to clean up the house, or to stop and pick up a dessert, or to figure out what to say and prepare for a message. Where does this attitude come from?

7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
James 5:7-9 New International Version (NIV)

When we’re asked to do serve or do something for others, we can develop an attitude. We’re impatient, not wanting to endure the inconvenience for the joy of obedience we’ll have when we show our hospitality. Instead of letting impatience lead us to grumbling, we need to look forward to how our hospitality will help accomplish God’s mission. We need to leave our grumbling and complaining behind and cultivate a heart of love and hospitality so that we can “shine like stars”.

14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
Philippians 2:14-16 New International Version (NIV)

Point 3: Practice Hospitality With Faith

Cultivating a heart for hospitality is important for growing to maturity in our faith. In his instructions to Timothy and Titus for what to look for in mature men to serve as elders and deacons, and in mature women who would be listed on the “roll of widows”, Paul lists hospitality as an important quality of character. See 1 Timothy 3:1-2, Titus 1:7-8 and 1 Timothy 5:9-10 below.

3 Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,…
1 Timothy 3:1-2 New International Version (NIV)

7 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8 Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.
Titus 1:7-8 New International Version (NIV)

9 No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, 10 and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
1 Timothy 5:9-10 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus is our ultimate example of hospitality. He showed his love and compassion for others through serving and healing, and to us all by sacrificing himself on the cross. This article sums it up:

Jesus is the model of hospitality. He had crowds in the thousands following Him because of His compassion for them. Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 all encompass the sermon that Jesus gave on a mountain. He came down the mountain in chapter 8 and healed a leper. Then He healed a Centurion’s servant. Then He went into Peter’s house and healed Peter’s mother-in-law. That evening He healed many who were oppressed by demons. Then He calmed a raging storm while He crossed the Sea of Galilee. When He got to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, He healed 2 men with demons. He left there immediately because He was asked too, so He went back to Capernaum and then He healed a paralytic man. After that He calls Matthew to be His disciple, and the story keeps going. Do you see what I mean? Jesus was hospitable to everyone. He had compassion to keep going on and healing the sick while spreading His story of redemption.
https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/what-does-the-bible-say-about-hospitality-a-christian-study/

Developing a heart for hospitality is important to building our faith and to extending God’s love to others so that they can also develop faith in Him.

Conclusion

Hospitality is about showing love to others, whether they’re our brothers and sisters, or they’re those we bring into our homes and gatherings to learn more about Jesus. And as Hebrews 13:2 tell us, our hospitality may lead to entertaining angels! Practice hospitality – with love for others, joy in serving and faith that God will bless us.