Have you ever experienced your child inviting himself over to someone else's house?
You likely turned a little red, maybe started fumbling for words.
There are rules for invitations. . . and preparations.
"Hospitality" is a weighty word. A word that carries a load of meanings and expectations.
Throw "southern" in front of it, and you've really set the bar high.
Scripture speaks of hospitality, and it seems we have muddied our perception of loving others with our social boundaries.
We can certainly show love through setting a meal and opening our home, but sometimes pride creeps in as the bigger motivation for our efforts.
Sometimes we spend more time on appearances than actually seeing and hearing the guests.
Jesus is the perfect example of all things - including hospitality.
But -
hold on.
Don't you need a house to be a host?
The perfect hospitality was shown by a man who had no home?
Clearly we need to fix some misconceptions.
If we look at the reality, Jesus did the unthinkable:
He invited Himself to another man's home.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. Luke 19:5-6
What?
And He actually didn't even ask; He told Zacchaeus He was coming home with him.
So, the "rules" are broken.
Let's rewind and rethink.
What is the heart of this story?
Jesus chooses Zacchaeus. Jesus starts relationship with him.
The connection is important. The time.
He didn't care if Zacchaeus had cleaned up from breakfast and made his bed.
It didn't matter that Jesus had no room of His own to offer. He was offering Himself.
So, hospitality is not defined by place or preparations.
It's all about people and the priority of relationships.
Jesus and Zacchaeus were not friends. They met at the sycamore tree.
Scripture tells us to feed the poor, to invite strangers, to seek those who need us.
It's not normal, and it's usually not comfortable.
Jesus operates differently.
He teaches us what real love looks like.
Unselfish love.
Sacrificial love.
Jesus' last meal was in a borrowed room with some argumentative guys.
They all helped prepare. They all gathered.
But, Jesus was the only one who knelt down.
He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. John 13:4-5
May we learn to live a hospitality that reflects the love of Christ.
Take time to stop at the sycamore tree.
Seek out someone who needs the time or the care.
Direct our attention outward to see the needs of others.
Kneel down and love one another.
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. I Peter 4:8-9
Comments