Hospitality is far more than opening up your home. Hospitality is about opening up yourself to others. It is not merely about hosting a nice dinner party or providing a comfortable place to stay; it encompasses a warm sense of welcoming, acceptance, and love towards others. Jesus is our model for showing hospitality and here are 4 ways we can learn from Jesus.
1. Jesus Welcomed Outsiders
The heart of hospitality is opening up your life to another person – a person who is outside of your “home.” You cannot be hospitable if you are not welcoming to outsiders. It is no big thing to welcome your close friends or to open your home up to those who will elevate your social status. The real test is how we extend hospitality to those who are not able to reciprocate our hospitality. What about approaching new comers to our church? Do we actively welcome them and make them feel at home especially those who look different to us?
Jesus ate with tax collectors, interacted with Samaritans, and loved sinners of all kinds. He was welcoming to outsiders.
Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman in John 4 is a beautiful picture of his welcome of outsiders. He treated her with respect. He engaged her in conversation and he offered to her the greatest gift of all – namely, Himself. There was a great cultural divide between Jews and Samaritans. But Jesus set aside these differences and engaged her where she was. He welcomed her.
We too are called to exhibit this kind of welcome to outsiders. Instead of categorising people and shutting ourselves off from them, Jesus calls us to welcome “outsiders” into our lives.
2. Jesus Humbly Served Others
Hospitality involves service to others. Jesus did this by washing the feet of his disciples, by feeding the hungry and healing the sick. Jesus was consistently selfless. He put the needs of others above his own. Jesus illustrated this in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).
In that parable the priest and Levite turned a blind eye on the man who was dying on the side of the road. But then the Samaritan stopped to help. He put the needs of the man in the ditch above his own needs. In order to do this, he had to set aside his own plans and face the inconvenience which helping would entail.
3. Jesus Helped Others Feel Safe in His Presence
Jesus consistently offered compassion and understanding to those who were burdened by sin, guilt, and shame. He invited them to be authentic — just as He was authentic. They knew that they would be accepted in his presence.
We now look at the story of the sinful woman in Luke 7:36-50. The religious leaders stood in judgment over her including Simon, the pharisee who hosted dinner for Jesus. She was an outcast and certainly would not have felt welcomed in Simon’s house. Yet in Simon’s home, Jesus modelled hospitality by how he received this woman. He welcomed her, let her express her heart and self through her actions, and defended her against her accusers. She clearly felt comfortable sharing who she was and also finding healing and forgiveness of sin from Jesus.
We too must reflect Jesus' love, acceptance, and forgiveness.
4. Jesus Drew People Out and Engaged Them
Hospitality is not a one-sided act. It requires genuine listening, engaging, and valuing the stories and experiences of others. Jesus was a master at engaging people in meaningful dialogue, offering his undivided attention, and truly listening to others.
When Jesus stopped for blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52, he responded with compassion. Jesus drew him out with the question “What do you want me to do for you?” which is the language of hospitality. Blind Bartimaeus answered; “I want to see Lord,” and he received his sight from Jesus.
When others enter our home, they should feel welcomed. Jesus interacted with people in such a way that it communicated “you are accepted here.”
People of Hospitality
Hospitality lies at the heart of the Christian faith, and Jesus serves as the perfect example for us to emulate. By welcoming the outsiders, humbly serving others, making them feel safe and welcomed as we actively engage them, we will be practicing hospitality in a way that reflects the love of Christ.
Jesus lived hospitality. His hospitality is the reason why many of us have a place in the kingdom of God. Let us be people of hospitality and reflect Jesus in our lives.
God bless you,
Larry
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