Hospitality: A Welcome of the Heart

We are entering the sugar days of the year with a candy holiday, a pie holiday, a cookie holiday, and a champagne holiday all packed into 63 glorious days. Maybe we like to slather our gatherings with sweets because they can often be rather bitter. I saw a sweatshirt the other day that said “Unvaccinated and ready to talk politics at Thanksgiving!” This is a comedic way to acknowledge that tensions continue to run high with the turmoil that rages within our families and communities.

What the world needs more than ever is the hospitality of Christ.

The word hospitality means more than simply entertaining- think a well-set table, spotless house, clean furnishings, fine food and drink. The Greek word philoxenos as used in 1 Peter 4:9 means to be fond of guests, and Romans 12:13 philoxenia which means literally, lover of strangers. Hospitality to the early Church had little to do with the atmosphere of someone’s home, but an atmosphere of welcome within someone’s heart.

An atmosphere of welcome always begins in the heart, because the things that keep us from being hospitable to one another also begin in the heart. A heart of welcome listens to understand. This heart comes from a place of humility and generosity. This heart has been wholeheartedly pursued by a Jesus who loves to draw near to its suffering and anguish. As you have been loved, so love. Jesus was the forerunner of philoxenia- lover of strangers, because he chose to love first those who were most unlovable: the outcasts, the swindlers, the lustful. 

So as we enter the craziest 63 days of the year, would we give ourselves grace, prayerfully invite Christ to soften our hearts to our enemies, and listen to understand. This is true hospitality. 

We continue with our City Group this Wednesday, November 3rd. We will be talking through chapters 9-10 in The Simplest Way to Change the World: Biblical Hospitality as a Way of Life.