Jesus commands us to take an eternal perspective on hospitality – not a worldly view of what we can get out of it, but one that has the outsider in mind.
Luke 14:1-14
One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 2 There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. 3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” 4 But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.
5 Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?” 6 And they had nothing to say.
7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honour at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honour, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honoured in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbours; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
In verses 12-14, we get a picture of what true hospitality looks like. In the Crossways video “Hospitality: What it is, and what it’s not” Rosaria Butterfield points out that hospitality has the outsider in mind. And here we see Jesus commanding us to put that into practice.
Jesus is calling us in this passage to have the outsider in mind – the people on the fringe that others overlook or ignore. In essence, he’s calling us to show hospitality, not for the worldly gain we get out of it, but with an eternal perspective in mind.
What would it say to those around us who don’t know Jesus if we showed hospitality without any obvious gain? But what might that look like today?
It might look like talking to the person that is sitting by themselves at church, or it might look like inviting the kid at school that no one wants to be friends with over for a playdate. It might look like caring for the family from a different socio-economic background from you… but it always looks like holding out the love of Jesus to others.
Head: When you invite people over (or don’t invite people over), think about why you do it.
Heart: If you do it from a place that benefits you – what you can gain in the world’s view, or your own comfort – challenge that in yourself.
Hands: Think of 2 or 3 people you can show hospitality to and start the conversation about having them over for a meal or a coffee.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you that you showed us the ultimate hospitality in sending your Son to die for us, even when we were your enemies. Please soften our hearts to see everyone as you see them – people in need of love. Please help us to show them love and hospitality like you did – without prejudice. We pray in the name of your Son, Amen
A song to listen to: This is Love
Vicki Meehan – Living Church Creek Road
