Hospitality continued – practical instructions

"The pressure of thinking 'what will people like?' can be such that it stops them taking the risk"

Reminiscing about difficulties faced on trips abroad can be a great source of amusement. It’s strange how the most difficult situations can, in the retelling, be a lot of fun.

I remember such a time in India when a couple of good friends of mine from Goa were explaining how they once had to eat dog on a ministry trip to the North of India. This custom was for especially for honoured guests and treated as a delicacy.

They were very aware of Jesus instruction ‘to stay in a house, eating and drinking what ever they give you’ (Luke 10:7). In the west we have the resources to be choose what we eat. There is a vast spectrum, from people who will only eat vegetables to others for whom burger and chips is a staple diet.

Jesus’ instruction to eat everything given to you is a massive challenge when building a multicultural church. It is also a challenge when encouraging people to be hospitable. I know for some would-be hosts, the pressure of thinking ‘what will people like?’ can be such that it stops them taking the risk.

Peter in his first letter tells us to offer hospitality without grumbling (1 Peter 4:9). Sometimes you can feel that you are the only ones in the church being hospitable and in your dark moments grumble, saying, ‘When will someone invite us out?” It costs money to be hospitable and therefore there needs to be a faith dimension otherwise you can become a grumpy person. Jesus tells us to pray that our Father in Heaven will give us our daily bread. This is a great prayer.

Caring for our guests is also a massive part of being hospitable. Luke shows how Simon the Pharisee did not show Jesus the usual care and respect to a guest that was expected of him in Bible times. This was in contrast to the woman who seemed to gatecrash the meal. After Simon complained about the woman’s actions, Jesus says, ‘You did not give me any water for my feet, you did not give me a kiss and you did not put oil on my head.’ We may have different customs in the nation we live but the principle applies: we need to be looking out and caring for those we are being hospitable to.

‘Practice hospitality’ is Paul’s exhortation in Romans 12. I find this interesting that even in a culture where hospitality was probably more expected than in the UK, Paul still urges people to be hospitable. With hospitality having such a high profile in the Bible and with our sights set on that great banquet in the last days, I am again challenged to be very hospitable.

Hospitality continued – practical instructions

Reminiscing about difficulties faced on trips abroad can be a great source of amusement. It’s strange how the most difficult situations can, in the retelling, be a lot of fun.