Company’s Coming

Our church is near a local university, and we minister to a lot of college-age people.  There was an organized effort to have students visit family homes, and I signed up for this Sunday.  The idea was to provide them a home-cooked meal while getting to know them.

 

Before the service started Sunday, the young man organizing the event came to me and said, “I have five more guys needing a place to go.”  My first thought was, “Oh my!  I already have three coming!”  But I quickly said yes.

 

I’m so glad we had these young people in our home.  What a blessing.  Whenever we express hospitality through our homes, we can be sure we are on safe Scriptural ground.  Even a casual reading of the Old Testament shows the way folks showered hospitality on friends and strangers.  The law concerning hospitality was explicit.  “But the stranger who dwells with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself.” (Lev.19:34)

 

The New Testament Christians practiced hospitality.  We read about believers continually devoting themselves to the Apostles teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer.  In Acts 2:42, “They were breaking bread from house, taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity” – mainly fellowshipping and more importantly, praying.

 

Mary, John Mark’s mother, opened her home for prayer meetings.  Lydia, a businesswoman in Philippi and Paul’s first European convert, opened her home to many believers (see Acts 16).  Priscilla shared in a teaching ministry with her husband Aquilla.  Their home was “the church” in at least two cities.  Paul even made his home with them for a while.  And a good deal of Jesus’ ministry was home-centered.  His first outreach was in the home of the Tax Collector Matthew.  And He said to Zacchaeus, “Hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house” (Luke 19:5).

 

The gentle act of hospitality requires us to realize all Jesus requires of us is to be available to share His love with others.  Do you have hang ups about having people in your home?  The word hospitality is defined as “behaving in a kind and generous manner towards guests – expressing welcome.”

 

Use your imagination.  Don’t limit yourself and your ministry to just entertaining close friends.

 

“Entertaining puts things before people.
Hospitality, however, puts people before things.”

{Karen Burton Maims}

 

I am so glad I said yes to five guys and three gals.  I made new friends in The Lord, and I received such a blessing.  May our prayer be, “Lord, help me to always have an open heart and an open home for your glory.”

 

Pam Cavanaugh