At the opening of Romans 12, we are familiar with the powerful appeals to present our bodies as living sacrifices, to not be conformed to the world, and to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The Apostle Paul continues by reminding believers that not all “living sacrifices” will look the same or demonstrate the same capacities. He admonishes us to be humble where God‘s grace has uniquely gifted us and to use those talents for the body of Christ. He concludes this chapter of Romans by discussing the marks of true Christians–how we should love one another, how we should persevere with patience, and how we should be constant in prayer. Tucked into this list between “be constant in prayer” and “bless those who persecute you” is the command to “contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality” (v. 13).
On cursory examination of this passage, we often start using these verses as a checklist to see how we are doing spiritually. “Am I hating what is evil? Yes! Just yesterday when I was listening to the news, I was so disgusted by the twisted and evil thinking of…” Check. “Am I rejoicing with those who rejoice, and weeping with those who weep? Yes! I went to the baby shower for so-and-so last week and sent that other family a sympathy card when their loved one died.” Check.
While these are good and necessary things to do, they cannot become shallow substitutes for genuine heart work. So it is with seeking to show hospitality. While being friendly to new folks at church is important and right, hospitality has deeper heart outworkings than only that. It changes how we engage with one another and particularly strangers in our day-to-day lives.
Hospitality is not entertaining and “putting on a fuss” to impress people with our abilities, resources, abundance, or status; but it is marshaling needed resources to the best of our abilities to genuinely welcome someone and put them at ease (or meet their need). Sometimes, hospitality is a kind word of encouragement or the cup of cold water given in Jesus’ name; sometimes, it is the feast given by the father of the returned prodigal son, making him “re-welcomed” into his family and the community.
The Scriptures do not spend much time on the “how to” of hospitality (the setting, the method, the menu), but instead, it focuses on the heart of hospitality. God commands us to actively seek and pursue ways to be hospitable – don’t neglect it! (Hebrews 13.2) In 1 Peter 4.7-9, Peter writes that since “the end of all things is at hand…[we should] be self–controlled and sober–minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
The Bible frequently reminds us to be actively hospitable in a way that seems to imply that we struggle to do this. Maybe, one of the reasons we struggle to obey God’s call to hospitality is that we know it will require of us more than we may want to surrender of ourselves in time and effort. It might cost us more than we want to give.
So what is the remedy for our cold hearts? We must look to our gracious and hospitable God! He is the perfect model of hospitality; He vigorously and passionately pursued us even when we were His enemies and strangers to His grace (Romans 5.6-11). He marshaled His resources and abilities (that had no limit) and sent Jesus to make a way to reconcile to us to Himself and to make us members of His family. He lays before us the path of life and bids us to come. Jesus offers an invitation to come to Him and to find true, everlasting life and rest for our souls (Matthew 11.28-30). God‘s great hospitality to us when we were strangers cost Him greatly – the priceless sacrifice of the Son for our sins. Jesus “emptied himself, by taking the form of the servant…and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2.7-8).
Let us respond by first thanking our God for pursuing us at such great cost and then by asking Him to give us a heart to seek His type of hospitality without grudging. May we be individuals who seek to welcome those who struggle finding their place in our midst, whether strangers or those we have known for a while. May we be quick to draw people in to share the warmth and love around our home and tables, especially reaching out to those who often find themselves alone in their homes or at their tables. May we be a church compelled to welcome sinners in need of the hope of the gospel, to care for struggling believers in need of encouragement and strength, and to watch daily for ways to do good to one another.
Emily Calloway, Hospitality Coordinator
