There’s one commandment of Jesus that few Christians take seriously—and even fewer fully obey, including myself
We’re in central London, where last night we enjoyed a wonderful meal with lifelong friends in their elegant home. But what stood out even more than the cuisine was their remarkable ministry of hospitality—not just to friends but to anyone in need.
Every Christmas Day, for example, they open their home to various people from their church, often those far from their own home or dreading the day for personal reasons. This year they invited George, their local Big Issue salesperson. By all accounts, he fully embraced the celebrations.
And the commandment I’m referring to?
Here it is, from The Message translation: Then Jesus turned to the host. “The next time you put on a dinner, don’t just invite your friends and family and rich neighbours, the kind of people who will return the favour.”
Jesus challenges: “Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. You’ll be—and experience—a blessing. They won’t be able to return the favour, but the favour will be returned—oh, how it will be returned!—at the resurrection of God’s people.” (Luke 14:12-14)
Hospitality was central to the early church. The apostle Paul, often a recipient of hospitality himself, urges: “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” (Romans 12:13)
I love that phrase: Practice hospitality. The Greek word for hospitality is philoxenia—a love for strangers—the exact opposite of xenophobia. As always, Jesus' followers are called to be counter-cultural.
Interestingly, Paul uses the word diōkontes for "practice," a term often associated with pursuing something single-mindedly—even to the point of persecution! True hospitality requires intention and effort; it doesn’t just happen by accident.
Of course, hospitality has its challenges. The apostle Peter acknowledges this, instructing: “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” (1 Peter 4:9) And as Benjamin Franklin wryly put it: “Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.”
I confess—I value my personal space. I can hear myself grumbling. I admire those who have welcomed Ukrainian refugees into their homes without hesitation.
But true hospitality is more than just inviting someone to stay. No one wants to feel like a burden. The great gift of our friends is that they make their guests feel valued—as if they are the ones bestowing the favour.
Jesus himself experienced both exceptional and substandard hospitality. At Simon the Pharisee’s house, his host was clearly embarrassed by another guest—“a woman in that town who lived a sinful life.”
Turning to the woman but addressing Simon, Jesus said: “Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair.”
Jesus continued: “You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn’t quit kissing my feet. You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume. Impressive, isn’t it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal.” (Luke 7:44-47)
So how do we practice hospitality? First, we recognize that it is a spiritual gift—a means of sharing God’s grace, empowered by the Holy Spirit himself. Peter writes: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10)
Some have a Holy Spirit inspired gift for hospitality—superhosts of the faith. But that doesn’t excuse the rest of us. Like any practice, we start small and grow in skill, as the Holy Spirit himself encourages and teaches us.
One of the best ways to learn hospitality? To experience it firsthand. Over the years, I’ve been welcomed into the homes of wonderful Christians whose warmth left a lasting impact. We’ve been blessed – and we want to pass this blessing on to others.
As Rosaria Butterfield puts it: “Those who live out radically ordinary hospitality see their homes not as theirs at all but as God’s gift to use for the furtherance of His kingdom.”
And when we welcome those Jesus calls “the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,” we may be in for a surprise. As Hebrews 13:2 reminds us: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
Comments