When it comes to hospitality, the western world has a lot to learn. The dictionary defines “hospitality” as the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers, which is fine as an introductory statement but leaves a lot to be desired. Properly understood, the term imposes responsibilities on both the host and the guest. Since we are commanded in Scripture to “show hospitality to one another without complaining” (1 Peter 4.9) and to “pursue hospitality” (Romans 12.13) it is important to understand the concept completely. Not surprisingly, hospitality is all about going the extra mile.

If you have ever had the good fortune to travel in Israel or other parts of the Near or Middle East, then you know what hospitality is. It is a table set with all kinds of fresh fruit, vegetables, meats and cheeses. There isn’t one main course, there are always at least two in case one isn’t to the guests liking. Whatever one’s tastes, there is something for you – including a chair at the table. Hospitality is more than food, of course, but food appears to be a central component to treating a guest well and provides the backdrop for making new friends.

We see this with Abraham in his reception of three mysterious guests, one of whom is a pre-incarnate Jesus in Genesis 18. Here we see Abraham running to greet the strangers on a hot day, and asking them to come and enjoy fresh water to wash up and drink. His wife, Sarah, began cooking a meal immediately. He didn’t wait for the strangers to pass by or knock on his door, he brought them in and showed them respect and generosity, attending to their needs. We see Jesus’ mother in John telling Jesus to fix a problem, namely the lack of wine at a wedding banquet, showing that even guests have a responsibility to do what they can to not embarrass their host and to attend to their needs. Surely hospitality is both an Old Testament and New Testament moral value.

Hospitality is also a permanent part of the Christian’s character, even as it is God’s. Most all of Jesus’ teaching about Heaven and the Kingdom of God is either compared to a banquet or is a literal feast (Luke 13 and 14, and Matthew 22 are examples of such). Indeed, one cannot think about the Kingdom or Heaven without the backdrop of a vast supper or banquet, the imagery is simply too infused with the other events. Hospitality is an eternal moral principle.

There is holy importance in being hospitable to guests and strangers alike, and it extends beyond the meal. We started with a modern definition of “hospitality” and it’s shortcomings, so we turn now to a Biblical definition: Hospitality is treating other’s the way God wants to treat them. God himself rarely communes with us in a physical way, but if he did he would provide brilliantly for each of us. As his children, that role is given to us. Since all are made in God’s image, all are worthy of respect and hospitality. In this way we prove we are brothers to fellow Christ-followers and ambassadors to those who do not yet serve our king.

Food for thought

On judgment day Jesus divides the world into two parts, those who showed him hospitality and those who did not: Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’ – Matthew 25.34-40