God Speaking

“Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
(Romans 12: 13)

I have a large family and have always loved to cook, so gathering my loved ones together and feeding them brings me great pleasure. My Lenten study I am presently reading has made me think more deeply about how I practice hospitality. This series takes a passage from the book of Acts chapter 16 and how different writers see the characters portrayed. Paul and Silas are heading to Philippi for the first time, and they want to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. They meet a group of women who have gathered to pray on the Sabbath beside the river and begin to tell them about Jesus. 

My first awakening about hospitality came through a woman named Lydia 

“One of the listeners was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira who was a worshipper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.” (Acts 16: 14)

This lady was very wealthy and probably highly respected for her position in the community, but the moment she believes in Jesus none of that seems to matter as she humbly asks Paul and Silas would they consider coming to stay at her house an awakening for me. She knew nothing about these men, she practiced the hospitality our Lord would love to see. 

“When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said. “Come and stay at my house”.  And she persuaded us.” (Acts 16: 15)

Wealthy people who live in our community often invite others for dinner, but the reason is often to promote their business.  Lydia did it for her love for the Lord she had just met, I learnt from Lydia it is better to reach out with hospitality to those who need it. 

The next lesson I learnt from my study, was a far different character from the lower class, an ordinary jailer, who was probably paid a very small salary. Paul and Silas ended up in prison, to the amazement of all the other prisoners who were bound in chains with them. They began to sing and praise God, of course the jailer would have heard them. A mighty earthquake suddenly happens, and the prisoner’s chains fall off. The jailer decides to kill himself rather than face the consequences.  Paul begs him not to do that. The jailer kneels before them, wanting to know the God they serve. 

Next lesson for me. After he is baptized, he asks them to come and stay in his home It would have been a very simple dwelling. We don’t need to have a beautiful house elegant food to practice hospitality. The reaching out in love is the important message, a welcoming attitude, making others feel accepted, even asking someone who is lonely for a cup of coffee, even strangers we do not know. 

“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertain ed angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13: 2)