Hospitality

1
Hospitality

• Hospitality
• The English word is often defined as The act or
  service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or
  entertaining guests.
• The Greek word, philoxenia, literally means love
  of strangers.
• Philo- love
• -xenia stranger/foreigner/traveller

2
Hospitality

• Hospitality
• The conversion of strangers into guests. In the
  ancient Mediterranean, this term did not refer to
  something one extended to friends and family, but
  to outsiders due to need, networking,
  etc.Palestine in the Time of Jesus by Hanson
  and Oakman

3
Hospitality

• Let's look at some examples of hospitality in the
  Old Testament.

4

• Genesis 18 ESV
• 1 And the LORD appeared to him Abraham by the
  oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent
  in the heat of the day.
• 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold,
  three men were standing in front of him. When he
  saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them
  and bowed himself to the earth
• 3 and said, O Lord, if I have found favor in
  your sight, do not pass by your servant.
• 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your
  feet, and rest yourselves under the tree,

5

• Genesis 18 ESV
• 5 while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may
  refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass
  onsince you have come to your servant. So they
  said, Do as you have said.
• 6 And Abraham went quickly into the tent to
  Sarah and said, Quick! Three seahs of fine
  flour! Knead it, and make cakes.
• 7 And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf,
  tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who
  prepared it quickly.
• 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that
  he had prepared, and set it before them. And he
  stood by them under the tree while they ate.

6

• Hebrews 13 ESV
• 1 Let brotherly love continue.
• 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to
  strangers, for thereby some have entertained
  angels unawares.
• Hebrews 132b seems to be a reference to Abraham
  in Genesis 18.

7

• Leviticus 19 ESV
• 1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
• 2 Speak to all the congregation of the people
  of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for
  I the LORD your God am holy.
• ...
• 33 When a stranger sojourns with you in your
  land, you shall not do him wrong.
• 34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns
  with you as the native among you, and you shall
  love him as yourself, for you were strangers in
  the land of Egypt I am the LORD your God.

8

• Deuteronomy 10 ESV
• 18 He God executes justice for the fatherless
  and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving
  him food and clothing.
• 19 Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were
  sojourners in the land of Egypt.
• 1 Peter 1 ESV
• 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also
  be holy in all your conduct,
• 16 since it is written, You shall be holy,
  for I am holy.

9
Hospitality

• Let's look at some references to the word
  hospitality in the New Testament.
• Hebrews 13 ESV (again)?
• 1 Let brotherly love continue.
• 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to
  strangers, for thereby some have entertained
  angels unawares.

10

• Romans 12 ESV
• 9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil
  hold fast to what is good.
• 10 Love one another with brotherly affection.
  Outdo one another in showing honor.
• 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in
  spirit, serve the Lord.
• 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation,
  be constant in prayer.
• 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and
  seek to show hospitality.

11

• 1 Timothy 5 ESV
• 9 Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less
  than sixty years of age, having been the wife of
  one husband,
• 10 and having a reputation for good works if
  she has brought up children, has shown
  hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints,
  has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted
  herself to every good work.

12

• 1 Peter 4 ESV
• 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly,
  since love covers a multitude of sins.
• 9 Show hospitality to one another without
  grumbling.
• 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve
  one another, as good stewards of God's varied
  grace

13
Hospitality

• Let's look at some examples of hospitality in the
  New Testament.

14

• Luke 10 ESV
• 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to
  Jesus, And who is my neighbor?
• 30 Jesus replied, A man was going down from
  Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers,
  who stripped him and beat him and departed,
  leaving him half dead.
• 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that
  road, and when he saw him he passed by on the
  other side.
• 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the
  place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
• 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to
  where he was, and when he saw him, he had
  compassion.

15

• Luke 10 ESV
• 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds,
  pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his
  own animal and brought him to an inn and took
  care of him.
• 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and
  gave them to the innkeeper, saying, Take care of
  him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay
  you when I come back.
• 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved
  to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the
  robbers?
• 37 He said, The one who showed him mercy. And
  Jesus said to him, You go, and do likewise.
• We must all go and do likewise.

16

• Luke 16 ESV
• 19 There was a rich man who was clothed in
  purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously
  every day.
• 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named
  Lazarus, covered with sores,
• 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from
  the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs
  came and licked his sores.
• 22 The poor man died and was carried by the
  angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died
  and was buried,
• 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up
  his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at
  his side.
• Are we sharing our blessings with the poor?

17

• 1 Timothy 6 ESV
• 17 As for the rich in this present age, charge
  them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on
  the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly
  provides us with everything to enjoy.
• 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good
  works, to be generous and ready to share,
• 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a
  good foundation for the future, so that they may
  take hold of that which is truly life.
• Most Americans are far richer than many in the
  world.
• Are we sharing?

18
Hospitality

• The idea of helping total strangers is difficult
  for many of us.
• We're taught from an early age, Don't talk to
  strangers. for our own safety.
• But, as mature Christians, we need to put away
  those childish things and do the work of the
  Lord.

19
Hospitality

• On a more basic level
• Galatians 6
• 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for
  in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
• 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do
  good to everyone, and especially to those who are
  of the household of faith.

20

• Look around the room.
• Notice each of the families we see every week.
• Which families have you NOT invited into your
  home or shown kindness to in some other similar
  way? (Don't turn it the other way and have a
  self-pity party!)
• Do you think of these people as your brothers and
  sisters or just BRETHREN.
• Are brother and sister just labels you use
  before someone's first name or is it a
  relationship?

21

• Be hospitable.
• Invite the household of faith to do things with
  you and your physical family.
• Accept invitations from your brothers and
  sisters.
• SEEK and PRAY for opportunities to help a
  stranger with physical needs.
• Teach the lost.

22
Hospitality

• Perhaps you are a stranger among our group.
• We invite you to join us as we strive to be what
  God asks us to be.
• Won't you put on Christ in baptism this very hour
  and clothe yourself with Christ and be added to
  the church by God?
• We're family and we're here to strengthen and
  build each other up.

23
Hospitality