The Holiness Of Hospitality

Hebrews 13:2 Don’t neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it.

The book of Hebrews is a master class in learning how the Old Testament was fulfilled by Jesus Christ and what this New Testament, this New Covenant, is all about. Here, in Hebrews 13, the author calls upon us to not neglect hospitality and reminds us, most likely, of the Old Testament encounter of Abraham entertaining angels without knowing it. Through this encounter we realize that hospitality is a reflection of our hearts. So what does that mean for us today?

There is a difference between showing hospitality to someone because you want to be known as a nice person and showing hospitality because you believe by doing so you are being obedient to God’s command and showing His love. It’s a subtle difference but it is key.   It is quite likely that being friendly and welcoming strangers will boost your reputation  and may lead to future rewards or "paybacks" but if that is your goal then you are not showing true hospitality.  Hospitality is focused on our love of others because of our love of God, it is not motivated out of personal gain.

Our Hospitality reflects our understanding of the gospel.  It is a good yardstick of where we are at in our walk with Christ. It should be fundamental to our identity.

As Pastor Mike Leake says; If we’ve messed up hospitality it is because in some way we have missed the gospel. We see this in the story of Simon the Pharisee. He was a terrible host and Jesus tells us why, “...he who is forgiven little, loves little” (Luke 7:36-50). Our hospitality reflects our grasp of the gospel. This is why Hebrews 13:2 appears where it does. Everything we are commanded to do in chapter 13 flows out of the work Christ has already done in chapters 1-12. Including this command to show hospitality.

The early Christian's faced intense persecution, first from their surrounding culture and then from the state.  It was always a temptation for us to not show kindness to others when we are not being shown kindness ourselves, but that is when it is often most necessary. That is why the author of Hebrews took this time to stress the importance of hospitality.

He is reminding us again of the fact that throughout the Bible, God’s people are portrayed as sojourners.  We are just temporary residents of this world, people who are passing through on our way home. He knew his listeners would be more likely to give up the faith if they forgot they were not alone.  If they forgot that even the people who were making their lives miserable were loved by God.  If they forgot that God could use their suffering, and the love they show in the midst of it, to help others discover Him and His amazing grace.

When we have grown too comfortable in our pews we forget the discomfort people feel when they take their first step into church. When we have become so self-sufficient in our homes, we forget that our neighbors are real people with real needs and made in God’s image.  When we stop practicing hospitality, then we stop practicing the gospel itself.

Ask yourself: How have you shown hospitality to others in the past week and why did you do so? Maybe hospitality doesn't come easy to you but the same power of the Holy Spirit that is driving you towards holiness will also enable you to show hospitality. In fact the two are deeply connected because hospitality is a matter of holiness.