Hospitality

Luke 10:38-42
38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." 41 But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42 there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."



Reflection

"Have you already had something for lunch?"

My son, Bryan, called me yesterday morning or maybe early afternoon. He wanted to know if we wanted to go out to lunch with him and my daughter-in-law, Becky. Sue, Sarah and I were just beginning lunch and declined. Later in the afternoon we met Bryan and Becky at our house for conversation and catching up on the activities of our vacation.

The Scripture above seems to speak to hospitality. A welcoming hospitality that we, as Christians, need to offer to all people. We need to be especially hospitable to those unlike ourselves such as the foreigner. We need to be hospitable to those of different faiths, different orientations and different opinions from our own. Yes, as Christians, we are to be hospitable to all God's people in this world he created.

No, we don't need to agree or be like the other person in any way. God has created us to be unique. We seek the will of God not the approval of man. We are different for sure and we can be hospitable.

Bryan was seeking to be hospitable after my return from a few day get away.

In hospitality we see two forms as exemplified by the Scripture above. Mary was hospitable and truly blessed by stopping all and listening to Jesus spoken Word. She gave Jesus her full attention.

Martha, likewise, was hospitable by springing into action to serve Jesus and bring comfort.

Hospitality combines both of these traits to bring forth a witness of love to the guest. Yes, Jesus commended Mary for choosing the "better part" and stopping all the things of this world to focus on the Word. I think in this is the stopping. We stop to offer hospitality but when our focus centers on our busyness, we miss the central point of hospitality. We miss the focus on our guest.

Yes, Bryan, Becky and myself, Sue and Sarah did come together in hospitality. A hospitality of coming together in conversation and relationship of love and listening.

You never know. Just as Jesus was traveling along the road in that day and as he stopped for the hospitality offered from Mary and Martha; we too may welcome Jesus into our homes. May we, as Christians be hospitable to all God's people both in contemplation of the spoken word and in actions of love.

Music

Prayer

Lord, open my mouth, my actions and my home to be hospitable to all the people you have created... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen