Hospitality and the Mission of God

Hospitality as an Answer to Hostility

Romans 12:9–13 ESV

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

If you look at the heading in your Bible above Romans 12:9-13, it’ll read “Marks of a True Christian.” In other words, these are the evidences that help you identify other believers, and these are the evidences that ought to confirm in your own life that you are.

And, when you start reading them, they really make sense. Of course, a Christian loves truly and genuinely. Of course, they hate what is evil and hold fast to what is good. Of course, they love one another. Jesus had even said that was how they could tell. On down the list, they all fit right together.

But, the last mark mentioned at the end of verse 13 may seem odd to us. “Seek to show hospitality.” We may wonder why that’s a mark of a true Christian. It’s been noted by some that we’ve moved from a front-porch society to a back-porch society. People used to sit on the front porch, wave at passers-by, and enjoy when a neighbor would join them in a rocking chair to talk. Now, we pull into our garages, close the door behind us, and sit behind our privacy fences pretending like we don’t have neighbors. So, hospitality doesn’t come nearly as naturally to us as it used to.

So, why is it presented here by Paul as being so substantial. Christians in the Roman Empire were the smallest of minorities. And, they were looked upon with great suspicion at best and with great hostility at worst. When persecution really ramped up, it could be a crime to even assist a Christian, let alone be one. It was a hard way to live. It was difficult to travel, pay taxes, and conduct business. None of the guest houses would let them stay. Often, their relatives would disown them so that they couldn’t stay with them. Everywhere they turned, they were met with hostility. Unless they were with another brother or sister in Christ. If they could find another Christian in town, they knew they had a place to stay. They knew they had a refuge. They knew they had a meal and protection and care. Hospitality was an answer by the church to the hostility of the world. So, it became a defining mark of a true Christian.

Why I Came to Church When I Wasn’t a Christian

So, it’s interesting what Paul really says. He doesn’t just say, “Be hospitable.” He says, “Seek to show hospitality.” “Seek” means to pursue it. Hunt for the opportunities. Make showing hospitality a mission of yours.

Make it your mission to be a refuge to others in a hostile world. That’s a mission that should still resonate with us today. That’s the mission that makes you’re being on the Connect Team at church more than just a door stop or coffee pourer. That’s the mission that causes you to postpone your conversations with friends to put yourself out there with strangers. They’re coming in from hostile world, and we need to provide them a refuge.

One of the questions I’ve been pondering lately is why I wanted to be at church so much before I was a Christian. My family came to Iron City in 1996, and I didn’t trust in Christ until 2001. But, in those years, especially when I got into the youth group in the summer of ‘97, I couldn’t be at church enough. I wanted to be here every opportunity that I could.

But, why is that true if I didn’t love Jesus? I wasn’t a very popular kid in school. I didn’t weigh 100 pounds until the 9th grade, and I wasn’t 5 feet tall until the 10th. I wasn’t great at sports, and I was smaller than pretty much every girl in my class. And, of course, I needed braces and glasses. I was pretty good at Algebra, but that didn’t help much. Needless to say, school was not a great experience for me. I was made fun of a lot and excluded a lot.

Except at church. When I came here, I fit. I could really thrive. Older students would let me hang out with them. My youth pastor and teachers would go out of their way to invite me to do things with them. They gave me leadership opportunities. They really didn’t seem to notice that I was so little or so dorky. I found a home.

You see, I lived in a hostile world. Every day, I went to school to learn even more what a loser I was, but then I would come to church, and it was completely different. It was the hospitality that made the difference. It was the hospitality that made me want to come before I knew Jesus. And, because of the hospitality I came to know Jesus.

Y’all that’s our job on Sunday. That’s why this is so personal. That’s why we wake up early and speak up to strangers. They’re living in a hostile world, and our hospitality can make all the difference.