The Hospitality to Serve

I am not sure how you feel about hosting dinner parties. It takes a certain kind of personality to be the host of an event like that. It helps to be organized; putting together a dinner party menu takes some attention to details. It also helps to some extent to be an extrovert. You do really have to love being with other people. Don’t get me wrong, it is not that introverts hate being with other people. On the contrary, introverts love connecting with people as well. It is just that extroverts gain energy and excitement just by being in a crowded room. Hospitality is one of those qualities that may—at first glance—seem to be geared more towards some people than others. But I want to push back against that because hospitality is so much more than being able to host dinner parties and welcome guests. It seems that the Bible makes hospitality a central act of discipleship for all people.

We have been talking over the past several weeks in this series during Lent about the servant nature of Jesus. And every week we make the connection between the servanthood of Jesus and the call upon us to be servants as well. Today we consider the angle of servant hospitality. This actually builds off where we left last week. Last time we considered the heart of a servant. We noted a few passages in the Bible last week which demonstrated God’s servant heart. In particular, we saw that the servant heart of God presses forward towards a desired outcome or result. It began to show us the ways in which this whole question of servant discipleship is much more than a simple question of whether or not we serve, but also a question of how we serve. This, then, brings us to the role of hospitality within God’s acts of service—and by extension, our acts of service. Now we move beyond a question of how we serve into a question of whom we serve.

move beyond a question of how we serve, and into a question of whom we serve

As in past weeks, let’s take a look at a passage from both the Old Testament and the New Testament. 

Joshua 5:9–12 NIV

9 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal to this day. 10 On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover. 11 The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. 12 The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.

Luke 15:1–3 NIV

1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable:

Luke 15:11–32 NIV

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. 25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

God’s hospitality in the wilderness seen in the daily provision of manna

The old testament passage from Joshua is a strange scene which is often overlooked. It takes place in chapter five right after the Israelites crossed over the Jordan River into the promised land, and right before the battle of Jericho in which the Israelites march around the city and walls all fall down. Between those two events the Israelites pause and celebrate the passover. But this passover is different than all the others which took place over the past 40 years in the wilderness. The Bible notes a very important detail for us. It is at this passover that the manna stops. It brings to my mind many observations about this transition from the wilderness into Canaan. For 40 years the people of Israel have been entirely dependent upon God to provide daily bread for them to eat. By now it should be clear to them that even this abundant produce of grain from the land of Canaan is still an extension of God’s provision of daily bread—or at least that is the lesson we hope they carry forward with them into this new land.

farming regulations and laws given to Israel provide guidelines for hospitality

It also brings to my mind an observation of the many farming regulations laid down in the Old Testament law of Moses. In Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers there are rules for the people about things like how they were supposed to sow and harvest their fields, how they were supposed to leave the edges of their fields for the poor to gather crops, how they were suppose to practice the year of jubilee every seven years and let their fields remain fallow and unplanted. It occurs to me that none of these rules would have meant anything to any of that generation of Israelites who first received this book of the law from Moses. In the wilderness, they were wanderers in the desert who did not have fields and crops. All they had was manna. None of those Old Testament farming rules kicked in 40 years later when an entirely new generation of Israelites along with Joshua entered the land of Canaan.

From the wilderness to Canaan — the hospitality of God is carried over to be the hospitality of God’s people

Let me bring it forward to the topic of the day. In the wilderness God graciously provided hospitality in meeting the daily provisions of his people in ways that could only ever come from God himself—namely, the manna. Now that the Israelites were entering a land which had an abundance of produce available for the people to farm and harvest themselves, that exact same level of hospitality is expected of them. With Joshua, there is a next level of hospitality ready to begin. Now the people of Israel are able to join in along with God in the provision of hospitality among one another. Now, for the first time, several of these rules in the law of Moses kick in for the very first time. And they are rules designed to provide guidelines towards servant hospitality.

Israel seemed more concerned about serving their own needs than about serving the needs of those who were beyond them

Bring it forward to the time of Jesus. It seems that in the time of Jesus the Israelites had slid in their notion of hospitality. They seemed more concerned about serving their own needs than about serving the needs of those who were beyond them. They became good at caring for the needs of people who fit the mold of their expectations. They also became good at pushing out people who did not fit the mold of their expectations. Jesus tells a few stories in the gospels to make this point.

parable of the lost sheep — direction of God’s attention

parable of the lost son — recipient of God’s hospitality

In the parable of the lost sheep we get a sense of God’s direction towards the ones who are not included. The shepherd is willing to leave behind the 99 sheep in the sheep pen to go out and search for the one who is lost. Further in the chapter we see the story of the lost son—sometimes referred to as the prodigal son. Now we see something of God’s hospitality towards those who are on the margins, that God goes out of his way in order to demonstrate hospitality to those who are the furthest away. Just think for a moment of how many other stories Jesus tells in the gospels that make this very same point. There is the parable of the banquet, the parable of the lost coin, the parable of the wedding feast. When none of the invited guests are willing to show up, the king orders his servants to go bring in others.

Luke 14:21–24 NIV

21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ 22 “ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ 23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ”

it is the least likely people who receive the attention and care of the heavenly Father

It is clear that our God is a God who shows and demonstrates hospitality. What is striking is the direction to whom the hospitality is given. It is the least likely people who receive the attention and care of the heavenly Father. It is the most undeserving people among the population who are given the highest seats of honor at the banquet of the king.

through the righteousness of Christ that we are counted among those who receive God’s hospitality

core value of belonging

This is why the gospel message is such good news for us today. It is the reminder for each one of us that our place at God’s great banquet in paradise is secure. It is the reminder that our place there is secure not at all because of anything we might think makes us worthy. It is just the opposite. Our place among God’s family is secure even though you and I are completely unworthy. It is only through Jesus that we have a place among God’s eternal covenant family. It is through the righteousness of Christ that we are counted among those who receive God’s hospitality. May we never ever ever forget that. In our stated mission vision and values here at Fellowship Church we name three core values that drive and support the mission and vision. One of those stated core values is belonging. It is a basic human need that all people seek a place where they can belong and be accepted. The gospel assures us that in Jesus Christ we have a place to belong within the family of God. And further than that, God goes out of his way to extend hospitality to those he calls and redeems.

God’s people are called to participate in the same demonstration of hospitality which God has shown to them

Back in the story we saw in Joshua there was a shift in God’s hospitality. It was a shift in which God was bringing his own people onboard along with him as fellow agents of hospitality. Now God’s people are called to participate in this same demonstration of hospitality which God has shown to them. That is still our calling yet today. Jesus makes that point in these parables from the gospels as well. In the parable of the lost son we might be pulled to see ourselves in that story as the prodigal son who has wandered off and is welcomed back by the loving father. Certainly this is true, that you and I are the unworthy recipients of God’s forgiving and redeeming love; we are the recipients of his lavish hospitality.

parable of the lost son — older brother must answer the question joining in God’s hospitality

But remember from the beginning of Luke 15 that the main audience to whom these parables are directed is the pharisees who are muttering and complaining about Jesus hanging out with and accepting the wrong kinds of people. The real target of association for us in the parable of the lost son is the older brother, the one who already belongs in the father’s care and has already known and received the father’s hospitality. It is the older brother who is faced with the hardest question in this story. It is the older brother who struggles the most with the father’s generous hospitality towards the younger brother who is in no way deserving of such treatment. It is the older brother who must choose: will be go in with the father and join in the celebration as an agent of that same hospitality given by the father, or will he remain outside apart from the celebration because he refuses to be an agent of that same hospitality given by the father. Jesus ends the story there. We never do find out the answer; we do not know what the oder brother chooses to do. I am convinced Jesus leaves the story like that because the question is meant for us. What will we choose to do? Will we embrace the kind of hospitality shown by the heavenly Father in the way we serve others? The answer is up to you.