Generosity and Hospitality

Romans 12:9–13 NKJV

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

In verse 2 Paul told us “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” This is a conscience and continuous effort. The world around us is does not rest in fulfilling its agenda to conform your mind. If you think that world is not actively and daily working to shape the way you think then you have probably already been conformed to think the way that the world wants you to think.

When Paul wrote this to the church in Rome perhaps he had in mind the various pagan rituals and festivals and practices. Any culture by nature will be pressing for conformity. When that majority think and act a certain way they will put pressure both passive and active for any who are different to conform. How much greater is this pressure in our culture with television, movies, news media, social media, etc. Do not be conformed to the world just because thats what the majority do and the way the majority thinks.

But rather, be transformed, Paul says, by the renewing of your mind. Your mind must be transformed, changed. literally it must go through metamorphosis. It is changing from a worldly mind something different. Specifically, it is being transformed into the mind of Christ. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus”. This is the will of God for you, it is what we looked at last week in Rom 8 the redemption in which we are saved. It is what the Spirit intercedes for you with groanings which cannot be uttered, that you be conformed into the image of Christ. Everything then that follows in chapter 12 is a description of the transformed life or to put it another way it is a description of Christ.

If you want to know what a Christian should look like look at Jesus.

He who humbled himself and took on the form of a servant so we should not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought.

Christ loves without hypocrisy He abhors what is evil and clings to what is good

He gave the example of brotherly love, Spiritual diligence, fervent service to the Father.

He was the one who endured the suffering of the cross because of the joy that was set before Him.

And it is Christ who shared according to our needs and showed love to strangers.

It is Christ who was not overcome by evil, but overcame evil with good.

So all that we are to be transformed into is that which Christ is and which He gave us example.

This morning we are going to focus on verse 13

Romans 12:13 NKJV

13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

So the mind of Christ is that we...

Share With Those in Need

Particularly Paul says we must share with fellow Christians who are in need.

The word translated distributing here would probably be better translated contribute or share.

It is koy-no-neh-o meaning to share with others both in contributing and partaking. It is sometime translated communicate. It is the verb form of a word some of you may be familiar with koy-no-ne-ah. Which is the word that is often translated fellowship or communion . I mention this because this is one of the things that make the church unique form any other club or organisation.

Koy- no-ne-ah is a very intimate interconnection. the important thing to understand and the reason I mention these Greek words is that they have a very specific meaning which is often lost in the english translation. It is not merely an association with one another but rather it is a participation with one another. So the translation of distribute to or contribute to or give to the needs of God’s people in a since creates the wrong idea in that it puts the needs of my brothers and sisters in Christ as something outside of myself. I.e. they have a need or are suffering so I will give money to help their need. But that is not what Paul has in mind here. Paul is saying participate in the needs of your brothers and sisters. That is make their needs your own. Identify so closely with one another that it you have needs they are my needs and vice versa.

An example in the early church

Acts 2:40–47 NKJV

40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

We all get a little freak out when we read that passage don’t we? We will be quick to acknowledge that this is just a record of what the early church did and not an instruction about what we must do. That may be true, but Luke recorded this for a reason. I think that he admired this act of Koy-no-ne-ah. This early church had such a strong sense of unity that they could not bear one member struggling while they had plenty.

Perhaps it is an extreme example but then again is our own way of materialism and selfishness and lack of participation in one another’s needs a better modal?

I don’t know. But what we do know is that Paul is telling us here that the transformed Christian participates in the needs of the saints. We must not stand by idle while our fellow Christians suffer for need of something.

In verse 4 and 5 Paul told us that the Christian life is one where we are united together in one body and the we are individually members of one another. That means that we are so interconnected with one another that to let another member suffer need is to let ourselves suffer need.

Paul makes this very clear in

1 Corinthians 12:25–26 NKJV

25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

Then he goes from the care we should have for one anothers needs or brotherly love to be “given to hospitality”. Or my own version...

Pursue Hospitality to Strangers

Hospitality = fil·on·ex·ee·ah which means literally to love strangers you’ve heard of Philadelphia which is brotherly or family love philonexia is love of strangers.

The same word is used in

Hebrews 13:1–2 NKJV

1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

This hospitality is particularly to be directed towards strangers. That’s not to say that we should not show hospitality to one another but that is assumed in koy-no-ne-ah. If we have all things in common and we love our brothers and sisters then what is mine is yours. But in this second part of verse 13 Paul’s focus is on strangers.

Strangers in Hebrew culture were foreigners or travellers.

As in the passage in Hebrews “let brotherly love continue” meaning our Christian love for one another. And also “do not forget to entertain strangers” Love those who are not a part of your local assembly but are travelling through. This was a common thing during the first century as many Christians were force to flee due to persecution. As they often had no other place to stay it was important that the Christians in that area opened their homes to them, fed them and gave them lodging.

In Heb 13 it says that some unwittingly entertained angels. Such as Abraham who received the three strangers and fed them not know at first that they were angels and one was Jehovah Himself. And Lot who received the two angels into his home who were sent to rescue him and his family.

Christ taught the importance of hospitality in

Matthew 25:31–40 NKJV

31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

These acts of love towards strangers are considered by Christ to be acts of love towards Himself.

Back in our passage in Romans

Romans 12:13 NKJV

13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

The word given here mean literally to pursue. That is seek out strangers to whom we can show love.

One application of this today would be visitors to our church whether they are local or passing through traveling. We should pursue them to invite them home for lunch.

Sometime this is difficult. Maybe we know that the house is a mess and so we don’t invite someone over. Or maybe we need to go shopping and we don’t invite someone over because we can’t feed them a three course meal.

One of the most hospitable people that Ive ever know was my grandmother. Her home was alway open and family could stop in anytime unannounced and she would always feed you and anyone you brought with you.

She told me something about her childhood that last time I saw her that gave me an insight into why she was like that. When she was about 10 years old her mother died and she being the oldest daughter took on the roll of being the women of the house. Her father was a saw miller and was pretty rough around the edges from what I’ve heard. And they never had a lot as this was during the great depression. She told me that her father would often invite people over for Sunday lunch without any warning. If they were lucky her father would have shot a squirrel or something and she would cook it and serve it. But she said she could remember times when they had nothing in the house to eat other than a little piece of cheese and a couple of slices of bread. So she said that she would put out the bread and cheese and they would all share it.

I think sometime we have to just get over our fears and invite people over. If your house is a mess just say, “sorry for the mess we didn’t have time to clean up.” No one will fault you for a little mess or not having nice enough food. If we invite people over we will be a blessing and we will receive a blessing and Christ said that it is a kindness that He considers we have extended to Himself.