Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. - 1 Peter 4:9

For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. - Philemon 1:7

Recurrent Thought

Welcoming and refreshing others, especially those from the household of faith, is expected from every Christ-devoted follower

Every believer is called upon to practice godly hospitality, which honors God by obeying His command to “show kindness and contribute to the needs of the saints (Rom. 12:13). This is a call to being hospitable to others. Essentially, hospitality is offering a place to stay or providing a meal for someone. But it is not limited to opening your home, it is also about showing kindness, generosity, and compassion to those around You. The foundation of hospitality is serving others anchored by the grace of love from your heart.

Three essential disclaimers we must make today. First, biblical hospitality is not a provision of service with anticipated measurable financial returns. We are not talking about the Hospitality Industry. This is basically individual practical kindness to another. Biblical hospitality is not monetized or charged with a financial interest, but it is given out as an act of service without expecting anything in return. It is practiced with the recipient’s needs in mind. Second, this is not hosting a criminal. You are not a City of Refuge, who should be keeping persons that have committed accidental manslaughter (Exo. 20:12–14; Numb. 35:9–28; Deut. 4:41–43). Third, this is not the case of You taking care of Refugees, for in modern times, there are International Conventions and Laws that delineate how to handle such persons in sovereign states.

Biblical Hospitality is when Kindness is demonstrated to another providing the specific practical grace they need at the time. For example, where a person struggling with the need for food is served food, satisfying their need; and a person that needs prayer, and a hearing ear, is received and ministered to accordingly. Basic to hospitality, therefore, is allowing someone access to both the tangible and intangible resources and benefits of your home, and you as a person. This does not necessarily mean they reside at your home, but they are provided with the service that meets their need from the base of your home. Hospitality is a practice (culture) that stems from a generous heart where one gives freely without anticipating any benefit.

Hospitality is emphasized in the scriptures. Additionally, hospitality became essentially part of the cultural fabric of the society that provided the stories that became the background of the scriptures. Abraham and Sarah welcomed and hosted three visitors demonstrating a great sense of hospitality (Gen. 18). A widow of Zarephath welcomed Elijah in her home (1 Kings 18) and Elisha was hosted by the Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4). The Parable of a Samaritan is an example of hospitality, in which the unlikely and unexpected person grants mercy, love, and help to another. Lydia demonstrated a sense of Hospitality to Paul’s Apostolic team when they entered Philippi, the first city in Western Europe. She was a Godfearing woman who welcomed them to her house and refreshed them.

Note that 1 Peter 4:9 has a specific target. It is written to Christians challenging them to be hospitable to other Christian workers, traveling ministers, and fellow followers of Jesus to stay in their homes as they traveled. This became actually, the easiest way of resourcing and financing the preaching of the gospel. In modern times we have now preachers on an average allowance to go by, in NT they depended on the grace of love from homes of believers

Practicing and providing hospitality is a duty for all Christ-devoted followers. But we usually struggle with this. Here are four Major Reasons we fail;

1. I am too busy with Work & Life
2. I am inadequate to do this
3. My Character is not suited for   entertaining others
4. My Privacy is too important for me

Paul captures this Practice of hospitality as demonstrated by Philemon (Verse 2, 4-7, 13, 22)

Here are Six features of Hospitality:

1. Hospitality is a Generous Provision of Love to Others
   • To be generous is a willingness to give your money, time, and resources, more than what is expected. Either you give beyond the value expected, or you give to one undeserving.
   • Hospitality is absent if you do not emphasize the service to others. However, this service is one consumed by love for God, and for others.
   • Hospitality is other-centered, and for you to do it, you have to be selfless and generous
   • Hospitality provides a place of Safety and Peace.When People are in need, they long for a place of peace and safety. 
2. Hospitality Provides Means of Refreshing Others
   • Particular to Hospitality is the essence of giving out something that benefits your visitor
   • Hospitality is when a weary sojourner gets refreshed at a hospitable home. Hospitality is when a person who is depleted in certain areas of their life is welcomed and refreshed by another.  Philemon was well known for refreshing the saints.
   • It could be his place that provided resources, physical and financial, to refresh the saints.
   • The KJV uses a very peculiar phrase: To refresh the bowels.This is (in Paul) taken as meaning a lightening of troubles, so that they may rest with minds free from all sorrow and annoyance" (Calvin)
   • Philemon’s evidence of love was in the way he refreshed the hearts of the saints
   • Be assured, the nature of your hospitality refreshes others. Don’t second guess its benefits. Cast it like bread on the waters, where you do not expect any results (Ecc. 11:1)
3. You Don’t fully Predict the Outcome of Your Hospitality
   • Every form of good act we do to others is a form of sowing, Yet we do not determine the time and nature of harvest that the Lord may generate from it. Therefore, hospitality is practical kindness you give with no expected gain or benefit from it.
   • Practicing biblical hospitality is part of walking by faith, not by sight.
   • Every time you provide Hospitality, pray that the seed of action and words sown, will bear fruit in the recipient of your grace;
   • Sometimes you may be hospitable to people that will cheat you. Ensure, you do due diligence. But do not be assessing forever without being involved.
   • James 2:13 says, "Mercy triumphs over judgment. Aim to err on the side of mercy rather than the side of justice
4. Hospitality is Costly
   • Hospitality takes money and time. It demands sacrifice and flexibility.
   • If there is one thing that makes people get scared of being hospitable is the cost you pay for it.
   • It will cost you finances to buy snacks and time to prepare them; it will cost time to clean dirty dishes and rooms from where you hosted people.
   • Many times, hospitality is a thankless Job. A significant number of people will not remember what you did for them. They will not even send you a message to say thank you.
   • With proper planning one can, be generous without being led into poverty.
   • It should be Your joy that you are able to do this for the sake of the Kingdom
5. Hospitality is Developed with Deliberate Intent
   • This powerful means of touching lives and refreshing the hurt and the wounded is a learned practice and culture.
   • Despite your good inner virtues, hospitality is only possible when you practice it.
   • Be practical with the good that is within you. Invite people to a cup of tea; host ministers, and missionaries.
   • Deliberately, prepare a meal for people you know they may need it most. Allow them to come with nonbelievers, and share the gospel while you are having a meal together
6. Hospitality Nurtures and grows Other Believers
   • Paul calls upon Philemon to set an environment for Onesimus, to flourish.
   • The age we live in is one that is laced with loneliness and aloneness. Both of these situations need perceptive and wise believers to provide a form of hospitality and share the grace of love to those needing it
   • Don’t You want to participate in nurturing others? It is costly but it is necessary!

Altar Time

• Prayer # 1: Lord open my eyes to the needs of others
• Prayer # 2: Lord help me to get ready while doing it