Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Hebrews 13:1-2 (NLT)
Benjamin Franklin once wrote that after three days fish and guests stink. This was a thinly veiled way of saying that no one should stay with someone else as a guest any longer than three days. Perhaps this statement reflected Franklin’s limited capacity for hospitality rather than any great truth.[1] As Christians we should not exhibit the mentality that Benjamin Franklin has regarding entertaining guest in our homes, or churches. Hebrews 13: 2 instructs us as believers to show love and hospitality to our fellow believers. Everyone that enters our homes and churches should feel the true love of Christ and also feel welcome. When we show hospitality to our fellow believers they should not feel like a guest but more like a member of the household.
Hospitality is a very important role in the life of a believer. Christ expects us as His children to show hospitality to each other. In 3 John, the author devoted the entire book to hospitality. If it was not important for us as believers to be hospitable, he would not have written about it. During John’s day; the missionaries, preachers, and teachers did not have the luxury of hotels so they had to depend on their fellow brethren in Christ to assist with their lodging. These believers were responsible for supporting them while they were in their homes or churches. As believers, we are to support ministries that proclaim the name of Christ and help in every way possible to support missionaries in the mission field.
As much as we are to be hospitable to others, we should also be careful of whom we allow in our homes and churches to teach or preach. If a missionary or guest pastor does not believe or teach that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, we should not entertain such individual. In 2 John 7, John warns us that such individuals are a deceiver and an antichrist. We should never support ministries that do not teach the true doctrine of Christ. If we do, then we are deceivers and an antichrist.
Showing hospitality is not always an easy task because sometimes people over extent their stay and sometimes people take your kindness for weakness. There are times when being hospitable may be inconvenient, even if this happens, we should never fail to extent ourselves and welcome our fellow believers in our homes as our guest. Keep in mind that God will reward each individual that show hospitality to his children and we may even entertain an angel of God without knowing. Let’s continue to love others, show hospitality to the people of God, and be faithful to ministry.
Missionary Judith Gilzene Moodie
[1] Walls, David; Anders, Max. Holman New Testament Commentary: 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2, & 3 John, Jude