It is a rare thing in our day to
hear a sermon or lesson on the subject of hospitality. It is not mentioned too
frequently in the Scriptures - largely because all took it for granted that
righteousness included hospitality. We see such an instance here, and it gives
us a chance to examine the virtue of hospitality.
(Acts 16:6-15 NIV) Paul and his companions traveled
throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy
Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. {7} When they came to
the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus
would not allow them to. {8} So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.
{9} During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and
begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." {10} After Paul
had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding
that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. {11} From Troas we put out
to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis.
{12} From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of
that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. {13} On the
Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a
place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered
there. {14} One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple
cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened
her heart to respond to Paul's message. {15} When she and the members of her
household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a
believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house."
And she persuaded us.
God's Will
One of the most frequent of
questions for the new Christian is this: "How do I really know God's will
in my life?" There are a number of answers to this:
·
One predominant way is in the doctrine commonly held by
Christians. It must be noted that among those who believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of the Living God, the basic doctrines are almost always the
same.
·
A second method is by obedience to teaching and preaching.
Notice that I said "obedience" - not dispute. By attempting to obey,
you will quickly run into God's correction of your teacher's errors. (It would
be wise, when you do, to point them out).
·
Sometimes God simply opens doors. Note the phrase here,
"sailed straight to Samothrace." No one, in the ancient world, would
do this unless the wind was absolutely set in that direction. Otherwise, you
would hug the coastline for navigational purposes. This is God's confirmation
of the vision.
·
Rarely, but not never, does God speak in visions. If you are
constantly visited by visions I would question their source. But the
Macedonian call is genuine enough. When God whispers in the darkness, shout it
from the housetops.
·
Another, and neglected, way is this: by our care for others.
This is simply another form of obedience. Recall that Abraham
entertained guests who brought him the word of the Lord. What's really
interesting is that he was sitting by the opening of his tent, as if waiting
for them. He expected visitors, and welcomed them gladly, and by so doing
learned God's will.
That form of hospitality we shall
study in this lesson.
Philippi
To understand the story
correctly, we must know a few things about the ancient world, and in particular
the city of Philippi.
·
Philippi is a Roman Colony. That means that it was founded and
populated by the invading Romans. The settlers would usually be retired
soldiers and their families. Hence, this was not really a Greek city at all.
It was, however, a key connection point in the Empire (see the map below, with
particular attention to the topography.
·
Paul and Silas went down by the river to meet with those who
would be praying. This tells us that there was no synagogue in that city, for
the rabbinical law commanded a prayer meeting on the Sabbath where there was no
synagogue. This also tells us that the number of Jews was very small, for it
takes only ten adult male Jews to form a synagogue.
Lydia, the "seller of
purple"
It is interesting to see the
difference of view between ancient and modern scholars concerning this woman.
Barclay, writing in the 20th century, considers her to be of high
estate. She sells this rare cloth to the nobility (the process for making this
cloth was very tedious, and the cloth very expensive). So she would be a rich
woman, and thus in Barclay's view a prominent member of society. Not so
Chrysostom. He sees her (living in the 5th century) as being a
tradeswoman, one who must work with her hands, and therefore (while rich) not
socially accepted in upper society.
One thing is certain: her heart
has been prepared for this coming. We often forget that God is at work. In
any group there are those whom God has prepared for his message. Lydia is one
such, here.
Lydia persuades them
There is a curious fact here.
Lydia goes to the trouble of persuading Paul and his companions to stay at her
house. Today we might think that it would be the other way around; the
invitation would be sufficient. Indeed, when our Lord encounters Zachaeus he
announces that he will be going to his house. It's as if the guest is doing
the host a favor! Lydia might have seen it that way. Her argument - "if
you consider me a believer" - points to two very noble attitudes which we
would do well to emulate today:
·
First, it is an honor to host a guest. This is particularly true
if that guest is one whom God has appointed to the ministry.
·
Next, we are "saved to serve." So many Christians kick
back and relax after their salvation! We could take a lesson from this one.
Why did they need persuasion?
If Lydia's persuasion is odd to our
ears, how much more difficult is it to understand why Paul and his companions
would need it! We must remember that there are no hotels or inns in these
days, other than those that would be associated in most minds with
prostitution. It was not uncommon for a traveler to "camp out" in
the city - much like our homeless today. This makes it even more difficult to
understand. Why did they need persuasion?
·
Our Lord instructs his travelers to "see who is
worthy."
She's convincing them of that.
·
It may simply that they wanted to be sure that she was sincere,
not just muttering polite mumblings.
Hospitality
It is interesting to note that
the ancient laws of the church
absolutely forbade a priest from conducting a feast in a church building.
(It's the equivalent of forbidding pot luck suppers in the fellowship hall
today). The reason, I suspect, is that some priests were abusing the practice
to fatten their bellies at the expense of the devout. But there is an
exception: hospitality to strangers and travelers. If a visiting speaker or
wandering monk arrived, such a feast could be celebrated in the church itself.
This speaks much for the virtue of hospitality.
Ancient Jewish Law
The Law of Moses was quite
explicit. Hospitality was a sacred obligation, and there are many examples of
it. Perhaps the greatest was King David, on the run from Absalom. Ittai, the
Gittite, is with him as a stranger - so David suggest that he might find better
hospitality with Absalom. So seriously did David take his obligation to
hospitality that he would add strength to his rebellious son's cause with it.
Why was this so strong a command?
·
The ancient Jew was reminded that he was "a stranger in a
strange land" as he was in Egypt. This memory - call it a family
tradition, if you will - was very strong with them.
·
There is also a sense of family involved here. If you do
something for my family, you do it for me. As the children of God, the Jew
would recognize that God rewarded those who were good to his children.
Hospitality the mark of a
mature Christian
Hospitality is one of the marks
of the mature Christian. We can see this in a couple of places:
·
One of the qualifications for an elder was that he would be given
to hospitality.
·
A more frequent example would be given by widows. Only those who
were known to be good Christians were to be supported by the church - and one
test of such was hospitality.
The character of hospitality
It is important for us to
remember that hospitality must be cheerfully given. It is not something to be
forced upon someone, nor offered in the hope that the invitation will be
declined. Peter tells us
that we are to offer hospitality "without grumbling." It's an
interesting passage in two respects:
·
First, the word he uses for hospitality is unusual. It
literally means, "love of strangers."
·
The warning is given in the context of the end times and the
swift return of Jesus Christ. Perhaps he is warning us that in the last days
persecution will come, and Christians will need such hospitality. Or perhaps
it is just a warning that when our Lord returns, our hospitality will be
brought to light.
More than this, we are
specifically cautioned to welcome those who are engaged in God's work.
Those who labor full time for the Lord are to be welcomed as a sign of favor
upon the house.
The warnings of Christ
It is interesting that Peter
places his warning in the context of end times. It brings us to the idea that
hospitality has another side - the spiritual side.
·
We are explicitly taught that by providing hospitality we may
entertain the angels themselves without being aware of it.
·
More than that, we should learn the lesson of the Old Testament.
As the ancient Jew was a "stranger in a strange land," we walk a
similar path. "This world is not my home, I'm just passing
through." Hospitality eases that passage for many. By providing
hospitality we proclaim, in a very practical sense, that we are pilgrims, not
permanent residents.
·
Finally, there is the explicit warning of Jesus himself. In
Matthew 25:31-46 our Lord explicitly declares that our hospitality is one of
the aspects of our Christian walk which will be judged on the last day.
Consider it well, Christian.
When the Son of Man returns, what will you tell him about the hungry, the
thirsty, the stranger, the down and out? Your doctrine may be sound, but if it
has no effect upon your life, He will know it. "By their fruits you will
know them," says our Lord. What does your hospitality say about you?