“The 3 H’s of Discipleship, Part I. Hospitality: Welcoming the Word” by the Rev. Don Wahlig, July 2, 2023, Year A / Pentecost 6 – Genesis 22:1-14 and Psalm 13 • Jeremiah 28:5-9 and Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18 • Romans 6:12-23 • Matthew 10:(1, 5-15) 40-42

THEME: Offer and receive hospitality to share the gospel.  (revised)
 
        Have you ever had the experience of exceptionally warm hospitality? If you have, I am sure you remember it.  I do. I have never experienced greater hospitality than when Beth and I traveled to Africa ten years ago. We arrived in Zimbabwe with a mission team.  Then we set out to some of the outlying villages. There we stayed with local families. 

         These were folks who had far fewer resources than we had, but you would never know that by the extraordinary welcome they gave us.  For lunch and dinner, they typically ate nothing more than ground corn meal and stewed greens. Meat was out of the question because it was expensive. For us, however, they killed a chicken and piled the table with all sorts of cole slaw, salad, and dessert.  It was a veritable feast.

Their house stayed was small and crowded. Nevertheless, they gave us their children’s bedroom while the kids slept on the floor with the rest of their siblings in another room. Running hot water was a luxury they simply could not afford. So, when it came to bathing, they took a cold sponge bath. For us, however, they got up early and boiled water just so we could have a warm bucket bath. 

And when it came to church, they made us feel like visiting royalty. They seated us at the very front and introduced us one at a time, as the congregation clapped and cheered. In addition to a praise band, they brought in not one but several choirs of men, women, youth, and children. They sang with such joy that it sent chills down our spines. On top of all the fuss they made over us, what Beth and I remember most is how warmly the people embraced us. Their faces would light up whenever we saw each other. They were profoundly happy simply to have us with them. I have never experienced such extraordinary hospitality.

It was a reminder that hospitality is a wondrous and powerful thing.  Two people begin as strangers - without connection, and wary of the other. But then one offers an act of hospitality, something as simple as ‘hello’ or a smile that says I see you. It is an invitation to a conversation.  That conversation can open the pathway to a relationship.  And the possibility of new experience and growth.

But, as we all know, that is not always how hospitality plays out. Hospitality is only as powerful as it is mutual. Hospitality has to be both offered and received. If it’s not, there is no connection. Without connection there is no relationship. And without a relationship, nothing changes. An opportunity is lost.

But when a welcome is extended and accepted, hospitality has the power to change lives. Few people have ever understood that better than Henri Nouwen, the great spiritual writer.  As he puts it, hospitality is “the creation of free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend.”

As usual, Henri is absolutely right. The power to create relational space is the very heart of hospitality. The boundary lines of difference no longer separate giver and receiver. Each one is now free to connect with the other and be changed by the encounter.

Henri once told a story that illustrates this perfectly. One miserable, rainy night he was on his way to a monastery for a quiet, meditative retreat.  At this particular monastery, the monks were all required by monastic rule to observe vows of silence. 

       Henri’s travel plans had been disrupted by weather delays and he was late in arriving at the monastery.  By the time he got to the door, it was well past the monks’ bedtime. So, with some trepidation, he rang the bell.  He was pleasantly surprised when one of the brothers promptly opened the door and greeted him warmly. Despite the late hour, the brother took his wet coat, brought Henri into the kitchen, and made him a cup of tea. The two of them proceeded to chat late into the night. 

Henri slowly began to relax and feel ready for the retreat.  But he wondered about something. He knew this monk was supposed to observe silence. So, Henri asked him, "Why are you so willing to sit here and talk with me?"  The monk smiled and said "Of all the duties of the Christian faith and the rules of my order, none is higher than hospitality."

For this monk and everyone else in his order, hospitality is the rule of life that governs how they are to treat others. Whoever knocks on their door, whether it’s an invited guest or an unexpected caller, they are all to be treated with compassion and concern.  In other words, they are to be greeted as we would greet Christ himself, with an open heart and a welcoming spirit.

It is not a coincidence that Jesus gives his disciples the same instructions as he sends them out into the world. Wherever they go, they are to seek out hospitality. Wherever they find it, they are to accept it with gratitude. He is talking about evangelism here. But let’s be honest. When you and I consider Jesus’ model of evangelizing, it feels like an imposition – inconsiderate at best, and rude at worst. We wonder why would Jesus presuppose that some poor villager would open his door to a complete stranger and invite them in not just for a night but for an extended stay?

In Jesus’ culture, as in the Middle East and Africa today, there is a long-standing and deep-running tradition of hospitality. We can see it throughout scripture.  The best example of all comes from Genesis.  Abraham offers hospitality to three strangers who turn out to be angels. The same is true in the New Testament world. Hospitality was fundamental to the culture. 

But Jesus knew it was even more than that. It was the surest indicator that their host would have an open heart and a welcoming spirit, that they would receive the message of good news that God’s Kingdom is near and be changed as a result. As Jesus puts it, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes God who sent me.” 

         Friends, it may be 2,000 years later and we may live in a very different culture, but the same is true for you and me.  We, too, are Christ’s disciples. We, too, are sent by Jesus to be his messengers of good news that God’s Kingdom has come near. And we, too, are to start by seeking out and practicing hospitality.

But that raises a a question. How do we do that in a culture that is increasingly disconnected and polarized, downright tribal and suspicious of the motives of others?  That is what I’ve been pondering this week. And the answer is that there are four keys to discipleship in our world today. 

First, we are to welcome everyone we encounter. That means being ready with a kind word and a smile for everyone we meet. Many of us already do this, but let’s take it a step further. Let’s make it a point to speak with genuine warmth to others, especially those who need us more than we need them. Because God may very well be trying to change both of us through that encounter.  So, we start with a warm welcome.

Second, whenever our welcoming word is received, we are to fully engage with those we meet. Yes, that probably means slowing down. And it definitely means investing time and energy to interact with others face-to-face.  I know, we’re all busy, everyone’s in a hurry. But if we’re going to make a real connection with others, it's not going to happen through a perfunctory greeting or a few texts on our cell phones.  So, a warm welcome and full face-to-face engagement.

The third key to being Jesus’ disciple in our world is to make meals a priority. Especially in the gospel of Luke, Jesus is always eating with other people, and usually not the kind of people we would expect. Let’s let that be our guide. When there is an opportunity to share a meal or a cup of coffee or a beer with someone else, no matter who it is, whether we initiate it or they do, let’s make it happen. 

Finally, the fourth key to being a welcoming disciple of Christ is to pay attention. What do we learn about the other person?  What are their needs and desires, their hopes and fears?  How might our friendship offer them a new avenue of hope and promise, not so much by our words, but more by our actions – our willingness to invest in the new friendship that results. The day will come when the other person is curious about the source of our hope. Friends, there is no better way to introduce the gospel than that.

This is what the great Christian author Brian McLaren calls spiritual friendship. It sees evangelism as “a relational dance rather than a conceptual conquest, a process rather than an event.” He is right. It is the optimal opening to share the good news of Jesus Christ in our culture today.

So, friends, as you go out this day and every day this week, see what happens when you offer others a warm welcome and give them your full attention. You may be surprised at the needs you uncover and the relationships that develop. And, even more, you may be surprised at how ready they are to receive the hope you and I have in Jesus Christ. 



May it be so.