Hospitality II: Hospitality, Jesus, and the Church

Clint Ware: Hospitality - Part 2 Jesus and the Church

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Hospitality II: Hospitality, Jesus, and the Church

I. Welcoming Friends vs. Welcoming Strangers

~ has the word welcome been worn out?

~ in Greek ~ philoxenia - Hospitality brother + stranger 

(to treat the stranger as a brother or family)

~ ancient world viewed hospitality differently (they felt an obligation )

~ American cultural understanding  has also changed

- less and less personal and personable

- less and less hospitable and welcoming

~ God commanded it of His people because it is an expression of His character(Duet 10:17-19)  

II. Jesus and Hospitality

~ *New Testament Greek verb translated “showing hospitality” 

  - to show hospitality - xenodocheo  xeno - stranger  + docheo -  banquet 

(to set a banquet for a stranger) 

~ Jesus taught that showing hospitality would be one of the main evidences that we    

  knew Him. Matthew 25 :33-40

~ Jesus’ example - a contrast to the Pharisees and religious leaders

Pharasees - shunned or rejected the children, woman, poor, sick, unclean, vs. unrighteous, 

if you didn’t keep the mosaic law correctly (in their eyes)… 

Jesus - who did he spend his time with, welcome, and  seek out? children , women, poor, sick, unclean, unrighteous,  sinners, (Mark 2:16-17 )

III. The Early Church  and Hospitality 

~ foundation teaching ( Rom 12:13-18)

~ based on an authentic representation of Jesus  II Cor5:18-20

- If we say we are a Christian, then we represent Jesus

- When people look at us, they expect to see a people who 

- are holy like Jesus… loving like Jesus …hospitable like Jesus

IV. How Will We Respond?

~ What will we do in light of what we see here?

~ Will we take up the mantel of hospitality in the name of Jesus Christ?

~ Will we seek out more and more ways to integrate what the Bible says?