KNU International English Church
Josh Broward
February 15, 2009
Genesis 18:1-15, Hebrews 13:1-16, Matthew 25:31-46
Today, we finish our series on family life by talking about hospitality. I want to start by telling you of some of the greatest hospitality I've ever experienced.
When I was a university student, I went on a six week mission trip to Papua New Guinea. I experienced hospitality like I had never heard of or even dreamed of. We were a team of 6 college students from the USA. We spent the summer visiting remote churches in the mountains and swamps of Papua New Guinea. Sometimes, we were the first white people to ever visit these churches. We traveled by plane, by boat, by bus, by truck, and by foot – sometimes all in the same week.
I remember when we arrived at one church. As we began unloading from the van, the little old ladies (all the ajumas and halmonies) from around the village were so excited that they gathered in the front yard of the church and started screaming (Aaaaiiieeeeee!!!) and waving their hands like they were dying of heat exhaustion. Then, they started coming toward us. We put out our hands to greet them with a handshake American style, but they bypassed our hands and hugged us with their heads in our armpits – still screaming and waving their hands. But once they really got to hugging us, many of the little old ladies would grab our bottoms – not just a pat, mind you, I'm talking about getting a handful and squeezing! Then, they would maybe bounce a little and stand up and start waving their hands and screaming again (Aaaiiiieeeee!!!). Many of them had tears in their eyes. When we got back to little house behind the church, we started comparing notes. “Did that old lady goose1 you?” “Yep.” “Hey, man, they all goosed me!”
In one church, we were eating sweet potatoes in the pastor's house before the worship service. Then, we heard singing. I asked if it was time for us to go already. The pastor said, “No, they are just warming up.” They warmed up for another 45 minutes. By the time we came into that church, it was like walking into a stadium for a professional sports event! They had to clear a path just for us to walk. Someone greeted us at the door with leis (those beautiful flower necklaces), then we walked down the center aisle with everyone clapping and chanting. I felt like I was ready to play in the NFL! I have never felt so much like a hero, and all I did was show up.
In another church way out in the swamplands, we were coming for almost a week to do a vacation Bible school. We traveled by boat as far as we could, and then we walked the rest of the way. As we approached the village, we noticed that they had posted flowers all along the walkways. When we got to the village center, they pointed to one of the houses on stilts and said, “This is your house. We just finished it three days ago.” They built a house just for us! They traveled by boats way up river to get the wood and spent weeks building a house so that we would have a comfortable place to stay while we were there for the Bible camp. We just kept saying, “I can't believe they built a house for us!” That is the single greatest act of hospitality I've ever experienced.
Hospitality has a long and ancient history. Showing hospitality to others is “fundamental to Christian identity”2, but we've mostly forgotten about its rich roots. In many ways, Christian hospitality is a lost art. To help us join the movement to recover hospitality, today we're going to talk about four basic points:
What is hospitality?
Hospitality and the Bible
Hospitality and History
Hospitality and Today
Let's start by defining hospitality. For most of us, hospitality has lost much of its traditional meaning. When we think of hospitality, we usually think of having some friends or family over for dinner. Or if we are in business, we might think of the “hospitality industry” of hotels, resorts, and tourist locations. Or for ladies, we might think of Martha Stewart and cute little napkins and candle holders. We might think of a grandmother or an aunt who always had an open home and an open table. And these are all connected to hospitality, but none of them are the heart of hospitality.
The English word “hospitality” comes from a combination of Latin words meaning “stranger,” “power,” and “equalize.” So then, hospitality is about treating a stranger or guest as an equal power, giving care and help to the other as a person of equal value and worth.3
In the New Testament, the word for “hospitality” is philoxenia, and this comes from two root words “love” + “stranger”. So in the New Testament, “hospitality” literally means “love for strangers.”4 This love for strangers is shown through the very practical means of food, shelter, and care.
Christine Pohl wrote an excellent book on the Christian practice of hospitality, and she gave it a very simple title which explains the heart of hospitality: Making Room. Hospitality is making room for others in our hearts, at our tables, in our homes, in our time. Hospitality is opening our doors and our hearts to others.
Hospitality is the living expression of the gospel. We make the gospel real to others by opening our hearts and homes and tables and churches to them. We live out the loving welcome of God in our families and community.
So what is hospitality? It is making room in our hearts and lives for other people to feel loved and cared for.
OK. Now let's talk about hospitality and the Bible. First of all, God is the foundation of all hospitality.
The Bible is full of images of God as the Host, providing us hospitality. God created this world, and then he welcomed us into it. He provides what we need for food and shelter. At great personal cost, God has adopted us into his family, and he welcomes us into his life every day.
Jesus often talked in terms of hospitality. For example, he said, “In my Father's house, there are many rooms. … I am going there to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). Preparing a place for others in our homes and hearts is one way that we live like Jesus.
The classic story of hospitality is in Genesis 18. Some strangers show up at Abraham's tent, and he quickly invites them to stay for a meal and some rest. It turns out that God himself was one of the guests. God renewed his promise to give Abraham a son, and the host was blessed more than the guest.
The book of Hebrews picks up on this Abraham story, “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 with out realizing it!” (13:1-2). This is a common theme in hospitality. Many who show hospitality to others finally say that they received more than they gave. That's how it works with love.
But there is one text that stands above all the rest as the deepest call to hospitality. It's often called the story of the sheep and the goats, and it's in Matthew 25. Let's read it now – Matthew 25:31-46.
It is a great mystery. Jesus stands outside our door and knocks. Jesus enters our church alone and looks for a friendly face. Jesus opens an empty closet to look for something warm to wear. Jesus looks in the restaurant window at our full plates and feels his stomach rumble. Jesus' throat is dry with thirst. Jesus is sick and lonely.
We show hospitality because Jesus is there in the person hungry for welcome. We show hospitality because, if we don't, we turn away from Jesus. We show hospitality because that is where we meet God.
Here's a short history of hospitality – really short.
Stage 1 (ancient times): Hospitality was a basic cultural expectation. Traveling was dangerous. All people had the moral duty to welcome and care for strangers.
Stage 2 (early church): Churches lived out the gospel by having fellowship meals with people of all sorts of classes and backgrounds. Sharing food and shelter was a basic requirement of the Christian faith.
Stage 3 (institutionalization): In the 4th century, as the Roman Empire began to collapse, poor people began flocking to cities like seagulls to a piece of bread. Christian leaders organized hospitals, orphanages, hostels, and hospices to care for these large numbers of needy people.
Stage 4 (neglect): As hospitals and other large institutions became stronger, more reliable, and more professional, ordinary people like you and me forgot all about hospitality – except to a few friends and family.
Stage 5 (individualism): Nowadays, many of us are so busy with our own schedules that we don't even have time for basic hospitality to our closest friends and family.
Stage 6 (recovery): Hospitality is making a comeback. Some Christians around the world are beginning to recover this ancient tradition and restore it to our families, churches, and wider communities.
This is where we come in: Hospitality Today. We can join this recovery process. Hospitality is a central task for our church. Our mission is to be a loving community that changes our world. Practicing generous hospitality will move us forward toward each point of our vision. As we imitate God's loving welcome for others, we will be renewed in God's love together. As we reach out to those who are different from us, we will be transformed and united as a multicultural community. Hospitality is the extreme form of local action. It is showing love to one person at a time. It is causing change in that one person in this one place. But it spreads outward to change the world.
Let me suggest five different ways you can practice hospitality right here in our world, in our church, in your family.
Family Dinner Night. Hospitality must have a foundation of a strong loving family. Mother Theresa said, “It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. … Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start.” At least once a week, have a long slow dinner with your family. If you're single, maybe you'll want to restart “Breakfast Tuesday.” A while back, a group of singles fixed breakfast for supper together every Tuesday night.
Sunday Lunch. We all eat lunch somewhere after the worship service. This is a great opportunity for hospitality. But don't just go out with the same people every week. Try to branch out. Eat across boundaries. Cross the age gap, the culture gap, the single/married gap. Have “new people radar.” Every Sunday look around, and if you see someone new, invite them to join you for lunch.
International Students. KNU is expecting to have 90 Chinese students this semester, and they are starting Owens International College with English-only classes. You can show hospitality by helping us welcome these students to Cheonan. Talk to me if you're interested.
Welcome Packets. Often, when foreigners first get to Korea, they have to use the “point and hope” strategy of ordering food. (Raise your hand if you've done the “point and hope”!) It would be a great help to the new foreigners in our community and around Cheonan if we could make and give out a welcome packet to help people get adjusted to life in Cheonan. Also, Shannon and Elena are planning a seminar called “Welcome to Cheonan.” If you'd like to help with this seminar or with the welcome packet, talk to Elena, Shannon, or me.
Vow of Stability. In the 6th century, Benedict called all monks who joined him to take a “vow of stability.” This meant that they were committing to stay in one monastic community until they died. Here in our church, we have almost the opposite. We have an expectation of instability. This makes community formation and long-term hospitality very difficult. Maybe some of us could come together and take a vow of stability – not to stay here forever, but to stay for three or four years. Maybe we could commit ourselves to this church and this place as our home, as our home community, the place of our calling for a while. If you are interested in exploring a vow of stability, then talk with me afterward.
A few weeks ago during our family night, Sarah and I taught Emma the art of Knock-Knock jokes. We made up several jokes using the names of people in our family.
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Sarah.
Sarah who?
Sarah doctor in the house?
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Josh.
Josh who?
Josh you wait!
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Emma.
Emma who?
Emma little tea pot, short and stout.
Hospitality is at the heart of the gospel, and the heart of hospitality holds a double mystery. God is the source of all love and hospitality, and God is present in every person who needs our love and help. When someone knocks on the door of our hearts or lives, that just might be God waiting to get in.
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Jesus.
Jesus who?
Open the door and find out.
1Here “goose” is slang for touching another person's bottom.
2Christine Pohl, Making Room:Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition, (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999), x.
3“Hospitality,” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospitality, downloaded 2/12/09.
4“Hospitality,” http://www.practicingourfaith.org/prct_hospitality.html, downloaded 2/12/09.
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