Divine Hospitality

The Gospel is Matthew 10:40-42

The Gospel this week concludes the description of Jesus sending out the Apostles. They were to rely entirely on God and the hospitality of those they met.

There are two interconnected messages in today’s text. Do we identify with the Apostles, prospective guests, or the prospective hosts for them?

Do we identify with the message of hospitality to be a good welcoming host, for the Christ within the stranger?

But Jesus would have seen the whole matter of sending out the Apostles who would be needing welcome, as guests. They did not have the privilege of power, to welcome others or not. They were vulnerable. The Apostles had only the power of Christ within them.

Hospitality isn’t intended to change people, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines. The space of freedom is where host and guest meet.

Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being a messenger of God. Accepting help is as good as giving help. This is the balance of the “hospitality equation.” Guest and host are both needed, the helper and the one being helped are both needed.

Jesus makes clear that hospitality is an entrance to the Kingdom of God. It is the single most radical and transformative thing we can do in the world today.

Hospitality is the space of acceptance, freedom and love at the heart of God where change can take place. It is the freedom not disturbed by dividing lines, where we are free to be changed into our true Selves, who we are in Christ, Apostles to a bound and hurting world.

Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.