What is new about being hospitable . . .
If Hospitality is a gift, then many believers will be able to claim that God did not bless them with this gift, thus they are not gifted to be hospitable. Since we do not have this gift of hospitality, then we can skip over this service. This reasoning can be easily applied to evangelism. God gives the church Evangelist, so these evangelist have the gift of evangelism. Therefore, we should let them exercise their gifts and we who do not have this gift can take a ‘rest’.
But Jesus says: “You shall be my witnesses . . .“
So is hospitality a spiritual gift or a human duty? John Wesley in one of his sermons: Sermon 98 – On Visiting the Sick, said: “visiting the sick: A Plain duty, which all that are in health may practice”[1], highlighting that hospitality is a duty for all who are in health. Hospitality in this case is more than a spiritual gift; it is a duty in which all human beings need to practice.
Spiritual Gift vs Human Duty
Believers having received
Jesus Christ as their Saviour will always want to know this very compelling
question: “So what is my gift?” And so we find book and exercises to dig into
our subconscious to locate the ‘hidden’ gift that this “NEW” God has promised
us. And many, especially housewives and mothers always ended up with this gift
called “Hospitality”.If Hospitality is a gift, then many believers will be able to claim that God did not bless them with this gift, thus they are not gifted to be hospitable. Since we do not have this gift of hospitality, then we can skip over this service. This reasoning can be easily applied to evangelism. God gives the church Evangelist, so these evangelist have the gift of evangelism. Therefore, we should let them exercise their gifts and we who do not have this gift can take a ‘rest’.
But Jesus says: “You shall be my witnesses . . .“
So is hospitality a spiritual gift or a human duty? John Wesley in one of his sermons: Sermon 98 – On Visiting the Sick, said: “visiting the sick: A Plain duty, which all that are in health may practice”[1], highlighting that hospitality is a duty for all who are in health. Hospitality in this case is more than a spiritual gift; it is a duty in which all human beings need to practice.
Who is this stranger?
One of
the strongest walled-city within many of us is called “Unknown”, and its gate
is lock with the chain of “fear”. Because we do not know, we feared, we
worried, we are frighten, and so for protection, we build walls and placed
ourselves inside this prison, and believe that we are in “heaven”.
So who
am I trying to keep out, and who am I trying to keep in? Who is this stranger?
Am I trying to keep the stranger out, or am I trying to keep this stranger in?
One of
the greatest difficulty is to know the stranger in me. Unless I know myself,
unless I am confidence of myself; I am a stranger to myself, and if I am a
stranger to myself, then how am I to know the stranger outside. It has to start
with me, knowing myself, then I can unlock the chain that lock my gate and
invite the stranger into my city. And to eventually remove the walls around
this city, into a city without walls.
Individual Hospitality
How
the believers lost its passion and tradition for hospitality?
The believers did not lost
this tradition . . . it was transfer to the “professionals”. Our forefathers did
not lost their passion . . . they are so passionate that they hired the best
people to do the job. They contributed to keep these professionals on the job,
so that they don’t have to do it themselves. The professionals are needed
because the society need their services. But how about the individual? How can the
individual believer rediscover this ancient traditional practice? Some
suggestions:
1.
Redefine Hospitality: it is
more than food and shelter.
It is to do the good deed God
has prepared for us to do in advance. (Eph. 2:10). Just doing good to anyone who
needs our assistance.
2.
Begin with me: even Jesus
begins his ministry alone.
Begin with me and make it a habit
of giving a helping hand, and soon, God will change the “me” into a “we”.
3.
Help is an action word:
avoid helping with our mouth.
Help is not help if nothing is
being done. Help is an action needed by the recipient. Just do it!
John Ortberg in his book Soul
Keeping, shared about a conversation he had with Dallas Willard, in which
Dallas said: “Being right is actually a very hard burden to be able to carry
gracefully and humbly. That’s why nobody likes to sit next to the kid in class
who’s right all the time. One of the hardest things in the world is to be right
and not hurt other people with it.”[2]
I find this so true and it is the biggest obstacle blocking the practice of
hospitality – “how to be right and yet not hurt other people with it”.
----- The End
-----
[1]http://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-sermons-of-john-wesley-1872-edition/sermon-98-on-visiting-the-sick/
(access on 1st July 2016).
[2]John Ortberg, Soul Keeping:
Caring for The Most Important Part of You (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,
2014), 22.
I like your statement. Indeed we stand on the side of being right as we believe in the truth, and being hospitable should not be emphasising our "rightness" but allowing the other to discover the "rightness" for themselves. Appreciate the thoughts!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this Francis! It is really good. This quote is very good that you mentioned:
ReplyDelete“Being right is actually a very hard burden to be able to carry gracefully and humbly. That’s why nobody likes to sit next to the kid in class who’s right all the time. One of the hardest things in the world is to be right and not hurt other people with it.”[2] I find this so true and it is the biggest obstacle blocking the practice of hospitality – “how to be right and yet not hurt other people with it”.
Hospitality is calling for all of us but it is also a skill to hone as well.
I like the way you talked about the 'stranger' within you. But in order to know the 'stranger' within, you need to allow the 'stranger' within to know the 'actual' you so that both can communicate and become 'one', as our God is One. Maybe we should not focus on the 'shadow' but onto the 'Light'. I would say 'righteousness' cannot be compromised even it hurts. Take care and blessings.
ReplyDeleteHow to be right and yet not hurt other people with it? Simple, introduce Christ to them. Admit your mistake first.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing Francis! Hospitality is indeed every individual's responsibility! Instead of paying lip-service, it is so true that we should make the help we are to give to people, an action word rather than mere words!
ReplyDeleteIndeed, we need to know ourselves first, to tear down the walls we built out of self-defence and allow others to walk in. This is hospitality. May the Holy Spirit help us know ourselves better!
ReplyDeleteI like what you said about knowing ourselves first so that we can know the stranger from outside. Indeed, we all need to know the real "us", unmasked from the public self we often portray to others!
ReplyDeleteAgree! hospitality is a duty for all believer.
ReplyDeleteduty for all :)
ReplyDeleteFrancis, I like your comments that hospitality was not lost but transferred to the professionals. We have literally transferred our duties of hospitality to someone else so we don't have to do it. We have lost that sense of duty in us and may God help us to restore the duty of hospitality in our lives. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteTrue, hospitality is not just food and shelter. it is an attitude of heart.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing :) It is very reflective indeed.
ReplyDeleteFamily Man, who are you? I like your critical opinions.
ReplyDeleteBegin with me and make it a habit of giving a helping hand, and soon, God will change the “me” into a “we”. I love this! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteit is tough to look in the mirror and see the self we don't like. And so oftentimes, we turn our eyes upon others to flee from ourselves. Good thoughts Francis in your blog...
ReplyDeleteFrancis,with this statement, "we build walls and placed ourselves inside this prison, and believe that we are in “heaven”." strike me hard. I start to see that sometime we may think that we are on a upper hand to make decision but in actual fact we our decision are crippled by our "no so healthy mindset or blind spots". Just like your "imprisoned or in heaven"
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteI like your sharing on 'Who's the stranger'.
ReplyDeleteA thought provoking statement about knowing the stranger within us .Yes we need to love ourselves in Christ that we can share that divine love to others through hospitality .
ReplyDeleteBy the way i have read books by John Ortberg.Its another insight gained from his books thanks to you ! God bless
Thank you for sharing
ReplyDeleteHi Francis. Hospitality is a duty. It is our response because of what Jesus did for us. I agree hospitality is not a gift.
ReplyDelete(I am re-submitting using my name instead of 'My blogs', easier for Sis Dav to trace..)
ReplyDeleteOh it's you, Francis, I thought who is this family man (haha)..
"The hardest things in the world is to be right and not hurt other people with it."
My view is that sometimes when we do not understand the others' thinking, we may think what we did is good for him, but it may end up the reverse... so I think understanding the person first is more important. Because what I think is right may not be right for him...
Hi Francis, Chinese say to know one own's strength and the enemy's is the sure way to victory; one who knows his strength and that of the enemy is invincible in battle.
ReplyDeleteIt difficult initially, start with small step. Slowly you can do it better and better. We learn together:)