Hospitality defined is the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.  Hospitality is serving the needs of others, putting your own desire to be served aside.  In our current world, it is now deemed the Hospitality Industry where trained professionals offer services in all kinds of ways to meet the needs of a guest to their establishment. It has become a business in and of itself of providing food, drink, and accommodations for customers of restaurants, airports, as well as guests at hotels as they travel to and from destinations while conducting their own business.  Catering to business, family, and school gatherings are other ways to provide hospitality services. What is most important is how you make the one you serve feel.  The food, drink and accommodations come second.

The church could learn a lot from the training given in the hospitality industry.  I know of one pastor who took the training so he could teach the church!  I applaud him! We sometimes forget how to put aside our interests in being served and miss the real joy in serving others. Instead, we think demanding thoughts with out loud complaints that shout “serve me or I won’t come back” when we miss helping others feel noticed, accepted, cherished and loved.   In a former work, we visited many churches.  Some were overwhelmingly friendly until they learned you were only a visitor passing through then they moved on to other people who might “be good” for their church.  It was comical at first but then it hurt our hearts. 

As a church, hospitality demonstrates our love of God to others seeking to be loved.  Caring and serving others, not because of what it will do for us but merely because we love from the center of who we are is “modeling the good”—as John explains.

3 John, The Message

The Pastor, to my good friend Gaius: How truly I love you! We’re the best of friends, and I pray for good fortune in everything you do, and for your good health—that your everyday affairs prosper, as well as your soul! I was most happy when some friends arrived and brought the news that you persist in following the way of Truth. Nothing could make me happier than getting reports that my children continue diligently in the way of Truth!

Model the Good

^5-8 Dear friend, when you extend hospitality to Christian brothers and sisters, even when they are strangers, you make the faith visible. They’ve made a full report back to the church here, a message about your love. It’s good work you’re doing, helping these travelers on their way, hospitality worthy of God himself! They set out under the banner of the Name, and get no help from unbelievers. So they deserve any support we can give them. In providing meals and a bed, we become their companions in spreading the Truth.

^9-10 Earlier I wrote something along this line to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves being in charge, denigrates my counsel. If I come, you can be sure I’ll hold him to account for spreading vicious rumors about us.

As if that weren’t bad enough, he not only refuses hospitality to traveling Christians but tries to stop others from welcoming them. Worse yet, instead of inviting them in he throws them out.

¹¹ Friend, don’t go along with evil. Model the good. The person who does good does God’s work. The person who does evil falsifies God, doesn’t know the first thing about God.

¹² Everyone has a good word for Demetrius—the Truth itself stands up for Demetrius! We concur, and you know we don’t hand out endorsements lightly.

^13-14 I have a lot more things to tell you, but I’d rather not use pen and ink. I hope to be there soon in person and have a heart-to-heart talk.

Peace to you. The friends here say hello. Greet our friends there by name.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

For some people, hospitality is a lifestyle. Serving others in this way flows naturally and easily.  For others, ways of being hospitable are learned traits.  Either way, John says to show hospitality to others, especially strangers, because that demonstrates what is in our hearts.  Faith is “visible” when we serve others.  (John learned this from Jesus!)

Jesus taught and demonstrated hospitality to John, as well as the other disciples and followers, many times.  God is love and truth that never changes. Jesus is Truth and Love embodied and expressed on earth to mankind.  As we learned earlier, Love and Truth go hand in hand.  Our faith in God and belief in Jesus as Savior and Lord of our lives is expressed by His love in us for others.  Our hearts, minds, and souls are transformed from being served to serving others.

Need evidence?  Here’s what Jesus said—

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”—Jesus, Mark 10:45

“And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.”—Jesus, Luke 6:31, ESV

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”—Jesus, John 15:12

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”  Mark 12:31

In our relationship with God, the more we realize the depth and breadth of God’s love for us the more we love each other no matter who they are or where they come from because the more we know God, we know Love, and we simply love.  Our inner desire to love develops into serving others by His love that has taken up residence in our hearts.  Love and Truth becomes who we are as His children. (See 1 John 4:7-8)

Later James will write; “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? … James 2:1-13, ESV

Jesus taught that when we show hospitality to others, it is the same as showing hospitality to HIM!  Hospitality begins and extends with our love for Jesus and others!  Friends, neighbors and even our enemies are included, no one left out!

“‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”—Jesus, Matthew 25:34-40

What if we do not show hospitality and only center our thoughts on ourselves, our comfort, tending to our own needs as a lifestyle?  Jesus responds—

“…He (Jesus as King) will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” –Jesus, Matthew 25:41-46

Serious hospitality, Kingdom of God hospitality, must become our habit and lifestyle if we truly love God!  Jesus commands it!

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”—Jesus, John 13:34-35

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”—Jesus, Luke 6:35-36

“Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”  1 John 3:18

Paul agrees and writes:
For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love.  Galatians 5:6, MSG    Paul teaches us be like Christ in every way.  “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4 (read the whole chapter for the way Jesus loved and served us!

Lord,

I lay my life before you as an offering.  Guide me to love and serve as a way of life in You, expecting nothing in return for myself, but for the sole desire to please you with my life.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen