what is hospitality?

When I hear the word hospitality I think of friends coming to dinner at a Pinterst perfect home. I image women bringing casseroles and to die for desserts, women talking about the latest gossip, and all while sipping on wine.

A few days ago I started an in-depth study of hospitality from She Reads Truth. For the last few years I had this idea of hospitality but what I learned was completely different. Amanda Williams wrote what I had been thinking, and challenged me to do more. She said

“When I look at Jesus; our cultures false definition of hospitality as dinner invitations and etiquette, clean homes, and casseroles, pales in light of the bold example of the most radically welcoming person who ever lived.”

Okay so maybe hospitality is not a perfect dinner, but it definitely is inviting friends over for dinner and watching football. As I continued reading, she started talking about the Greek roots for the word hospitality. Normally when people start talking about the Greek language I tune out, simply because it confuses me. But this time it was simple and and clear. 

The Greek word for hospitality is philoxenos. The first part of the word, Phileo, means “brotherly love”. The second part of the word Xenos can be translated to “strangers”.

WAIT WHAT?

I was shocked, so hospitality is giving ourselves in love to STRANGERS.

STRANGERS…. Are you kidding me? I don’t know if its just me, but one that word kind of scares me and two you’re now telling me to invite people I do not know to MY table. I then started thinking about the word invite; what does it really mean? How do I even go about inviting a stranger to my table? So I turned to scripture. God extended an invitation to me, and He did it through Jesus who is a perfect example of someone exmplifiying hospitality. 

JESUS WAS THE ULTIMATE INVITER.

“He beckoned disciples with a simple “Follow me,” received children by saying “Come to me,” invited strangers to “Walk with me,” and welcomed sinners to the table, saying, “Eat with me.” And then, in extension of glorious invitation, He gave His life on a cross for us. Because of the Cross, our life in Christ opens us up to becoming a people of audacious invitation, too.”

WE WELCOME BECAUSE HE FIRST WELCOMED US.

WE INVITE BECAUSE HE FIRST INVITED US.

WE LOVE BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US. 

The posture of our hearts should be to welcome strangers in response to the invitation we have been given by the gospel. To live a life full of invitations starts in the soil of a heart cultivated by the Father.


INVITE STRANGERS. EAT WITH SINNERS. LIVE OUT HOSPITALITY.