“A
bishop then must be…hospitable…” (1 Timothy
3:2 NKJV)
I recall
a phone call from a pastor friend several years ago about Debbie, a troubled
young teen. He and his wife had taken
her into their home—and her defiance had led them to exasperation. They wanted to help her, but no longer felt
they could. So, they proposed that we
take her in for a time. We did.
It was a
challenge, but we tried to show her love and help her. Later on, she would find a job and a
boyfriend—they planned to marry. I’ve
now lost track of Debbie, but hopefully we made a difference in her life. She said we did.
Sheep
need a home—a pasture and sheepfold where they can feel safe and be nourished.
The hospitality spoken of here found its occasion in the
fact that in the days of the great Roman persecutions, Christians were banished
and persecuted, and rendered homeless. Or,
in the case of traveling preachers and teachers, ministering from church to
church, these servants of God were to be received and cared for by the bishop. Or, because in the early centuries, the local
churches had no church edifice in which to worship, the church met in the home
of an individual. The bishop should be
glad to thus open his home for this purpose. [1]
Love for
God’s lambs is the fundamental foundation for hospitality. Love can never stop at verbal profession, but
must become a practical action.
Opening one’s house to strangers involves risk,
inconvenience and there is a price to pay in money, time and energy. But, the Golden Rule applies—to do unto
others, as we would have them do unto us.
If I were homeless, I would want a shelter. So, I must offer that to others.
The pastor’s example of Christian love can inspire others
in the church to do likewise.
A
PRAYER
Lord,
I am
grateful for those who have opened up their home to us in the past. We are also thankful for those You have sent
into our home and the time we have spent together. The blessings that have come from such
relationships have been enriching—far greater than any personal cost. Thank You for those today who have Bible
studies in their home. Help the movement
to flourish once more, and for Your church to continue to grow.
In The
Name of Jesus,
Amen.
[1] Wuest, K.
S. (1997). Wuest’s word studies from the
Greek New Testament: for the English reader. Grand Rapids : Eerdmans.
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