One of the worst aspects of the pandemic is that the church has lost its momentum in one of its most beautiful ministries: hospitality.

You may know that the Greek word for hospitality is, essentially, “friendship love of strangers.”

When I think about what makes a church healthy, one of the key indicators is that the corporate body welcomes new people with warmth and food and fellowship. The church treats them as new friends, and makes ways in its large gatherings to greet, welcome, feed, and talk with them. But this, of course, goes beyond the corporate body. In a healthy church, individual people and families have also learned to express the love of God through hospitality.

The apostle Peter writes: “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.  Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” I love this verse!

“Above all…” What does this mean? It means, “Pay attention! This is really most important!”

“Keep loving one another earnestly…” It’s not a one-time thing. Agape Love is dynamic. Love is ongoing. You don’t do it once and then say “Well, I’m glad that responsibility is taken care of.” Nope. If you are a Christian you must love selflessly for the rest of your life. One of the most beautiful things in my life is that I am surrounded by people who have been earnestly loving others for decades!

“… Since love covers a multitude of sins.” What do you make of this phrase? Well, what comes to my mind is that it’s easy to love the lovable people. But Peter is anticipating a question: “Do you mean I have to love those other sinners in the church? Do I have to love the socially awkward and the people with unhealthy and sinful habits?” Yep. Peter says, “Your love covers a multitude of sins.” And suddenly we remember that the love of the Lord Jesus Christ has covered our multitude of sins. Jesus went to the cross to bleed and die for our sins. The Righteous, in love, gave himself up for the unrighteous, to lead us to God.  And if he has loved us when we were unlovely, then we can love anybody. And that love will, by God’s grace, overlook anything that is offensive in another person.

“Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” Actually, this term “love of strangers” is “PHILOZENOS.” The first half of the word means love. But now he is using, not “agape,” as he did at first, but “philios,” which my Philadelphia friends know means “brotherly love.” It’s friendship love.

Now think about this carefully. Hospitality is more than mere “entertaining.” It’s opening your home, your apartment, or taking someone to a restaurant, and saying, “let me share what I have with you. I’d like to get to know you better. I’d like to encourage you, if I might. And I hope we can enjoy each other’s company.” Will you do that? Habitually?

Peter anticipates a problem you and I might have with that. What does he say?

“Offer hospitality WITHOUT GRUMBLING.”  Why would we grumble? If I’m honest, I might grumble because it costs me my precious time, my precious money, and it forces me to rearrange my priorities. And in my sinful heart, I actually love those things more than people, and therefore I might start to grumble.

What keeps me from grumbling? Two things. First, it’s remembering what is “above all!”

Love is first. The Apostle Paul wrote, “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; the greatest of these is love.” Jesus said, “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another as I have loved you. By this all men will know you are my disciples if you love one another.”

Second, it is remembering the words of Jesus who said, “I was a stranger and you invited me in… I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me.”

When you show hospitality, guess who is coming to dinner? That’s right! Jesus.

As the pandemic recedes one of the great challenges for the church is to regain her commitment to hospitality. I’m not sure of the best way to do this. But over the next number of months ask God to show you ways to welcome others responsibly into your home.

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly.”

 Musing’s from Pastor John, June 13, Click to Email Pastor John

Pastor John’s June 13 message is at 10:00 AM on YouTube.