13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
The word practice and the word persecute are the same. We should be pursuing hospitality with the same fervor that our enemies persecute. Wow, I never thought about opening my home and heart to visitors as something to be pursued with great amounts of energy. You have to remember, there were not Holiday Inns during Jesus’ lifetime. Remember the stable birth! People opened their homes to provide safety and security to travelers. There was a cultural obligation to make sure visitors had a meal and a place to sleep. This is such a foreign concept to us. To be honest, I am having a hard time contextualizing this to our American culture. But notice that this intense pursuit of hospitality is preceded by sharing with fellow believers who are in need. Maybe I can’t find a cultural match for hospitality, but I sure can meet the needs of believers who have less than I do. There are believers around the world who need my plenty. It is my privilege to share, to fill their want with my abundance, that there might be equality. I know I am not doing enough. There is much greater need than the provision God is funneling through me can meet. That is where you come in. I am one part of the body, you are another. If we each meet the needs God places in our sphere of influence, the world will be changed for Jesus. Maybe that is hospitality.
The Arnold Journey 