Expect to Meet Jesus

Yesterday, we reflected on the ancient Christian belief that showing hospitality to the immigrant, the traveler, the foreigner, or the stranger was a way of encountering the holy presence of God.

I was looking at a recent study of thriving churches across the United States and was not surprised to see that many of these healthy churches practice something called radical hospitality—radical in the sense that it’s rooted in who they are.

Scholars tell us that the early church grew from a few disciples into a massive movement for this very reason. It wasn’t just the sharing of the gospel in words—it was the extraordinary character of Christian hospitality. The way they treated and served outsiders made all the difference.

Not judgment.
Not defensiveness.
Not self-preservation.

It makes sense, doesn’t it? If you’re expecting Jesus to meet you at any moment—as a stranger—you begin to see people in a whole new light. You treat them differently.

A lot of times, we are fearful or distrustful of strangers—especially people who look different from us, believe differently from us, or come from different parts of the world.

I don’t know about you, but I probably need to pray for the grace to be more hospitable to strangers.

The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Rome: Let love be genuine… Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

The Apostle Peter writes: Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins… Offer hospitality… without grumbling.

And in the book of Hebrews we read: Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Let us pray: We thank you for your love for us, O God. We thank you for coming to us when we least expect it. I pray that by your grace we would serve as instruments of your mercy, love, and peace. In Christ’s name. Amen.