HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 183
page A181
• G E NE SI S 2 4 :3 2 | So the man went home with Laban, and Laban unloaded the camels,
gave him straw for their bedding, fed them, and provided water for the man and the camel
drivers to wash their feet.
The basics of good hospitality—a welcome mat, a place to stay, food to eat—are simple
acts of kindness that can be offered by almost anyone.
Does everyone need to practice hospitality, or is it a special gift for just
a few?
• R O MA NS 1 2 :1 3 | Always be eager to practice hospitality.
• 1 PE T E R 4 :9 | Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.
• 3 J O H N 1 :5 | You are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who
pass through.
• H E B R E W S 1 3 :2 | Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done
this have entertained angels without realizing it!
• I SA I A H 5 8 :7 | “Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless.”
• MAT T H E W 2 5 :3 5 -3 6 | “I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a
drink. . . . I was sick, and you cared for me.”
What is the most important part of hospitality?
• L U K E 1 0 :4 2 | “There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered
it, and it will not be taken away from her.” (See note on page 933.)
The most important part of hospitality is the sharing of ourselves and our Lord with others.
The Bible mentions both elaborate meals (Genesis 18:1-8; 2 Samuel 3:20) and spontaneous get-togethers (Acts 10:23). Don’t be intimidated by hospitality, thinking you must
prepare big meals and clean the house. Just share yourself.
Is hospitality more than the way we welcome others into our homes?
• 2 T I MOT H Y 1 :1 6 | May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family
because he often visited and encouraged me. He was never ashamed of me because I was
in chains. (See note on page 1097.)
Hospitality reaches beyond our own homes to places of confinement such as hospitals,
nursing homes, or prisons.
How can I show Jesus hospitality?
• R E VE L AT I O N 3 :2 0 | “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and
open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” (See note on
page 1155.)
Jesus wants to be your guest, not only in your home but also in your heart. He knocks at
the door of your heart and home, wanting to come and fellowship with you. What are you
waiting for?
PROMISES FROM GOD
• H E B R E W S 1 3 :2 | Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done
this have entertained angels without realizing it!
• MAT T H E W 2 5 :3 5 -3 6 | “For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me
a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. . . . I was sick, and you cared
for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.”
HelpFinder
While hospitality in extra measure is certainly a gift, we are all called to practice hospitality
as best we can, for it is a true act of kindness, and it encourages and strengthens others. It
is also an expression of gratefulness for what God has done for us.
H
• L U K E 1 4 :1 2 -1 3 | “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet . . . invite the poor, the crippled,
the lame, and the blind.”