I feel like hospitality has sort of gotten lost over the years. We have missed the point and made it about a clean house with great decorating and an impressive spread of food. Those things are no doubt nice and even lovely but, still not the point. Take for instance this scripture from the book of Luke:
As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. “Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.”
The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.” (Luke 10: 38-42) The main course was RELATIONSHIP and CONNECTION. This can be done in cleanliness, beauty and good food and it can be done in a mess with bad coffee and store bought cookies. People just want to be thought about. They want to feel welcome, heard, and safe. So, this season take a deep breath and think about what is important. You can cut yourself a ton of slack by letting go and making your guests the priority and not all the other stuff. Don't be shy to extend invitations, either. People love to be invited and included. Hospitality blesses the heart of Jesus.
Written by,
Dee M. Kostelyk
