THURSDAY
Remember, this week coming off of Serve Sunday, we are looking at what 1 Peter has to say about service in the church. For these last few days, we are looking at 1 Peter 4:7-11. Yesterday we looked at the call to love one another earnestly.
1 Peter 4:7–9 7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.
I wrote the following in a previous devotional from our Life Changing Community Campaign:
The root of the Greek word translated as hospitality is ξένος (xenos). The primary meaning of this word is pertaining to being unfamiliar because of something unknown. It is often translated strange. So when referring to a person it is usually translated as stranger or foreigner. In most New Testament passages, the prefix philo is added to xenos. As a noun Philo is usually translated friend. The verb form is love. Philadelphia literally means the city of brotherly love.
I usually try not to bore you with semantics and lexical definitions, but I am with this word because it carries a slightly different connotation than our word for hospitality. It’s a fine translation, but we just need to fill in a little around it to support the English meaning with the Greek meaning. Therefore, the clunky but fuller definition of the term for hospitality is friend of foreigners or one who loves strangers.
In the ancient world, this was most evidently displayed in welcoming a traveler into one’s home. In a world where travel was much slower and burdensome—fast food restaurants weren’t lining the highways—hospitality was vitally important and expected. In the Old Testament Law of Moses, hospitality was required. Therefore, it was a matter of faithfulness to God.
Hospitality is obviously an act of service to others. Loving and caring for those who are not like us should characterize the church. Packing meals for needy kids around the world is a way for us to show our love for foreigners and strangers who we will never meet.
We are to do so without grumbling. Again, if our service pours out of our love, compassion and humility, we will be able to show hospitality with a cheerful heart.
Reflection
Reflect on the love that you have for strangers. We can so easily become suspicious and fearful of strangers. This isn’t calling us to act foolish or negligent, but our general posture towards strangers should be one of love and not fear.