Hospitality

Hospitality: the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guest, visitors, or strangers. In today’s readings, we have two examples of hospitality separated by over 1,800 years. And yet, in each of the stories, we see demonstrated examples of hospitality that have the same components. In each of them there is cordial reception, listening, and then “entertaining.”

When we use the word “stranger,” the idea of hospitality is probably not at the top of what we might be thinking. And yet, in today’s first reading, Abraham is visited not by three close friends but by three strangers. He graciously receives them, even imploring them to stay, rest, and eat. Here is the very interesting aspect of this story of hospitality: hospitality feeds on hospitality. As the host, Abraham very kindly urges the strangers to stay. As a result, the strangers invite him to go ahead and do as he said. The strangers – in a very real way – have now become hosts as well.

In the Gospel, Jesus stops at the home of Martha and Mary. In this story, both Martha and Mary become hosts, even though at first glance it might not appear so. Jesus seems to say “Martha, you are going about this hospitality thing all wrong. You’re doing all this busy stuff, and in so doing you are practicing hospitality, but not completely.” But Martha leaves out a very important component of hospitality: listening.

So, to make sure we understand what hospitality is all about and how it comes about, we are told about Mary, who sits at the feet of Jesus and listens. Jesus takes what Mary is doing and couples it with what Martha is doing to let us know that both are integral parts of hospitality. Real hospitality involves both listening and doing. As Jesus counsels Martha, He in fact becomes host, graciously helping Martha understand the true meaning of hospitality.

What does real hospitality mean for you?  Do you give your friend, your guest, or a complete stranger an opportunity to be host along with you?

- Deacon John Murrell