Beyond Sunday: Hospitality in a Culture of Hostility
Catch up: this week’s Sunday morning message.
We bear witness to walking with Jesus as we offer hospitality and prioritize the presence of Jesus to the presentation of Jesus.
Catch up: this week’s Sunday morning message.
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[Music] Hey guys, welcome to the Beyond Sunday podcast where we uh take the conversation beyond Sunday. We are talking this week about hospitality. But before we get into that, check out this video. [Music] Ridiculous. You're doing great. You're doing great. Thanks. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] [Music] Uh, all right. So, welcome back, Devin. Uh, tell us where we're at. We're in the enlarging the circle series, but where were we this week? What's our text or big idea? Or honestly, just whatever you
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want to offer. Oh, and just go anywhere. Yeah. But how hospitable of you. You're welcome. That was so nicely done. I know. You try to throw curve balls and I end up just standing there like countly and you really get better at me. I try to throw a curveball. I set that nicely on the tea for you. Is that what you think that was? Yeah. I was like, so we were in Luke 10 where Martha was trying to set things up really nice for Jesus and Mary was doing nothing. Doing nothing. She was sitting. Mhm.
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Listening. Mhm. Anyway, so we're in Luke 10 and the Mary Martha story. Jesus is over at Mary Martha's house and uh I This is always a hard text for me. Same for the same reason. Okay. So, um this is Luke 10:38-42. In this story, Jesus is over at Mary and Martha's house. Um and disciples are there, other people are there. Uh Martha's uh busy getting ready for the feast. The host will Yeah. while getting things ready. Mary is sitting at Jesus' feet while Jesus is teaching, talking, and she's listening
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to him. And so Martha in the scriptures as Martha comes in to where Jesus is at and tells Jesus, Jesus, tell Mary to come help me. Mhm. And uh Martha gets a little uh a response that maybe I don't know if she thought was coming her way of um Martha Mary has chosen well. Mhm. And um so as someone who uh Martha I would I would I would relate to that busyiness that getting ready and that preparation. I relate to that in my own personality and my own you know what's in my what's going through my head and things
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of just what needs to get done. Yeah, I I hear I read this passage and I'm like, how often am I choosing Mary? How often am I choosing well? Because in the scripture in Luke 10, it says that Mary has chosen well to be present and be with Jesus and sit at his feet. And um yeah, so that's where we were for a Sunday talking about hospitality because we weren't just there in Luke 10, we were also in Genesis 18. And in Genesis 18, Abraham and Sarah are uh their tent um and three travelers, visitors uh come
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and uh they bring them in um you know, wash their feet um tend to them, bake them bread, um you know, take a choice lamb um from the flock and barbecue and tend to them, give them water and courage and milk. So we read that part of Genesis 18 and the hospitality of these wanderers, strangers, visitors, right? Yeah. So this idea of hospitality um for me because that's that's as we read the both of those passages, it's just very clear like that's that's kind of the theme, the message in both of these.
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maybe um maybe it's a looks a little bit different but I think in both instances a lot of uh what we call what we call hospitality when we read those scriptures um is cultural at the time um like that some of that is just what you would do um that's the expectation of the culture and of the time but I also think that that's true for us now there's expectations um and that was some of what had talked about was this idea like I I mean there's like awards, there's books, there's articles, um you can get a
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degree in hospitality. I don't know if you know that, but you can get like a hospitality, there's like the hospitality trades um that you can or fields that you can work in. And so this idea like we talk about it a lot but for me what was sitting is like okay I don't actually know um when scripture because multiple places in scripture it actually tells us to be hospitable right so we we looked at two texts that are narratives um where people are uh or or part of the narrative is about hospitality but
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elsewhere in scripture it does say very clearly be hospitable tells us to show hospitality and so for me it was that um like I'm not sure that when we're told in scripture to show hospitality that it means what we think it means, right? Like do you have So, one of the things I was looking up was like it'll it tells you exactly the right level of cleanliness that your home needs to be because like too clean isn't really welcoming and inviting, but obviously messy is not. So, like
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there were articles that were literally like this is the level of cleanliness that your house should be and like here's the scents that are welcoming and hospitable and here's the ones that aren't and do you have the right towels out and you know whatever. Yeah. And so that's what I think we tend to think about. Um, so I even asked like to start the message. I was like, "Okay, so if I told you right now that somebody was coming to your house right after church, like do you feel prepared to be
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hospitable?" And people were like, cuz everybody's, you know, immediately you're like, "My gosh, there's dishes in the sink and I didn't, you know, piles of laundry and whatever that looks like." Um, but I'm not sure that's what hospitality means in scripture. Yes. And that that's even today sitting here today after Sunday beyond Sunday is this um idea of hospitality or characteristic of a hospitable person a character trait of of hospitality especially as we talk about
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hospitality and a culture of hostility um I I wonder if it's actually not even what we have perceived it to be of this like getting ready preparing a place because I I read Luke 10 and Jesus says Mary's chosen well um that I I wonder if in my activity and in my busyiness if actually I've I've replaced the presence of Jesus with the activity of preparing uh to be with Jesus or preparing others to encounter him. I've actually um prioritized one more of Martha, the activity, the
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business, preparing, getting ready, and I've left the other as like when I get there if I get to it. Or that then then I'll when everything's ready then, right, I'll be able to do that. Right. Yeah. Well, and and I think it's important to note and not like this people have noted this, but we all like Martha gets a bad rap a little bit, right? Um, but when Jesus does call her out or rebuke her or however you want to say that, it's not that what she's doing is wrong. Um, in fact, I also was struck
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by the fact it's Martha that w that invites him into their home in the first place. It says she's the one that welcomes him in. M um and so it's not that what she's doing is wrong to desire to like host well or prepare well. Um but there there seems to be a heart posture. Um so like I almost wonder if Martha hadn't have called out Mary, right? If there wasn't this like Jesus, look, she's sitting on her butt and doing nothing. Like make her come help me. um if it was more like yeah like
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Mary's sitting but this is how I'm preparing. Um, like I don't know. I just I think it's a heart posture thing that's being called out there. And I just wonder like I know uh there's spaces where um for me when pe when I'm hosting somebody or whatever like yeah there's a difference between like okay you you sit here and be here and I'm busy busy preparing things and getting things ready versus like just sitting and being. And that's something even this is
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funny. Brian and I were having a conversation after church on Sunday. Um and he called out like when we when we are in each other's homes that feeling because he said like oh like when we're at the Burton it's just like home and that cuz we're talking about what feels like a welcoming space. Um, but we're at the point in our families are at the point of relationship where there isn't a um there just isn't a pretense of like this has to be prepared or ready or look a certain way which actually feels more
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welcoming and inviting um because we get to just sit and be. There's no like you sit here and make yourself comfortable while I go get whatever. Um, and so there again that that idea of prioritizing presence. Um, we're here to be together. Yeah. Not to not to prepare things for you. I'm here to be with you. Yeah. Yeah. And I and I suppose that's where I land too in this. And and that's where I guess I was even on on Sunday was uh that what am I prioritizing? What are we prioritizing? We're prioritizing the
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presentation of Jesus um for it to to look and sound a certain way. How are we prioritizing the presence of Jesus that actually get to be with him and he wants and desires to be with us too? It isn't this is not a one-way kind of thing and it isn't if I'm faithful to pursue Jesus or desire his presence that then he'll turn and some like okay now I welcome you like it's been what you know it's the it's the prodical son it's the father who runs out to meet the son it's
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like I've always been here and I do desire to be with you um and actually delight in in you and being being together in the same way like God being with Adam and Eve in the garden walking in the cool of the morning. Like that just sounds super delightful. Yeah. Well, and I think that's that was another piece that we called out was like this is actually part of God's nature and character. He is a hospitable God. Yeah. And and we know that's true because we see it. Yes. both in how um uh how he
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designs things with Adam and Eve in the garden, but also that's what we see all throughout if we understand hospitality to be like there's a um uh recognizing that the person in front of me uh there's value. I see you and you have value. Um that's what God that's God and humanity is like I see you and you have value and I'm welcoming you in. We see that. We see God from the moment of the fall all the way through like continuing. I've prepared a place for you. I'm welcoming you in. I see you and
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you have value. I desire for you to to be here. Um so if that's true of God's character and nature and I'm created in his image, um then that's a part of how I'm designed to actually welcome and invite other people. Yes. And designed that I would host the the spirit of God and Yes. And also that that that's how we have been created, right? to um receive and host the spirit of God. And um uh and and then in in that way there there is that um uh deep intimate relationship connection
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with our creator that it isn't just him, God there, me here, but actually all of me. Yeah. Right. hosting the presence and the spirit of God which then is going to translate to the way that I show up and uh show hospitality to the people around me. Yeah. Because I think that's the if the idea here is like walking with Jesus um like it uh we said something about um we bear witness to walking with Jesus as we offer hospitality. Um and so there is something about the way like am I hospitable to the people in front of me,
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the people around me and that um maybe a little bit in contrast to last week's message or not in contrast but this is like another layer cuz last week that's another layer. Yeah. Yeah. We talked about loving your neighbor and and specifically the story of like um if we see people like the the story of the good Samaritan like people who are hurting who are broken um you know with those kinds of needs are we responding in that way to meet the needs of the the people that are in front of us in the everyday flow of life and so
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that as absolutely is an aspect of walking with Jesus but this idea of hospitality is like uh not not just necessarily when somebody when there's a need an obvious need in front of me but am I a welcoming presence um to the people around me, to the world in front of me, not in not because I've made my home that way, but do I uh welcome people in in a way that says like I value you. I see you and I value you. Um yeah, and that was um so we we got to we had to walk that out on Sunday night as
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we welcomed our neighbors in for neighbor neighborhood meeting. Um, and that was the the intent and also the spirit in the room even though not every neighbor was glad to be there or what the meeting was about but we're on the same page. Sure. But the idea of um at least from from Pastor Elmer and myself like we desire to um to love our neighbors and to um hear you like your your voice matters. Your presence is is welcomed here. And um and so then yeah, for an hour our neighbors shared all kinds of
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stuff and not all of it um good and not all of it easy. Um but that's that's actually an important note because my hospitality shouldn't be dependent upon how it's received, right? Or or um the the hostile environment around me. Yeah. So we actually got to live out hospitality and a culture of hostility. And um what I sensed even in the room in the midst of that for you know it was an over hour neighbor meeting with the neighbors that um that what I sense was that spirit of hospitality
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um uh it when there was a hostility or you know just a a disagreement like that helped to dissipate the hostility and the disagreement. We may not see the same see things see things the same way or agree in in every manner but it holy the hospitality dissipated the hostility that existed. Yeah. Because it says like there's space for you here. Yeah. Yeah. There's space for your presence. There's space for your voice. Um Yeah. That's good. Yeah. It's good. It's hard. Well, it's good. I mean, in
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in if we're going to have an honest conversation, it's it's hard. It's hard in hostility. Um, but I think that this kind of hospitality that we're talking about, um, this is actually harder than the hospitality that the world talks about, right? Because it's one thing to like, is my home clean? Do I always have extra food in the fridge just in case someone stops by or, you know, whatever. That's one thing. And that can that can be hard, we're busy, whatever. But there's something there's
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another level of vulnerability that says actually I might just sit here with you um and create space for you and recognize your value and and we also talked about like um are we good at receiving hospitality because sometimes it's easier actually to offer it well yes I will be hospitable to you but am I good at receiving that because that takes a vulnerability also um so so yeah I don't uh it's not always easy. No. And in fact, in fact, I think though um in the spaces where it's not, it
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actually you see more of of the impact if you're willing to show it. Well, it stands in contrast more, right? Well, absolutely stands in contrast to what's existing when it it is not easy or it's a difficult circumstance or situation to to to exist in in that space as a um well someone who is hosting the presence of God and someone who's willing to offer hospitality to those around them. Yeah. That's the evidence of walking with Jesus. Yes. Hey, you look different than the way
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most people would respond in a hostile environment. Yes. In a culture of hostility, most people are not responding hospitably. Correct. And so when you do Yeah. It stands in contrast. It stands in contrast. And I mean, even in a short amount of time, you see the the difference and the transformation that can occur because of what God is doing in the midst of I'm willing to show up in this in this kind of way. And um uh yeah. Well, that's actually a good point, too, because then that brings us
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back to the the reminder that um even though the the phrasing like that's evidence of walking with Jesus, because actually um there's certain environments or spaces that are so hostile that I actually can't show up hospitably if it isn't for the spirit within me, right? Yeah. Um, so in some in some instances I can choose to like turn on hospitality, but the the kind of hospitality we're talking about right now is like, yeah, actually the only way that's working is God's power in me. Um,
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because in my flesh, I'm responding in in with hostility. Um, right. Right. I'm responding like it's like the world would. Yeah. And does. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So, what's what's the chyros? What's God saying for you? Um it actually this the chyros in this one is to back to the early on I in Mary Martha's story but this statement I had in year of like uh intimacy is not increased with activity and even thinking about the neighborhood meeting like again I'm not showing up in
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that space if the uh presence and power of the Holy Spirit isn't uh with me and leading me in. I I was kind of tired going into that and was like, "Lord Jesus, uh I am going to need your ears to hear, your heart to to discern and perceive um your um yeah, your words to to offer because I just don't have enough of what it what's needed in that." And and um yeah, what I sense is I was quiet for quite a bit of it. Um but when I did speak it, it was it did sense like this is what God has
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space he's offered uh and the words to even in this moment whether it's in response to a statement made or to a concern that's that's uh existing in the room with one of our neighbors like here I I can't solve these problems for you or what you're navigating um but here's and what I sensed in that was like this is out of the the stillness within me and my soul to then offer a response or a question or whatever was needed in the moment. Uh sense that there was not out of a a
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hurriedness within me or an activity within me but out of the of just a stillness in my spirit and soul and actually my my body language is pretty still. Um but I but more internally though I wasn't I wasn't racing I have a sense my spirit was racing but still and um and the spirit was there's an intimacy with the spirit in that that then lets you offer an intimacy in the space. Yeah. It's good. Yeah. Sounds a good Yeah. Good reflection and um of that moment. God Yeah. Uh for me I think um
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this was one of those like in the in the middle of preaching or towards the end um it was like oh man I hadn't really thought about that but it felt like God was like uh it almost felt like as I was preaching God was like what about your hospitality towards me? Um, and I was thinking like this idea like we're talking about uh presence over presentation and this idea of like do I see the person in front of me and it's really not about making the environment or the space perfect or welcoming or
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whatever but it's like do I am I showing the person in front of me you have value which can can happen even if my house is a mess or my pantry is empty or you know whatever um the the case is um and so then I I think for me it's this like how often do I feel like um even in my like daily communion or interaction with God if it's like okay the this is what I've decided is the right environment that I can be hospitable to Jesus so when I wake up on time it's quiet in the house
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I can have my coffee and light a candle and whatever no I don't know not having that I mean I'm like probably nice to Jesus when I wake you think so oh gosh okay I'm not that nice um I don't nap because I don't wake up nice, right? But that's not what I was talking about. Well, I was just offering maybe it's in also that space. Yeah, pro. Okay. Probably. Okay. It would be a test. Okay. Yes. No. So, I'll be over here like desperately needing a nap and I'm like,
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"Don't fall asleep cuz you're going to be mean." Um but but how often do I have I like on those days when I wake up and you know whatever all the things are right then it's like me and Jesus and we're going to sit down and have time and on the days when it's not it's like well I can't actually host Jesus well today so try again tomorrow Lord um and and obviously that's not a conscious thing necessarily but this recognition of like actually do I value the presence
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um or have I decided as a Martha like not just uh that that and that really is more of an internal thing um like internally uh Jesus you're welcome into every spot even when I'm in chaos and that for me um kind of I guess like you just talked about Sunday morning um felt really chaotic and it felt uh externally it was chaotic and that you know it was one of those Sundays where um we just had a lot of people gone some that I knew about and some that I didn't and so that meant Sunday morning we're like making
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adjustments like in real time as we're going and so there was chaos in that. Um we got home really late the night before. So just like one of those but also just like I just woke up and I just felt like my spirit and my mind were in chaos. Um and not from any one thing. It just was like I just cannot settle. And so I was all morning was like literally just like God fill in the gaps. That was almost like all I could pray was like Lord uh there are spaces I am not enough today. um whether because
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I'm tired or I just can't even focus on whatever the thing is. So fill in the gaps. Um and so I think even in that like I'm actually not prepared to host you very well today, Lord. Um because everything in here is chaotic. Um like you just woken up from a nap. It was like okay. Yeah. Like a sleep and nap. So whatever. That's just being in a that's just being in a bad mood all the time. That's terrible. Um but I did I just um I sensed as I in that time God was like yes it matters how you show
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hospitality to others but first um I don't actually need your your internal spiritual space to be a perfect environment. I just need you to welcome me in and and to to host my presence well as just to recognize like you know who you're hosting and and um just to be Yeah. Is that Revelation 3? So that's really funny that you just said that because after church so again this is one of those Sundays we I get done on Sunday and I'm like still even like I don't even I'm not actually sure
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what I just said. I don't know what just happened. Like you know I'm like oh my god this was such a mess. and somebody a family that was visiting came up and he goes, "Oh my gosh, that was such a good word." He goes, "It reminds me of Revelation 3." Um, and so yeah, stand at the door. Yep. That's exactly what he said. So, yes, that Yeah, we're good. Um, and in this, we love the twists and turns of of this conversation of Beyond Sunday, what God still stirring in us. um what happens and
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takes place on Sunday, even conversations later or uh meetings with neighbors later in the in the evening and um even to today when is God still stirring in us. And so thank you for listening and watching in this episode and we hope and pray that your conversation is uh going beyond Sunday. And that you can laugh with people cuz right that would be no fun if we could. Yeah, that's always good. So hopefully you're laughing too. [Music]
