Beyond Sunday: Hospitality in a culture of hostility (November 5, 2025)
Catch up: this week’s Sunday morning message.
Sometimes we find ourselves alone, yet God is with us. He has not abandoned us and draws us closer to Him. In His presence we approach with a humble spirit desiring to be ever closer. As we walk with Jesus do we approach God with a humble spirit?
Catch up: this week’s Sunday morning message.
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All right, everyone. Welcome back to the Beyond Sunday podcast. This is the space where we get to come together and take the conversation that begins on Sunday morning and go a little bit deeper, go a little bit further. Um, our desire is that there's a space to talk about what God might still be saying. Um, and today we get to have Max with us again. Max, how are you doing tonight? >> Doing great. >> Awesome. Uh Max preached at NextStep uh while I was away um on on an [music] anniversary vacation. So thanks Max for
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for stepping in there. >> What you're saying is you're fresh. >> I'm so ready for this. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I'm I mean always, but like maybe officially now. Uh so we'll get to the the conversation in just a minute, but before we do, check out this video. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] [music] >> All right, welcome back everyone. So, uh, this week, Max, why don't you tell us where we were at or what the big idea
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was, uh, in this Walking with Jesus formation series? >> Yeah. So, this week, um, I think appropriately enough, it was we were talking aboutos hospitality in a time of hostility, >> which it kind of uh feels all too familiar for a lot. >> Yeah. >> Um, so we uh that was what we talked about, which it was great. There just there was an energy this this week, >> you know, with people missing and and here and there. Just started right away with uh music and and it there was
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definitely an energy there. So it made it made it fun actually. >> Yay. Spirit showed up. >> Yep. [laughter] For sure. That's good. >> Good stuff. So where uh Devin, where were you at in the text this week? >> Um we kind of were um went follow a couple of the revised common lecture scriptures. Isaiah 1, Psalm 32, really to the to land at at Luke 19 with Zakius and and Jesus encountering Zakius um coming through Jericho uh and but but using and utilizing um scriptures Isaiah
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1 and just the uh what's Israel is navigating uh and and that they've offered all this worship but they haven't offered their heart. They've offered a lot of religious uh tradition and um and sacrifice and God's like I I'm going to hide my face from you. You offer me prayers and I'm not showing up. And uh because they their heart was not where God was attuned to God. And then Psalm 32 is this like David's confession before God that in the confession that David offers God, it there's like a
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lifting of a a weight or a burden and that God um sees him and forgives him. uh to then land in in Luke 19 with Zakius who seemed to put all of this together that Jesus encounters Zakius and you see those religious leaders who are around like they're questioning why is Jesus going to a sinner's house and in the in the encounter with Zakius Zakius repents and confesses and uh desires to make things right in his encounter with Jesus. And that is a stark contrast to what uh how this story started, you
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know, when he counters that he just climbed up a tree to go to see him walk through >> and then Jesus saw him, pointed him out. He's like, I'm I'm coming to your house. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, Max, were you also in some of those same places or where were you where were we at in the text? >> I'm all over the place, right? I'm all over the board here. I uh you know, so I actually when I start trying to to you know, I look I start the title with hospitality. So I look up
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>> literally, you know, my different scriptures and stuff, hospitality and the words hostility. So I actually started uh in Romans. >> Uh I danced around in Romans a little bit around uh uh chapter 12 uh with uh share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. [snorts] Yeah, >> I started there and then I went to before I got into Zakius, I I went to Job actually. >> Um because just, you know, as I was uh kind of praying and going through this, there was a part where where Job says,
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um, you know, but no stranger had to spend the night. You remember that? Where he says, "No stranger has to spend the night in the street. Um, my door is always open." And that of, you know, it kind of kicked me into gear with, you know, it's easy to be hospitable when we're happy, >> right? Good. >> But, um, to to live a life, uh, to be hospit to make, um, being hospitable a priority, >> Job with everything he went to. And then um you know I talked a little bit about
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um you know what Peter said and then went into Zakius. >> Yeah. >> Again like you just said you know what I I found it with Zakius. Um I was reading that and then on the way in in the morning um something like Sunday morning I was going in there and I was thinking okay you got Zakius uh where you talked about he repents right that is a change of heart right because he was a bad dude really right? He was a chief tax collector, right? He was not thought of very highly. So, could you imagine in
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today's day and age Jesus coming and going into pick somebody who's not very wellliked in the news, Jesus goes them. Everybody would be like, whoa, what? >> Yeah. >> You know, >> yeah. >> Where we need to be. We need to go to [snorts] where we're, you know, desire or or needed. And uh so then I also used uh if you go back in Luke just a little bit to uh you know the Pharisees invite Jesus in and the woman cleans his feet with her tears and her hair. So you had
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kind of two you know let's bring Jesus in. But only on one side of that did did one really have a change of heart. Right. The Pharisees were like come on in check out you know whatever. >> Yeah. And it took a a sinner, a poor woman um to kind of get that parable across where um Zakius, you know, that to me was just a really fascinating uh kind of example of the same kind of scenario where one person recognized and the other the other group did not. >> Yeah. Yeah. It it came to mind too
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leading into Sunday was that Zakius, the story of Zakius, so we we've sung it as kids. Maybe we've grown up in church and it we can I have a tendency in these kinds of stories to read through it. Like I already know it. I know the story of Zakius. He climbs up a tree. He's short. He can't see. He wants to see Jesus. He comes in. I'm coming to your house. But the if we slow down long enough to recognize like like you just mentioned a chief tax collector. So amongst the Jews not not uh well he said
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not wellliked like he's probably hated. I mean, it's really like I just when I see you coming, I'm going to duck down an alley and avoid your presence because I don't one I don't I don't you're you're unethical and immoral. Um and if I'm near you, maybe you're going to take more of my money, which I'm I'm just not going to stick around for that. And so likely among Jews, not a lot of friends yet. He is Jewish by birth. And um and that's who, you know, that's who Jesus
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calls out. I'm I'm coming to your house. and y >> um you know in this place like he's only got other like castaways >> at his house. That's who's going coming to his house. That's why the the the other Jewish the leaders and Pharisees are like he's he's going to a sinner's house. And I was like that's all who's going to be friends of this person. Uh because likely they're getting a cut or whatever. They're like if we're friends
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with you maybe won't take as much. But again like even the moment where he's Zakius is in the house and is like I am um you know he's is is offering restitution um because of uh you know Jesus is like salvation has come to this house but he's he's offering um to pay back four times as much half of his possessions and uh you know if I don't slow down long enough I can think like that just seems like it might just be off the top and it won't Right. >> But a deeper dive in looking at it like
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actually this is going to cost him. >> It's not just a like, oh, this isn't a big deal. I've actually have so much >> like I have have a billion dollars uh a million and still going to have, you know, quite a bit of money, >> right? But this is a significant amount, significant portion where he's he's like, "Okay, I want to I want to pursue righteousness and I recognize I haven't." >> And that's the confession piece with him. And then that then comes with this
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uh restitution and generosity >> for hospitality. I also also think that it's funny that this one comes on the on the heels of Halloween, right? Halloween was a few days prior to this uh this last Sunday where we were offering hospitality in a culture of hostility. Um and my neighborhood fills up in Halloween. Lots of people come out and they're going door to door and um you know, row after or street after street after street. And it was not a great night weather-wise. >> And yet we still had masses of people
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coming. Um and I and our we open our home uh for Halloween. People come over and you know have some hot soup and hot cocoa and people stay for a little while then they continue on. And you know it was it took a three-year-old to out on the porch like hey they're coming. They're coming. Let's get ready. We're welcoming people as they come to to get their get their treats and whatnot. But that moment and I shared it on Sunday. that moment was I need reminders to know what this kind of hospitality looks
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like. >> Yeah. >> And it took a three-year-old to remind me here here's a way here's a way this hospitality looks in in the world. >> Yeah. I think also with the so the story of Zakius is one of my favorites. Um because I also I just think the the level of hospitality that we see Jesus offer to Zakius. So, so the transformations Zakius goes through and then the way that he Yeah. the the restitution, the generosity, and even so then out of that there is this like hospitality kind of
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piece that we see in Zakius, but it's first modeled in Jesus and it's in such a um I I did a series on this like a number of years back, but in it Jesus essentially is answering questions um that if we can answer these, if we if we pause long enough to notice these or to ask these questions of somebody and be able to answer them, um it creates a space that says like you're welcome here and you're wanted here, right? And so he knows uh Zakius's name. He recognizes like I know who you are. I know what
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you've done, but I also know like what you can do. I I see the potential in you. That's a reason I'm willing to like stop and call you out and and desire to spend time with you. Um and so there's something I think for for me even in this story like hospitality can look like so many different things because we think hospitality and a lot of times we think like um yeah, is my table set well? do you you know have I fed you well or whatever. And it can look like that, but it can also look like uh me
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pausing long enough to have an interaction with somebody that uh even even tonight um we were so just when I got here uh we were at your son's basketball game, people everywhere. And um even two things that come to mind, somebody who I know marginally um comes over Sarah and and is like, "Oh my gosh, hi Shay." And I'm like, I can't believe you know my name. And there's this moment of like, I mean, we've had a few conversations and interactions, but in that moment, I'm like, that's
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[clears throat] so great that you know my name and that you remember my name. Um, and then another girl was there from here that goes to youth here and she came over to me three or four times and gave me a hug and we have this conversation and there's something in that of like um I got to show hospitality to this girl tonight and she's, you know, her her story is not everybody's showing hospitality to her, but in that space I watch her face light up and she goes, "Oh my gosh, it's so
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good to see you and like are you are you still going to be here Sunday?" And we get to have a conversation where I get to give her a hug. And in that moment, like I I didn't welcome her to my home. I didn't feed her a meal, but I do get to know her name and I do get to know her story. And so there's something in what Jesus models in that that's like, hey, even you said at the top, Max, this like >> am I going to live in such a way that like I I actually embody hospitality in
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whatever space I show up in. Um and that I'm looking for the opportunities to like let somebody know, hey, you're wanted and you're welcomed. Um you matter. Am I bringing that energy? Uh, and we'll use the word hospitality day daytoday, right? It's a welcoming kind of a, you know, no matter where I'm at. Um, what kind of a vibe, if you will, do I put off, right? I, you know, when you said that, you know, Zakius, I was the same way. I was thinking, you know, I knew the story and then you kind of
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picture this, you know, cute little guy in a tree. Hey, >> do you think that he's fat? Cuz in every story ever, like every picture, always draw him like short and fat. >> Well, because he's taxing. He's supposed to be like a wealthy, you know. >> Okay. But he climbed a tree. He can't be that fat, >> right? That's true. >> Well, Sycamore trees actually are really easy to climb. >> Yeah. Right. >> They are. The sycamore fig trees are very easy to climb.
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>> So, like a big guy could do it. >> Yeah, it's it's like the best tree climbing things in in that area, >> right? [laughter] >> Sorry. >> It's okay. So that's what I you know I was like I you know he was not wellliked right so people that's a important part of the story right is >> that Jesus said hey yeah I'll go to your house for dinner >> to recognize >> the change in his heart right that is a hugely impactful part of the story but
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you know it's >> kind of fun >> well and I wonder if that's not and I don't I mean I guess some of this we have to to maybe infer, but I wonder if some of that too isn't where that that change of heart. So, yes, it's Jesus and he has an encounter with Jesus. And so, that's powerful. We know that to be true, >> but I also wonder if some of that change of heart isn't like, "Hey, somebody somebody saw past what I've done. Somebody saw past the the job that I
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hold or even the way I've treated people um enough to say, hey, I'd like to sit at your table and I'd like to spend some time with you." And um I mean, I don't know, we see that. We know that that's true, right? We make movies about this and whatever, but like some there's something about somebody pausing long enough to say, "Hey, I like I'll even notice you or have a conversation with you. I'll sit down and have a meal with you. You matter that much." And that can
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be that can alter someone's life. >> Yeah. Right. Am I going to be the guy that says, "Okay, come on in and have dinner and just listen and enjoy and get to know." or am I going to be more like the Pharisees and come on in and check out my house and and check out, you know, it's two vastly different approaches to >> being hospitable, if you will. Right. >> Yeah. >> Well, and I'm reading this book right now that you gave me, Under the Overpass, I think it's called. Mhm.
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>> So, Max, it's this book. Um, this guy and a and a friend of his, uh, he's a they're college students. Um, and then there they have this strong conviction of like, uh, essentially not having any context for what it is to actually be in need, to live homeless or to to have that level of need. And so, uh, one of the things he talks about in in the book is, um, like even driving to hear a sermon where people will tell you, um, like you need to care for the the poor and whatever.
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And he's like, we drive 20 minutes past poor people to hear about how to care for poor people and then drive home. And so this whole idea and so what they do is they spend five months, I think, um, living on the streets. They they leave everything that they have behind. They take guitars and a backpack and that's it. Um, and so it's like their journey and and their encounters. And I'm only like maybe halfway through. Um, but it's it's just fascinating and convicting, I guess. Um,
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because there's even what we're talking about right now, there's something about and and maybe this is the piece landing for me. There's something about hospitality that ties into the even just noticing. Do you notice? Because we're really good, I think, at uh shielding or guarding our eyes um or our our focus, right? Um, and so there's something all of Jesus's ministry, he's noticing the people and the needs around him. And that's true for Zakius, too. And so that
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hospitality comes from or it starts with a uh willingness to notice, to have our eyes open and to be aware. Um, and that's what, you know, in the book, they talk a lot about that like um just how invisible or or how um how much people avert their eyes and and don't notice. Um M >> we're only looking for the things where they're like I'm comfortable with that. >> Mhm. >> That's so that's a place I can say yes to. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah.
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>> Go on. >> As we bring this uh to a close, what is the chyros from Sunday? What's but God still saying or still stirring within us? Uh and how are is he inviting us to respond? Uh so for me it's it's uh hospitality is witness. That was one things one of the things that uh I had in my notes and just has continued on. Again I think the example during Halloween and this three-year-old of like they're coming, they're coming, let's come on, let's get ready, let's go
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greet them and meet them before they even get to the door. And and the joy and the exuberance that was expressed in this little this little toddler. Uh but that using hospitality as witness like when if I have that kind of joy and excitement to welcome others in whether it's a hug at a at a basketball game or just like I know someone's name and I I you know I meet their gaze and I'm like hey I see you or if it is something as much as you know um at the at the home and sitting around the table. Uh but can
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do I see this as an opportunity of of witness witness of the goodness of God witness of uh uh him welcome me into his presence. And so that's the chyros for me of in the the spaces that he's called me and maybe not even the spaces maybe it's just internally how am I how am I in saying yes to Jesus and living and orienting myself is my hospitality being a witness and a testimony >> to who God is and how he's welcomed me in. >> Yeah, it's good. Well, I like witness my
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chyros. Um I would say would be uh just because really a lot of this kind of came to me as I was driving to church is is in hospitality is the giving part of hospitality and not just a not just a uh [clears throat] you know a social kind of a >> ga gathering you know g you're giving of your time of your energy of your you know so it really kind of shifted when I started thinking about job and >> really will I have that kind strength no matter what's going on in my life to always bring forth kind of that um
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welcoming hospitable vibe, right? I think it's so important. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Uh I think for me, and this is this is not the first time I've had this Chyros reminder, um but it's that it is that noticing piece. Um it's a it's a a slowing down enough because I think you know this story sits right before Jesus goes into Jerusalem. So, this is like Jesus is walking towards the cross. Like he's he's headed towards kind of the big thing. Um, and he takes time for this.
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And I just know that um I can get really focused on the things I'm supposed to be doing or the the tasks or the to-do list or you know I can be really busy um and about the work of good things or about the the ministry um and I can use that as an excuse to not notice or not have time to pause and um recognize somebody. So that reminder of like um what matters and if I desire to if I desire for hospitality but to be my witness then I actually have to have my eyes opened and and aware um and ask maybe some of that
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too is just asking God to uh to show me the places he desires me to pause and to welcome people in. Um >> yeah, I'd say both of your chyros is actually landing in a space of like today today these are true >> and so what what might God be speaking into today in regards to hospitality no matter the circumstance or actually better yet when they are really difficult and I don't want to be hospitalitable uh uh am I will I choose it will I will I open up space >> yeah well both of those things actually
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sit in yours So when when I choose hospitalos hospitality regardless of my circumstance or when I do pause to take notice that's the witness that says hey something's different here actually this doesn't look like what everything else looks like. >> Yeah. >> It's like a communal chyros. Is that a thing? [laughter] >> I think we all just had one together. >> Yeah. No, it's good. >> Yeah. Group chyros. >> All right. Well, thank you uh thanks for
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listening. Thanks for for joining us. Um, as always, our prayer is that these are the kind of conversations you're having. Um, we get to we get to have these and and talk about what God's still saying. Um, but we want that for you, too. So, uh, if you have people that you can wrestle through the text or wrestle through conversations with, we want to, um, that's our prayer for you. And so, until next time, have a great week.
