Hospitality comes from two greek words:
Philao – φιλό is one of several words for “love” in Greek. Being a more precise language than English, classical Greek has a few different ways to express the word “love.” In this case, the word that is used means “brotherly love” or “to love like a brother”.
Xenos – ξενος which makes up the second half of the word we render “hospitality” actually means “stranger” or “immigrant,” and is where we get the word xenophobia which is the fear of strangers/immigrants.
Most people have never really experienced hospitality, as opposed to being entertained. When you’re invited to your friends house for the game, go out for dinner together and your friend pays then you’re being entertained. Few of us have ever been in a strange place without our credit card or a hotel reservation with a restaurant.
But some of you have. You went on a short-term missions trip. You probably went to build a house or do some skits. The people were poor, much poorer than you. But after your program you were invited to one of the homes of the congregation. It wasn’t lavish, even if they were the wealthiest family in the church. They brought out some soft drinks and ice. Maybe a plate of fresh fruit. And you sat around making smiles and gestures to try and communicate with them while waiting for lunch. Someone brought a fan to cool you down a little. Lunch was a specially cooked chicken and lots of rice or corn. You ate first and your hosts only had a little at the end. Compared to back home, it really didn’t seem like much. But you knew, this was the best meal anyone in the whole village had made in months. And they made it for you.
That is hospitality. You, a stranger, are welcomed into someone’s home, welcomed to the best they have because you come in the name of the Lord Jesus. Maybe you’ve never experienced something like that. But if you have, you might know what its like to accept a costly gift from someone who doesn’t have anything to give. Even though its nothing to you, you treasure it because it cost so much to the one who gave it.
We might not be strangers to most people who invite us over for dinner or dessert or out for coffee. But our time at home has been an experience in receiving hospitality. One family makes a special meal for us, another prepares a fancy dessert, a stroller for our youngest, another takes our eldest to get a pedicure, another prays for us daily. Maybe sometimes you don’t hear thank you from us because we forget or we’re busy or whatever. I hope you know that we thank God for you. Every person that shares with us shows us the love of God, shows us that they care about us but also that God cares about us because he hears the prayers that you don’t. Thank you!
But lest you think your gift ends with us, don’t. When we live in Kyiv and invite someone over, they enjoy your hospitality, they share in your gift. They see that Jesus cares for them too. Usually we say thank you for sending us.
Today we say thank you for giving us your hospitality and for using the things you have to love us! Thank you for loving us like brothers!
Teaching Adventures 