Do you like hosting events? Or do you prefer to be a guest and just show up, maybe with a present or a side dish? Or are you not a party person and prefer to stay home with a good movie or book? 

Hospitality is such a fun topic to talk about. There are so many fun events you can host, either at your own home or out at some other fun location. You can host birthday parties, retirement parties, dinner parties, surprise parties, or even simpler gatherings like game nights, movie nights, girls nights, or sleep overs. I love having people over to my house and getting to spend time with my friends, whether it is a big gathering that I put a lot of effort into or a smaller, more casual gathering with just a couple close friends. 

While spending time with friends is great, that is not the full extent of what hospitality is and not always what the Bible means when we read about hospitality. One passage that shows us a different definition of hospitality is Matthew 25:34-40, which says: 

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. ‘Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” 

Do you need to read that again? There is nothing in there about having your besties over for a fun get together or throwing a party to celebrate someone or something. That does not mean that we are not allowed to have our friends over, but is instead something to think about when we may be tempted to say that our spiritual gift is hospitality when we really just like throwing parties with our friends. 

I feel like this goes so well with my post on humility a few weeks ago. The biblical description of hospitality is so focused on those who are not going to be able to “repay” us, which ties in with what we talked about with true humility not being about what we will get in return, but instead being focused on helping others. 

While the passage above may make it seem like hospitality is only for strangers or the least of these, it is important to remember that someone doesn’t have to be “the least of these” for us to show them that kind of hospitality. We can still show biblical hospitality to our friends and family when they are in need of practical help. 

When I think about that passage, I start thinking about ways that I can show biblical hospitality to others. One thing that pops into my head is bringing a meal to a family who just lost a family member, someone who just had a surgery, or a family who just had a baby. Whenever families at my church go through one of those big life changes, there is usually a sign up for people to bring meals. While that may not sound hospitable at the surface, it is giving up of time, effort, and money to bless another family who is getting used to a new normal way of life. And remember, hospitality isn’t always just hosting people at your house! 

I am not saying that having friends over is not important; it is definitely important to surround ourselves with a good community. I love hosting and attending parties as much as the next person! We just need to remember that there are other important ways to show hospitality and care for people who we may not be inviting to those parties as well. That may even include offering your home (or guest room) for someone who has nowhere to live, like a missionary who is visiting to raise support or someone who is looking for a job and is unable to pay rent for a few months. 

Whether you are ready and willing to open up your home to others or not, there are so many ways to be hospitable, especially with the holidays coming up. So plan that Friendsgiving or Christmas party, but also be on the lookout for other ways to be hospitable to people who are not getting invited to those parties! 

Abbi