HOSPITALITY

So, I hope you have had a nice Valentine’s Day weekend.   You know, for some people,  there is always a down side to Valentine’s Day.  For those in love, it can be intoxicating.  For those not so lucky, it can be like a  bad hang over.

My wife and I met while were students at seminary.  Now for me, it was love at first sight; but for Ellen, well, it took a while longer for her to come to appreciate my considerable beauty, intelligence & charm. J  So during our first year of seminary in early February, I asked Ellen, “Do you have a date for Valentine’s Day.”  She replied,

·       “Yes. February 14th,” and then she hurried away.

 Well, I was devastated, but I still loved her. So by the time the next February came, I decided to try her again.  I asked her, “Do you want to go with me to the seminary Valentine’s Day dance?”

·       She replied, “I can’t. I have a medical condition?”

·       “Oh, what‘s that? “I asked.

·       She replied, “You make me sick to my stomach.” With that, she put her hand over her mouth, and then ran to the ladies Room.

Well, it took another year to heal my broken heart.  Since seminary was a 3 year program, I had one last chance to take out my true love on Valentine’s Day. So, I summoned up my courage and  asked her, “Ellen, would you like to out and see a movie with me on Valentine’s Day?”

·       Ellen looked at me and said, “No, thank you.   I have seen that one already.”

Well, I could tell that she was really beginning to warm up to me; and believe or not, my love was returned and that autumn, when we got married on Halloween.

I wonder if you have ever attended a dinner party like the one that Jesus attended in today’s Gospel. He knew nobody there; and nobody made any effort to talk to him, because Jesus was considered to be not a person, but a curiosity.

·       The hosts and the guests had already made up their minds against Him; and they were expecting to find ways to humiliate him.

·        Not only that, but the host did not welcome or even speak to Him.  Further, the host had violated the norms of hospitality by not providing a servant to wash Jesus’ feet, while that servant had washed the feet of everyone else.

PAUSE

Then, to the amazement of everybody, the town whore comes walking in.   Unbeknownst to the religious leaders, who may had previously used her  services,  she had changed her ways.  Jesus knew her, because he had previously told her of God’s love.  In turn, this woman had confessed her sins and received forgiveness.   And probably, for the first time in years, she learned that she was important to God and important to Jesus’ followers.  The Jesus followers actually cared about her and offered her the precious gift of friendship.

·       No—this women’s greeting and hospitality came straight from her heart. There was nothing casual or superficial about it. She showed Jesus extravagant love by anointing his feet in a manner fit for a king.

The Bible tells us to “Greet one another with a strong embrace” and to “practice hospitality.”   There is supposed to be a difference between the way the world shares greeting & hospitality, and the way Christians do.

·       I am sorry to admit, but sometimes the greetings and hospitality that I share are thoughtless rituals, which I do automatically, without feeling.  It is just a knee jerk response.

But the sort of greeting and hospitality that Christians are called to share, is where we make an intentional effort to connect with the other person.  Jesus calls us to use our greeting and hospitality to tell someone that he/she is are important to us, at least for that moment.  

This is what Christian greetings and hospitality are all about:  Just as Jesus greeted us and has extended the hospitality of His eternal kingdom to us, so we are called to do likewise to one another…as we seek to love one another they way Jesus loves us.

Love is not just an emotion, or a feeling, or romance, or a movie plot, or a poem or a song.

Love is action, sacrifice, serving others, giving, doing good, blessing & praying

During this sermon series, we have been encouraging to release the Love within you.  Likewise, our video says the same thing: Don’t bottle up your love, but let it pour out and change the world -- your community & your family.  With every deed, great or small, love comes to life.

You see, Jesus is challenging us to find opportunities to share love.  Each time we encounter a person is an opportunity to ennoble the other person by verbally and/ or physically reaching out to him or her, to let that individual  know that you care about him or her because Jesus also cares.

This is so crucial--- because we live in a world where people are always tearing other people down by being rude, angry, manipulative,  even apathetic.   Do you realize that when you greet someone that your encounter may end up becoming the best thing that has happened to that person on that day?  Think of that!  God can use your greeting to touch someone.    But even beyond that, who you greet and practice hospitality has a huge impact on eternity:

Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another.

⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right,

Reader: ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you .”

 “FJ—“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

 “ Jesus reader: “The King will reply, ‘truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

So, likewise,   practice hospitality/ angels

Remember, a warm greeting can have an impact on eternity.  Jennifer and John Peterson joined Christ Church 3 year ago, and have become very involved in our church.  I once asked Jenn how they came to join our church, and she told me a story about being greeted by several people on their first Sunday; and those same people greeted item again the following Sunday; and so it continued, until the Petersons were loved into joining our church family. Now, along with us, we are all together, on the road to eternity.

So, remember the words of Jesus, just as you have greeted and included the least of my sons and daughters, so you have done it unto me. Amen.

--The Rev. John Donnelly