Have you ever stayed at an AirBnB or a VRBO? I have, and my experience has been pretty positive. There is something nice about getting a whole house to stay in rather than a hotel room (often for the same price). This phenomenon has been going on for a while now, and there are a lot of houses to choose from when looking at places to stay. Most of them are fairly normal houses, but there are some standouts. For example, the “Bamboo House,” in Bali. This “house” is a treehouse made entirely out of bamboo. Or what about the glass houses in Finland? These are modern igloos that give you view of the Northern Lights. If either of those don’t excite you, consider the Cave House in Santorini, Greece. This house is carved into a cliff and was originally a wine cellar.
What makes a good place to stay? Is it the location? The amenities that come with it? Maybe it is the service you get, or how clean the place is. Perhaps it is the food they have, either in restaurant or room-service form. I looked at a lot of articles about what makes a good place to stay and I kept seeing this: A good place to stay gives you the feeling that you are at home, but without any of the negative aspects of it. You don’t have to clean up after yourself, for example. The hotel or other place you choose to stay becomes an extension of your home.
What those articles are really talking about is hospitality. This is a broad term, but it means being friendly, welcoming, and helpful to other people. It especially means this in light of how we treat strangers. Hospitality can have good health benefits to us too, some studies show. Read this verse from Genesis from the standpoint of hospitality:
Genesis 18:1-8
18 The Lord appeared to Abraham[a] by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them and bowed down to the ground. 3 He said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” 6 And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, “Make ready quickly three measures[c] of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.” 7 Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared and set it before them, and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.
What is going on here? Why would Abraham sacrifice his choice goods for three strangers? Would you do this? Let’s say you are sitting in your front yard, maybe under the shade of a tree one hot summer day. And three men walk down the street. Do you approach them and invite them to stay for dinner? Do you go out and get the best meal you can afford and prepare it for them? Be honest. You probably wouldn’t do this.
Note what happens to two of these strangers/angels when they leave Abraham and go to Lot’s house in the city of Sodom. Lot does the same thing. He opens his house to them. But the city does just the opposite. They demand of Lot to release them so unspeakable things can happen. It is an interesting lesson. Look what happens to those who are hospitable vs. those who are not. Abraham was blessed with the prophecy of becoming a great nation of God’s people. Sodom was destroyed.
Now look at the same thing when applied to Jesus. From the beginning we see the lack of hospitality in the Christmas story. There were no rooms available for the Holy Family. What would it be like to refuse a couple who are about to experience childbirth? Was no one willing to at least share their room? Were they even asked?
We see over and over with Jesus the effect of showing him hospitality. People are forever changed when they do. Zaccheus, for example. Jesus practically invited himself to dinner. Nevertheless Zaccheus had him over as a guest and he was transformed into a much better person. Jesus even noted that salvation had come to his house that day. Jesus modeled hospitality many times. He washed feet. His story of the Samaritan woman at the well is a model encounter for hospitality.
The lesson is pretty consistent. When you show God and others hospitality you become blessed. When you don’t, things don’t go so well with you.
Look for opportunities to be hospitable this year. You might be amazed at the blessings.
God Bless