Hope and Hospitality預覽

An Unfinished Meal

Luke 24 records a meal that is unplanned, unassuming, and unfinished – with a brilliant twist. Shortly after Jesus’ crucifixion, two of His friends are heading away from Jerusalem, towards Emmaus, processing out loud their unanswered questions about the traumatic events they’ve witnessed. Jesus joins them on the road, but they don’t realise it’s Him. He begins to explain the prophecies recorded in scripture about the suffering and ultimate glory of the Messiah.

When the men reach their home – and despite their sorrow, fatigue, and confusion – they invite Jesus in for a meal. It’s only when He breaks bread that His companions’ eyes are opened, and they recognise Him. They don’t even finish their meal! They go from being dejected and exhausted by grief to being filled with energy, galvanised to rush straight back to Jerusalem to tell Jesus’ other disciples that He’s alive.

Hospitality was always meant to be at the heart of our discipleship. We find in this story five ways to help us reflect on this:

(1) Hospitality walks with strangers. Jesus models hospitality by hanging out with people from all walks of life, and His friends show us how to spontaneously share what we have with someone in need.

(2) Hospitality opens eyes. When Jesus’ friends realise He’s been with them, they are radically, unstoppably moved – compelled to tell the world the truth they’ve uncovered. The same thing happens to us: we’re mobilised to meet people’s needs with great love when we understand their circumstances.

(3) Hospitality warms hearts. I’ve discovered that the more I get involved in showing hospitality, the more I understand God’s heart for hospitality, which makes me want to show hospitality even more. The more I share God’s love, the more I encounter it. The more I connect with others, the more I connect with God. The more I open my heart to others, the more I share their heartache, and the more my own heart is warmed within me. It’s a powerful positive cycle phenomenon, highly recommended to anyone wanting to grow in discipleship!

(4) Hospitality inspires transformation. When we show hospitality, we are blessed and transformed as much as our guests are.

(5) Hospitality brings hope. The disciples saw a need in their companion and reached out, but it was their own need for hope that was met too. Hospitality brings hope to guest and host, even in the midst of trauma and tragedy.

The unfinished meal in this story mirrors our unfinished work of telling the world about Jesus’ death and resurrection. We don’t need to run to Jerusalem; we can play our part in the story by offering hope and hospitality right where we are. As you consider what you’ve learned through this reading plan, may you be mindful that hospitality isn’t just about inviting people for dinner. Sometimes it’s a spare room, sometimes it’s a spare five minutes. Sometimes it’s deliberate eye contact with someone who is usually avoided. Sometimes it’s a friendly smile or a gentle touch. Sometimes it’s about opening the door of your home, sometimes it’s just holding a door open in a shopping centre. It could be a seat beside you on a busy train, or a helping hand in a supermarket. It could be making space in a queue of traffic, making conversation in a waiting room, or making it easy for someone to come to church with you. Whatever hospitality looks like, it always looks like hope.