Hebrews 13:2 · Series: Who Is My Neighbour?
What does it mean to love the stranger? The New Testament word for hospitality, philoxenia, joins two Greek words: love and stranger. In this message, Elder Tim shows that hospitality is not a nice extra for Christians. It is a command, and it has to be intentional.
God told Israel to treat the foreigner living among them as their own, because they were once foreigners in Egypt. He defends the fatherless and the widow and loves the stranger, giving them food and clothing. Hebrews reminds us that some have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. From Abraham hurrying to welcome three visitors at Mamre, to the early church sharing everything so that no one was in need, Elder Tim draws out what real hospitality takes: the right spirit, planning, the best we have, a cheerful heart without grumbling, and honesty before God. The story of Ananias and Sapphira is a sober warning that God sees our motives.
He closes with practical ways to start this week, and an answer for anyone asking, “How can I show hospitality when I’m in need myself?” Recognise that God is your provider, then act in faith.
Pastor Duli Asi closes the service with a challenge: when we ask “Who is my neighbour?”, we display and proclaim the gospel as we intentionally show hospitality. It may be a cup of water, a cup of tea, or just a conversation.
Reflect this week
- Who is a “stranger” near you: a neighbour you have never spoken to, a newcomer at church, someone on the edges?
- When you show hospitality, is your heart cheerful and honest, or quietly grumbling?
- What is one intentional step you can take this week: an invitation, a meal, a visit, a conversation?
Practical ways to start
- Invite a neighbour over for dinner or a cup of tea
- Include the vulnerable: the elderly, single parents, people with disabilities, the materially poor
- Meet someone new before or after church, and invite newcomers home for a simple lunch
- Join outreach that serves the poor, the sick and those struggling with addiction or mental illness
Book mentioned
The Simplest Way to Change the World: Biblical Hospitality as a Way of Life, by Dustin Willis and Brandon Clements
Key scriptures: Hebrews 13:2 · Leviticus 19:33–34 · Deuteronomy 10:18–19 · Romans 12:13 · Genesis 18:1–8 · 1 Peter 4:9 · Acts 4:32–37 · Acts 5:1–11 · Hebrews 11:6 · 1 Kings 17:7–16 · Luke 10:29 · Jeremiah 33:3 · Isaiah 40:31