Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 12:12-14
Hospitality is “entertaining others graciously without grudging or without thought of the favor returned to you.”
Deborah Zacharoff in Practicing Hospitality: The Joy of Serving Others by Pat Ennis, Lisa Matlock (Wheaton: Crossway, 2007) 64.
This morning I left home for the airport to fly to Seoul via San Francisco at 4:00 am. A faithful friend drove me. He insists that I call him when I need early morning airport runs, and he never grudges at the early hour or seeks anything in return.
Often I am guilty of grudging and/or expecting a return related to my giving. Perhaps you are too. Jesus reminds us to bless others, especially those in need who cannot reciprocate, and He will repay us in the end. Jesus, help us serve people with the loving, generous attitude you modeled for us.