On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us. Acts 16:13-15
“Lydia pleads for Paul’s group to stay. Hospitality was both a sacred duty and a privilege for the host, especially if the guest was a particularly honorable person. Insisting on a guest staying was good form and refusing an invitation could be deemed rude. Both Lydia and the jailer (Acts 16:34) demonstrate the reality of their faith by hospitality.”
Craig S. Keener in Acts (NCBC; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2020) 393.
Looking at Lydia we see a vibrant faith verified by her zealous and generous hospitality. She obviously knew something that can only be learned by experience: hosting others is both a sacred duty and a privilege.
It gives one a glimpse of God’s abundance. Those that serve others are refreshed, refilled, and rewarded with blessing. They don’t end up empty but enriched. How might you and I show hospitality like Lydia?
I am particularly struck by Keener’s depiction that Lydia “pleads for Paul’s group to stay.” What might it look like for you to to plead for the opportunity to bless others through sharing and caring? Follow the leading of the Spirit.