Daily Worship

Hospitality

October 23, 2012 0 0

Luke 10:27-37

​‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ 

‘You have answered correctly’, Jesus replied.‘Do this and you will live.’ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ In reply, Jesus said:

‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho,

when he fell into the hands of robbers.  They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half-dead.  A priest happened to be going down the same road,and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. The he put the man on his own donkey, brought  him to an inn and took care of him.  The next day, he took out two silver coins and gave them to the inn-keeper.  ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

‘Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’

The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.’

Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.’

​Hospitality.                                                          

It makes me think of parties.

Of friends coming round for dinner.

Of warmth, laughter, conversation,

familiarity, security, comfort.

My home filled with happy noise

and people I know and love.

Although…

once I nearly offered 

a homeless man a place to sleep 

one cold winter night. 

But then I thought better of it.

I was a bit afraid.

Did it count to take him

hot coffee and a big sandwich

instead?

(Not really in the Good Samaritan league)

Or could it be, perhaps, 

the conversation we had,

the joke that made me laugh,

his story that he told,

that was some form of hospitality?

Does not looking away

but seeing, 

not hurrying by

but taking a moment

to give attention,

have anything to do with

being hospitable

to strangers?

Can it be that hospitality

is also in the 

small things

that might meet a need 

for human contact?

Noticing?

Listening?

Caring? 

A big sandwich?

Take-away soup on a cold day?

All things within my 

daily  

regular  

ability to do?

What I see

that touches me,

I should respond to.

Help me to do that, Lord.

-

 

written by Ginni Auld