One day, a gentleman knocked on the door of an apartment, and a lady opened it. She said, “Can I help you?”
He answered, “One of your neighbors doesn’t have enough money for rent. They only have a couple days left before they’ll get kicked out. I’m going around and simply asking if anyone would like to help this family by paying this month’s rent.”
The lady said, “Oh yes, I wouldn’t want to see one of my neighbors kicked out! Let me get something.” As she gave the money to the gentleman at the door, she asked, “By the way, who are you?”
He replied, “The landlord.”
It’s easy, when we’re going to benefit, to look like we’re hospitable.
It’s easy, when we’re going to benefit, to look like we’re hospitable. But the biblical doctrine of hospitality—that is, welcoming in an authentic way—has to do with serving even those who can do nothing for you in return. When you serve people who can only do things for you in return, that’s called a business deal—a win-win. But when you do something with nothing expected in return, and you do it with the right attitude, that’s biblical hospitality. That’s welcoming authentically. And that is what the Bible says Christians ought to be about.
“…even the least of them, you did it to Me.” – Matthew 25:40
As Jesus said to His disciples: “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40).
