Hospitality gone old?

Last night Elizabeth invited a professor of ours and his wife over for dinner and I helped her set the table while she did all the hard work in preparing the delicious food :-).

It always strikes me when I'm spending time with people over a meal (or whatever) in someone's home as to how wonderful and sweet fellowship really is. Great conversation. Great fellowship. Great stories. Great laughs. Great food.

After dinner, we talked for awhile and then played some rounds of "UNO." I hope everyone knows what this card came is. We played guys vs. girls first (and the guys one - of course) and then we played individually (and I won - of course :=) ).

As Elizabeth and I were cleaning up after they left, we were talking about how wonderful it is to have people over and enjoy the privilege of serving others by inviting them into my environment. There is something personal, intimate, and vulnerable when we invite others into our territory.

Paul knew this and he expressed it thus in Romans 12:10-14 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing (dioko) hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute (dioko) you; bless and curse not.

Paul's point? We must pursue hospitality with the same degree of fervor that enemies have when they are pursuing a victim. That is the same Greek word, dioko. Are we that fervent to be hospitable? May the Lord give us strength to accomplish this NT command.