Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Christ’s Invitation to Hospitality
Genesis 47:1-12
v12 “And Joseph provided his father and his brothers and all father’s house hold with food, according to their little ones”.
In the Old Testament, hospitality is closely connected with recognition of God's lordship and covenant loyalty. In Genesis 18, Abraham entertains three guests, one of whom is the Lord. And the Lord promises Abraham a son. So hospitality is often associated with promise and blessing. The widow of  Zerephath provides hospitality for Elijah when facing starvation herself in 1 Kings 17, prompting God to provide food and drink for her during the most difficult time. We can see the importance of hospitality in several places in the Old Testament along with its blessing. Consider Joseph sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt. He received his father and brothers with great care and love when they came to Egypt, during the time of famine, for help. Again and again, acts of hospitality or inhospitality reveal the godly or ungodly nature of a person or a community.
                When we move to the New Testament, the importance of hospitality becomes even more prominent, and we see it in at least five specific areas. Incidentally, the same is true in the New Testament. Hospitality is a characteristic of those who live as God intends. Think about which parable of Jesus' uses hospitality to indicate who fulfills the command to love and who does not: the parable of the Good Samaritan.
  1. Christ is the host who feed the hungry disciples.( John 21. 1-14)
We can see the risen Christ inviting His disciples Peter and friends on the shore of Galilee in the midst of their disappointment and fear after the crucifixion of their leader Jesus. He knew their need and prepared a meal for the hungry peter and friends who went back to their old trade. The risen Christ appeared and invited them to strengthen them in spiritually and physically.
  1. Christ is the host who provide fellowship to the distressed and weak in faith.
Here we can see that the Risen Christ is providing his fellowship to the scattered disciples. His fellowship strengthens them, reinstating them in to their faith and mission.
  1. Christ is the host who re-commission the displaced disciples.
The risen Christ replaced the displaced peter from his faith in Christ. Peter went back to his old trade of fishing, but he was a failure. Jesus the risen Christ invited him back to his feast, fellowship and re-commissioned him to tend His sheep.
                Finally, Christ is standing at the door of our heart and waiting for our invitation and ready to receive our hospitality. In the book of   Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door. I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me.” He is waiting for our invitation and hospitality. Once we invited Him in to our lives He will be the host and grand us with his great gift of salvation-which is already given to the fallen humanity through His Crucifixion. We have to repent, return and receive this salvation through our faith. Let us invite this risen Christ in to our lives and experience the grace of salvation.
PRAYER
O Lord our heavenly father we humbly pray for your presence in our lives. Enlighten our minds with your truth. Warm our hearts with your love. Fill our lives with your hospitality. Enable us to express your mercy and kindness through our lives in this world. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
God helps when we are helpless. In times of tragedy we must always look to the Cross; the price God paid for a suffering and dying world.
P. T. Mathew. M T. C Dallas, Farmers Branch, Texas
Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church

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