Introduced by Michelle J. Goff, then written by her mother, Jocelynn Goff, both in Arkansas
My mother has always modeled hospitality. Growing up, almost every Sunday we had someone over for lunch—people of different languages, cultures, and backgrounds. In honor of this week’s emphasis on commitment to one another as shown through hospitality, I can think of no better candidate to share one of her many stories. In her own words…
One Sunday many years ago in “early marriage days,” my husband came up to me after church saying, “See that man over there? I invited him for lunch.” “You did what?!” I asked incredulously as I looked at the man who had just walked into the church building that morning. He looked like he had slept in his ill-fitting suit. He had huge dandruff flakes all over the shoulders of his suit and in his eyebrows, in other words, a less than appealing presence of a man. I said, “He’s a stranger and we’ve got a baby to think about.” My husband replied, “I thought of that. That’s why I invited the preacher and his wife for lunch as well.” Again, my reply was, “You did what?!” I only have a one-pound meatloaf in the oven. We don’t have enough.” My husband gently said, “We have plenty. This man has $2.32 to his name and needs a bus ticket and ride to the bus station to get to his family. He came to the church for help.” Oh my! I was immediately humbled and changed my response to a prayer. “Dear Lord, please forgive my harsh, immediate judgment and please provide enough for us to share as You did with the small boy’s lunch of five loaves and two fish.” This was my prayer all the way home from church as I was also thinking of what else to add to the one-pound meatloaf.
When we arrived home, I got the meatloaf out of the oven and noticed that it had actually shrunk, not grown. “Oh my! Dear Lord, we still need a miracle multiplication here like You did with the small boy’s lunch.” I added to the meatloaf meal three cans of green beans, two boxes of macaroni and cheese, and a can of fruit cocktail with a sliced banana. Then I sliced the meatloaf and served the meal.
Everyone was served some of everything: meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, green beans, and fruit salad. We had pleasant conversation over lunch. The preacher and his wife agreed to take the man to the bus station and the church would pay for his bus ticket so he could go home to family.
After lunch when everyone had left, I cleared off the table and noticed the meatloaf. Do you know what? I had meatloaf left over! Everyone had been served, yet there was meatloaf left over. I remember in Mark’s account of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, “They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish” (Mk 6:42-43 NIV).
So, the next day as I ate a sandwich made with leftover meatloaf, I was again reminded of my prayer for God to multiply the meatloaf as He did with the loaves and fish and He did, and He gave me leftovers as a reminder of His abundant provision.
My reflection afterward was also on the scripture, Hebrews 13:2, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” While I do not know if this man was an angel, I do know that every time I remember this event, it causes me to reflect on this verse and consider the real meaning of hospitality. We often think it’s opening our home to our family and friends. Actually, that is fellowship.
Fellowship is when connectedness or relationship is shared among those with a common aim or background. Hospitality is providing an act of service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests or strangers. It’s an act of service, often to the least of these. In Matthew 25:40 Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” As I’m sure you, like I, want to serve Jesus Himself then we must learn to serve the “least of these.” This provides the greatest blessing to them, to us, and is Kingdom living.