Without Hospitality We Cannot Please God

Not that long ago it was considered rude to neglect to offer refreshment to a stranger when they found themselves at our home. It was also an offense for the stranger to refuse refreshment when offered.

An old expression of this was: "don't ask and don't refuse", was the rule of thumb pertaining to hospitality. The one who offered was showing gratefulness for the visit and the one accepting was showing gratefulness for being accepted as a visitor.

Refreshment was a way of welcoming those that entered our home, to refuse the refreshment was insulting, a sort of rejection of the hospitality showed arrogance.


We live in a time when many people do not offer hospitality to their extended family let alone to total strangers. We also live in a time when most people don't feel an obligation to anyone who is not closely connected to them through family. They show their disinterest in us through their lack of enthusiasm for the visit.

Hospitality has always been important in God's economy. He highly values kindness extended to those who came to call, no matter who they were. To neglect this kindness is the same as saying, "I don't care about you and I have no interest in your visit, on the part of the host or the visitor.

1 Peter 4:9 "Be hospitable to one another without complaint."

Romans 12:12-13 "12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality."

1 Timothy 3:2 "An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,"

Titus 1:7-8 "7 For the [a]overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled,"

1 Timothy 5:10 "having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work."

Hebrews 13:2 "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it."

We see by these verses that God commands us to place others above ourselves, denying self is the greater part of the Christian life, without it we would never do what we should do, be what we should be in the sight of God.