Thursday, March 25, 2010

Unexpected Requests

And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.

Luke 10:38b (The Message)

Years ago a well known theologian came as a “theologian in residence” to our church. For the next couple of weeks my husband and I were his chauffeurs. He was also a welcomed guest in our home. One morning when I picked him up at his hotel he asked me if I had a washing machine. “Why yes!” I said. “Well would you do this load of wash for me?” was his reply.

When Martha has Jesus to dinner she probably didn’t have any specific expectations in mind. Like any considerate hostess she perhaps thought carefully about the meal she would serve, with the expectation that after all her work she would enjoy an evening in the presence of Jesus. Instead she ends up alone in the kitchen. It wasn’t what she had expected when she welcomed him into her home.

My own hospitality moments are sometimes fraught with unknowns! Depending on the guest list, I can allow my worries over the conversation, the meal or the size of our home to become huge hurdles and instead of making a flying leap over them, I balk. But then I remember the lesson I learned that one particular “theological” morning.

Washing the clothes of a respected theologian was not my idea of being a good hostess but, I got a different view on hospitality that day. I learned that hospitality isn’t just opening up your home with the right food served on the perfect china. Hospitality also consists of opening one’s life to the unexpected requests that God brings to your door.

Lord, help me to open my home and my heart
to the life changing, unexpected requests you bring to me.
Amen.

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