Host God’s messengers

Romans 16:23 Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer greets you, and Quartus, the brother. I’ve just spent the last three weeks on a ministry trip to South Africa. I had amazing hosts who freely offered their homes, cars, time, energy, money, and food to me. Besides giving me a place to sleep, they opened their homes for meetings and meals of the believers in their house churches. So perhaps you have also experienced such God-glorifying love and hospitality as Paul and Tertius experienced from Gaius. Paul’s commendation of Gaius for his hospitality reminds us first of what Paul wrote in Romans 12:10-13. “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.” Perhaps when Paul wrote that, he was looking at Gaius, his host. Secondly, Hebrews 13:2 describes in a figure of speech what Gaius was doing. “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” The word angel literally refers to God’s messenger. Like my friends and brothers and sisters in Christ, Gaius, hosted Paul and Tertius, angels of the Lord. As we live to love with Jesus, may we be encouraged to open our homes and our resources to our brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s how Jesus loves His body. When we practice hospitality, we are loving Jesus’ body. From the Scriptures I just read, we learn this is both commanded and commended.