What is hospitality? Different people have different perspective on hospitality. To me, it is showing love, care, concern and empathy towards others. So is it a gift or an instruction that we (believers) must follow?

    We were taught by Sister Davina that hospitality is a Christian duty and not a gift. Like what she said, people are always saying that hospitality is a gift that certain people are endowed with. I was made to believe that, until this lesson help me to understand from scriptures that it is not a gift but a Christian way of life. And I think this must be the lesson that is for life - Every believer are to do it for it is a commandment (Refer Roman 12:13; Hebrews 13:2; 1 Peter 4:9; 1Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:8).

     However, it is not easy for us to show hospitality especially in this contemporary time, where we were taught not to speak to strangers from young. Even stories or news have report showing that ‘hospitable to someone’ can end with ‘someone to hospital or the host ending up dead.

     Moreover, it is not easy to be hospitable for it involves the financial status of one who offers it. Abraham is rich, he has servants and livestock.  Matthew, a tax-collector is rich and he’s able to host a meal for Jesus (Matthew 9:9-10) and even hosting the disciples in a house is a rich lady named Mary, whose son is John called Mark (refer Acts 12:12-13), the Pharisee who hosted a meal for Jesus (Luke 7:35-37) and even in the house of Mary, Martha and Lazarus where they accommodate Jesus and his disciples (Luke 10:38-42). It seems that they were quite well-to-do family. Even in our current context, most of the times you can see or hear Christians who host a foreign guest are usually those who possess a car or are staying in private or landed property. Perhaps this is one practice that I will be struggling for a time for I have neither car nor private property nor saving.

     In one of the lessons, I also learnt that during Roman’s time, temple, gymnasium, can be a place of lodging for travellers, besides the inns or synagogues for Jews. I thought people could just pitch a tent in a place so long it doesn't obstruct anyone. Sister Davina said in those days, Christians depended on Christians’ hospitability and stayed with them.
When I reflect on it, how can it be possible if missionaries are to go to a place where that place is new to the gospel? This brought me to how Paul found his lodging overseas. Either he pitched a tent since he was a tent maker or else he would be staying in synagogues since he was a Jew. What if he is not allowed to stay due to some reasons? When I asked Francis on this, he told me probably he needs to quickly convert some of them to Christian and then are able to stay in their house. I think such an idea is rather challenging, what if he cannot convert the people to believe? So should Paul bring along some money or clothes etc.

     Then I remembered the scripture Jesus said the night before he was betrayed. He told his disciples to take along the purse, a bag and a sword (Luke 22:36). That contradicted what Jesus had said earlier not to bring along any gold or silver or copper, nor bag or extra clothes or staff (Matthew 10:9-11).

     Why? When Jesus was around, His mission was to go to the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 15:24) and not to Gentiles and so He informed His disciples to reach out to those Jews (refer Matthew 10:5-6). He expected the Israelites who were taught from young to be kind and to entertain strangers would host them and need not bring money or extra stuffs.

     But when He was about to die, He said it differently because He wanted the disciples to preach to all the world (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15; Acts1:8) and not just the lost sheep of Israel. Therefore, they need to bring along their money and stuffs just in case the Gentiles will not host them.

     In conclusion, we must bring along money, clothes etc.