The Theology of the Open Door: Biblical Foundations for Hospitality 

By Terrie Hellard-Brown 

About 1:00 am, we heard our intercom buzz at our apartment. We woke up and answered the door letting in a young woman who was a new believer in Christ. Her family had kicked her out of her house. In Taiwan, this sometimes happened when someone is the first in their family to believe in Christ. We gave her a place to stay until she figured out what she needed to do.

Where I’m from, we commonly say, “Make yourself at home.” Homes in Taipei are typically small, and having house guests is not always a possibility. However, our apartment was built by missionaries and had a larger living room, so we could invite people over easily. People always knew they were welcome, and they often commented about how comfortable they felt in our home. I had carried my Midwestern attitude of hospitality to Asia. Everyone knew to make themselves at home. We would sometimes have 20 people over or someone stay who needed a place to sleep. We almost always had guests at our dinner table. It was a wonderful way to live.

In California, we were blessed to be part of a ministry to the homeless. During the winter months, our churches would take turns hosting for a week. We would prepare dinner and provide a place for them to have cots to sleep on for the night. We would enjoy the meal with our homeless guests and get to know them. The next day, we’d give them a sack of snacks and a lunch to take with them. Through the ministry, we were able to help a few of them get off the streets and start a new life.

In California, Asia, and just about everywhere we’ve worked, we’ve been invited to become involved in prison ministry. Those who led these ministries had such a passion for helping those in prison to find the hope of Christ. We would share the Gospel and get to know the prisoners. We’d see those who came to Christ find freedom while still living in a prison cell.

We have so many ways to show hospitality from offering a simple cup of tea in our living room to handing out hot chocolate to those on the streets in the winter.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

(Matthew 25:34-40, NLT)

These verses show us in one small section of scripture what hospitality is all about and why God commands us to show hospitality to others, especially to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

The theology of hospitality shows that it serves two main purposes in the kingdom of God:

First, through hospitality we show that we love others and love God. loving others is God’s fruit in our lives. It shows the world that we know Jesus. Our hospitality is a testimony to others (John 13:34-35; Galatians 5:22-23). The attitude of hospitality is such a deep-rooted characteristic of one who believes in God, that the Hebrew and Arab cultures both hold this concept as imperative. As Christians, the attitude and ministry of hospitality comes from a different place. It is not only part of our Christian culture, but it is a result of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. We are motivated to be hospitable by our love for God and for others. We don’t offer it out of obligation or cultural expectations alone. The love we have motivates us and spurs us on to help others and bless them.

Second, through hospitality we care for those in need. This is God’s provision for the needy. The Matthew verses talk about those who are hungry, thirsty, strangers (meaning they are traveling and don’t have homes nearby), naked, or in prison. Some verses in scripture remind us to care for strangers, widows, and orphans. God reminds us that we have a responsibility as followers of Christ to meet the needs of those in need around us. Out of a motivation of love and compassion, we help and minister to others (Luke 14:12-14; James 1:27; Hebrews 13:2-3).

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

(James 1;22, NLT)

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. (James 1:27, NLT)

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

(James 2:14-17, NLT)

When we simply wish people well, but we don’t act on that blessing, we miss an opportunity to glorify God and make a difference in someone’s life. Showing hospitality is faith in action. We aren’t blessing others so God will bless us or love us more or that we will be saved. Our faith in Christ is the only thing that saves us. We cannot make God love us any more than he already does. However, we demonstrate our faith and love through showing hospitality.

In short, hospitality is our theology in action. It gives feet to our faith and hands to our words.

“Hospitality is our theology in action.
It gives feet to our faith and hands to our words.”

Simple acts of kindness give life to the theology we believe. Hospitality causes us to take the time out of our busyness and notice the needs of others. It allows us to meet those needs and to connect with others. Without the theology of hospitality, our faith would be a religion of head knowledge. In a very real way, hospitality breathes life into our faith.

Will we take up the challenge and obey God’s command? We don’t require a gifting of hospitality. We may all know someone who has that gift. What a blessing they are. I’ve always admired and thanked God for those who are so obviously gifted in hospitality. But, we are all called to show hospitality to others. It’s just part of who we are supposed to be as believers in Christ. Through offering hospitality, we create a safe place for people to connect and hopefully find God. It is a sacred calling we all can and should accept. So, how can we meet the needs of the “least of these” this week?