Lord of the Universe and all places, visit with Your glory the needs of this dear reader on this day; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Today's text is from Romans 16:1-17 in The Message version:
1 Be sure to welcome our friend Phoebe in the way of the Master, with all the generous hospitality we Christians are famous for. I heartily endorse both her and her work. She's a key representative of the church at Cenchrea. 2 Help her out in whatever she asks. She deserves anything you can do for her. She's helped many a person, including me. 3 Say hello to Priscilla and Aquila, who have worked hand in hand with me in serving Jesus. 4 They once put their lives on the line for me. And I'm not the only one grateful to them. All the non-Jewish gatherings of believers also owe them plenty, 5 to say nothing of the church that meets in their house. Hello to my dear friend Epenetus. He was the very first Christian in the province of Asia. 6 Hello to Mary. What a worker she has turned out to be! 7 Hello to my cousins Andronicus and Junias. We once shared a jail cell. They were believers in Christ before I was. Both of them are outstanding leaders. 8 Hello to Ampliatus, my good friend in the family of God. 9 Hello to Urbanus, our companion in Christ's work, and my good friend Stachys. 10 Hello to Apelles, a tried-and-true veteran in following Christ. Hello to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Hello to my cousin Herodion. Hello to those Christians from the family of Narcissus. 12 Hello to Tryphena and Tryphosa - such diligent women in serving the Master. Hello to Persis, a dear friend and hard worker in Christ. 13 Hello to Rufus - a good choice by the Master! - and his mother. She has also been a dear mother to me. 14 Hello to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and also to all of their families. 15 Hello to Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas - and all the Christians who live with them. 16 Holy embraces all around! All the churches of Christ send their warmest greetings! 17 One final word of counsel, friends. Keep a sharp eye out for those who take bits and pieces of the teaching that you learned and then use them to make trouble. Give these people a wide berth. 18 They have no intention of living for our Master Christ. They're only in this for what they can get out of it, and aren't above using pious sweet talk to dupe unsuspecting innocents. 19 And so while there has never been any question about your honesty in these matters - I couldn't be more proud of you! - I want you also to be smart, making sure every "good" thing is the real thing. Don't be gullible in regard to smooth-talking evil. Stay alert like this, 20 and before you know it the God of peace will come down on Satan with both feet, stomping him into the dirt. Enjoy the best of Jesus! 21 And here are some more greetings from our end. Timothy, my partner in this work, Lucius, and my cousins Jason and Sosipater all said to tell you hello. 22 I, Tertius, who wrote this letter at Paul's dictation, send you my personal greetings. 23 Gaius, who is host here to both me and the whole church, wants to be remembered to you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our good friend Quartus send their greetings. 25 All of our praise rises to the One who is strong enough to make you strong, exactly as preached in Jesus Christ, precisely as revealed in the mystery kept secret for so long 26 but now an open book through the prophetic Scriptures. All the nations of the world can now know the truth and be brought into obedient belief, carrying out the orders of God, who got all this started, down to the very last letter. 27 All our praise is focused through Jesus on this incomparably wise God! Yes!
Something must have happened somewhere between the writing of this letter and our having received it. Paul writes about Christians being famous for being hospitable people. And in some places that's never changed, but in some it's a new thing that is being stressed in a way that is being called "radical hospitality." The serious lack of hospitality caused folks to ask, whatever happened to welcoming all people and making them feel welcome? Is it all that hard to say "Hello" to someone we don't know who walks in to worship with us? It wasn't all that long ago in this nation that all the churches on Sunday were filled. And sociologists wrote that Sunday morning 11 o'clock was the most segregated hour in America. Churches in those days were friendly to the folks who looked and talked, dressed and acted like them; they were welcome. Others were not because of "obvious reasons." Paul is writing to a city like most cities and towns today: Made up of diverse people. And in the midst of this diversity, Christians were famous for being hospitable.
Can we make history again? I should ask, can YOU make history again by being known as a person who goes out of your way to make everyone feel welcome and to say Hello and share a form of greeting that Paul mentions above? As our churches grow smaller, there are still lots of folks who are wanting a place in which to feel a part of some greater good and they may just walk in our doors on Sunday. How will YOU make them feel? Will you fight about your pew? Will you sneer at them because they're not dressed like you? Or will the light and love of Christ Jesus Himself be reflected on your loving face in such a way that a guest will say, "I'm glad I was here today because I was made to feel at home." Remember visitors are those people who ring our doorbell unexpectedly and we peep out and panic. "We weren't expecting them! Let's pretend we're not at home and maybe they'll go away!" A guest is someone for whom we prepare a place and excitedly expect their visit. That's radical. That's Christian.
PRAYER: God of neverending hospitality, You make all people welcome in Your kingdom. We await the day when You will welcome us home. For now our task is to welcome everyone in radical and exciting ways to a life that can be theirs if they open their hearts to You. But help me realize it makes it easier for them if I first open MY heart to You. I ask this, asking forgiveness for the times I have failed, in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
