John wrote this short letter to a man named Gaius. It is a letter of introduction, urging Gaius to welcome missionaries and offer them hospitality so they can continue their journey.
Scripture places great value on hospitality, which is still very important in the cultures of the Middle East. No matter how poor he is, a person in this region will eagerly welcome strangers into his home, setting his best food before them and attentively waiting on them. The story of Abraham is proverbial: The strangers he welcomes turn out to be angels, who foretell the imminent birth of his long-awaited son and heir (Genesis 18:1-15).
Sometimes we have opportunities to give and receive this sort of hospitality. It may be a single event like hosting the family Thanksgiving gathering or planning a neighborhood party. It may be more of a long-term commitment, like taking in an exchange student or a foster child.
But hospitality also has a spiritual dimension. Even if we don’t offer people a bed or a meal, we can “help them continue their journey.” We are all on a journey. When we were baptized, each of us “set out for the sake of the Name” (3 John 7). Each of us is at a different stage of the journey. Some are just now having a personal awakening to the power and reality of Christ. Others may be preparing to meet God face-to-face. Wherever we are, we can welcome our fellow travelers. Sometimes that will mean giving a hand to someone who needs it. Sometimes it will mean applauding someone who is moving forward. Sometimes that will mean offering material assistance, and other times it will mean a word of encouragement. Or timely instruction. Or even a word of correction and redirection.
Take a moment to think about those who have helped you on your journey and to think of how you can pass along this hospitality to someone else. Are you ready to open your home and your heart to family members, to neighbors, to fellow parishioners, to strangers, or to the needy? As you do this, you’ll find the journey even more enjoyable.
“Father, thank you for the people who have opened their hearts and their homes to me. Open my eyes to those you would have me help on their journey to you.”
Psalm 112:1-6; Luke 18:1-8