I must stay at your house... Luke 19:5 Dr. David A Baillie

Unexpected guests can be either a huge blessing or a huge problem, especially based on how long they stay and how much they eat you out of house and home.  Growing up I learned a lot about hospitality from my mother.  She was always prepared for guests, and the freezer always had food waiting in it for any time anyone arrived. 

One summer in particular I remember I was working as the part time youth minister in the town where I grew up and we got a call from another church youth group.  This group was from out of town somewhere,  though all these years later I can't remember exactly where they were from. They were on interstate 85 and their bus had broken down. They were wondering if we could help them out while they were waiting. 

So, we scrambled the bus from our church and some other vehicles and went out and picked them up and I said, "Come on, let's take them back to my house," and that is exactly what we did.  We pulled up at the bottom of the hill on which our house set, and I went up and went in the through the kitchen and said, "Hey mom, can we provide some supper for some people who had some vehicle trouble." 

She said, "Sure," and we unloaded all 60 people and provided dinner for them.  My mom was never fazed.  She understood that people could come at any time, and she understood that when you welcomed strangers in you were really also welcoming Jesus.

This week in our sermon series we are looking at the story of Zaccheus. While he really wanted to see Jesus, he had no idea when that day began that he would be hosting Jesus in his house. 

Luke 19:5-6
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

But when Zaccheus had the chance to welcome Jesus into his home, he did it gladly. 

May we always be people of hospitality.