HOSPITALITY by George Ide Butler

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 9, 1869

HOSPITALITY.

By George Ide Butler

The meaning of this word, according to Mr. Webster, is, “The reception and entertainment of strangers or guests without reward, or with kind and generous liberality.” Its very definition is sufficient to commend it to every person of generous impulses. It is a trait every one admires when he sees it in others. Whatever is admirable seen in others, it is important for us to imitate. No one who has ever traveled much, but has seen the importance of hospitality, and fallen in love with it. After a long day’s journey, when the shades of night gather heavily, and all animated nature is still, and the farmers have gathered around the fireside, and the traveler cold and weary tries house after house for the purpose of finding lodging, and is turned away with some flimsy excuse or other, or sent on to the next house, where he finds the same experience repeated again,—then the importance of this subject will be felt, if it never has been felt before.

This is a selfish age. True hospitality is but little known. There is a bogus article to be found to some extent, which is much better than nothing, perhaps, but, as will be seen by the definition at the commencement of this article, it is not hospitality. It consists in paying a full equivalent, or what is generally the case, twice or thrice a fair equivalent, for all the trouble one causes, and many times this can only be obtained at the regular, liquor-drinking, tobacco-smoking, hotels.

The idea of taking a stranger in to one’s house, and caring for him with kindness and real love, and taking no money or pay, would be thought very absurd in this selfish age. But this is true hospitality. This is what the Bible means by the word. It is refreshing to go back to ancient times for examples in this respect. The cases of Abraham and Lot are very interesting ones, showing us how these eminent men of God acted toward strangers and weary travelers. The first verses of Gen. xviii and xix inform us of their course of conduct. There is no evidence that either of them knew when they first beheld these angels that they were more than ordinary travelers. Paul in speaking of our duty to entertain strangers, says, “For thereby some have entertained angels unawares,” Heb. xiii, 2, and the margin refers directly to these instances and only these. So it appears from this that the conduct of Abraham and Lot was only their ordinary course toward travelers and strangers. Abraham, as soon as he spies the three men, runs to meet them, and after saluting them in the manner common to that age and country, begs the privilege of supplying them with food and lodging, and furnishing them water with which to wash their feet, and has his wife prepare them a bountiful repast; and he puts forth every effort to make them perfectly at home*. There is no record made of the inevitable “bill” which one never fails to see in this selfish age. Abraham had no such idea of hospitality. His heart ever full of love to God and his fellow man rejoiced at the privilege of doing good. He entered upon it with all the alacrity with which one of our modern entertainers would pocket an exorbitant “bill.” He felt real and true pleasure in being benevolent for its own sake, without hope of reward in this life, imitating the conduct of our beneficent Creator toward us, who ever gives, but never receives in return. How noble! how beautiful, this was in Abraham! Would it be any less so in you and me, dear reader? Let us go and do likewise.

Lot seems to have been sitting in the gate of wicked Sodom for the very purpose of finding any wayfaring man who might be passing that way, in need of a lodging place. When he sees the two angels, how quickly he gives them the ordinary salutation, and urges them to tarry with him; and when they decline, how strongly he presses them to accept his invitation. Was Lot acting the part of a modern hotel-runner? and was he going to charge a good round price for the accommodations he had furnished? This is modern hospitality. It was not current with Lot, if he did live in a city.

Lot’s conduct would be perfectly incomprehensible in this selfish age of the world. This was done to strangers whom he would never expect to see again. Now-a-days, members of the same church, brethren who expect soon to go to Heaven together, often begrudge a lodging to their brethren.

The duty of hospitality is very plainly taught in the New Testament. Among the duties Paul enumerates in Rom. xii, 13, he tells the people of God that they should be “given to hospitality,” which would imply not merely an occasional act of this kind, but a common exercise of it, a common practice. And among the qualifications of an elder, Paul says he must not only be “given to hospitality,” but be a “lover” of it. This implies a good deal.

How few there are in this age who really desire to put themselves to trouble for others without remuneration upon the spot! how few who have faith to look forward to the time when the just shall be recompensed for their reward for such services to others! How refreshing and delightful to stop at a place where one can see and feel that his presence is really acceptable, and that he is not in the way. Many a time nothing is said that might indicate one was burdensome, and yet there is not that heartiness and warmth which is sure to be seen and felt in one who is a “lover of hospitality.”

Being hospitable does not wholly consist in receiving our brethren in the church to our homes, and making them welcome. Paul further says, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Heb. xiii, 2. The command is positive. The reference to Abraham and Lot is suggestive. To entertain is thus defined by Webster: To show hospitality to, to give hospitable reception and maintenance to, &c. We must not, then, be forgetful of this duty, and our forgetting it will not excuse us. It is a part of the Christian religion. That religion does not consist in principally caring for self. To be a Christian means to be a follower of Christ. He did not remain in Heaven to enjoy all the good of that happy and perfect place, but came to this dark world, to suffer for others. If we are followers of him, we shall, of course, imitate his conduct, and one branch of his love would certainly lead us to receive those who were without homes for the time being, and make them as comfortable and happy as circumstances would permit, and do it not for the sake of receiving money in return, but for the purpose of doing good in the world, and following the example of the Master.

In giving an account of the final separation of the righteous and wicked and the reasons for the same, our Saviour says in Matt. xxv, 35, 43, “I was a stranger, and ye took me in,” of the other, “I was a stranger, and ye took me not in,” and explains it by saying, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” It appears from this account that this subject has an intimate connection with the Judgment, and that the saints in caring for others received strangers, and cared for them from a love of humanity and with no expectation of being rewarded for the same by the Lord even, much less by dollars and cents upon the spot; and that only those who have this precious spirit will ever hear the sweet words, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” How should we feel, brethren, if we should find out at that time that we had turned away from us the Master we were professing to serve, and would not permit him to tarry with us, or that we had charged him a good price for stopping with us. It seems to me that we had better run the

risk of “being bit,” as the saying is, a good many times, than to do this.

He cannot always tell when we entertain strangers what their true characters are. But how terrible to learn that we had turned away a humble disciple, and hear the verdict mentioned by our Lord. And if we should entertain the worthless, and do a real kindness to them, we should in that only imitate the conduct of our Heavenly Father, who is constantly giving to the wicked, the unthankful, the worthless, and unholy.

Peter tells us in 1 Pet. iv, 9, to “use hospitality one to another without grudging,” “as every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another.” This refers to our conduct to one another as brethren. Does God give to us grudgingly? We know he gives freely. Then we must do the same; for the apostle adds, “We are stewards of the manifold grace of God.” Oh! how freely God has given to us! How freely, then, we should give to others! Alas! this spirit is not so common as it should be among us. As we grow rich, and have things nice around us, true hospitality decreases. What a contrast compared with 1844! How freely the people of God then gave! How freely the brethren were received and cared for! What warmth was manifested! How love beamed from the very countenance! Was not this state of things taken advantage of by the selfish? To some extent it was. But the reward to the faithful ones who labored to make others happy, will be just as great for all that.

This spirit is dying out from among us. The caring for brethren is looked upon as a burden, instead of a privilege. Self is cared for, and built up, and others’ happiness neglected. Many times the selfish hide behind the minister’s appointment, when he says, “Let as many come prepared to take care of themselves as possible.” Brethren, let us cultivate Christian hospitality. There is not much of it in this age. Let us imitate the conduct of God, who has made us stewards of his manifold grace.

GEO. I. BUTLER.