Hospitality is a tranquil practice, one that ancient people mastered through self-discipline and care. In earlier times, there were no motels for travellers; instead, every household served as a haven, where family members extended their best efforts to make guests feel at home. Hospitality is defined by qualities such as warmth, generosity, and the ability to make guests feel welcomed and valued. More than a mere service, hospitality is a way of life that places the well-being and comfort of guests at its core.
Sensitivity Towards Hospitality
Saints, hermits, and holy figures were among the primary beneficiaries of this deeply rooted cultural and traditional hospitality. At the community level, hospitality fosters a sense of belonging and human connection, especially during times of personal hardship or societal uncertainty. Many religious groups and social activists embrace this spirit of hospitality to offer acceptance and inclusion to those who have been marginalised by society.
When Jesus sent His disciples out to minister His Word, He instructed them not to carry anything for their needs but instead to rely on the hospitality of those who welcomed them into their homes. However, He also warned them that not everyone would receive them.
“If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.” — Matthew 10:14 (NIV)
From this, we understand that hospitality had begun to shift—no longer extended to all with equal generosity, but reserved for select favourites. To restore its original spirit, the author of the Book of Hebrews urged people to remember their ancestors, who unknowingly welcomed angels through their acts of hospitality (Hebrews 13:1). Today, there is a growing tendency for people to offer hospitality with the expectation of receiving a reward, rather than out of genuine kindness.
Hospitality With Price Tags
Recognising the decline in the traditional values of hospitality, the hotel industry seized the opportunity to offer hospitality to customers at extravagant prices. Despite the often unreasonable rates, people have been drawn to this commercialised version of hospitality, and over time, this trend has spread across almost every service sector, both social and commercial. Airlines quickly adopted similar practices from the hotel industry, and today, even hospitals, which were once purely social service institutions, are selling hospitality at some of the highest costs.
Although hotels and Airbnb’s are widely available, some budget-conscious travellers still prefer to stay with relatives or friends during outstation trips or even during official or business visits. They justify this choice as a way of maintaining family ties across generations while saving money.
However, even in these personal settings, hospitality sometimes comes with a hidden price. Some people extend hospitality to friends and relatives not out of pure generosity, but as an opportunity to showcase their newly acquired possessions—be it a new house, a car, or lavish interiors. In such cases, hospitality becomes a subtle transaction: guests “pay” by admiring the host’s property and lifestyle. The most tactful visitors “pay” the highest price through their praise and amazement.
Although hospitality has lost much of its original cultural meaning, it continues to survive, driven not by genuine warmth but by the satisfaction people derive from purchasing or showcasing hospitality, giving it strong commercial value today. In a world where everything has been commercialised, Jesus revealed His heart to us through the following verse, inviting us to offer ourselves to Him. He made it clear that financial matters belong to the realm of government, but we belong to Him personally and intimately.
Jesus said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” – Matthew 22:21 (NIV)
The Hospitality of Martha
The traditional and cultural value of hospitality is rooted in a way of life that places the well-being and comfort of guests above all else. We see a significant moment in the Bible when Martha showed hospitality to Jesus, yet her efforts seemed to be overlooked, as Jesus praised Mary instead, who chose to sit and listen to Him rather than help her sister with the preparations. Many sympathise with Martha, especially those who feel similarly burdened when hosting prayer meetings or gatherings in their homes. Their arguments, like Martha’s, are valid and widely discussed.
“But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’” — Luke 10:40 (NIV)
If we reflect on the times when hospitality was truly practised without prejudice, we can better understand why Jesus commended Mary. Imagine ourselves as guests in a home where everyone is so preoccupied with preparing a meal that no one spends time with us—we are left alone for hours without companionship or access to the household. How would we feel in such a situation? Likewise, had Mary joined Martha in the kitchen, Jesus Himself would have been left alone. Today, hospitality has often shifted from genuine human connection to a display of homes, interiors, and possessions, prioritising food and beverages over the true spirit of welcoming and companionship.
Our Hospitality To Jesus
With this mindset, we often fail to welcome and honour the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, becoming distracted and burdened by lesser concerns. To draw our focus back to what truly matters, Jesus never demanded grand actions for Himself; instead, He said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ — Matthew 25:40 (NIV)
Jesus spoke these words not to burden us with rituals or ceremonies, but to invite us to spend genuine time with Him. Sadly, many have misinterpreted this, focusing solely on acts of service to others while again leaving Him alone, missing the deeper relationship He desires. Jesus intended for acts of love and service to be an integral part of our daily lives, not something formalised through institutions or trusts. His message was simple: in the natural course of living a life of love and humility, you are serving Him, freeing your heart to spend more time in communion with Him.
Otherwise, we become so entangled in the professions, families, and blessings He has given us that we allow our Comforter—the Holy Spirit—to fall asleep at the bottom of the boat of our lives. Worse yet, we sometimes bury Him under the very blessings meant to draw us closer to God, making our hearts inhospitable for His presence. By casting aside all that suffocates His life within us, we can once again make room for the Holy Spirit to dwell richly in us.
Are we truly showing hospitality to Jesus? Or have we joined Martha in trying to entertain God with food, incense, offerings, and empty words? Let us turn instead to the One who hung alone on the Cross to save us from eternal death. We were not there when He bore our suffering on the Cross—but now, is there any reason we cannot be with the risen Lord who lives within us?
Let us lay aside the burdens, distractions, and false priorities that keep us from His presence. Let us offer Him not the noise of rituals, but the quiet hospitality of a surrendered heart—a heart where He is welcomed, honoured, and loved. For He who once suffered alone now longs to walk with us daily, dwelling within us as our constant Companion and Lord.
Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” – Matthew 25:41-42 (NIV)
If we still fail to learn what Jesus meant by choosing the good portion, we will remain trapped in our own ideas of good deeds, missing the true blessing He offers. Let us make the Words of Jesus our own, just as Mary did. Choosing the good portion is not about outward acts, but about an inward longing—a wholehearted commitment to embrace and cherish the love of God.
The Jordan Valley 
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