Poor Lazarus.
He and his sisters meet Jesus. Next thing you know he falls ill. His sister wants Jesus to pop over to heal him, after all He has healed before and Jesus loves Lazarus, so it should be a formality.
Not only does Jesus not make it in time, Lazarus dies and has been safely dead for days. Yet Jesus turns up and miraculously brings Him back to life.
Yet having been brought back from the dead what do the religious rulers want to do? Put him back in the grave in the same condition he went in the first time. Why?
All because he made Jesus feel right at home. Bad enough getting resurrected by Pharisee Enemy No. 1, worse that he entertains Him in his home and his sisters are only too happy not just to serve Him with food, but with anointing His feet with the richest aroma from a balm usually reserved for a great fragrance for the dead. All this love and attention, all this quality hospitality.
It made me think hospitality is today. Doesn’t have to compete in being as lavish. Yet we followers of Jesus have the very same testimony as Lazarus. We were dead in sin and He who is the Resurrection and the Life has made us alive. We have the chance to thank Him in our hospitality – welcoming people into our homes and our lives. Giving them a warm welcome full of God’s love as if the Messiah were with us.
I wonder how that’s going for us?
(Photo by Alberto Castillo Q. on Unsplash)
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 