21 Bible Verses about Hospitality, A Duty Of God's People
Most Relevant Verses
Do not neglect to show kindness to strangers; for, in this way, some, without knowing it, have had angels as their guests.
So after He had washed their feet, put on His garments again, and returned to the table, He said to them, "Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me 'The Rabbi' and 'The Master,' and rightly so, for such I am. If I then, your Master and Rabbi, have washed your feet, it is also your duty to wash one another's feet.read more.
For I have set you an example in order that you may do what I have done to you.
Relieve the necessities of God's people; always practise hospitality.
A minister then must be a man of irreproachable character, true to his one wife, temperate, sober-minded, well-behaved, hospitable to strangers, and with a gift for teaching;
No widow is to be put on the roll who is under sixty years of age. She must have been true to her one husband, and well reported of for good deeds, as having brought up children, received strangers hospitably, washed the feet of God's people, given relief to the distressed, and devoted herself to good works of every kind.
but hospitable to strangers, a lover of goodness, sober-minded, upright, saintly, self-controlled;
For when I was hungry, you gave me food; when I was thirsty, you gave me drink; when I was homeless, you gave me a welcome;
Also to His host, who had invited Him, He said, "When you give a breakfast or a dinner, do not invite your friends or brothers or relatives or rich neighbours, lest perhaps they should invite you in return and a requital be made you. But when you entertain, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind; and you will be blessed, because they have no means of requiting you, but there will be requital for you at the Resurrection of the righteous."
For suppose a man comes into one of your meetings wearing gold rings and fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man wearing shabby clothes, and you pay court to the one who wears the fine clothes, and say, "Sit here; this is a good place;" while to the poor man you say, "Stand there, or sit on the floor at my feet;" is it not plain that in your hearts you have little faith, seeing that you have become judges full of wrong thoughts?
Herewith I introduce our sister Phoebe to you, who is a servant of the Church at Cenchreae, that you may receive her as a fellow Christian in a manner worthy of God's people, and may assist her in any matter in which she may need help. For she has indeed been a kind friend to many, including myself.
Aristarchus my fellow prisoner sends greeting to you, and so does Barnabas's cousin Mark. You have received instructions as to him; if he comes to you, give him a welcome.
I am now standing at the door and am knocking. If any one listens to My voice and opens the door, I will go in to be with him and will feast with him, and he shall feast with Me.
Again Jesus spoke to them in figurative language. "The Kingdom of the Heavens," He said, "may be compared to a king who celebrated the marriage of his son, and sent his servants to call the invited guests to the wedding, but they were unwilling to come.read more.
"Again he sent other servants with a message to those who were invited. "'My breakfast is now ready," he said, 'my bullocks and fat cattle are killed, and every preparation is made: come to the wedding.' "They however gave no heed, but went, one to his home in the country, another to his business; and the rest seized the king's servants, maltreated them, and murdered them. So the king's anger was stirred, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burnt their city. Then he said to his servants, "'The wedding banquet is ready, but those who were invited were unworthy of it. Go out therefore to the crossroads, and everybody you meet invite to the wedding.' "So they went out into the roads and gathered together all they could find, both bad and good, and the banqueting hall was filled with guests. "Now the king came in to see the guests; and among them he discovered one who was not wearing a wedding-robe. "'My friend,' he said, 'how is it that you came in here without a wedding robe?' "The man stood speechless. Then the king said to the servants, "'Bind him hand and foot and fling him into the darkness outside: there will be the weeping aloud and the gnashing of teeth.' "For there are many called, but few chosen."
After listening to this teaching, one of His fellow guests said to Him, "Blessed is he who shall feast in God's Kingdom." "A man once gave a great dinner," replied Jesus, "to which he invited a large number of guests. At dinner-time he sent his servant to announce to those who had been invited, "'Come, for things are now ready.'read more.
"But they all without exception began to excuse themselves. The first told him, "'I have purchased a piece of land, and must of necessity go and look at it. Pray hold me excused.' "A second pleaded, "'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and am on my way to try them. Pray hold me excused.' "Another said, "'I am just married. It is impossible for me to come.' "So the servant came and brought these answers to his master, and they stirred his anger. "'Go out quickly,' he said, 'into the streets of the city--the wide ones and the narrow. You will see poor men, and crippled, blind, lame: fetch them all in here.' "Soon the servant reported the result, saying, "'Sir, what you ordered is done, and there is room still.' "'Go out,' replied the master, 'to the high roads and hedge-rows, and compel the people to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you that not one of those who were invited shall taste my dinner.'"
So He entered Jericho and was passing through the town. There was a man there called Zacchaeus, who was the local surveyor of taxes, and was wealthy. He was anxious to see what sort of man Jesus was; but he could not because of the crowd, for he was short in stature.read more.
So he ran on in front and climbed up a mulberry tree to see Him; for He was about to pass that way. As soon as Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for I must stay at your house to-day." So he came down in haste, and welcomed Him joyfully. When they all saw this, they began to complain with indignation. "He has gone in to be the guest of a notorious sinner!" they said. Zacchaeus however stood up, and addressing the Lord said, "Here and now, Master, I give half my property to the poor, and if I have unjustly exacted money from any man, I pledge myself to repay to him four times the amount." Turning towards him, Jesus replied, "To-day salvation has come to this house, seeing that he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
In my Father's house there are many resting-places. Were it otherwise, I would have told you; for I am going to make ready a place for you. And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will return and take you to be with me, that where I am you also may be.
And whoever refuses to receive you or even to listen to your Message, as you leave that house or town, shake off the very dust from your feet.
But wherever they will not receive you or listen to you, when you leave shake off the very dust from under your feet to bear witness concerning them."
Wherever they refuse to receive you, as you leave that town shake off the very dust from your feet as a protest against them."
"Then will He say to those at His left, "'Begone from me, with the curse resting upon you, into the Fire of the Ages, which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels. For when I was hungry, you gave me nothing to eat; when thirsty, you gave me nothing to drink; when homeless, you gave me no welcome; ill-clad, you clothed me not; sick or in prison, you visited me not.'read more.
"Then will they also answer, "'Lord, when did we see Thee hungry or thirsty or homeless or ill-clad or sick or in prison, and not come to serve Thee?' "But he will reply, "'In solemn truth I tell you that in so far as you withheld such services from one of the humblest of these, you withheld them from me.'
