21 Bible Verses about Hospitality, A Duty Of God's People
Most Relevant Verses
Do not remain neglectful of hospitality to strangers, for by it some have entertained angels without knowing it.
So when He had washed their feet and had put on His clothes and taken His place at the table, He said to them again: "Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right in calling me so, for that is what I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another's feet.read more.
For I have set you an example, in order that you too may practice what I have done to you.
always supplying the needs of God's people, ever practicing hospitality.
So the pastor must be a man above reproach, must have only one wife, must be temperate, sensible, well-behaved, hospitable, skillful in teaching;
No widow under sixty years of age should be put on this roll. A widow must have had but one husband, must have a reputation for doing good deeds, as bringing up children, being hospitable to strangers, washing the feet of God's people, helping people in distress, or devoting herself to any sort of doing good.
For when I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, when I was thirsty you gave me something to drink, when I was a stranger you welcomed me to your homes,
Then He proceeded to say to the man who invited Him: "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, stop the social custom of inviting your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbors, for they may invite you in return and so you will be repaid. But when you give a reception, make it your habit to invite people that are poor, maimed, crippled, or blind. Then you will be happy, because they cannot repay you; you will be repaid at the resurrection of the upright."
For if a man with a gold ring, dressed in fine clothes, comes to your meeting, and at the same time a poor man clad in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the man who wears the fine clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in this fine place," and say to the poor man, "Stand up, or sit there on the floor at my feet," do you not make improper distinctions among yourselves and prove to be critics with evil motives?
Now I introduce to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deaconess in the church at Cenchreae, that you may give her a Christian welcome in a manner becoming God's people, and give her whatever help she needs from you, for she herself has given protection to many, including myself.
Aristarchus, my fellow-prisoner, wishes to be remembered to you; and so does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas; if he comes to see you, give him a hearty welcome.
I am now standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I will be his guest and feast with him, and he with me.
Then Jesus again spoke to them in stories, and said: "The kingdom of heaven is like a king, who gave a wedding reception for his son. And he sent his slaves to summon those who had been invited to the wedding reception, but they refused to come.read more.
A second time he sent other slaves, and said to them, 'Tell the invited guests that I have my reception all ready, my bullocks and fatlings are butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding reception!' But they paid no attention to it, but went off, one to his farm, another to his place of business, and the rest seized his slaves, treated them with violence, and murdered them. Then the king was enraged, and sent his soldiers to put those murderers to death and burned their city. After that he said to his slaves, 'My wedding reception is ready, but those invited have proved unworthy. So go out to the country crossroads and invite everybody you find to my wedding reception.' And those slaves went out into the roads and gathered everybody they found, both good and bad, and the bridal-hall was packed with guests. But when the king came in to take a look at the guests, he saw there a man who did not have on a wedding suit. So he said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding suit on?' But his lips were sealed. Then the king said to his attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot and throw him out into the darkness on the outside, where he will have to weep and grind his teeth.' For many are invited, but few are selected."
But one of the fellow-guests heard this, and said to Him, "Happy will be the man who is fortunate enough to be at the feast in the kingdom of God." Then Jesus said to him: "Once a man was giving a great dinner and invited many people to it. And at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to the invited guests, 'Come, for it is now ready.'read more.
But they all in the same attitude began to excuse themselves. The first one said, 'I have just bought a piece of land and I must go and look it over. Please excuse me.' Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I am on my way to try them. Please excuse me.' Another said, 'I have just gotten married, and so I cannot come.' So the slave returned and reported these answers to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his slave, 'Hurry out into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor, the maimed, the crippled, and the blind.' Then the slave said, 'Sir, what you ordered has been done, and still there is room.' "Then the master said to his slave, 'Go out on the roads and by the hedges and make the people come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, not one of those people who were invited shall get a taste of my dinner!'"
Then He went into Jericho and was passing through it. Here there was a man named Zaccheus, who was tax-commissioner of the district, and he was a rich man too. Now he was trying to see Jesus to find out who He was, but he could not because of the crowd, as he was so small in stature.read more.
So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a mulberry tree, just to get a glimpse of Him, for Jesus was coming through on that street. And as Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zaccheus, come down quickly! for today I must stop at your house." So in haste he came down, and with gladness welcomed Him. And when they all saw it, they began to grumble and say, "He has gone in to lodge with a notorious sinner!" Then Zaccheus got up and said to the Lord, "Listen, Lord! I now give to the poor half of my property, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay him back four times as much." Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this home, for he too is a real descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the people that are lost."
In my Father's house there are many dwelling places; if there were not, I would have told you, for I am going away to make ready a place for you. And if I go and make it ready for you, I will come back and take you to be face to face with me, so that you may always be right where I am.
And whoever will not welcome you, or listen to your words, on leaving that place shake off from your feet its very dust.
And if any place refuses to welcome you or to listen to you, when you leave there shake off the very dust from the soles of your feet as a warning to them."
And when you leave that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a protest against all the people who do not welcome you."
"Then He will say to those at His left, 'Be gone from me, you who are now cursed, to the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For when I was hungry you gave me nothing to eat, when I was thirsty you gave me nothing to drink, when I was a stranger you did not welcome me to your homes, when I needed clothes you did not put them on me, when I was sick and in prison, you did not look after me.'read more.
Then they will answer, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or needing clothes, or sick, or in prison, and did not wait on you?' Then He will answer, 'I solemnly say to you, every time you failed to do a good deed to one of these most insignificant people, you failed to do a good deed to me.'
