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"The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers."
(1 Peter 4:7)
Yesterday, we discussed 1 Peter 4:9. Today, let's zoom out a bit to view the verse in some of its context to see what it adds to our understanding of Christian hospitality.
"The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling."
(1 Peter 4:7-9)
Let's notice 2 things from the verses that preceded 1 Peter 4:9:
1. Peter gives this instruction to show cheerful hospitality after pulling the readers back to an eternal perspective.
In verse 7, Peter reminds us that "the end of all things is at hand." From this truth flows the following commands in verses 8 and 9: We ought to be hospitable, because the end is near. So what's the connection? For non-believers, the need for them to know Christ is urgent as the end is at hand. Their life is limited, and they desperately need Jesus. Hospitality is a powerful tool for the Christian witness. Welcoming people into your life and allowing them to see how you and your family live is a testimony to how Christ has made you different, and it opens the door to deeper and more personal conversations. For fellow believers, hospitality reminds us that we can depend on one another. In the early church context, hospitality was essential, as churches often met in homes, and Christians constantly dealt with persecution. Even for us today, hospitality is a tool to encourage others and bolster their faith to face whatever comes their way.
When I was in college a woman invited me into her home for discipleship in the evenings once a week. It wasn't the "sit in a coffee shop and read the Bible together" type of discipleship (although I love that too!). She let me see how she interacted with her husband and her kids as a Christian wife and mother. We talked about following Jesus and Scripture and life while making her kids dinner or lunches for the next day, and the impact that had on me was great, as I saw real, normal life played out in front of me, done in a way that was surrendered to Jesus and motivated by Christian love. Life is limited, and the Kingdom of God is at hand, so let us urgently show hospitality to others as both evangelism and discipleship opportunities.
2. Christian hospitality should flow from love.
In verse 8, love is set among the highest callings for believers. We are to love others earnestly, and showing cheerful hospitality is one way in which we can love others. When our hospitality is driven by love, it helps us to take the focus off of ourselves and how we are presenting ourselves, how we are inconvenienced, or how we want things our way, and to place it instead on to the needs of others and how we can best point them to Jesus. With eternity at stake, our love should drive all we do.
An eternal perspective changes the way we see everything, including our hospitality.
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