Welcome The Interruption
Open Your Bible
Luke 19:1-10, Genesis 18:1-10, Genesis 19:1-11
BY Diana Stone
Text: Luke 19:1-10, Genesis 18:1-10, Genesis 19:1-11
And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him,“Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”
– Luke 19:5
We had just moved to a new Army post a few months earlier, and my husband was working long hours. It seemed my daughter or I were always sick – just enough to need to stay at home. When the one friend I’d made suggested playdates, I’d turn her down. I was tired, and my house wasn’t in a shape I’d deem “playdate ready.”
One morning I heard a knock on the door and there she was, coffee for us both in hand, her two kids rushing in. She was smiling sheepishly and said, “I don’t care if the house is a mess or if you have a cold – we missed you.” Her bold kindness has stuck with me for several years.
We are a culture that has put in place nearly impossible standards for our hosts and ourselves. Birthday parties must be perfect, dinners need to be Instagram-ready, even play dates have become themed.
What we’ve lost in the perfection is the comfort and companionship that comes with being with another person in their mess. It’s not about living in filth – it’s about making relationships more of a priority than the homes they take place in.
Guests are revered in the Bible. The angels that visited Lot in Genesis 19 were hidden inside as the men of the town yelled for them to be brought out. Lot attempts to protect his angelic guests by welcoming them at any cost.
In Luke 19, we see Zacchaeus, amid all his outward flaws, as the perfect host. No excuses, no rushing ahead to clean, no rescheduling. He climbed down and took Jesus to his home. Since he was able to focus on the blessing of Jesus asking to be his guest, he was also able to see the bigger picture in the invitation of salvation.
Hospitality is rarely convenient. We must be willing to interrupt the lives of others and be interrupted in our own to truly experience hospitality as Jesus practiced.
Jesus boldly asked to be a guest with Zacchaeus, knowing others would be shocked at Him spending time with such a man. He knew the message this would convey to Zacchaeus – “I care about you, I want to spend time with you.” How often do we do this with our friends? Someone in your life may need you to push the boundary a little before they let you into their home or heart.
Jesus and Zacchaeus offer the ideal setting for hospitality— bold asking, enthused acceptance. As we look at our relationships with others, where can we step into one of these roles and allow others to see our mess? Where can we take part in another’s real life? What are we missing out on if we are not willing to do both?
81 thoughts on "Welcome The Interruption"
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learning to see people and their needs and mess and inviting them in or boldly inviting myself into it and not see as such an interruption. …Lord help me learn this more!
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I’m so guilty of always wanting the picture perfect party for my guests after growing up with my amazing Mom who has the “Martha Stewart touch” on everything. But the reality is, God provided a perfect little studio in DC for me and I have been given the opportunity to allow this space to be a place where I can bless my friends with a meal, a cup of coffee, and a place filled with love. I want to always remind myself of how God provided my need for a home and the opportunity to serve others right within these four walls.
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This is so good…Such a fresh perspective and daily encouragement.
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This entire hospitality devotional, and this particular reading, comes at the exact time I found out a lot more family is visiting for the weekend than I expected! Thank you God for this timing that calms me from feeling overwhelmed. The important thing is visiting family, not having my home in perfect order.
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In each instance God blessed the hospitality of the host
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I have found that if you just step out and do what you know you should do, all the insecurities are overcome
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I am enjoying this study so far, and I feel like Holy Spirit is trying to convict me of different things, but my mind is fighting back…. My prayer is that my heart will soften and open up to whatever it is that I need to be convicted of.
I too always struggle with inviting people into my house. It is always a mess, especially now that I have a 9 months old son. I always feel like my home is not as clean and beautiful as others :(-
Nadya, I understand where you are coming from. I often struggle as well with comparing myself to others. But someone once told me that “comparison is the thief of joy”. When we are focused on comparing ourselves then it becomes difficult to have joy in who God made us to be and where He purposefully has us in life. Praying for you that the Lord helps you to see yourself as He sees you, precious and lovely. And that the Holy Spirit affirms and encourages you in all the things you are doing right, like taking care of a sweet and busy 9 month old!
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I’m late reading this post but it hit my heart something serious. I’ve recently been feeling torn between wanting to pour out all this love I have in me and wondering what people will think of me, or my apartment, or if anyone will even receive it or will it fall on deaf ears. I need to sit on this Word for a bit and let God work some fear out of me.
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