This evening, I went for a walk around my neighborhood. As I passed by the various modest, middle-class homes down my street, I began to think about how little I actually know about the lives of the people inside.

Sure, my roommates and I have tried to do neighborly things. Once, we hosted a chili cookoff and had a great time getting to know our neighbors while tasting chili and casting our votes. The winner even went home with a prized golden spoon.

But when Paul talks about hospitality in the New Testament, I have a feeling he means more than an annual chili feed. The word hospitable means being generous and caring for one another’s needs. That’s why when we’re sick and in need of physical healing, we go to hospitals.

Churches are sort of like hospitals. And, as Christians, we’re even called to be like mini-hospitals by doing what we can to meet the spiritual and physical needs of those around us. As Paul writes in Romans 12:13, “Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

In Acts, we see perhaps the greatest demonstration of hospitality in history. Shortly after the Church was born, thousands were converted to Jesus Christ and stayed in Jerusalem to see what would happen next:

Acts 2:44-47, 4:34-35
“All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved… There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.”

When I came back from my walk, I noticed our new next-door neighbors were sitting out on their front deck. I went over to introduce myself and welcome them to the neighborhood. We talked for a few minutes, and it turned out they needed to borrow a pliers to install a new showerhead. After all, that’s what neighbors are for.