Luke 7-8

Happy Thanksgiving!   Looking back at yesterday's passage I wrote, " Simon, one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to dinner".   Simon's invitation didn't include the hospitality normally shown to a visitor.  Paul wrote in Romans 12:13 " ... practicing hospitality" in his list of the ways we show love... "without hypocrisy".  

Hospitality - [philonexia] - entertain strangers; fond of guests, friendly.
The dictionary defines it as - "friendly, kind, and solicitous toward guests".  Solicitude - caring and concern ( I had to look it up).  The words hospital and hospice are related to hospitable - a place for rest, for shelter, for care of the sick or poor, the infirm, the orphan..
Without hypocrisy - not playing a part, not acting a certain way - not being like Simon, who's invitation doesn't appear to have anything to do with caring about Jesus.

Luke 8:1-3 talks about the women who followed Jesus, " contributing to their support out of their private means".   These women cared.  They had been forgiven much, delivered from sin and in Mary Magdalene's case, delivered from "seven demons".  They loved much.. expressing this love with their gifts.. their solicitude.

This Thanksgiving day, many of us will have guests at our tables.  We will practice hospitality - hopefully without hypocrisy!  God has blessed us greatly!  He has forgiven us much.. May we show our love to Him as we show kindness to others in His name.

Father, be glorified in Your children's lives today. Help us to genuinely love and care for others, in Jesus' Name,
Amen.