接待客旅──上帝國度的本質

Hospitality: The Nature of the Kingdom of God

LEE Suk Yee

Hospitality（φιλοξενία）basically points to the practice of graciously receiving a guest, mainly stranger or sojourner, who is in a state of transition, lacking support and protection. This virtue is highly stressed in the Bible. Not only the church leaders are required to practice it (Tit 1:7-8; 1 Ti 3:2), but every believer must also embrace it (Ro 12:13; 1 Pe 4:9). The book of Hebrews even urges the readers to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so they may have entertained angels (Heb 13:2), just like in Abraham’s case (Ge 18:1-8).

Behind the virtue of hospitality is a fundamental concept that Yahweh is the faithful host of Israel. During the wilderness journey, God, as a host, provided food (Ex 16:4) and protection (Dt 3:22) to the sojourners and led them to the Promised Land, a lodging place owned by the deity (Lev 25:23). This imagery was adopted by the prophets who envisaged the coming ideal age as an era in which Yahweh, the host, prepares a lavish banquet for all his people (Isa 25:6). The tradition of God as host was also shared by Jesus who used the parable of the feast to explain the Kingdom of God (Mt 22:1-14; Lk 14:15-24). As such, the Kingdom of God is a realm of hospitality.

The Kingdom of God as a vision does not refer to a place but to the reign of Yahweh. In this realm, the virtue of being humble and serving others is to be fully embraced (Lk 22:26). Those who want to enjoy God’s hospitality and attend the feast of the Kingdom must uphold this spirit, following the footstep of their Lord, Jesus (Mk 10:45). In Matthew 25, Jesus praised those who received him when he was a stranger by promising them the Kingdom of God (25:34-35) and reproached those who did not do so with eternal punishment (25:43, 46a). Jesus stressed that to care for the needy and practice hospitality in our daily life is a requirement of the Kingdom of God.

During the process of hospitality, the birth of the faith community starts with being a ξένος (stranger, sojourner). In the Old Testament period, Abraham trusted God and left his homeland. He lived as an alien and experienced God’s hospitality (Ge 12:1; Heb 11:8-9). His obedience gives birth to Israel. In the New Testament period, Jesus emptied himself and took the form of a bond-servant (Php 2:5-8). He became a sojourner, depending on others’ hospitality (Mk 2:15; Jn 12:1-2). The obedience of Jesus gave birth to the church. Everyone who is willing to receive Jesus will become part of the Kingdom of God, under the reign of Yahweh. Members of the faith community must admit that they are strangers and sojourners of this world and long for God’s hospitality in the new era (Heb 11:13-16; 1 Pe 1:17). However, in the meantime, the faith community must practice hospitality in their daily life before they can enjoy the feast of the Kingdom (Mt 25). So the Kingdom of God is both the consequence and cause of hospitality.