Hospitality without Condescension - The Rev. Melanie W. J. Slane

Sermons from the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer

Hospitality is also an integral part of our story tonight. And it's the one that surprised me. I consider myself a pretty great host. I love when people come to my home for dinner. I'm Greek, so there's always enough food to feed a small army. And I've crafted my own signature cocktail. And I've brought brightly colored linens home from my travels so I can tell the story of the amazing people I've met along the way. Hospitality, though, has another side, the surprise side. It turns out that I'm terrible at being a guest. I actually had a friend once grab me by the wrist and bring me back to the dining room so I would stop washing her dishes. I rarely allow myself to be the recipient of the service of others because that level of vulnerability might remind me that I might actually need someone to take care of me from time to time. Jesus shows us this night that if we are going to share hospitality without condescension, then we first have to allow ourselves to be the guest in someone else's home. Jesus begins this act of service, and only by receiving it can we know how to share it with others.