Lenten Devotion: Hospitality

by Michele Husfelt on March 3, 2025

For I was hungry
and you gave Me something to eat;
I was thirsty
and you gave Me something to drink;
I was a stranger and you took Me in;
I was naked and you clothed Me;
I was sick and you took care of Me;
I was in prison and you visited Me.’

“And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me’" (Matthew 25:35,40).

As we approach the Lenten season which precedes Holy Week, we join brothers and sisters united in Christ across the globe to intentionally focus on Jesus’ message in His last days and the teachings He longed for us to follow. Hospitality, prayer, forgiveness, compassion, a clean heart, listening to God, and finding new life are lessons we will explore together during the next 40 days of our Lenten observance.

This week, as we examine hospitality, we read in the account of Matthew the words Jesus spoke to His disciples as He taught them genuine hospitality. It seems Jesus was fairly confident His friends would provide for His needs if they found Him hungry or thirsty, homeless, naked, sick, or in prison. Surely those closest to the suffering would step up and lend a helping hand. However, genuine hospitality, Jesus taught, became much more than caring for friends and family.

When Jesus responded to their question about when they would have seen Him in need of such help, His teaching on hospitality extended to a new level beyond the obligatory expectations and service society would have deemed reasonable. Not only did Jesus expect His followers to care for their family and friends, but He also introduced this radical idea that they should provide the basic necessities of life for those who were least in society, including people they didn’t even know!

Who in your sphere of influence is hungry or thirsty? Who needs a place to stay? Who needs clothing? Who is sick or in prison and could use a visit or a card? We would certainly meet these needs if we saw Jesus in dire straits, but interestingly, Jesus compares the least of us to Himself and asks us to provide for them as if we were providing for Him.

As we go about our days, may we see others through Jesus’ eyes. May we practice intentional hospitality by generously giving others the basic necessities we all need: food, clothing, a place to sleep, and human interaction. Give to your family and friends. Give to your neighbors. And give to Jesus by giving to the least of these.