February 9, 2000

EXPLORE THE BIBLE:
Make folks feel at home
--not wish they were
___ 3 John 1-14
___By Ellis Orozco
___Calvary Baptist Church, McAllen
___Have you ever known someone who made everyone feel at home? Have you ever known someone who, as soon as you walk into their house you feel as if you are part of their family? I have. That person will always have a special place in my heart.
___Someone once said: "Some folks make you feel at home. Others make you wish you were." John, as he writes to his friend Gaius, introduces us to two people who are perfect examples of people who make everyone feel at home or who make everyone wish they were.
___ Hospitality and joy (3 John 1-4). John begins his brief letter by rejoicing that his friend Gaius was spiritually as well as physically healthy. Sometimes we must pass through physical illness, but our desire for each other is to be healthy. John's emphasis on Gaius' soul indicates the priority of spiritual health over physical health (3 John 2b). What good is it to have a healthy body if your soul is in chains (Matthew 16:26)?
___John expresses the joy he receives from hearing Gaius has been "faithful to the truth" and has continued to "walk in the truth." When we allow our sinful nature to control, we may feel resentment or jealousy when others seem to be doing better than we are. But John models the fact that we are to rejoice when others are doing well (3 John 4).
___ Hospitality revealed (3 John 5-8). Paul now begins his commendation of Gaius. Gaius has modeled the true Christian faith by helping a fellow Christian named Demetrius. Demetrius apparently was ministering in Christ's name and needed food and shelter along the way. Gaius provided everything needed in a cheerful and gracious way (3 John 5-7).
___John commends Gaius for expressing his Christian faith in an effective and tangible way. Such expressions of hospitality reveal a life lived in the truth and are essential to the work of God's kingdom (3 John 8).
___ Hospitality negated (3 John 9-10). John now moves to a comparison of Gaius' hospitality to the negative and destructive attitude of another church leader named Diotrephes. Diotre-phes' sour attitude and obstinate disobedience to God are the polar opposite to Gaius' attitude of help and hospitality.
___John points out some actions that negate the spirit of hospitality. They are the desire to be first, malicious gossiping, rejecting people in need and ostracizing those who desire to have a welcoming spirit.
___ Hospitality defined (3 John 11-14). Finally, John closes his letter by giving the essence of hospitality. He encourages Gaius to imitate not what is evil, but what is good. Hospitality is, therefore, the attitude of the heart that always seeks to imitate what is good. John identifies the one who is hospitable with the one who has seen God. The one who refuses to be hospitable is not imitating that which is good and, therefore, has not seen God (3 John 11).
___Diotrephes is fighting against John and the spirit of truth, but in the end, the truth will win (3 John 12). It's always better to make people feel like they are home than to make them wish they were.

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