LiveBooking: "Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus"

Chapter 10 looks at hospitality in ancient times.

by Sam O'Neal

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Once again it's time for our weekly tour through Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus, by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg. When I sat down to read this week, I became excited by just the title of chapter 10: "At Table with the Rabbi." I very much enjoy learning more about the ancient practices of hospitality, and I was not disappointed today.

Culture Nuggets
First, it was good to see the authors address the way in which some people mistakenly attempt to adopt hospitality customs from ancient Israel into modern America. Here's an example:

When Jesus commissioned his disciples to preach in the surrounding villages, he gave them instructions that sound radical to us: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts.... And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them" (Mark 6:8,11).
Taking this passage literally, some Christians have gone with little or no money to places that don't have the same high regard for hospitality that existed in Jesus' day. And even though God can provide for them, it seems clear that Jesus wasn't asking his disciples to count on daily miracles to sustain them. Instead, he knew that the talmidim of an esteemed rabbi would normally be warmly welcomed. Any community that failed to treat his disciples with honor deserved to be left behind.

That's a good reminder of why understanding context is so important when we set about reading and applying God's Word.

Application
Speaking of applying, I'm wondering what hospitality currently looks like in the modern West. What are the rules? What are the customs? What are the social norms when it comes to spending time with each other and in each other's homes?

And then to go a little deeper, how do those rules and customs affect what we are all about in terms of small groups and forming spiritual communities?