A Call To Radical Welcome

Christ lived a life of radical welcome and hospitality. He has called us to do the same. What does that look like lived out?

Welcome for the Glory of God

What does it mean to give a radical welcome? How often do we view our homes and our lives as our own? We only want only those people who make us feel comfortable in our lives. We only want to welcome into homes to those who can return the favor.

How often do we choose to do something radical because we are on a mission far greater than the world around us can fathom? How often do we love people with genuine, Christ-like love?

The Welcome Of Christ

This is such a convicting thought! Christ came to earth. He literally left perfection to come to this broken world. He walked our streets, He spent time with the people we are often afraid of and avoiding. He loved people. He didn’t love possessions or money. He gave of Himself constantly.

Then He went to the Cross and for the first and only time in eternity He was separated from the Father as God in heaven saw our sin on His Son. He bore our shame so that we could go to be with Him. He literally lived a human life on earth of radical welcome – telling everyone to come! And then He died the most brutal, horrifying death of history for our sakes!

We never have to face God in heaven turning His back on us because He did that to His Son! We will never deal with that because Christ dealt with it for us! He called us, He made the way for us, and He stands forever to welcome us into His Home.

He literally went away to “prepare a place for us” (John 14:3)! He came, He lived a life of radical hospitality to those the world cast out, He died and rose from the dead so that He could forever welcome in Heaven those who do not deserve an invitation (Luke 14). He left the Spirit with us and ascended into Heaven to prepare a place for His Bride.

And we are concerned about who comes over for dinner?

Related: Beginner’s Guide to Neighborhood Hospitality

Radical Welcome in My Home

People are more important than our circumstances! Souls are dying while we sit in comfort. This is not the way of our Savior! I am sobbing as I write these words, thinking through what God would have me do.

I desperately want my children to grow up with a picture of genuine love, genuine hospitality, genuine kindness, and radical welcome. I want them to see that it cannot be a human endeavor. Christ must work in our family if we are going to do this. His goals and mission must become our heartbeat if we are going anywhere.

Related: What is a “Christian Home”?

Radical hospitality is living in an intentional way. Loving the people God places in front of us and thinking through how we can do that better.

Radical hospitality is exactly how our Savior lived. Imagine with me what God could do if His people would open their hearts and their homes and their lives to those He presents! Consider with me how this will change today for you! I know I am praying to that end.

To consider more of what the Lord’s hospitality looked like read The Hospitality of Jesus.