The Home in the New Testament

In the New Testament the home was the center for all Christian ministry. It's where the house churches met. It was the center of Christian fellowship and even worship. It's the place where the church leaders met to strategize and pray. It was a haven for those in need. And, of course, it was where family life was nurtured and enjoyed.

It was also a place of Christian outreach. In fact, a man could not be chosen as a church leader if he wasn't committed to Christian hospitality (1 Tim. 3:2).

None of this should be surprising. For one of the places where the Lord Jesus Himself centered His ministry was in the home: His table fellowship, His teaching, His healing, His outreach, His confrontation, etc. The New Testament knows nothing of an open heart without an ensuing open home. One of the best living apologetics for the Christian faith is the Christian home sweet home.

The Modern Christian Home

But somehow we've lost this uniquely Christian commitment. Most of our homes are not havens for the needy or outposts for the lost. Instead, they have become fortresses to protect us from the evil world for whom Christ died.

We retreat into our fortress and pull up the drawbridge, leaving the enemies on the outside to fight their way across the mote and hopefully into our protected prisons-assuming, of course, that they really want in!

Our attitude seems to be, "If they want to come in, let them come to us-and then, only after we have carefully screened them for all contagious diseases. After all, it's my fortress. I built it. I paid for it. Why should I let them in anyway? I have the right to build a bigger and better house-and then to really enjoy it, don't I? Besides, after a long, hard day at work, I have earned the right to settle down in my castle and steel away from the world. I deserve it. Isn't it my right to privacy?" No, it's not your right. The only right we have as Christians is to live under the lordship of Jesus Christ Himself!

So maybe we've really missed the point. For when we analyze it carefully, from God's point of view, this whole fortress mentality comes tumbling down. After all, it's really not my home at all. Yes, I may have built it. And I may have certainly paid for it. But the truth is, God gave me the job. He continues to give me the ability to perform the job (e.g., the skills, the health, the favor with my employers and/or employees, etc.). So in reality, like everything else in my life, God owns it all! It's all a gift from Him. Therefore, I am not the owner of anything. Rather, I am a steward of everything.

So the real question then is not, "What can I do with my house?" But rather, "What should I do with His home?" In other words, "How can I make the Lord's home a home sweet home for others? How can I make use of His ability in my hospitality?"