The Gospel Comes with a House Key By Rosaria Butterfield – Chapters 5-8
What does “the daily witness of Christian neighboring” look like in your mind?
My mind immediately jumps to when Jesus is questioned about the greatest commandment.
And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31)
We also find Jesus making the same statement in response to being asked what one must do to inherit the kingdom of eternal life (Luke 10:27). The follow-up question presented to Jesus is “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus then responds with The Parable of the Good Samaritan, from which we can see that 1) My neighbor can be anyone, even the last person I might expect, and 2) I should respond to my neighbor with mercy and love.
So when it comes to “the daily witness of Christian neighboring,” I think it first looks like loving God. Only by loving God, and understanding the love that He has for us can we ever truly know what it means to love our neighbors. Only by loving and experiencing the love of God can we be witnesses, for God’s love, to our neighbors.
Second, we must take that love for God and share it. Never in all our broken humanness could we ever match the love of God, but we must try. We must be merciful, gracious, and compassionate to our neighbors, regardless of whether our neighbor is who we expect them to be.
How does hospitality play a role in shepherding people in their sin?
I keep going back to a word that we talked about way back when we started 11 months ago. Proximity. How can the shepherd lead the lost sheep to greener pastures if he is not present?
As it relates to shepherding people in their sin, hospitality is about loving people despite their sin. It’s about showing them both grace and truth. And when their sin beats them into a corner, when it beats them to their knees, it’s about being there to point them to the one who saves.
Summarize Ch. 7 in your own words. What is the takeaway for you?
Chapter 7 is all about Rosaria Butterfield’s relationship with her mother. From her childhood to her mother’s deathbed conversion.
Rosaria Butterfield’s story in chapter 7 shows us that it is never too late and never to give up the fight even when it may seem hopeless. God has a plan, even if we can’t always see it. If we remain faithful to what He calls us to, we may even get to play a part in it.
What are the basics of hospitality outlined by Rosaria Butterfield?
Radically Ordinary Hospitality;
- Cares about the things That Neighbors Care About
- Works from Strengths and Interests
- Looks Out for the Old People
- Relocates to Neighborhoods Hit Hard by Drugs and Crime and Poverty
- Includes the Children and Values Their Concerns