A Lesson In Hospitality

When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?  My hour has not yet come.’ John 2:1-22   This story reminds me of the times when we would visit friends of my parents and after we had all finished our meal my mother would prevent the host from cleaning up the table and freely offer the services of my sister and I. She not only insisted that we clean the table but the dishes and entire kitchen as well. I hated it! After all was I not also a guest! I know that had I given a response like Jesus gave his mother, my mother would have given me a look that let me know that the matter would be dealt with later. At any rate, it certainly would not have gotten me out of my servitude and neither does Christ’s response keep him from doing what his mother is requesting. I now understand this experience as a lesson in hospitality. It’s is not a one-way experience. It’s also not something we only do when we invite someone to our home. We always have something to offer others whether it is a simple smile or hello, helping someone with his or her bags, or allowing someone to merge into a traffic lane. Sometimes we even offer to clean their kitchens. There is never a moment when the “hour has not come”, we give what is needed. It’s what Christ does for us and what we are called to do for one another.