Of the various appearances of the Lord after his resurrection, the story of the road to Emmaus is especially beloved. It seems unmatched for accessibility and richness of lessons. One lesson emphasized by two major fathers of the Church might take us by surprise: the duty of hospitality.
As this remarkable trio of men steeped in conversation approached the village of Emmaus, the Lord “appeared to be going further.” The next verse is striking: “But they constrained him, staying, ‘Stay with us, for it is toward evening.’” There is much we might reflect on here, but let us turn to two great commentators on scripture and note their shared observation.
St. Gregory the Great writes, “Hence it follows, ‘And they compelled him.’ From which example it is gathered that strangers are not only to be invited to hospitality, but even taken by force.”
As we let these surprising words sink in, we can add the words of St. Augustine:
“Because the Lord feigned as if he would go further, when he was accompanying the disciples, expounding to them the sacred scriptures, who knew not whether it was he, what does he mean to imply but that through the duty of hospitality men may arrive at a knowledge of him; that when he has departed from mankind far above the heavens, he is still with those who perform this duty to his servants.”
Whatever exactly Gregory means by taking people by force (which surely should not be read in a fully literal sense), his words indicate two things to us. First, we need to think more about just what hospitality is, and second, whatever it is, it is more important, and even essential, than we have realized.
Augustine calls it a duty, and makes the surprising assertion that through doing it we arrive at greater knowledge of the Lord. He doubles down on this point, repeating that “because they followed hospitality, him they knew not in the expounding of the scriptures, they know in the breaking of the bread.”
What I find especially noteworthy here—and encouraging while also challenging—is the emphasis on what hospitality does for those who exercise it. Clearly, at issue is something more than simply having a meal event to which we invite some people. This hospitality must imply a deeper ‘receiving’ of persons, something along the lines of the reality behind, “He who receives you receives me.”
Sometimes hospitality means opening our hearts and receiving people even when we don’t want to. Yet this story shows that it can also be receiving someone that we very much want to receive. Sometimes hospitality is an entry point to a deeper life-sharing right away, one that commences, and even grows, with the formality and ritual of hospitality. Other times hospitality will be but a passing moment of sharing, yet nonetheless a real taste, or foretaste, of a deeper sharing that can only be foreshadowed now.
Somehow—and here the real profundity of the gift starts to come into focus—the genuine exercise of hospitality, especially when done in the name of Christ, has the astounding consequence of bringing one to a deeper “knowledge of him.” By receiving others, we receive not only them, but also him. And once again we are caught up into an intricately woven web of life, one that never ceases to amaze. ~ ~ ~
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ALSO: an earlier PODCAST BEYOND PARTIES: HOSPITALITY
Image: On the Road to Emmaus, 14th century, Duccio.
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An exceptional reflection on a topic close to my heart. Thank you.
God’s own hospitality knows no bounds. Sometimes He even takes us by force, so it seems. But the force of God is a gentle wooing, a slow but persistent romancing of the soul, until one day we know that we are His and always have been, and we cannot imagine wanting another. When God acts upon a soul to draw it to Himself, who can resist?!
Somehow this seems to contradict the doctrine of free will. I don’t know how to puzzle that out; perhaps God will clarify that for me someday. In the meantime, I am quite happily captive.
“Oh happy chance!” as St. John of the Cross would say.
Thank you, Ellen. You raise a great issue. I think we can in any case have confidence that even when God moves very strongly, it still does not overwhelm but is in accord with our free will… in a way only God could do it.
This is a beautiful reflection! One of my favourite choral pieces comes from this Gospel story, Rheinberger’s ‘Abendlied’: “Bide with us, for evening is falling…” You can sense the joyful desire of the disciples for this wise stranger to stay with them.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TGc__HGwdxk&list=RDTGc__HGwdxk&start_radio=1&pp=ygUVYWJlbmRsaWVkIHJoZWluYmVyZ2VyoAcB
Would it also stand to reason that the more hospitable you become to your fellow man, the more you are likely to also become more charitable in your actions?
I think that’s a great insight and very much to the point, Teddy!
I wonder if the paradox of free will vs. being wooed isn’t rather like the experience of being proposed to! You’re delighted he is asking you but you wouldn’t be quite so delighted if he told you! 🙂
Yes, and in a sense you simply cannot resist!
Imelda – You answered my question! God IS inviting, not forcing, but what He invites us to is what we long for, what we are created for., and that’s hard to resist. Sometimes we are so wrapped up in what we THINK we love that we don’t hear Him calling us. We are free to love whatever we choose, but there is only One who fulfills us. and makes us whole.