God’s Word for You
Acts 21:15-16 A guest room is ready
by Pastor Timothy Smith on Tuesday, December 22, 2020
15 After those days we packed up and went up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us and brought us to be the guests of Mnason of Cyprus. He was one of the early disciples.
It’s about seventy miles from Caesarea up over the mountains of Judea. Whether the travelers went on foot or riding on donkeys (both of which were pretty commonplace), the trip would have taken about two days or a little more. Luke adds a nice comment about “packing up,” although many translations have “got ready.” The verb episkeuazomai can mean “get ready” (Exodus 30:7) or “to pack up, close down” (1 Samuel 3:3), or “restore” in the sense of repair (the temple, 2 Chronicles 24:4,12; 34:10). Here the travelers were packing up their gear, making sure that they had everything they came with. When our children were small, my wife and I always wrote out a long list in a notebook when we traveled to be sure that everything that went to Grandma and Grandpa’s house came back home again. Packing up (and restoring the luggage) was a matter of checking off the list.
The destination that they decided on (in the days before telephones) was the house of one of the earliest disciples of Jesus. This was Mnason of Cyprus. If you have trouble saying “Mnason,” try saying “Nathan” and then switch the “th” for an “s,” and you’ll be close to saying it like “Nason.” He probably had a big house, able to hold many guests, and we can imagine that he was always happy to welcome the early Christians into his home. We might think with a pang of regret about Mary and Joseph, who got to Bethlehem one night and found no such lodging house when it was time for Jesus to be born (Luke 2:7).
When might Mnason have become one of the early disciples? Perhaps when John was baptizing and “all the people of Jerusalem went out to him” (Mark 1:5), or in one of the synagogues (Mark 1:21), or when Jesus was preaching to the big crowds (Mark 1:39-45).
Jesus warned his disciples about what to do when a city or village would not welcome Christians (Matthew 10:14; Luke 9:5), and Paul was always encouraging Christians to welcome one another (“welcome him as you would welcome me,” Philemon 1:17). Mnason lived his faith. He had the kind of reputation that drew Christians to his door, even strangers. Think of the way this one man’s hospitality helped the work of God’s kingdom. We don’t all have identical gifts. Hospitality is so precious and rare; it should be recognized and thanked, and God should be praised when it happens. I have a friend who always has a Dr. Pepper in the fridge in case I might stop by. Now, I don’t expect all of my friends to do that! But to have someone think of you in terms of their hospitality is a rare gift indeed. What we should really do is imitate that attitude when we think about Jesus. What can I do in my life, in my heart, to welcome Jesus whenever he comes, whether it’s through his holy Word, his divine sacrament, or through God’s regular and unfailing providence and care? My heart is ready, Holy Father. My whole life is your guest room, Holy Spirit. Come, Holy Lord Jesus. Your servant is waiting.
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. To receive God’s Word for You via e-mail, please visit the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church website.