Monday, May 19, 2025  

Today's Scripture
Acts 16:9–15

During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she prevailed upon us. (NRSV)

Reflection

I’m struck by the courage of Paul and his companions to carry the word of God to a Roman city. But to me, Lydia is the focus of this passage. She is a Gentile, a businesswoman — a dealer in purple cloth whose heart was opened by God to listen eagerly to Paul’s words. And she is so moved that she and her household were baptized. Then she invites Paul and his companions to stay at her home. This is a story of hospitality and the gift of an open heart.

But this is no ordinary hospitality. I picture Lydia as a woman of stature in the community with a “household,” which I assume includes servants. As a well-to-do Gentile in this Roman city, she would have had social status quite different from these followers of Jesus. Yet she eagerly listened to Paul’s message, and she was humble about her invitation to them. (“If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.”) Paul’s group must have answered positively, as she then prevailed upon them to accept her invitation.

This is radical hospitality born of an open heart by a faithful, humble woman. Lydia inspires me — not that I’ll be inviting people I just met to stay at my home, but she inspires me to be more humble and more inviting in my heart to all people.

Prayer
Loving God, please help me to always have an open heart for eagerly listening to your word so that I might show radical hospitality, humility, and welcoming to all in my heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Written by Janet Love, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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