Lydia: Courageous Hospitality
Jodie introduces us to Lydia whose story is found in Acts 16:11-15,40
Lydia is a character who appears very briefly in the book of Acts, when she meets Paul during his stay in Philippi. Lydia was a successful businesswoman who offered what she had – her home and resources – to help establish the church in Phillipi. Although brief, there is much we can learn from her example. You can read about her in Acts 16:11-15,40.
Lydia was a businesswoman (v14)
Lydia was from Thyatira and was a dealer in purple cloth. Lydia may have been her name or it could have been an adjective describing where she originated from, the ‘Lydian woman’ (Thyatira was in the region of Lydia). Thyatira was a major city known for its trade and wealth. The fact that she was described in this way, where she was from and that business was her reason for being in Philippi, underlines her status and importance.
Lydia was a ‘worshipper of God’ (v14)
This was the usual description used for a Jewish proselyte (a Greek convert to Judaism). Thyatira had a strong Jewish colony, so she had probably accepted the Jewish faith in her home-town, and then when she was in Philippi she went to the Jewish place of prayer by the river on the Sabbaths (v13).
Lydia responded to the gospel (vv14-15).
Lydia was at the ‘place of prayer’ when she heard Paul’s message. She was already seeking after God, and her heart was open to hearing the gospel message about Jesus. She was so impacted that she shared what she had found out with her household and through her, they also all believed, and they were all baptised! This clearly shows her influence, status and leadership within her household.
Lydia carried authority (v15).
There are no men mentioned in the account, so we don’t know if Lydia was married, single, divorced or widowed. But Lydia was clearly in charge of her business and her home, as it was she who invited Paul and Silas and their team to stay in her house. It also seems that the church in Philippi began to meet in her house (v40).
Lydia was courageous in offering hospitality (vv15,40).
Lydia opened her home and urged Paul and his team to stay with her after she and her household had been baptised. Her hospitality would have contributed to the spread of the gospel and the establishment of the church in Philippi. This was a courageous step on her behalf. It would have involved financial commitment in providing for their needs as they used her house as a base while they were in the region preaching about Jesus. It would also have taken courage to be associated with these relative strangers, who were promoting a new faith that was potentially very disruptive to the Roman society.
Inviting the apostles to stay in her house after they were released from prison (when they had been stripped, beaten and jailed because of their preaching) was also a big step for Lydia as she was risking her business reputation by providing a safe-haven for them and by hosting the early church!
What can we learn from the account of Lydia?
Lydia used her status, her financial means and her house to help provide for the apostles and for the church, and by doing so she helped to further the gospel spread into Europe. Lydia was living open-handed and open-hearted. She was keen to demonstrate love and care to the people who had shared the good news of the Gospel with her and to help them tell others too.
Lydia’s open heartedness to the gospel, and her openness to helping and supporting in practical ways is a valuable model for us. We must be open to God’s leading, soft-hearted to His grace, and keen to enable others hear this amazing, good news. This often can look like practical help for others. You may not view yourself as an up-front leader, but how else might you be able to serve the church and the spread of the gospel?
Courageous Hospitality
Like Lydia, we are called to be open hearted and open handed, to lead in courageous hospitality in a culture that is so unused to experiencing that. Called to open our hearts and our church to all people.
What might that look like for you in your situation? How might God be calling you to show courageous hospitality to others?
Can you think of a time when you experienced courageous hospitality? What was that like for you as a recipient?
