A couple of nights ago my wife and I attended a beautiful wedding celebration in the mountains of Colorado. I enjoyed the excellent food, so much so that I headed back to the buffet with several of the young people. As they heaped their plates, I took a couple of meager spoonfuls. Oh the glory of eating all the pasta you want and still fitting into skinny jeans!

My bountiful meal stands in contrast to one provided by a host described in Proverbs. A begrudging host…is the kind of person who is always thinking about the cost. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you” (23:6-7).

The results of dining with such a stingy party-giver? You will vomit up the little you have eaten and will have wasted your compliments (23:8).

Bummer. Having experienced more than a few skimpy meals over the years, I can spot a lousy host, and know how to wiggle out of further engagements. Such a person doesn’t really want you eating his food anyway, so why show up? He’s using his guests for his own ends, or merely repaying an obligation.

Which makes me wonder—am I a begrudging or generous host? My wife’s great, always overloading the table. I tend toward precision, concerned about waste, edging toward frugality. I always benefit from the good hosts I encounter, experiencing generosity and learning to pass it on.

And most wonderfully, the begrudging host stands in stark contrast to the Lord of Hosts.

God lavishes his grace upon us. Holding nothing back in the giving of his Son, the Lord paid every bit of cost. To our eternal benefit, generosity in grace and goodness marks the Lord’s attitude towards us. Thank you Lord.

Proverbs 23 in week twenty-four of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Tye Doring

It’s good to have friends. Paul mentioned friends and co-workers at the end of several of his letters, modeling the value of living and ministering in community.

Paul greeted both men and women in Romans 16, praising them for their commitment and reliability. The mix of Jews and Gentiles on the list revealed the spreading influence of the newly founded Christian faith.

I’m drawn to two names as I read through Paul’s comments, starting with Epenetus, the first person from the province of Asia to become a follower of Christ (16:5). I wonder—what convinced him to give his life to Christ? Did he hear the gospel from Paul, or from someone else? Following this great distinction as “first believer,” Epenetus is believed to have gone on to become the first Bishop of Carthage.

The next greeting begs for more backstory—Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test (16:10). What test? Or set of tests? What challenges faced Apelles in his faith and how did he overcome them? This high praise from Paul sums up all we know about Apelles—not bad if one line is all you get.

While we only glimpse a snapshot of these men’s lives, the depth of their faith shines across the centuries.

I find every name on this list inspiring. Each represents a follower of Jesus, living for the Lord, befriending Paul in his work. So many stories, so much I wish I knew—I can’t wait to bug them all in heaven!

Romans 16 in week twenty-four of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by James Baldwin