Today I want to pose more questions than answers. I encourage you to reflect honestly on each one, measuring your life against the example of these early believers. We’ll focus on the first half of this verse today, and return to the second later this week.
Luke, Paul, and their companions were well into their missionary journey. In some places they had friends; in others—like here—they had to search for fellow believers and depend on their hospitality. In his commentary on Acts, John Karmelich asks a simple question.
How did they “find” the local believers? I like that question, let’s talk about it.
I picture our small town of Wimberley. If someone arrived asking where the local Christians gather, would people know where to send them? That one is an easy yes, as the churches are well known throughout the community. Let’s take it a bit farther- If they knew where we lived, would it be because of the little white crosses in our yards—or because of the way we love, serve, and share the gospel? If they knocked on our door, would we welcome them in, or find ourselves with “no room,” like that first Christmas?
Hospitality carries deep weight in Middle Eastern culture. In Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, Nabeel Qureshi describes how, growing up in a Muslim home, guests were honored and welcomed to stay as long as needed. Hospitality was not an inconvenience—it was a value. We may say things are different in our culture, especially in 2026—but should they be?
Luke and Paul were likely known among believers, which may have made hosting them easier. Still, in Luke 10, Jesus instructed His disciples to enter homes of peace—often belonging to strangers. I know I’d feel uncomfortable opening my home that way. The early believers probably felt that tension too, yet they seemed to value obedience and people over personal comfort. Even some who did not yet know Jesus welcomed them in.
I’m not suggesting we abandon wisdom or healthy boundaries. But I do wonder—are we holding on too tightly? If we lived with open hands, fully trusting God’s sovereignty, what greater work might He do through us?