Today's passage is really rooted in two components of the early Church's experience. The first had to do with how they provided for those who could not provide for themselves. (Their "welfare system," as it were.) The second had to do with the dangers inherent in being a Christian in the first and second centuries of the Common Era. (The means by which they sought to avoid the henchmen of the various Roman emperors.)

First, Acts 2:44 tells us that early Christians "had all things common"—meaning they lived a sort of communal order where wealthier Christians would sell their belongings to meet the physical needs of those who were not as well off. This was no small sacrifice. Some, who had converted to the new faith, were (prior to their conversions) rather affluent—but they gave all of that up, evidencing their faith in the Lord and their sincere love for their brothers and sisters in Christ. Hence Paul's counsel to "Share with the Lord's people who are in need."

Second, if you think our world today is callous and even dangerous at times, imagine being one of the early Christians—whose lives were in danger just because they believed in Jesus. (E.g., Revelation 17:6) One trait of the early Christian community was its practice of offering safe spaces to other Christians, in an era when nothing was safe for believers. Thus, as the Apostle Paul traveled from place to place, he—like so many others—was constantly at risk. Hence his reminder to "practice hospitality."

The essence of the message of our verse for today is simply this: look out for each other. While it is much easier to be a Christian today than it was in the first and second centuries, the world is once again becoming intolerant of Christian views and standards. Thus, while there will hopefully never be a time when one's life is in danger just for being a Christian, there will always be believers who have needs—and the Lord's Apostle calls us to be prepared to assist in meeting those needs, whether they are physical, temporal, spiritual, or otherwise.