And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at
the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and
looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he
saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to
the earth 3 and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do
not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your
feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, 5 while I bring a morsel of
bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass
on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have
said.” 6 And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said,
“Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” 7 And
Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to
a young man, who prepared it quickly. 8 Then he took curds and milk and
the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by
them under the tree while they ate.” Gen 18:1–8
Did Abraham know the three men were spiritual beings, including God Himself? Or was he just being uber-hospitable to three strangers passing by?
It did not matter. That Abraham would rally his household to prepare a feast for strangers was expected in his culture. The book Jewish Practices & Rituals opens with this powerful statement:
How this translates for each of us can be very different. Do we stop and give a dollar to the panhandlers at every intersection on our way to work? Do we volunteer at a homeless shelter, or give money to a food bank, give clothes to Goodwill?
Stop a moment. Abraham didn’t constantly worry over how to serve
people with hospitality. He was probably sitting on a pillow and
enjoying the beautiful weather, maybe reading a scroll. He was out of
the heat, enjoying the tent shade, doing life as life came to him. Then,
an opportunity to serve happened by his tent. Since he held the right
response close to his heart, when the travelers arrived, doing it was as
natural as breathing. ‘Strangers are in need of food and shade. Come,
sit, eat, relax. Mi casa es tu casa.’
Let’s hold the idea of hospitality close to our heart, then simply live, and see who comes to the door, literally and metaphorically. Hospitality comes in many forms: coaching, volunteering, offering clothes, food, furniture or time to someone in need, from something immersive like fostering children to social activities such as inviting someone to dinner or hosting a church home group. Pray for our homes to be inviting and open, and for anyone He sends our way to sense His presence there. Hospitality isn’t always easy, but serving whomever Jesus sends across the open doors of our tent will always be rewarding.
Prayer
Lord, open the sides of our personal tents and show us the people in need of food, and rest, and love around us. Let us never hide from the world, but continue to grow the tradition of hospitality with the world around us.
Did Abraham know the three men were spiritual beings, including God Himself? Or was he just being uber-hospitable to three strangers passing by?
It did not matter. That Abraham would rally his household to prepare a feast for strangers was expected in his culture. The book Jewish Practices & Rituals opens with this powerful statement:
“In Judaism, showing hospitality (hakhnasat orchim) to guests is considered a mitzvah [or, “commandment”]. When one knows of strangers who are hungry or need a place to relax, it becomes a legal obligation….”Anyone near us who is hungry we should feed, or need shelter or rest, we give it to them. But what if I’m not Jewish? Jesus explains when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless or visit the prisoner we’re not just doing it to them, but to Him as well (Matt 25:31-45). We’re feeding and clothing and sheltering God.
How this translates for each of us can be very different. Do we stop and give a dollar to the panhandlers at every intersection on our way to work? Do we volunteer at a homeless shelter, or give money to a food bank, give clothes to Goodwill?
Let’s hold the idea of hospitality close to our heart, then simply live, and see who comes to the door, literally and metaphorically. Hospitality comes in many forms: coaching, volunteering, offering clothes, food, furniture or time to someone in need, from something immersive like fostering children to social activities such as inviting someone to dinner or hosting a church home group. Pray for our homes to be inviting and open, and for anyone He sends our way to sense His presence there. Hospitality isn’t always easy, but serving whomever Jesus sends across the open doors of our tent will always be rewarding.
Prayer
Lord, open the sides of our personal tents and show us the people in need of food, and rest, and love around us. Let us never hide from the world, but continue to grow the tradition of hospitality with the world around us.
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