Hebrews 13:2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
A few days back we talked about hospitality and showing kindness to strangers and those in need. Today we revisit that concept once more.
In Biblical times, it was expected that you showed hospitality to others. If a stranger came through, you would invite them in and offer them food and drink. There were no hotels to stop at, no restaurants to buy a bite to eat from. People stopped wherever they saw people and those receiving strangers into their midst provided for their needs.
We see many stories of hospitality in the Bible and see the value and importance in providing for others modeled for us through these various people. In Genesis we see Abraham and Lot both showing hospitality to strangers who literally turned out to be angels of the Lord (Genesis 18-19). You never know WHO you might be caring for!
But how does that compare to now? Times are different, it is not safe for us to welcome total strangers into our homes, and it is not like it was in the Bible where hospitality was a way of life. What do verses like this teach us today and what do WE do?
This verse, and others on hospitality, do not tell us we should put ourselves or our families at risk by opening our home to strangers. But they also shouldn’t be ignored because ALL Scripture is relevant, important, and has purpose (2 Timothy 3:16). It all teaches us something. And in this case it teaches us that we should show brotherly love to others. We might be offering that love and kindness to a new family at church, or a few college students who don’t have family in the area, or a single parent struggling to make ends meet (or simply needing a break from doing everything alone). We look for the opportunities that we can use to show kindness and hospitality to others.
And God is faithful. He will show us who He wants us to help. He will direct us to who needs some extra love and kindness. We just have to be obedient and listen. Look for the opportunities to show hospitality. You never know – you might just be entertaining angels!
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