Scripture: Hebrews 13:2
“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent when he saw three men nearby. He did not know everything about them, nor did he know what they carried. Yet he ran to meet them, bowed himself and pleaded, “Pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant” (Genesis 18:3).
The visitors had not come because Abraham invited them. Genesis says that the Lord had already appeared to him. His hospitality did not bring God there, but it showed how Abraham responded when God came near. He could have remained seated and watched them continue their journey. Instead, he made room for them.
Abraham offered water, shade and food. He did not serve them carelessly. He asked Sarah to prepare fine meal, selected a good calf and stood by while they ate. This was not hospitality offered to impress important people. As far as Abraham could see, three travellers needed rest, he did not consider their arrival an inconvenience; he stopped what he was doing and attended to them.
While they ate, the conversation turned to Sarah. One of the visitors said, “Sarah thy wife shall have a son.” Abraham opened his home to strangers and heard the appointed time for a promise he had carried for years.
Likewise, the two angels later entered Sodom, where Lot met them at the gate. Like Abraham, Lot bowed and asked them to stay in his house. They first declined, but Lot insisted. That night, the men he welcomed became the messengers who warned him that judgment was coming.
Lot’s hospitality did not earn his deliverance. Scripture says that God remembered Abraham and that the Lord was merciful to Lot. Yet consider what could have happened if Lot had allowed the visitors to remain in the street. The warning that concerned his life came through men he could easily have ignored.
Abraham welcomed visitors who carried a promise; Lot welcomed visitors who carried a warning; Neither man knew, when he opened his door, that the strangers he welcomed carried a message from God that would change the course of his life.
We often say we want God to visit us, but we have little room for people. We are too busy to notice the person who needs attention, too guarded to welcome anyone into our space, or too concerned about inconvenience to offer what is within our hands. Yet the God we ask to visit us has often chosen to come near through people.
Hospitality is not limited to a large house or an expensive meal. Abraham began with water and shade. It can be a seat offered, food shared, a visitor received without irritation or time given to someone who cannot repay it. God looks at the heart that says, “You will not pass by while I have something with which to serve you.”
Do not wait until you know who a person is before deciding how they should be treated. Abraham discovered the weight of his visitors after he had welcomed them. Lot understood why the angels had come after they entered his house.
Look again at the people God brings across your path. The unexpected visit you resent may be carrying something you need. The person you are tempted to overlook may be the one through whom God answers a prayer, gives direction or protects you from what you cannot see.
Before asking God to visit your home, ask whether there is room in your heart for anyone He sends. Abraham’s door opened before Sarah’s womb did. Do not let the one God has sent pass by because receiving them would disturb your comfort.
Prayer
Lord, forgive me for the people I have overlooked because serving them offered me no advantage. Remove selfishness and indifference from my heart. Let my home, my time and all You have placed in my hands be available to You. May no one You send pass by because I refused to make room. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Leave a Reply