Be hospitable— Scripture Reflection #072
Genesis 18:3-5 (New Living Translation)
3 “My Lord,” [Abraham] said, “if it please you, stop here for a while. 4 Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. 5 And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.”
“All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”
Hospitality. To be hospitable, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition, is to be given to a generous and cordial reception of guests; it is to offer a pleasant or sustaining environment. To be hospitable is to be readily receptive or open.
In these scriptures, Abraham shows great hospitality to men he had just met. He calls himself their servant and asks if they will give him the honor of refreshing them. I don’t know whether Abraham was this way with all passersby, or whether he knew that the men he was serving were heavenly beings, but his selfless action is one we should emulate as best we can.
Perhaps, for you, this looks like volunteering in your local soup kitchen or homeless shelter. Or this could mean opening up your home to others who you know need it. Maybe it means setting aside little “care packages” of food and drink for those asking for help on the road. Or maybe it is as simple as giving what you have in your purse or wallet.
The author of Hebrews exhorts us to “show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” (Hebrews 13:2). While the author may have been referencing back to Abraham’s hospitable acts hundreds of years prior, the calling remains the same for us today. And the teachings of Jesus agree. In the Final Judgement, He will recognize those who showed generosity to the people who needed it most, as Jesus identifies with them (Matthew 25:31-46).
The Calling: It is our job to be hospitable and generous to everyone we can. In what ways can you give to those in need this week? What is stopping you from doing just that, and how are you going to overcome it?
