Amazing hospitality
Don’t forget to show strangers hospitality; some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! – Hebrews 13:2
Genesis 18:1-5
1 The LORD appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day, Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day.
2 He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.
3 “My lord,” he said, “if it pleases 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.”
The microwave oven’s invention was a happy accident, not the result of research aimed at finding a faster way to cook. During World War II, scientists created the magnetron, a device that produces microwaves. These were installed in Britain’s radar system to detect Nazi warplanes on their way to bomb the British Isles.
Years later, Percy L. Spencer, an engineer at Raytheon, experienced an unexpected discovery. While walking through a radar test room with a peanut cluster bar in his pocket, he noticed the candy had melted after he passed too close to a running magnetron tube. Upon reaching into his pocket, he found a gooey, sticky mess. Never underestimate the power of serendipitous candy (even if it is not chocolate).
Experiments soon revealed that microwave heating could raise the internal temperature of foods much more rapidly than conventional ovens. As microwaves do not detach charged particles, they safely produce heat without making food radioactive.
Thus, the concept of cooking with microwave energy was born. Raytheon introduced the first commercial microwave in 1954, but it was so large and expensive that it was only practical for restaurants and institutions. In 1967, Amana launched the $500 countertop Amana Radarange, making microwaves more accessible to households.
Despite his formal education ending in grade school, Spencer demonstrated extraordinary inventiveness and curiosity. His accidental discovery turned a melted candy mess into the forefront of high-speed food preparation by just bumbling along.
Spencer’s experience perfectly illustrates serendipity, the phenomenon of making desirable discoveries unexpectedly. The term comes from the Persian fairy tale “The Three Princes of Serendip,” in which the princes repeatedly made significant, unintentional discoveries by accident and sagacity. Serendip is the classical Persian name for Sri Lanka.
Unexpected things happen, and you never know what you might find. When in Serendip, prepare for surprises and delightful discoveries. Serendipitous moments await you at every turn.
It’s always best to be kind to everyone you meet, as you never know when you might be pleasantly surprised by an encounter with an angel. Conversely, treating strangers poorly could lead to unpleasant consequences. Facing angelic wrath would not be desirable. You don’t want to make them angry and be Hulked.
Children of the King should be concerned for the needs of others. They should show both “brotherly love” (philadelphia) and “hospitality” (philoxenia) (Hebrews 13:1-2). Why? Because in times past, hospitable people welcomed angels without knowing they were angels. Yet, the Scriptures are not advocating hospitality because of angels, but instead because of the Father. It pleases the Father when His children are hospitable.
REFLECT & PRAY
Potential guests might be undercover angels.
Father being loving to total strangers does not seem normal. But You never asked me to live a natural, normal life.
INSIGHT
Showing hospitality and unwittingly entertaining angels is rare, but it has happened. Abraham experienced this in Genesis 18, as did Lot in Genesis 19. The angel of the Lord also appeared to Gideon in Judges 6:11-24 and to Manoah and his wife, the parents of Samson, in Judges 13:3-24. The author of Hebrews assumes his audience is familiar with these Old Testament events.
Hebrews 13:2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.
The English phrase “show hospitality to strangers” is translated from the Greek word philoxenia. Philoxenia combines philos(love) and xenos (stranger, foreigner, alien), meaning “love for strangers or foreigners” or “receive a stranger as a guest,” hence hospitality. It could also be translated as “Be sure to welcome strangers in your homes” (UBS).
The impact and significance of this passage are better understood within its historical context. In the first century A.D., only a small remnant of the nation of Israel believed that the Lord Jesus Christ was the Messiah. The book of Hebrews was written to these Jewish believers, who faced significant persecution and ostracism for their faith.
Jesus predicted that Jewish people who believed in Him would be expelled from synagogues, highlighting the social and religious pressures they faced.
John 16:2 For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God.
The Greek word translated as expelled from synagogues is aposunagogos. Aposunagogos means to be separated from the synagogue, that is, excommunicated. Aposunagogos comes from apó – from and sunagoge – synagogue.
In first-century Judaism, excommunication was a severe consequence for those who left the faith. Early Jewish believers who accepted Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah of Israel were subjected to ostracism. There were typically three degrees of excommunication: Niddui (Temporary Exclusion), Cherem (Indefinite Exclusion), and Shammata (Perpetual Exclusion).
Many first-century Jews for Jesus were rejected by their friends and families. They were driven out not only from synagogues but also from their homes and communities. For Jewish people, to believe in Christ as the Messiah carried significant personal risk. Hospitality became a crucial way for early believers to support one another.
The book of Hebrews encourages the children of the King to practice hospitality. This act is a personal and tangible way to express the Father’s love, especially to those who can offer nothing in return. Inviting strangers into your home or offering them a meal provides friendship and fellowship. It is also an opportunity to share the Father’s love through words and actions. Hospitality is the practical manifestation of the spiritual reality within those who are children of the King. Wiersbe noted, “Where there is true Christian love, there will also be hospitality.”
In the first century, the pagan world was amazed by the compassion and hospitality shown by the followers of Christ. Twenty centuries have passed. Has anything changed in the 21st century?
Have you entertained any angels lately?
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© Dr. H 2024
Dr H Reflections 