by jimwalton » Sun Jun 18, 2023 9:24 am
The primary reference is to Abraham and Sarah in Gn. 18.1ff, but possibly to Manoah in Judges 13.8ff. But it's also about hospitality. We live in a world full of strangers (and some get stranger by the day). We huddle in our homes and toil at our trades, but too often have few we can call friends. While each day we could justifiably grow more fearful of stranger danger, the Bible relentlessly calls us to hospitality.
1 Peter 4.9: “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
1 Timothy 3.2: A church leader must be given to hospitality
Hebrews 13.2: “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”
Hospitality is the heart of the Christian life. More than anything else, it shows gratitude to God for His gifts, love for humanity by selfless service, and generosity towards others. Hospitality is the way we recognize that the Earth and everything in it is the Lord’s, and we are but blessed stewards of His gracious gifts. We are most human when we are hospitable, because we take the role of humble servant so someone else can be king and queen for a day. The golden rule may be “Treat others like you want to be treated,” but the “silver” rule is “Treat everyone like an angel and you can’t go wrong.”
The primary reference is to Abraham and Sarah in Gn. 18.1ff, but possibly to Manoah in Judges 13.8ff. But it's also about hospitality. We live in a world full of strangers (and some get stranger by the day). We huddle in our homes and toil at our trades, but too often have few we can call friends. While each day we could justifiably grow more fearful of stranger danger, the Bible relentlessly calls us to hospitality.
1 Peter 4.9: “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
1 Timothy 3.2: A church leader must be given to hospitality
Hebrews 13.2: “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”
Hospitality is the heart of the Christian life. More than anything else, it shows gratitude to God for His gifts, love for humanity by selfless service, and generosity towards others. Hospitality is the way we recognize that the Earth and everything in it is the Lord’s, and we are but blessed stewards of His gracious gifts. We are most human when we are hospitable, because we take the role of humble servant so someone else can be king and queen for a day. The golden rule may be “Treat others like you want to be treated,” but the “silver” rule is “Treat everyone like an angel and you can’t go wrong.”