7-10-2016

     Good Morning All!!       

            Hebrews 13:2; “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” 

    There used to be a TV show called “Touched by an Angel”.  The basic premise was that an angel would visit people at certain difficult times in their lives to offer direction and help them make the right choices.  I didn’t watch the show that much so I don’t know that much about it.  Did the people realize that an angel had visited?  Did the people just think it was a fluke event that they got lucky with and the angels were just “there”? 

     Do angels visit us? I don’t know.  In this verse, it would seem, at least, possible.  Hospitality is a very important part of our Christian faith.  The willingness to put others in front of our own needs is a virtue which is highly valued.  As we look at other Scripture passages, we hear where Jesus tells us to give away and follow him, to carry a burden farther than required, to give more than asked to and so forth.  This is a continuation of the Jewish teaching of showing kindness to strangers. 

    The Old Testament says that you are to be kind to the “aliens in the land.” This is because it is to remind the Israelites that they too were once aliens in a hostile land and that God graciously saved them from this slavery.  This, itself, is an ongoing of God’s direction that we are to care for one another.  This is the crux of the teaching; we are to care for each other.  We are to neither be a solo person nor are we to expect others to go it alone. 

    This was especially true in the early church.  The early evangelists travelled light often not even taking any money.  They relied on the kindness of the early converts.  Even then, the early evangelist would often times get a job in order to support themselves.  Yet they would stay with a kind family that would give them a place to sleep and would feed them as well. 

     This kind of hospitality was what helped the early church grow.  The kind of hospitality that Christians showed all other people also made the early church grow.  Early Christians were the only ones who would comfort the dying and feed the starving.  The church grew as people witnessed the kindness, the hospitality of the early Christians.

    We don’t have to go up and down the streets to show hospitality.  In this impersonal world, the kind touch, the warm smile, the gentle voice can bring a sense of welcome to those around us.  We may or may not entertain angels but we do witness to the love of Jesus.  The visual and physical efforts to show God’s love, love in action, is what the world sees long before it hears.  It is as the late George McGovern use to say,” Speak the Gospel everyday; use words if you have to.”  We speak it best with our actions for they speak the loudest.

Gracious Father, when I lack attentive care for my neighbor remind me that you laid down your life for me while I was still the enemy.  Lead us, Lord from death to life.  Give to those in pain or lost in the sea of despair your guidance and hope.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret