Hebrews 13:2
Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.
From a young age, we are taught, "treat others as you would like to be treated." Other ways to say it are, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," and "Love one another as I have loved you." I grew up being taught that we should always have enough food to share when prepping dinner. If you're cooking for four, make it five in the event someone shows up unexpectedly. If they don't, then we have leftovers. I have two children, one in high school, the other in college. More often than not these days, our house seems to be the location where all of their friends gather. And it seems also that they seem to come prowling around come dinner time. While it may cost a little more for groceries, I gladly pay it knowing that my children and their friends feel welcome and safe at our home. I know where they are and I hope it builds a relationship of trust and hospitality.
Paul's short passage to the Hebrews is a gentle reminder to be hospitable toward our friends, but even more importantly, toward strangers. Today it seems that we are not as hospitable as we should be. More cases of road rage, angry comments on the web, and even fights in department stores over who-knows-what. I know for a fact that in some neighborhoods, some neighbors don't know one another. I believe today's reading is also a bit of a warning, that we don't always know who we are encountering. So if it's a "heavenly being", we don't want to blow them off. After all, if we are all Christians, then Jesus lives inside of us. Therefore we should be treating others as if they were Jesus himself. Jesus dined with tax collectors and sinners…that's you and me. Tonight we prepping dinner, make sure to make enough for Jesus.
