Entertaining Angels -- FPC sermon excerpt
Think about the difference between being a guest … and being a host.
As a guest at a party, you are focused primarily on having a good time. You enter the room, and look for your friends. You pass judgment on the furniture, the decorations, and the feel of the room. You listen to the music, and decide whether you enjoy it or not. You sample the food and drink, to see if you like it or not. As a guest, you are basically a consumer, concerned about your personal comfort. The experience is all about you.
How different it is to be a host. In that role, you are focused primarily on serving others. You greet your guests at the door, and look to connect them with people they would enjoy. You make the sure that the room is set up and decorated appropriately, and conducive to people getting to know one another. You pick music that your guests would like — even if it is not your favorite. Same for the food and drink. As a host, you are concerned about the comfort of others. The experience is all about them.
The difference between being a guest and being a host is enormous. I know this, from personal experience. I like to be a guest — it’s fun! Send me an invitation to your next party — please! I promise I won’t knock over the furniture.
Being a guest is enjoyable. But it is only when you are willing to be a host that you have the experience of entertaining angels. And that is the best party you can possibly imagine.
Hospitality has been critically important in the Bible, from beginning to end. In both the Old and New Testaments, people of faith have welcomed strangers for thousands of years, and they have discovered that there is something holy in their acts of hospitality.
Consider Abraham, the father of our faith — and not only our Christian faith, but the Jewish and Muslim faiths as well. In the book of Genesis, Abraham is camping by the oaks of Mamre, sitting at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looks up, and sees three men standing near him. Is he surprised? No doubt. A bit frightened? Probably. After all, they are strangers, they outnumber him, and he has no way of knowing if they are friends or foes. But Abraham does not dash inside to get his gun.
Instead, Abraham decides to play the role of host. He runs to meet them, and begs them to stay. He offers them water for foot-washing, the shade of a tree for rest, and a morsel of bread for refreshment. They consider his offer, and then say, “Do as you have said” (Genesis 18:1-5).
At this point, Abraham bends over backwards to meet the needs of his guests. He hastens into the tent and asks his wife Sarah to make cakes. He runs to his herd, picks out a tender calf, and gives it to his servant to slaughter and cook. He takes curds and milk and the carefully prepared calf, serves it to the three strangers, and he stands under a tree while they eat (vv. 6-8).
And who are these three men? Genesis tells us that they are the LORD (v. 1). Maybe the first appearance of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Bible leaves their exact identity a bit mysterious — some scholars believe that the three are God and two angels. Later, the letter to the Hebrews calls them angels, when it recommends to us, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it” (13:2).
At the very least, Abraham’s willingness to be a host puts him in touch with something that is holy.
As a guest at a party, you are focused primarily on having a good time. You enter the room, and look for your friends. You pass judgment on the furniture, the decorations, and the feel of the room. You listen to the music, and decide whether you enjoy it or not. You sample the food and drink, to see if you like it or not. As a guest, you are basically a consumer, concerned about your personal comfort. The experience is all about you.
How different it is to be a host. In that role, you are focused primarily on serving others. You greet your guests at the door, and look to connect them with people they would enjoy. You make the sure that the room is set up and decorated appropriately, and conducive to people getting to know one another. You pick music that your guests would like — even if it is not your favorite. Same for the food and drink. As a host, you are concerned about the comfort of others. The experience is all about them.
The difference between being a guest and being a host is enormous. I know this, from personal experience. I like to be a guest — it’s fun! Send me an invitation to your next party — please! I promise I won’t knock over the furniture.
Being a guest is enjoyable. But it is only when you are willing to be a host that you have the experience of entertaining angels. And that is the best party you can possibly imagine.
Hospitality has been critically important in the Bible, from beginning to end. In both the Old and New Testaments, people of faith have welcomed strangers for thousands of years, and they have discovered that there is something holy in their acts of hospitality.
Consider Abraham, the father of our faith — and not only our Christian faith, but the Jewish and Muslim faiths as well. In the book of Genesis, Abraham is camping by the oaks of Mamre, sitting at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looks up, and sees three men standing near him. Is he surprised? No doubt. A bit frightened? Probably. After all, they are strangers, they outnumber him, and he has no way of knowing if they are friends or foes. But Abraham does not dash inside to get his gun.
Instead, Abraham decides to play the role of host. He runs to meet them, and begs them to stay. He offers them water for foot-washing, the shade of a tree for rest, and a morsel of bread for refreshment. They consider his offer, and then say, “Do as you have said” (Genesis 18:1-5).
At this point, Abraham bends over backwards to meet the needs of his guests. He hastens into the tent and asks his wife Sarah to make cakes. He runs to his herd, picks out a tender calf, and gives it to his servant to slaughter and cook. He takes curds and milk and the carefully prepared calf, serves it to the three strangers, and he stands under a tree while they eat (vv. 6-8).
And who are these three men? Genesis tells us that they are the LORD (v. 1). Maybe the first appearance of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Bible leaves their exact identity a bit mysterious — some scholars believe that the three are God and two angels. Later, the letter to the Hebrews calls them angels, when it recommends to us, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it” (13:2).
At the very least, Abraham’s willingness to be a host puts him in touch with something that is holy.
posted by Henry Brinton | 1:38 PM
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