The Kindness of Strangers

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.  --Hebrews 13:2

God has abundantly blessed us.  He really has.  You may not realize it at any given moment.  You may seem overwhelmed by the pressures of a materialistic society, and only see what you do not have, what you wish you had, or maybe what you once had but don't have any longer.  But when you think about it, if you are breathing, you are blessed.

If you have everything you need, take a moment to thank God for giving you your daily bread, your job, your skills and purpose--He has uniquely placed you where you are to be blessed by Him, as well as to be a blessing to others.

The Bible is replete with stories of how God has blessed His people, both individually and corporately.  As an outgrowth or a continuation of reminders of God's blessings, we are commanded to be a blessing to others.  No less than 36 times the Old Testament records the command of being kind to strangers.  God gave the command to Moses, who in turn commanded the people.  The reason given was so that the people would remember their history, how their forefathers were oppressed in Egypt, and how God delivered them out of the land.  They were to recall how they wandered in the desert for 40 years, a nomadic people without a homeland.  They were never to forget how they were treated during this time, so that they would treat strangers and sojourners in their land with greater respect and love.

The writer of Hebrews repeats this command, but his reasoning pre-dates the Mosaic law.  He reminds his readers, who were mostly from a Jewish background, to be a blessing to all, because in so doing, "some have entertained angels without knowing it (some translations say unaware)."  I can think of two stories of men who entertained angels, and one of an angelic confrontation that might also fit the description given in Hebrews 13:2.  In each instance, the men extended an invitation to one they did not know, and it resulted in a blessing.

The first occurs in Genesis 18.  Abraham is sitting in the shade of his tent during the heat of the day.

When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth, and said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by.  Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, and I will bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that, you may go on, since you have visited your servant. --Genesis 18:2-5

I believe Abraham was a good man.  He had been blessed richly by God.  He had lived a good, long life.  I also believe that when he saw these three men travelling in the heat of the day, his heart went out to them.  He got up from the shade of his tent, and ran to the path or road as the men approached him.  Finally, I believe that Abraham had no idea who they were; to him, they were total strangers in need of rest and refreshment.

Abraham gave them more than a little water and a piece of bread.  He killed a tender and choice calf, and prepared it for them to eat.  He presented the strangers with cakes of bread, curds and milk--all freshly prepared for them.  While all of this was being prepared for them, Abraham spent time talking with the strangers, and listening to them.  At some point, he must have realized that they were not mere mortals, but rather from the heavenly realm.  Perhaps it was when one of them asked for his wife Sarah by name.  Maybe it was when they prophesied that in a year they would have a son.  It could have even been when one of them asked why Sarah had laughed at this prophecy--I can imagine she remained out of sight (but within earshot) of the men while they talked.

The point I am trying to make is that Abraham offered them hospitality first, and then discovered their identity later.  He did not offer them a Mitzvah, (a blessing, or act of kindness) knowing that he would be blessed in return.  He simply offered a meal and the shade of his tent to some weary travelers during the heat of the day.  It was only afterward that he learned of his blessing  We, too, should take this to heart.  When Jesus was on this earth, He relied on the kindness of strangers.  His message was that we should not only offer kindness to those in a position to repay, to those who can offer kindness back to us; rather, we should offer kindness to those who cannot possibly repay (Luke 6:33, 14:14).  When we do this, God will bless us, either in this life or the next.

The second story of showing kindness to angels unaware of who they are is found in Genesis 19, involving Abraham's nephew Lot.  While Abraham detained the Angel of the Lord (who I believe was the pre-incarnate Christ) and interceded for Sodom, the place where Lot lived, the other two angels walked through the city gates.  Lot was sitting at the gate, which meant that he was likely seen as an elder in the town.

Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down his face to the ground.  And he said, "Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant's house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go your way."  They said however, "No, but we shall spend the night in the square."  Yet he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.  --Genesis 19:1-3

Again, I believe that Lot did not know who these angels were, or even that they were angels.  They did not appear in glowing white robes, they did not have visible wings, there was nothing angelic about them.  Being an elder of the city, Lot knew those who lived in Sodom, and those who frequently did business in the town.  When he saw the two men enter the city gate, he knew he had not seen them before.  He approached them and offered them rest and refreshment in his home, much like Abraham had.  I believe he would not take no for an answer, because he knew the city streets were not a safe place to be after dark.  I believe he offered them hospitality because he knew they had nowhere else to go.

I also believe that Lot did not realize they were angelic beings until after the feast had been prepared and consumed.  Perhaps it was when the wicked men outside the house were all struck with blindness by the two visitors inside his home.  Perhaps they had told Lot during the feast who they were and why they had come.  In any event, the blessing came only after he had showed them kindness.

What was the blessing?  He was given the opportunity to escape with his wife and daughters before God destroyed the city.  Interestingly, even after being given the opportunity to escape, Lot's wife looked back longingly, and was destroyed just like those within the city.  In a similar way, Jesus taught His disciples to forego the pleasures of this life and strive diligently for the next.  "Remember Lot's wife," Jesus said.  "Whoever seeks to save his life will [eventually] lose it [through death], and whoever loses his life [in this world] will keep it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God]." (Luke 17:32, 33 AMP).

The third angelic encounter to which the writer of Hebrews could have alluded is found in Genesis 32.  This is the account of Jacob leaving the land of his father-in-law, and heading home toward Canaan.  Foreshadowing the story of his descendants, he left a life of servitude, of forced labor (in that he had served Laban for 14 years for the privilege of marrying his wife Rachel, with Leah thrown in as a bonus) and was headed home, toward the Promised Land--the land of his Fathers, the land bequeathed by God to his descendants, a land "flowing with milk and honey."

Unlike the stories of his grandfather Abraham and his cousin Lot, Jacob knew that the encounter was with angelic beings.  The story begins, "Now as Jacob went on his way, the angels of God met him.  Jacob said when he saw them, 'This is God's camp.'  So he named that place Manahim (Two Camps)." (Genesis 32:1).  Some commentators cite this passage as a bookend to the story of Jacob's exile: some 20 years prior, Jacob had a dream of angels ascending and descending a ladder; and now, he has a vision of a company or encampment of angelic beings, whose purpose is unknown to us.  Other commentators say that this angelic sighting is a transition to the next adventure in Jacob's life, one in which he will encounter his brother Esau, and receive the promised inheritance.

In any case, Jacob hears that his brother Esau is heading toward his family and flocks.  Further, it is reported that Esau is accompanied by 400 men.  Jacob is deathly afraid.  He knows that he had cheated his brother out of the birthright, and that he had stolen the blessing of his father Isaac.  Now, he assumes, Esau has amassed an army and they are advancing toward him.  What to do?  They cannot retreat, as Esau's army would surely overtake them, and Laban would not likely defend him.  Perhaps Jacob could appease his brother by sending a huge gift.  If that didn't work, he separated his family into two companies, the first with Leah and her children and servants (if Esau attacked her party, perhaps the others could escape unharmed).  The second company he sent had Rachel and her family and servants.  Jacob stayed behind, isolated and fearful, worried to death about what Esau would do to him.

As Jacob was hiding by himself, with all these unresolved fears and worries, he sees a figure approaching.  It looks like a man; is it a messenger from Esau?  A spy sent to find his whereabouts and report back to his brother?  I can imagine Jacob pouncing on this person.  Genesis 32:24 says they wrestled until daybreak.  As dawn approached, Jacob could surely see that this man was not who he had thought.  Maybe he recognized the angel as one of those within the camp he had seen in verse 1.  Perhaps he realized that this was a supernatural agent when the angel touched his thigh and dislocated his hip.  Maybe the Angel of the Lord (the pre-incarnate Christ) identified Himself to Jacob as they fought.  In any case, Jacob's focus clearly changed.  He wanted certain assurances.  Perhaps remembering the stories he had heard from his grandfather Abraham, Jacob demanded a blessing from this encounter.  He was promised he would prevail, both with men and with God.

From that moment on, Jacob walked with a limp; he likely needed a cane or walking stick to help him get around.  Similarly, when we meet Jesus, our lives are forever changed.  Simon Peter was a gruff fisherman, profane and uneducated, and quite fearful; after he met Jesus, he became a bold proclaimer of the Gospel, a spokesman for God at Pentecost, and an eventual martyr for Christ.  Paul had been a persecutor of the early Church, but when Jesus spoke to him on the highway, he became a prolific defender of the faith and authored much of the New Testament.

In conclusion, angels are messengers from God.  Whenever we meet them, we should treat them well, with respect and hospitality.  However, angels can appear in human form, and we will not know them when we see them.  Therefore we should treat everyone we meet with respect and hospitality, feeding them when they are hungry, clothing them when they are naked, taking them in when they are destitute.  We should do this, not only because we may entertain angels without realizing it, but because Jesus commanded us to do it.  Either way, we will receive the blessing "pressed down, shaken together, and running over."