ODJ: angel in the doorway
August 5, 2011
Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! (Hebrews 13:2).
READ: Genesis 18:1-15
He stood in the doorway with a toothy grin and an evident social awkwardness. My friend, lying in his hospital bed after having endured major surgery, deftly shooed the visitor away with one-word answers and obvious disinterest. Tom (the visitor) was also a patient. His background and behavior were rough and unpolished. A local mission was his most recent address. In time, however, my friend warmed up and showed Tom some hospitality. But it wasn’t until later that it struck him: Tom might have been an angel. It humbled my friend to realize that he had nearly spurned what might have been a gift of comfort from God.
You never know who might show up in your doorway or for dinner. Abraham once saw the Lord and two angels heading toward his tent (Genesis 18:1-3). His immediate response? Sarah, it’s time to whip together your finest feast, for we have some VIPs that deserve a heaping portion of hospitality! (vv.5-8).
For Abraham, it became increasingly clear that he was entertaining angels (and the Lord). The aged patriarch was surprised to learn from the Lord that he would be a daddy—made possible by God’s divine power (vv.10,14).
Taking Abraham’s example of being hospitable and compassionate to the next level, Jesus said, “I was a stranger, and you invited Me into your home. . . . I was sick, and you cared for Me. I was in prison, and you visited Me” (Matthew 25:35-36). Driving it home, He proclaimed, “[What] you did . . . to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me!” (v.40).
Remember, when you show kindness to that awkward person or give selflessly to those in need, you just might be entertaining angels—perhaps even the Lord Himself! —Tom Felten
How does it alter your view of others, when you realize that they might be angels? How will you help someone today?
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