NO BIBLE NO BREAKFAST DAILY BIBLE REFLECTIONS AND MORE

GENESIS 18:1-7

Abraham showed hospitality to three strangers. 

REFLECTION 

The theme for today’s reflection is showing hospitality. Hospitality is the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Hospitality is an act of love shown to both strangers and people we know. Abraham demonstrated to us that one of the hallmarks of believers or servants of God is to be watchful and ever ready to welcome and entertain all including strangers. “He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. (Genesis 18:2-3). One may argue that he might have received the three men because he realized that they were from the Lord. Jesus admonishes us to be hospitable to the servants of the Lord when He said that “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.  And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” (Matthew 10:40-42) It is our responsibility as Christians to be hospitable to our pastors and those God has appointed to be a source of spiritual blessings to us.  Abraham knew this for a fact therefore when the time came he and his household were hospitable to the best of their ability. Abraham himself was actively involved in the service of the guests, Sarah was busy at the kitchen and the servant slaughtered and prepared the calf to be served. All played their roles in ensuring that the three guests from the Lord were comfortable, satisfied, and well entertained. We must all nurture our family in like manner.

The most important fact to note about Abraham’s show of hospitality is his passion and willingness to host the three guests. Hospitality is about passion and willingness to show love and generosity to people who visit our homes. We must not only show hospitality to men and women of God but to all manner of people who come our way because in Genesis 1:27 “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” therefore regardless of a person’s colour, race, and ethnic identity we must show him or her hospitality. It is for this reason Christ said   “… he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,  I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’  Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’  And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:41-46)

Showing hospitality is a demonstration of good stewardship. God has blessed us with wealth and riches and expects us to use these things to glorify him and one of the ways to do that is to show hospitality. This is what Abraham did when he “… went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly.  Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared and set it before them. (Genesis 18:6-8).  My dear friend, you do not need to be wealthy or rich in order to be hospitable, out of our available resources God expects us to show love and generosity to strangers, family, and friends who visit us. Food, water, and a place of rest are very basic or essential when showing hospitality. If you are blessed to have food, water, and a place of your own, you are more than qualified to show hospitality to others who are stranded and are likely to come to you for solace. 

There are immeasurable blessings in showing hospitality and there are many examples in the Bible including that of Abraham. After Abraham had shown hospitality to the three men, he received a promise of a son. They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” The LORD said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Genesis 18:9-10).  Not too long the same men showed Lot and his household mercy when they destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because Lot also showed them hospitality. “Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place.  For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.” (Genesis 19:12-13). In 1 Kings 17:7-16, when the widow of Zarephath showed hospitality as an act of faith to Elijah, Elijah said to her “For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.”And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.” (1 Kings 17:14-16). In a short while, the same widow of Zarephath lost her son. “Then Elijah stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the LORD, “O LORD my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. (1 Kings 17:21-22).  In 2 Kings 4:8-37, the Shunamite woman was hospitable to Elisha and God rewarded her by reviving her son when he died. Through the show of hospitality, we receive the blessing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  When Zaccheus welcome Jesus home and showed him hospitality and repentance, he received salvation, Jesus said to him  “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:9-10). My dear friend showing hospitality is an act of love, stewardship, and faith which is greatly rewarded by God. Shalom. 

PRAYER.

ALMIGHTY GOD, BLESS US IN ABUNDANCE TO REMAIN HOSPITABLE TO ALL. MAY WE NEVER BECOME WEARY OF SHOWING HOSPITALITY, ENABLE US TO DEVELOP THE HABIT OF HOSPITALITY  AND TO NURTURE OUR CHILDREN TO GROW IN THE SPIRIT OF HOSPITALITY SO THAT WE MAY CONTINUALLY DO YOUR WILL IN OUR DAILY ENCOUNTER WITH OTHERS.  

JEAN-PAUL AGIDI (REV)