I tend to turn following Jesus into an intellectual exercise.
Our small group discussed this verse a few days ago.
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:2)
We all agreed on the need to be more aware of the people God might send into our lives. It was a “nice, intellectual discussion.”
A couple of days later Becky and I attended a small gathering in a local restaurant. We met an interesting couple and were enjoying the conversation when a stranger sat down at our table. He introduced himself and asked if he could tell his story.
It was immediately apparent that this young man had some issues, but he did have quite a story wrapped around a rather long, rambling narrative. What I noticed was that my companions displayed much more compassion and genuine interest than I. Frankly, for the first 10-15 minutes I just wanted him to leave.
Thankfully, Becky and our friends redeemed the situation. And as I listened to their questions and saw their concern I thought about the verse in Hebrews. What if this was an angel?
Eventually I managed to get engaged and I suppose the conversation ended as well as it could have in those circumstances. But the entire interaction got me wondering how many times I dismiss an opportunity to show simple kindness toward someone.
It’s so easy to say this guy was rude for interrupting, so it’s okay to push him aside. But hospitality isn’t about easy, it’s about setting my needs and rights aside and serving others.
And who knows when an angel might show up?
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