Entertain Any Angels Lately?

Entertain Any Angels Lately?Did you know that “hospitality” shares the same root as “hospital” and “hospice” – and that all refer to comfort and healing? While the dictionary says “hospitality” means “giving a friendly and generous welcome to guests or strangers,” practically speaking it means more than that – like sharing your time, energy, and possessions with others, to make them feel better. In other words, it involves a little effort. But it brings a lot of blessing, like pleasing the Lord by obeying His Word, and getting to keep company with angels: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it” (Heb. 13:2 NASB). Hospitality is not about having a big house, the finest dishes or the nicest furniture. It’s not about being a good cook. Hospitality is not about showing off, but about showing love. It’s not about being a good conversationalist either, but about being a good listener. Hospitality has much more to do with giving comfort than giving advice. The “hospital” part of the word leads me to think of hospitality as the act of dispensing grace – in doses large enough to cheer, comfort, encourage and even heal. I think Peter told us to “be hospitable to one another without complaint” (1 Pet. 4:9), because he knew that most of us wouldn’t have a clue as to when we were being hospitable to “angels.” But the Lord Himself may have given us the best solution to that problem, and the best reason for being hospitable, when He said: “I was hungry, and you gave Me to eat ... thirsty, and you gave Me drink ... a stranger, and you invited Me in ... To the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me” (Mt. 25:35-40). Can you think of a better reason to practice hospitality? By Larry Ondrejack