Hebrews 13:2 “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
For the believer, (this includes every believer that God has
graciously saved), we are bound to serve the Lord our God in everything we do
in life, and even with our life if necessary. No believer should ever neglect
to be as gracious, loving, and kind as our Lord is, because He is above us all.
If God’s own Son can be a servant, then we can also be the same, always
pleasing our Father before self. Pleasing God is a personal sacrifice, but it
will never be more of a sacrifice than God giving His own Son to die by wicked
hands of the lost, nor Jesus sacrificing His entire life to redeem us all, even
in death. God said in Heb. 13:1 “Let brotherly love continue.” This
means that all believers should never allow our brotherly love to ever be
interrupted. Not with human love but with the godly love the Holy Spirit
blessed us with after we were saved. The Greek word for love here is
“Philadelphia” which is defined as “fraternal affection” that is God’s love
That the Holy Spirit gave to us when we were saved. Paul wrote about this love
in Rom. 5:5 “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” God’s
love has been poured out from the Holy Spirit into our hearts, not just love
but God’s love.
“This is agapē love, and
the Holy Spirit flooded the hearts of believers with God’s love, and with the
assurance of it,” as one writer put it. In the days of old, or the early years
of the Lord’s church Christians had to flee because of persecution and
afflictions. Something most of today’s Christians have not experienced, but as
perilous times continue to flourish those times may return and include us. It
may be hard for some Christians to understand but when we meet a stranger we
never know who that stranger is. Therefore, it is incumbent on us to entertain
all strangers. The Lord reminds us “…for thereby some have
entertained angels unawares.” Could we encounter Angels, we never know what
God is doing and how He is testing us. Angels have taken on human bodies before
and could again, even in our day. I cannot say I have ever had contact with one,
but I cannot guarantee that I have not. Therefore, no matter who we encounter
or who is among us, it is our
duty of hospitality to treat them with love, kindness, and gentleness. The
purpose of this scripture is not for us to look for angels, but to exercise our
Christian and church duties, being kind and entertaining even those we may not
know. Always letting brotherly love continue and always entertaining and not
judging if or if not we are to help others. Sacrifices pleasing to God and not
to self, the Lord has given us a commandment and it is our responsibility.
