October 27 | Hebrews 13:2

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DAILY READING

Hebrews 13:2

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REFLECTION

Extraordinary Hospitality

By Dave Mann

As we near the conclusion of this rich book which we call Hebrews –

After the in-depth discussion of the superiority of Jesus over all other heroes –

After the clear presentation of the superiority of the New Covenant over the Old Covenant –

After the astounding explanation of what it means for the temple veil to be torn in two –

After the inspirational chapter on the role of faith from Abel to the martyrs of the day –

After the imagery of the great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us –

We are ushered into numerous short verses that address the “so-what” in believers’ lives.  How does all this affect our day-to-day lives? Since we call ourselves followers of Jesus, where do we go from here? 

One of the remarkable and distinctive features of the early church was the ministry of hospitality.  The early believers were normally not the well-off with lots of extra resources.  They were listed among the poor themselves, but what they had available to put on the table they shared with whomever the Lord brought to their doors.  And there were many – abandoned babies, the homeless, and the rejected.

The writer of Hebrews states it clearly, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

The early church remembered Jesus’ instructions to the Twelve who were sent out to preach the kingdom, “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:88).

The apostle Paul wrote this in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 -- ^“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.... God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things....”

Also, check out these websites to catch a glimpse of what it was like to live in the community of early believers with extraordinary hospitality that was the norm, especially since the society at large was lacking a moral compass.  Click here and here.  There are a lot more on the details of how the early church rescued babies and the poor.  Do your own AI or Google search on “the early church and rescuing of babies” or “the early church and extraordinary hospitality”.

The recipients of the generosity of the believers might have been regular human beings, or perhaps these “people” were actually angels sent by the Lord to grant the believers the privilege of sharing their meager means with an angel of God.

Now it is our turn.  Whom is the Lord bringing across our paths?  With whom do we have the opportunity to share grace, mercy, and love?

PRAYER

Thank you, Lord, for all the gifts you have given me, especially forgiveness of my sins, sure and certain hope for eternal life.  I pray that you would open my eyes to see with whom I might share your goodness today, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DAVE MANN

I am a Pastor for Internationals (retired) in the UALC community. I am married to Pam, father of four, and grandfather of seven. Pam and I have lived twenty of our years in other countries including France, Cameroon, Haiti, and Morocco. In retirement, we continue to enjoy writing devotionals, learning languages, and teaching English to internationals.