Practicing genuine hospitality reflects Christ’s heart and opens the door to divine blessings and connections. Abraham showed hospitality to three strangers who showed up in the middle of the day. His example helps us understand what hospitality can look like in our lives. As we compare what Abraham did to Jesus, we can gain a more complete understanding of Christ’s expectations for our actions.
Willing to Serve
Abraham was a wealthy sheik. From Genesis 14:14, we know he had 318 trained fighting men in his household. There would have been other servants, both male and female. He could have assigned many servants to serve the three men, yet Abraham served them himself.
Jesus taught that leadership in God’s kingdom doesn’t resemble that of the world. Mark 10: 43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” [1]
The world tells us that we have arrived when others serve us. As followers of Jesus, we are to be willing to serve and extend hospitality to others. We want to follow the example of Jesus.
Washing Feet
Traveling the arid land of the Middle East in sandals resulted in dirty feet. The first part of Abraham’s hospitality to the three strangers was to make sure they could wash their feet. The lowest servant usually did this. However, this task was not beneath the servanthood of Jesus.
John 13:1 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end… 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. [2]
Jesus demonstrated His love for the disciples by washing their feet. We need to let Jesus fill us with that love so that we can extend that same love to others.
Abundant Provision
Abraham had Sarah bake bread with one-half bushel of flour and had roasted an entire calf for the three men. This was far more than three people could eat, and this demonstrated his abundant provision.
Jesus says He came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). Paul describes why God is so abundant with us. 2 Corinthians 9: 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” 10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. 11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous[3] Hospitality reflects Christ’s heart, and God supplies abundance so that we can freely give to others. To find out more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/laughter-and-doubt
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.