Hebrews 13:2 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Hebrews 13:2

Comments

After brotherly love comes love for strangers or, you could call this, soul-winning love. Some the commentators say that this is about entertaining the travelling preachers and other travelling Christians. Elsewhere in the New Testament that exhortation is given. People in those days made long journeys by foot and all Christian people had the duty of hospitality. But others say that while you could apply the verse in that way, that is not what the inspired writer has in mind, because the terms do not really allow it. The words ‘entertain strangers’ translate the Greek term meaning love of strangers or foreigners; it is the opposite of our word xenophobia, which means fear of foreigners. It does not seem the very best term to use for people who are brothers and sisters in the Lord, who need hospitality on some journey. The term refers to people that are unknown to you, who may not bring letters of commendation. It is not necessarily about giving them live-in hospitality either. Be the person who will talk to a stranger, and will take account of a stranger, who is open to strangers, and ready to be hospitable. This applies most of all in our church, of course, to people who come in among us, people who may not be converted, or maybe they are converted, but we do not know that when they come in. They may be Christian people who need comfort, and consolation and encouragement.The reference is to Genesis 18 which records Abraham giving hospitality to strangers, and it soon becomes plain that one of them is none other than the Lord. It was Jesus Christ in a theophany, appearing in the human form. Another similar event is in Genesis 19 where Lot only subsequently discovers that his guests are angels sent by God to remove him from Sodom. Now we are not likely to have a theophany, or the Lord appearing to us, or even an angel coming in some visible form and speaking with us, because the days of God revealing himself by special revelation are past. But the illustration conveys this to us – in talking to strangers and being ready to give help and show hospitality, you may, unawares, be entertaining somebody in whose heart God is doing a work. Perhaps from your interaction with them is going to come, either a work of grace, or some special blessing to a fellow believer.

Application

What a sad thing if God cannot use us, because we are not available. He cannot use us in ministering to anyone else because we are one hundred percent of the time engaged with converted friends. We never have a moment to notice the stranger in need. Or, maybe there is a different problem: the Lord would not want the stranger to get hospitality in that home because their conversation is too frivolous, or even borders on the worldly, or they only take guests in order to show off or to put them right. They want to find out all the little things they do not have right in their theology or their understanding, and descend on them like a ton of bricks.

Look at the oblique promise in these words: ‘For thereby some have entertained angels unawares.’ Why say that, if it was not likely that we might be used of God in some special way, in our speaking to others and entertaining them? Why say it, if it is not a great hint that God may use us and bless us, unawares? That youngster who you are speaking to, may just be one of those who is in the very shy phase. A stumbling youngster with no social graces perhaps, inarticulate. Yet as the result of your hospitality or conversation, that stumbling, inarticulate youngster may turn into somebody who is a stalwart for the Lord, such a burden-bearer in future years, somebody who takes a stand and has such spiritual strength. You are unawares; you would never imagine it from first impact, first impression. God may use that hospitality, as others once extended to us.

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Hebrews 13:2 Commentary and Bible Study