"When God is Welcomed" - Genesis 18:1-15 - July 18, 2004

One evening my wife and I were invited to the home of a friend for dinner. During our meal, four deer came within a few yards of the dining room window. They stayed for the longest time. We asked our host if she had arranged for the deer to appear. She said that she had never seen them so close to the house at that time of the day.

It was almost as though God was providing an atmosphere of paradise as we continued our meal. Most people would say that the presence of deer was just a coincidence, while others would say it was just luck. Be that as it may, we chose to receive the deer as a sign of "oneness" with nature and more importantly, a oneness with our friend who was being a gracious host.

For me the story of Abraham and Sarah links one’s hospitality with the creative power and presence of God. When the strangers appeared, Abraham went out of his way to make them feel at home. He arranged for their feet to be washed and then had his wife, Sarah bake them bread. He welcomed them into his home and made sure they were well serviced. Abraham was a gracious host who welcomed the strangers with a generous heart.

Just who the men were is a mystery. Some scholars suppose them to be angels. They were definitely agents of God since they represented the appearance of "The Lord." Following Abraham’s hospitality the men announce that Abraham and Sarah will be blessed with a son. Abraham’s act of hospitality appears to be reciprocated with an act of divine intervention.

Show hospitality, not expecting anything in return, and a miracle happens. In other words, a sincere and welcoming spirit becomes a prelude to the creative presence of God.

One of Aesop’s fables was about the wind and the sun. They were having an argument about which one was stronger. The wind said, "Do you see that old man down there? I can make him take his coat off quicker than you can." The sun agreed to go behind a cloud while the wind blew up a storm. However, the harder the wind blew, the firmer the old man wrapped his coat around him. Eventually the wind gave up, and the sun came out from behind the cloud and smiled kindly upon the old man. Before long, the old man mopped his brow, pulled off his coat, and strolled on his way. The sun knew the secret; warmth, friendliness and a gentle touch are always stronger than force and fury.

One day Winnie the Pooh decided to go for a walk in the Hundred Acre Wood. It’s about 11:30 in the morning, just before lunch, a fine time to go walking. Pooh sets off across the stream, stepping on the stones, and when he gets right in the middle of the stream, he sits down on a warm rock and thinks about which of his friends would be the best one to visit. "I think I’ll go see Tigger," he says to himself. Then he remembers that Tigger is in a bad mood. "Owl," he thinks. Then, "No, Owl uses big words, hard to understand words." At last, he brightens up. "I know! I think I’ll go see Rabbit. I like Rabbit. Rabbit uses encouraging words like, ‘How about lunch?’ and ‘Help yourself to some more food, Pooh!’ "Yes," Pooh says, "I think I’ll go see Rabbit."

Perhaps you don’t live your life, expecting anything out of the ordinary to happen. Could it be related to the fact that by limiting our hospitality we limit the potential of God to work in our lives? Was it not Jesus who said, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." (Matt. 25:40) "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me." (Matt. 25:35)

And what did Paul teach his followers? "Extend hospitality to strangers," he said (Rom. 12:13) "And offer hospitality to one another." (I Peter 4:9) Welcoming people into our lives is an expression of our faith. It involves trust, self denial and neighborly love. God expects us to have a welcoming spirit.

I doubt if Abraham and Sarah expected to receive the news that they would have a son. They were well past child-bearing age. That announcement was so overwhelming, they laughed at the possibility. But the men responded by saying, "Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?"

Is there any limit to what God can do? The answer is a profound, "No!" The real question we need to ask is this, however. "Is there a limit to our hospitality?" If so, we may be denying ourselves a blessing by holding back.

When we ask someone to "come over anytime," do we truly mean "anytime?" Or don’t we usually say something like, "You know, we’ll have to get together sometime," (meaning when it is convenient or that we have nothing else to do.)

For Abraham and Sarah, their willingness to be hospitable to strangers resulted in a huge blessing. In their old age, they had a second son, Isaac. Isaac in Hebrew means, he laughs. Isaac was a child of promise, a sign of God’s graciousness. He becomes a major channel of God’s salvation for Israel. He is best known as the man of blessing, as affirmed by the words, "old and full of days." ( Gen. 35:29) He was 180 years old.

God wants our lives to be filled with hospitality. For when we welcome a stranger into our lives, we also welcome the presence of God. When God is welcomed wonderful things, beyond our wildest dreams, can happen.

One time a businessman called his wife and asked her if it was ok to bring home a guest for dinner. His wife had a full workload, with three children in school and a preschooler at home. But, she consented and prepared a delicious meal. The guest was a government official from Spain. He had a delightful time and thanked the couple for entertaining him in their home and showing him hospitality.

Years later, the couple had some good friends who went to Spain as missionaries. But their work in Spain came to a standstill because of some government regulations. The government official who the couple had entertained got word that their friends needed help. He used his influence and helped them fulfill their mission. Now a new church exists in that province of Spain, all because of one extra place at the dinner table. (from God’s Little Lessons On Life for Mom, Honor Books, Tulsa, OK)

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio