Hebrews 13:1 Let love of the brethren continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. 3 Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body. 4 Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. 5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” 6 so that we confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.
What will man do to me?”7 Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 13 closes the epistle with several exhortations and admonitions:
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers
Remember the prisoners as though in prison with them
Remember those who are ill-treated
Hold marriage and the marriage bed in honor
Maintain a character free from the love of money
Remember those who led you … imitate their faith
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers … for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. The allusion here is to the hospitality shown by Abraham to the three strangers who, unknown to Abraham, were God’s angels/messengers - one of them a theophany of the Second Person of the Trinity.
Genesis 18:1 Now the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth, 3 and said, “My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass Your servant by. 4 Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree; 5 and I will bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant.” And they said, “So do, as you have said.” 6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes.” 7 Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it. 8 He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree as they ate.
Two of these angels then travel to Sodom and Gomorrah where Lot — unlike the men of Sodom — shows hospitality and generosity of heart by taking them into his home.
Genesis19:1 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 And he said, “Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant’s house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” They said however, “No, but we shall spend the night in the square.” 3 Yet he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
Do not neglect to show hospitality (philoxenias, in Greek) … after all the profound and well-developed theological instruction in Hebrews, these concluding exhortations come across as rather strangely disconnected miscellany. The exhortation to show hospitality seems especially peculiar to us. Certainly a friendly and generous reception of guests and strangers is a good thing, even praiseworthy. Interestingly, there is a special blessing/incentive attached to hospitality: some have entertained angels unaware. Is there then something of divine importance to hospitality? I would argue that our sense of hospitality is much too weak an idea because it does not take into account the divine sanction of hospitality as a duty, something one is responsible to do.
In the ancient Near East the obligations of hospitality carried much greater weight than they do with us. (Clement of Rome admonishes the Corinthian church to cast off inhospitality, one of many vices they must overcome - Ep, ad Corinthians 10-12.) In the parables of the wedding feast in St Matthew 22 and St Luke 14, the violation of the law of hospitality by the invited guests, who refuse to attend the King’s wedding feast for his son, so enraged the king that he destroyed them and their city. Is this an overreaction?
By way of comparison … In Homer’s Odyssey, the law of hospitality is a major theme. Hospitality, or xenia (Greek, pronounced, zen ee ah) is a reciprocal relationship between guest and host: the host must not mistreat the guest; the guest must not abuse the privilege of being hosted. Xenia is overseen by Zeus himself, and violation of the reciprocal relationship is a direct offense against Zeus. (The Trojan war was fought over a violation of xenia. When Paris abducted Helen, he violated xenia, having stayed in Menalaus’ home and then run off with his wife.) Odysseus is helped and hindered on his long odyssey home by xenia. When Odysseus is discovered in the Cyclop’s cave (where there is an abundance of food), he pleads for “a warm welcome, even a guest gift. the sort that hosts give strangers. That’s the custom. … We’re suppliants — at your mercy! Zeus of the strangers guards all guests and supplants: strangers are sacred — Zeus will defend their rights!” The Cyclops, Polyphemus, showed no fear of Zeus and, instead of being a gracious host, began consuming Odysseus’ men. Odysseus gets Polyphemus drunk, stabs him in the eye blinding him … Odysseus escapes. The elements of hospitality in the Odyssey are interesting: hospitality is a solemn and sacred duty; the host/guest relationship is reciprocal; violation of the guest/host relationship is sanctioned by the gods.
Do not neglect to show hospitality … as God has been generous with us, we are obligated to show love and generosity to others. Hospitality carries with it both divine blessings for its observance and divine sanctions for its violation (St Matthew 22; St Luke 14) Hospitality is a reciprocal relationship between host and guest. … from the Didache, chapters 11 and 12:
Let every Apostle that cometh to you be received as the Lord. But he shall not remain [longer than] one day; and, if need be, another [day] also; but if he remain three [days] he is a false prophet. And when the Apostle departeth, let him take nothing except bread [enough] till he reach his lodging (night-quarters). But if he ask for money, he is a false prophet.
Let every one that comes in the name of the Lord be received, and then proving him ye shall know him; for ye shall have understanding right and left. If indeed he who comes is a wayfarer, help him as much as ye can; but he shall not remain with you longer than two or three days, unless there be necessity. If he wishes to settle among you, being a craftsman (artisan), let him work and eat (earn his living by work).
JSH+