A Banquet at a Pharisee's House

The Gospel lesson from Luke 14:1-14 tells of a banquet at a Pharisee's house at which people seated themselves according to the manner in which they perceived their relationship to the host. Jesus warned that we should show care not to think too highly of ourselves, but to let the host decide where we should be. The concluding verses urge that when WE give a banquet, we should invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind.

The Epistle lesson from Hebrews 13:1-3 urges us to "not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing, some people have entertained angels." I've titled this message: "Minding Our Manners" and some rationale and introduction follows: This may seem a strange sermon title. It isn't about table manners or anything of that nature. I leave those sorts of things to "Miss Manners" in her syndicated column. The reading from the Gospel of Luke gives some insight into the customs of the day -- a time before the host put place cards at the table; and the Epistle lesson from Hebrews talks about "entertaining angels". Hence, even this "far-out title" can be Biblical.

I have never personally had an encounter with a supernatural being. We do know that angels are an important part of the Biblical story. As early as the story of Abraham and Hagar, we find angels speaking for God. Angels announced our Lord’s birth. Throughout scripture people encounter angels—intermediaries between heaven and earth. Many people today are comforted by the thought that, in the words of the old spiritual, there are “angels watchin’ over me.”

The writer of Hebrews believed in angels. And he said something interesting: “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Now there are a couple of ways of interpreting his words. IT COULD BE THAT HE WAS ADVOCATING SIMPLE HOSPITALITY TO STRANGERS: “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers . . .”

That word that’s translated “strangers” is also translated “Foreigners” from both the Hebrew and the Greek. Hospitality to strangers was a cherished tradition in Middle Eastern countries in those centuries in which Biblical history was recorded. There is an old legend that tells how Abraham pitched his great tent at a crossroad. The flaps of that tent were lifted on all four sides so that he might discern the approach of any stranger and hasten out to meet him. Once, when Abraham ran out to offer his hospitality to three strangers, he discovered that they were angels. They blessed him, of course. Maybe that is the story the writer of Hebrews had in mind.

Hospitality. Kindness to strangers. It’s something we are sadly short on in this modern world. So many harmful things have happened that we have to teach our children to be fearful of strangers. And if a stranger pulls out in front of us in traffic, we become enraged. Hospitality. What a sweet concept it is—particularly when we are on the receiving end. If you have ever been a stranger, a newcomer, then you know how great it feels to encounter any show of hospitality, no matter how small. Jesus said, “A cup of cold water given to a stranger in my name will not go unrewarded.” (Matthew 10:42)

You and I probably need to pray for the ability to be more hospitable to strangers. And I’m using that word in both translations: those who are strangers because we’re meeting them for the first time, and those who are here from a foreign land. How can we show the love of Jesus to the world if we regard strangers with fear and distrust? I strongly supported the stand taken by the Archbishop of Los Angeles when the Federal Government was proposing that anyone who gave "illegals" food would be arrested. The Archbishop reminded the whole church that there are times when we must obey the Word of God rather than the laws of man -- especially when they so directly contradict the Biblical injunction. The ancient question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" continues to crop up and the Biblical answer never changes -- WE ARE! In fact, Jesus went further than the writer of Hebrews. He indicated that when we help the stranger, we are in fact ministering to him—Christ. (Matthew 25: 40). On the surface the writer of Hebrews is telling us simply to be hospitable to strangers. But he seems to be saying more than that. Come think with us about Minding Our Manners in the Biblical sense of this counsel. 

 E-mails to Pastor Riggs are welcome and everyone is invited to worship with us at 9:45 on Sunday.