Oaks of Mamre

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: 

for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 

Hebrews 13:2 (King James Version)

The Bible takes us to probably a hot sunny afternoon in the life of Abraham when, as he was probably relaxing under the shades of the Oaks of Mamre, he sighted three weary travelers walking towards him. Being a man of faith he sensed God speaking to him through these three strangers. He showed the depth of his love through his hospitality to the strangers. Abraham washed the feet of the feet of the strangers, just like Christ did to the disciples before the last supper 2000 years later. Does Abraham’s hospitality later become a benchmark for the faithful to follow in his footsteps (Hebrews 13:2)? Did Abraham know that the strangers were angels? Or was it on later reflection that he realized that he had unwittingly entertained angels? Yet deep down in his heart was this longing to care for the strangers. Was it because he himself had been a stranger in many places and been recipient to the hospitality of kind souls? Or did the inhospitality of people like those in Sodom and Gomorrah generate in him a need to be kind and loving to strangers? 

 What did St. Paul mean when he said, Abraham is the father of us all (Romans 4:13-16)? God promised Abraham that he would be a blessing to all the nations (Genesis 12:2-3). Abraham’s righteousness was described as being based on his faith and not on the law. For the law only brings forth the wrath of God, while where there is faith there is no transgression. Thus to all who have faith in the God of Abraham the grace of God has been abundantly provided. God called Abraham even before he circumcised himself and his household. Rituals and ceremonies did not have precedence over his faith. They were just outward signs of his inward commitment. God looks at the heart of a person – is it the heart that longs to be close to the Lord and do His will?

 In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus said that the Priest and the Levite, both men of God, passed the wounded traveler by. However, the Samaritan’s hospitality was commended, because he showed mercy toward the wounded traveler. Samaritans were considered to be enemies of the Jews, yet it was a Samaritan who tended to the wounds and paid for the lodging and care of the injured traveler (Luke 10: 29 – 37). Jesus said that it is on such as these that the favor of God is said to rest. There is a close correlation between the actions of the Samaritan and Abraham. They both acted expecting nothing in return. They acted although the people involved were strangers. It does not matter whether it was 4000 years ago or 2000 years ago or today, there are always people who are in need. We as Christians are called to do what we can to ease their burdens and provide for their needs. 

 Whatever the emotions may have been that were touching Abraham’s heart, he clearly saw God speaking to him through these strangers. Abraham was greatly blessed for his kind hospitality. The prophecy of the birth of a child was received with mixed emotions. These were the very words of assurance Abraham had been waiting for. Sarah laughed but denied it when questioned about her reason for doing so. Sarah’s denial was received disapprovingly. Fear of discovery has caused countless people to lie. Sarah too, human as she was, lied. Abraham on the other hand, was truthful about the reason for his laughter. For Abraham this was an affirmation of the promise given to him by God earlier in Genesis 17:7, following which he had circumcised all the males in his household including himself and Ishmael. So in his own spiritual realm he felt it was God that was speaking to him through these very strangers. Even though Abraham may have had his doubts (Genesis 17:17) about the promise of a son, he continued to obey God by doing exactly what was asked of him (Genesis 17). Have you found yourself laughing incredulously when you are led by God to do certain acts of faith? This faithful commitment to God made him one of the leading men of righteousness (Romans 4:3). 

 Abraham and Sarah had no children until the ripe old age of almost 100 years and there was very little likelihood of them bearing a child. Yet they stand under the Oaks of Mamre like shinning examples of strength and endurance. They were like Oak trees thriving in the house of God. Their trust was completely in the unfailing love of God forever and ever. We have to realize that God does not place a trial or difficulty that he thinks we cannot handle ourselves. We have to wait for God's mercy and time when He will fulfill His plan and purpose for our lives. The omnipotent power of God is revealed in the question that is posed to Abraham, “Is anything too hard for God?” (Genesis 18:14) This has been the basis for the faith of many who face impossible situations. 

 Who were the strangers? Were they angels? Was Christ one of them (Mathew 25:35-36)? The ability to hear the still small voice of God speaking separates us from the rest of the world. If we listen to God and His word, we can do that which is impossible in the eyes of humans, as all things are possible with God. However, like Sarah, if we doubt, we may never see God’s plan and purpose fulfilled in our lives. Jesus said "Everything is possible for him who believes. (Mark 9:23)" 

 Christ in the Stranger's Guise 

A Scottish Hospitality Prayer 

 I met a stranger yest're'een;

 I put food in the eating place, 

Drink in the drinking place, 

Music in the listening place; 

And, in the sacred name of the Triune, 

He blessed myself and my house. 

My cattle and my dear ones, 

 And the lark said in her song, 

 Often, often, often, 

Goes the Christ in the stanger's guise; 

 Often, often, often, 

Goes the Christ in the stranger's guise.

Strangers

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: 

for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 

Hebrews 13:2 (King James Version)

Abraham was stunned to see three strangers standing in front of him when God came to him by the oaks of Mamre. Was Jesus, the Son of God, one of them? Did they have the disposition of travel weary ordinary men or did they have an angelic demeanor? Abraham asked his servants to wash the stangers' feet and he personally served them their food. “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,” is how Hebrews 13:2 says we should entertain itinerant Christians who depend on the support of Christian community. Is this not what Jesus reminded us would be His question on Judgment day (Mathew 25:31-46)? There is a profound spiritual dimension to our deeds of kindness and love to those in need, performed in Jesus' name. Abraham's hospitality to total strangers is the heart of the gospel message. 

 The strangers' appearance and their identity have piqued the curiosity of many of God's people for the last thousands of years. When Abraham saw them, he ran to greet them and welcome them into his home. He treated them like visiting royalty and threw them a worthy feast. When they enquired about his wife Sarah, he told them that she was around and in her tent. They then told him that in due time they would return and that Sarah would have a son. Sarah who was listening at the tent entrance, started to laugh. Here they stood, a couple well into their eighties or nineties, and these men were telling them that they would have a child very soon. 

Yet the promise of a child was the greatest blessing the couple had longed for. When the child was born, they named him Isaac, which means laughter. Yet in the midst of the good news, they also conveyed some bad news to the couple. They said that Sodom and Gomorah would be destroyed. The decadent lifestyle and inhospitability of these cities had upset God tremendously. Abraham was shocked and pleaded for the people and the cities. Knowing that his nephew lived there, he prayed to God to spare the city if there were at least 50, later 45, and finally 10 righteous people living there. Listening to God and Abraham negotiate, we are thankful that our God is compassionate and merciful. He is always waiting for us to return to Him and seek His forgiveness. We are glad that we can approach Him with our prayers and petitions. 

 Abraham's nephew, Lot, was probably the only one in the two cities who knew about God. Yet he was so in love with the city that at first he was not willing to listen to the warning of the three strangers. Sin had overrun this city. The men of the city were so far gone that they even craved for carnal relations with the three strangers. Finally as the city was being destroyed the three men had to drag Lot and his family away from the city. The family's love and attachment to the city was so intense that Lot's wife turned to look at the city as it burned down, although the three men had expressly forbidden them from doing so. She was turned into a salt statue for her disobedience. Lot and his two daughters escaped, only to go back into their sinful ways. 

 Do we, like Lot, find ourselves so absorbed in our own lives that we have no time to think and reflect on whether our attachment to our material possessions is greater than our love for God? Are we in awe of God's Word and His commands? Although Lot's behavior was far from perfect, God still delivered Lot. The judgment on the people of Sodom and Gomorrah was probably executed by completely natural means, but it is stunning that Abraham has recorded the incident as God working out His purposes. What do we understand about the nature of God from this incident? When Lot was told of the coming fiery judgment of God why did he continue to linger in the city? He had to be physically dragged away from the city. Do you think Lot feared being consumed by the punishment of God?

Christ in a Stranger’s Guise, 

I met a stranger yest’re’een;

I put food in the eating place,

Drink in the drinking place,

Music in the listening place;

And, in the sacred name of the Triune,

He blessed myself and my house,

My cattle and my dear ones,

And the lark said in her song,

Often, often, often,

Goes the Christ in the stranger’s guise;

Often, often, often,

Goes the Christ in the stranger’s guise

(A Celtic poem of hospitality)