This could mean literal angels appearing as humans, much like what happened to Abraham when he fed the three visitors (in Genesis 18).
Or it could mean believers who are messengers of God with important assignments, like when Rahab took in the Hebrew spies and kept them safe (in Joshua 2, mentioned in James 2:25).
Either way, it shouldn't matter. The focus here is our motive of love in action...
(Hebrews 13:1-21) 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. 9 Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited. 10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.
15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. 16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.
18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things. 19 And I urge you all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you the sooner.
20 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, 21 equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
From this we see:
- be hospitable to strangers, because you never know when we might be entertaining angels (13:2)
Personal experience: back when my husband and I were still dating, we attended and helped serve in our church's college and career group. One evening, just as we were about to start our Bible study, there was a bit of a disturbance just outside the house. Within seconds, there was a knock at the back door.
Our host answered, and a young man slipped inside, saying he was here for the Bible study. Then there was a knock at the front door. A taxi driver was determined to be paid for his services. The young man said that he didn't have any cash! This was before taxis were able to take credit cards. So, John, one of the young men in our group, quickly jumped up and paid the driver with an apology.
Once the driver left, the young man came into the front room and introduced himself. He was completely unabashed, like nothing had happened. Even though we were all very wary, we did our best to make him feel welcomed.
After Bible study and a time of prayer, our group typically would go out for coffee at a nearby restaurant to hang out some more. We told the young man that he was more than welcomed to join us. John offered to drive him there, and then later, drive him home.
Now, our hosts had already served tea and desserts! And because we all were either still in school and/or didn't have a huge income, we would just order coffee and maybe a tiny snack. But this young man ordered appetizers, a full meal, a dessert and a couple of drinks. He couldn't even finish it all. When it came time to pay - of course - now - the young man said he had left his wallet at home, even though we could see that there was probably a wallet in one of his pockets.
And, during our time of fellowship, the man shared stuff about himself, which didn't make any sense. I mean, according to this guy, he had done everything. He even talked about being a sign painter. Because my dad was a commercial artist and I had apprenticed with him since I was 13 years old, I knew all about that business. So I asked him a few questions and realized from how he answered that he was just making stuff up.
We only saw this guy one more time, with yet another circumstance where he expected us to pay his way. When we told him that we couldn't just continue doing this sort of thing, but perhaps the church could help him in a different way, he grew very angry, saying that he was an angel sent by God to test us. And we had failed!
Hm... well, we have to know that an angel sent by God would not lie, steal or extort. We prayed for wisdom and guidance in this matter, because we didn't want to be unkind, but we certainly didn't want to enable criminal behavior either.
Today's takeaway: loving our fellow believers and our neighbors isn't always easy! Even loving our own spouse and children isn't always easy! And giving gifts and money to people in order to show love isn't always best.
How much money we spend on our spouse and children is not indicative of how much we love them. In fact, we are living in a society that's raising entitled children, because instead of showing true love - parents will just throw money their way and give them whatever they want.
True love is actually doing what is best for people. Sometimes this might require money, but sometimes it might be teaching them how to work, or how to be good stewards with the money that they already have. Sometimes showing love is just spending time with them...
(1 John 4:7-21) Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 19 We love, because He first loved us. 20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.
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