Entertaining Angels Unawares
Genesis 18: 1-15 & Luke 10: 38-42
Roger Lynn
November 17, 2019
(click here for the audio for this sermon)
It’s about hospitality. In one of the readings for this morning someone really “gets it.” In the other reading someone really doesn’t get. Abraham gets it. He understands what hospitality is all about. The story of Abraham and Sarah is a very ancient tale. It contains strong elements of a patriarchal society where gender roles were clearly distinct. But underneath such elements, at the heart of the story, it is about hospitality. Strangers show up at Abraham and Sarah’s home in the heat of the day and they are welcomed. Their hot, dusty feet are washed. They are offered a place in the shade to rest, food to eat, and something refreshing to drink. Even Abraham’s posture and language as he greets them demonstrates respect and honor. Abraham and Sarah understand hospitality.
A superficial reading of this ancient tale might lead to the idea that all of this was done because it was God (or at least God’s angels) who came knocking at their door. But there is actually strong evidence that a recognition of divine presence only comes later, after the hospitality has been offered. Abraham and Sarah were only doing what good hosts do – welcoming the stranger into their midst.
The story of Martha and Mary stands in sharp contrast. I know people who don’t like this story very much, because it sounds as if Martha is being chastised for doing all the work while Mary gets all the praise for doing nothing. And while it certainly might appear that way at first glance, I believe there is actually a very different story waiting to be discovered. And again, it is about hospitality. Jesus arrives at the home of Martha and Mary, who are sisters. We know from other stories in the Gospels that these particular sisters, along with their brother Lazarus, were close friends of Jesus. Martha is diligently working away in the kitchen, preparing a meal for their guest. Mary is sitting quietly at Jesus’ feet, listening to him. It would be easy to decide that Martha was contributing to a hospitable welcome for Jesus while Mary was not. But, as is so often the case, there is more to the story than that. Notice that Jesus doesn’t say anything about what she’s doing. His comments are directed at the fact that she has allowed herself to become distracted by what she’s doing. She’s lost perspective. “Tell my sister to get in here and help me!” is not at the top of the list of ways to help your guests feel welcome.
The difference between Abraham and Martha was not in what they did. It was in the attention they gave to their guests while they did it. Abraham’s attention was on his guests. Martha’s attention was on her tasks. Even Sarah, inside the tent making the bread, was listening to her guests (she laughed at their absurd statement that she would be giving birth in her old age). Martha was too busy to listen to Jesus’ stories.
The story is told of a woman who received an extraordinary note in her mailbox one day. “My dear friend, I am planning to stop by your house later today for a visit. I look forward to sharing some time with you. – Jesus.” Well, rather than dismiss the note as a hoax, she chose to believe that it was true, so she set about preparing for the visit. She was, to put it mildly, in something of a dither. There were groceries to buy, the rug to vacuum, dusting to do, a meal to prepare, and on and on the list went. Jesus was coming to visit and she wanted everything to be perfect. She was just heading out the door when her neighbor stopped by to borrow a cup of flour. “I’m sorry,” she said, “but I just don’t have time right now. Maybe Jane across the street has some.” And off she dashed to the grocery store. On her way back to the car, with her arms full of grocery bags, a homeless man approached her asking if she had any spare change. “I’m sorry,” she said, “but I just don’t have time right now. You’ll need to ask someone else.” No sooner was she back home and unloading the food into the pantry, when the phone rang. It was her sister, who was feeling a bit lost while her son was away at camp and just needed to talk. “I’m sorry,” she said, “but I really don’t have time right now. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” And she hurried back to her many tasks. Finally she had the floors vacuumed, the dishes washed, the table set, the meal prepared, and she sat down to wait for her visitor. And she waited, and waited, and waited. It grew later and later, and still no Jesus. At last, when the clock on the mantle chimed midnight, she breathed a heavy sigh of disappointment and went to bed. The next day in the mail came another note. “My dear friend, I’m so sorry to have missed you yesterday. I came by early, but you were on your way to the store and seemed a bit distracted. I tried to speak with you in the parking lot, but you didn’t really have time. Then I phoned, but you had other things on your mind. I hope all is well with you. Perhaps I’ll be able to stop by again soon when you have more time. – Jesus”
“When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink?...I tell you, whenever you did it to the lost and overlooked and ignored, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25: 37 & 40) True hospitality involves attentiveness to the guest, even when the guest is a stranger. Perhaps even especially when the guest is a stranger. True hospitality not only helps the guest feel welcome, but also sets the stage for the host to recognize the divine presence in our midst. When did you encounter God this past week? When might you encounter God in the days to come? Will you notice?
