Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. – Hebrews 13-2

Brothers and Sisters, the book of Hebrews gives us such clear, practical marching orders for Christian living, and right here in chapter 13, verse 2, it drops this stunning command: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some people have entertained angels unawares.” Now, the Greek word for this is philoxenia, the “love of the stranger.” It’s easy to welcome family or those we already know and like, but the challenge here is radical. The Bible tells us that loving the stranger is non-negotiable; in fact, it’s a mark of true faith (Romans 12:13). Think about that: showing active, deliberate kindness to the person you don’t know, the one who looks different, or the one whose story you haven’t heard. This isn’t just polite behavior; it’s a divine imperative that challenges us to push past our comfort zone, treating everyone we meet as someone immensely valuable, whether we understand their journey or not.

The spectacular motivation for this command is the promise of “entertaining angels unawares.” This isn’t just flowery language; it refers directly to those incredible moments in scripture, like when Abraham sat under his tree and quickly rushed to prepare a meal for three mysterious visitors, later discovering he was hosting the Lord Himself (Genesis 18:1-8). It reminds us that God often chooses to show up in the least expected places, often veiled in the disguise of a common person in need. How quickly do we judge the book by its cover? How often do we hurry past someone because our schedule is too busy or our hearts are too guarded? This verse is a spiritual wake-up call, urging us to be vigilant. Jesus himself reinforced this truth when He said, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). When we open our home or our hearts to the stranger, we are potentially opening the door to Christ.

So, how do we apply this ancient command in our modern, often isolated, world? Today, the “stranger” is often the new neighbor, the lonely person at work, the single parent struggling in our community, or even the person we actively avoid at social gatherings. Hospitality doesn’t always require a guest room; sometimes, it’s the hospitality of time, offering a listening ear; the hospitality of inclusion, pulling up a chair and inviting someone into the conversation; or the hospitality of grace, choosing kindness over judgment. Let’s ask ourselves: Where is God calling me to show philoxenia this week? Let us not miss the miracle that is hiding in plain sight—the unexpected blessing that comes when we overcome our fears and forgetfulness and simply choose to love the stranger, potentially finding an angel, or even our Lord, standing on our doorstep.