GENESIS 18:2-3
So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw
them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, and said, “My
Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant.”
"Old Bill" was hired to sweep streets in a small town. During the hot days of July and August,
Mrs. Brown on the corner got into the habit of taking him a glass of lemonade and a slice of
cake. He thanked her shyly and that was all. But one evening there came a knock at the back
door of her home.
Bill was there with a sack of apples in one hand and a handful of roasting ears in the other. He
said, "I brought you these, Ma'am, for your kindness." "Oh, you shouldn't have," exclaimed Mrs.
Brown. "It was nothing." "Well, no,” the street sweeper agreed, "maybe it wasn't much, but it
was more than anyone else did."
Abraham was equally aware of the needs of those around him. When three strangers appeared in
front of his tent, he was more than eager to extend hospitality to them. He could have thought,

Surely someone who is less busy than I am will have compassion on them. But he didn't.
Instead, he ran to meet them and begged for an opportunity to show hospitality to these
travelers.
The Bible says that hospitality is to characterize the Christian life. In fact, it's so important that
it's listed as one of the qualifications for anyone desiring a position of leadership in the church (1
Tim. 3:2, Titus 1:8). The writer of Hebrews said,
"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels"
(Heb. 13:2).Do yourself a favor: when you have opportunity to open your home to a troubled
teenager or to host a foreign student while the dorms are closed, do it! You never know when
you might come across an angel.
SOME MAY HAVE THE GIFT OF HOSPITALITY, BUT WE ALL HAVE THE
RESPONSIBILITY.

WOODROW KROLL
www.backtothebible.in