Welcoming the stranger Genesis 18:1-15; Mat 9:35-10:1

The Bible mentioned several times in both the Old and New Testaments in regards with foreigner, the stranger, alien, those wandering about in exile. The Bible, as it turns out, talks a lot about justice and the displacement of people, whether for economic reasons, like Jacob arriving in Egypt, or because of climate change, like Noah and the flood, because of war, like the people of Israel exiled to Babylon, or because of tyranny, like with the family of Jesus who flee to Egypt to escape persecution.

Jesus send his disciples out to the world, instructed them to take nothing ie no money, no essentials but for them to go into the world as refugees, relying on the kindness of the strangers for security, food, shelter etc. Jesus value hospitality in a very high esteem, that he wants His followers to experience both side of hospitality that is welcoming and be welcomed.

This means; Christ was teaching his disciples to know or see themselves in the people cast aside and to experience what it means to be left out, for that will grow in them the hearts of compassion. The story in Genesis tells us of Abraham & Sarah’s encounter with these three strangers at their camp.

Abraham welcomed them with lavish meal after bowing down before them to welcome them. The fattest calf was killed and prepared by Sarah for them; all these were signs of an extravagant welcome.

What this means for us today is: for such extravagant welcome is for us to make room for the refugee, the immigrants, ‘the other’ in our communities if this value of hospitality means anything to us as people of faith.

We are to care for the other because we are all created in the image of God, All of us are God’s children and also because we believe in some way, shape or form, that we are accountable for one another, whether by the judgment of God who holds us accountable or by social karma.

Brothers and sisters, while we look at the physical tents that house people who needs care, we can also see the metaphorical tents, where people reside outside the walls of justice, people who have not been served but abused, not welcomed but punished & scorned.

The call from God to welcome the stranger is a never ending call; there are always more strangers; just as there are always ways in which we closed our hearts from them due to fears or misconceptions. Once an unknown person walks in the mist of people, immediately different feeling fills people’s heart with regards to the other. And question like this might pop –up… who is this; what is it that they bring; will they be trust worthy etc.

Many of us have hosted strangers; share our homes and our meals, helped in different ways; while some have even adopted strangers in our families. You see this transforming relationship we offer to strangers, putting fear to flight; is at the core of what it means to give peace a chance & justice an opening.

When encountered with the stranger, there are two options that people usually have and these are;

• We either retreat into isolation by building fence or wall over self

• Take the risk to engage with the stranger through hospitality and welcome the Angel.

We should never allow fear to stand on the way of us helping or welcoming the stranger because we are to respond appropriately with the needs of mercy to the stranger, however these needs usually covers the most basic needs of life, needed by every human.

Welcoming the stranger is our common human needs ie it’s all about people and our relationship with one another. Politically it might be of greater concern; yes immigration is an issue today because of the unknown person but the facts & truth remains that immigrants are people; for whom we must welcome amongst us. We ourselves are all immigrants adopted by God through Jesus Christ; through Christ salvation. See (Lev 19:33-34) Christ brought us all out of the bondage of Egypt.

Jesus is saying ‘the way we treat the stranger must matter because it’s an indication on how we would treat Christ Himself’ (Matt 25:35-36) & Paul encourages us saying ‘practice hospitality’ (Rom 12:13). Friends it takes courage, & risk taking to meet this demand and if we get it, what a blessings that is; as seen with Abraham and Sarah’s story in Genesis 18.

Friends; welcoming the stranger has Biblical roots, Christ says we should practice hospitality , a word in the Greek Philoxenia translated as love to the strangers for it was because of such love that Christ welcomed us in the family of God; as adopted children of the King of kings.

The welcoming of the foreigner means opening of our minds, hearts & homes to the culture & good value of others, just as Christ did with us all. You know the foreigner might be someone send by God to challenge our beliefs, values, they might even makes us nervous, anxious, irritated or afraid; because throughout the human race; fear and risk taking has always embedded in who we are. Because ‘to be reconcile to man, is to be reconcile to God’.

Once we are encountered with welcoming of the stranger, we must consult and listen to the Holy Ghost within then, follow His instructions because He is our guide to all truth. Nevertheless, next time there is a stranger amongst us, let us remember this; they might be an angel of the Lord.

And next time we fear the stranger, let us also remember this possibility that they might help us understand ourselves and God’s love better.

Finally next time we ourselves are strangers, may we live up to our potential & bring transformation & blessings to our hosts

Amen.