Hospitality
16 June 2008 - 14 סיון 5768 by Huw
This Sunday’s (yesterday’s) reading from the Revised Common Lectionary (for Proper 6, Year A) included the passage recounting “The Hospitality of Abraham.”
The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. He said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant.
While Christians evolved a reading of this story that has the Lord having supper with Abraham and Sarah, the Jewish reading sees a break: The Lord appeared… and while Abraham was in communion with God, these three guys showed up (angels, according to later Jewish understanding).
The point of the Hebrew text is Abraham’s hospitality to these strangers was such that even being wrapped up in communion with God would not prevent him from serving lunch to strangers on the street.
In this, the Jewish understanding is rather like the Desert Fathers who said even if one is at prayer, one should go to the door if a brother calls. They said this citing John - how can you love God whom you do not see, if you fail to love your brother whom you do not see?
But they could have cited Moses.
