Genesis 18, Matthew 9

Wednesday, Dec 19, 2007 - Brandon Hatmaker (Genesis 18, Matthew 9)

(Genesis 18)

So what was Abraham doing on this day? Surely he wasn’t just hanging out wasting time. It is a common belief that Abraham was sitting there, on this hot day, waiting to assist any weary travelers. He was ready for the welcoming task of offering a place for rest and the washing of their feet. It was a custom in those hot climates to do so as an act of hospitality. I would imagine your feet would get pretty dirty if all you wore was sandals. Matthew Henry gives us a picture of why he might do this when he said, “for inns were not to be met with as among us”. I guess the welcoming committee at the Hilton had the day off.

On this day, he was found faithful and had the privilege of serving the Lord. Abraham said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.” They did not pass by, so obviously, he had found favor. I think this is a great example of why he did. Some believe these were three heavenly beings as created angels; others, that “one of them was the Son of God, the Angel of the covenant”. Either way, they clearly had the authority of the Lord and were there to judge Sodom.

How many times do we fail to entertain strangers? In fact, those are the ones that are so easy to neglect. What are their names? What is their story? Hebrews 13:2 reminds us, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” The word “entertain” comes from the the word meaning “lover of, use of, or given to hospitality”.

I think this thought was eloquently captured in something I read, “We should not be forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares, nay, the Lord of angels himself; as we always do, when for his sake we entertain the least of his brethren. Cheerful and obliging manners in showing kindness, are great ornaments to piety.”

Abraham was found being faithful to the heart of God. What will we be found doing when the Lord returns? What will our priorities be? Where will we be? What will the condition of our heart be? Will we be found faithful?

Reality is, most of the time we live our lives like we have plenty of time to “get it together” before we stand before the Lord. Scripture says we won’t know when that will happen. There will be signs, and there is, but we won’t know.

God, give us a holy passion for living for you in every moment now. May we be found faithful. Thank you for your grace where we fall short, so many times. Purify our hearts that our intentions might be a reflection of your love and purpose.

(Matthew 9)

There is so much amazing stuff in Mathew 9. Here’s just a quick thought from verse 2 where it says, “Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."

As discussed later in verse 4-9, it’s interesting to me that Jesus did not say, “you will no longer be paralyzed”. That puts it in perspective, doesn’t it? A random thought I had today as I read this was the reality of how paralyzing our sin truly is. It stops us in our tracks. The same sin that separated us from our God initially, if left unaddressed in our lives, impacts us in so many ways. Yes, God has forgiven us from the eternal consequence of that sin, but when we allow it to creep back into our lives, it becomes cancerous to our relationships, ability to discern Gods will, desire to seek Him more, keeps us out of His Word, brings us paralyzing guilt, the list goes on and on.

Father, help us to remember that our greatest treasure and peace, comes from the reality of our salvation. May it’s personal value not be negatively impacted by our physical condition, emotional instability, financial blessings, or other circumstance. Help us to maintain perspective, that we might be thankful at all times, that you might be glorified, and that we might experience abundant life in Christ.