Housing Strangers in MY Home?
Back in 1990 or 1991, I saw the craziest thing while I was washing clothes at the Laundromat. I was a 12 year old boy reading one of the Jack T. Chic tracts that were lying around when a bearded guy wearing “Jesus clothes” walked by carrying a cross made out of pipes. The stranger got my attention, and I just HAD to talk to him. I wanted to know why he was dressed that way, bearing a cross, etc. He was really nice, and wanted to talk to me about Jesus. I asked him where his church was because I wanted to visit if it was not too far for me to ride on my bike. He said he had no home at that time, and he was relying on the generosity of strangers.
There was no way I could let this guy just keep walking without having a place to stay. So, I left our laundry at the ’mat and led the Jesus guy to our trailer. You can only imagine my mother’s reaction when I had her come to the door to meet Jesus, and I asked her in front of him if he could stay.
Needless to say, she was not letting this stranger stay in our house. She was sure he could find a place to stay. I was so angry and furious. All I can remember is that I did not follow the Biblical example of honoring parents as we got into an argument about why he couldn’t spend the night in our home. Plus, I left all of our clothes at the Laundromat.
I never saw the Jesus man again.
As I have gotten older, I have grown to appreciate my mother’s caution. As a husband and father, I really understand the pressures of safety and the well-being of my family in our home. But, Hebrews 13:2 really stands out to me. It states, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares (ESV).” I know we try to do as much as can putting people in a local, seedy motel where I would never consider staying with my family unless it was a last resort. But, we do try. There are many other Christians that do it as well. If they can afford more, then they even try better motels. I understand the wisdom in having them stay in motels instead of our homes.
But, was not safety an in the days when the Bible was written?
Remember Lot insisting that the strangers (angels) stay in his home for the night in Genesis 18? Remember that he had two virgin daughters, and a wife living in his home? The environment was so bad in Sodom and Gomorrah that he could not imagine allowing them to stay at the gate.
Remember Laban and Rebekah inviting Abraham’s servant to stay at their place (Genesis 24)? They did not have a cell phone or anything to check out this man’s story, but they invited him anyway.
Remember the Levite in Judges 19? He was sitting in the square waiting for someone to invite him to lodge at their home (which implies this was a custom of the day). The old man insisted the Levite stay in his home for fear of being harmed by the people at night. The horrible tragedy of that night was the Levite’s concubine being raped all night, and dying the next morning.
In all three examples, it appeared customary to invite travelers to spend the night at your home. Plus, crime was as bad, if not worse, than it is today. The fact that the town people would beat on their doors to sodomize strangers demonstrates the overt corruption of the citizens.
The above examples, in light of Hebrews 13:2, have left me wondering for a long time: When did things change? Safety issues haven’t changed. Was it the layouts of their homes back then? Were they constructed in such a way that they could house strangers, and still somewhat keep their families safe?
I definitely want to be wise, and protect the well-being of my family. I just wonder what the differences are between today, and the times recorded in scriptures. Are we missing out on more blessings by not having the people in our actual homes instead of a motel? I am just wondering out loud. If you have any guesses, or have studied this in more depth, I would love to hear from you.
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