The first reading and the gospel today focus on hospitality,
on radical hospitality.

 

Three strangers happen to be passing by
when Abraham notices them,
welcomes them
and offers them a meal.

 

The reading from Genesis makes it seem

like a quick and easy thing to do.

However, if we read it carefully,
we notice how much work was involved
and how much time it must have taken.

Sarah is instructed to bake some rolls.
In order to do that she has to gather some sticks to build a fire,
mix the ingredients together,
wait while the dough rises.
need the dough and wait some more.

Baking a few rolls was not a quick and easy task.

 

Choosing just the right steer may not have taken very long,
but slaughtering it,
butchering it
and then roasting it
took a while, too.

 

Providing hospitality to three strangers
who just happened to be passing by
was not an easy task
for Abraham, Sarah or the servant who slaughtered,
butchered and roasted the steer.

 

They all did whatever was necessary
to show some strangers radical hospitality.

 

Martha and Mary were always delighted
when Jesus and his disciples came to visit.

However, such a visit also meant extra work.
Jesus did not come alone.
He came with at least twelve on the disciples,
and sometimes even more than that.
Preparing a meal for two or three
is not the same
as preparing a meal for fourteen or more.
One more than likely didn’t even have enough ingredients lying around
for such a feast.

Martha and Mary both wanted to make sure that Jesus and his disciples
felt welcomed and at home in their home.
Martha went straight to the kitchen,
while Mary sat with the guests and listened to their stories.
Each in their own way offered radical hospitality
to Jesus and his disciples.

 

So, what do these two stories have to do with us?
What happened under the terebinth of Mamre
four thousand years ago,
and what happened near Bethany
where Martha and Mary lived
two thousand years ago,
are examples for us.

 

The scriptures call us to offer radical hospitality
to those we encounter.

While it may be quite a bit easier
and less time consuming today
than it was so long ago,
it still takes some time and effort
to welcome the stranger
or an old friend.

 

Jesus calls us to be willing to go out of our way
to welcome others into our lives,
to offer them hospitality
and that includes most importantly a listening ear.

Sometimes getting the food ready
is the easy part.
Taking the time to listen deeply
to another person’s story
sometimes takes even more effort,
but today’s readings invite and encourage us
to do just that.

 

At a time when the stranger, the foreigner or even family and friends
can seem like a burden,
we are reminded like Abraham and Sarah,
like Martha and Mary,
how important it is to practice radical hospitality.

 

We never know what blessing might come our way.
Because of the welcome Abraham and Sarah offered,
they were finally able to conceive a child
and begin to pass on their blessing to future generations.
Because of the welcome Martha and Mary provided,
they were able to see the power of God
that would raise their brother from death to new life.

 

We never know what blessings will come our way,
but today we are reminded
that reaching out with care and compassion to others
is always rewarded by the mercy and love of our God.