Hebrew 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

As I drove out of the Catskill mountains into a little town about fifteen miles outside the Catskills, I reflected on the verse in Hebrews 13:2 about entertaining angels unawares.  The word in the Greek that is rendered as entertain is philoxenias which is a compound word philos meaning friend and xenos which means strangers.  The word has the idea of being friendly with strangers. It is sometimes used for hospitality. The word angel in Greek is angelous which means a messenger and is often used for a supernatural messenger. The Aramaic word for angel is malak which comes from the same root as the word for a king.  A king had one primary purpose and that was to protect the people under him.  That is why a king was so honored and given such respect for people looked up to their king to protect them for foreign invaders, to administer justice and to provide for them when they could not provide for themselves. Such is the role of the angels.  It is interesting that the word malak is the same root word for salt.  Salt is an ancient preservative, it protects meat from spoiling. Again the idea of an angel is one who protects.  The word malak is also a word used for counsel and advice.  Another role of angels is to guide us in the right direction which is why advice is given.

We will not really know until we are in heaven just how much the angels have provided for us while we were here on earth.  Yet, all this time they are watching us experience things that they cannot experience themselves for they do not have a fleshly bodies, they are only spiritual beings.  The Bible seems to indicate that they can take on the appearance of a fleshly person but they are still not fleshly beings.

I am pondering this as I walk into a little café just at base of the Catskill mountains.  I am normally shy about entering such a restaurant as it seems so much a community place and I would  prefer a more impersonal fast food type eatery.  However, I realize this is a sort of a tourist town and they are probably used to strangers eating in their local café.  I notice how the owner of this café took such care in its maintenance and layout.  It was easy to see that the owner of this little café was proud of his establishment and the work that went into it. Yes, there is a special joy in work and the accomplishment of work. Perhaps that is why God brought me out of the mountains into the community, to see how people took pride in their little town, keeping it clean, maintaining its buildings so they could show it off to the tourist, not unlike God taking pride in His creation so He could show it off

How the people in this town would be so disappointed if no one came to admire their work.  I found I was indeed welcomed in this little café, not so much as a patron as they know I would most likely never return, it was almost as if they wanted a stranger in there to enjoy their handiwork, their labors to prepare your meal and to enjoy the meal they provided.  Indeed, a young man with Semitic features and casual dress came into this little café and just ordered coffee and he was welcomed even if his order could add little to the coffer. The employees seemed to be glad he was there to just enjoy the atmosphere that they created.  They were indeed showing philoxenias, friendliness to strangers for no other reason than the pure joy of being able to share their pride and joy with them. Even with just a cup of coffee they were entertaining this man who was also just a stranger.

I began to see why God brought me out of the Catskill mountains to this little café, He wanted me to know and realize that just as we as humans spend time creating, maintaining our dwellings, decorating them during the holidays and offering hospitality to bring joy to others, would not God want to use His creation that He maintains, and decorates on holidays and offers us hospitality to simply share His joy with us.  How often we overlook these little gifts of God, a squirrel that runs up to you and twitches his nose at you.  A bird who sings his morning song and we just ignore it and go on our busy way feeling miserable when all the time there is a God out there filling this world with gifts to ease our misery.

As I bite into my hamburger I found it was probably one of the best burgers I have eaten in a long time (actually the only burger I have eaten in a long time).  I could tell this was not thrown together like a fast food burger, this was hand crafted and made with care.  Even the cook in the kitchen took pride in his work to bring some pleasure to strangers to entertain strangers unaware.

I sensed something else.  My Middle Eastern looking friend sitting across from was just sitting back enjoying the surroundings not even drinking his coffee.  I began to think about angels again, how maybe even one day in heaven, I will spend years explaining to angels the glorious taste of a hamburger and how delicious this burger was in the Catskills, for they do not know the joy of biting into even a burger for they do not eat.

I sensed God saying that every moment I live on this world in a physical body, I will experience joys that I will spend an eternity sharing. One day I shall indeed entertain angels with every story about the joys that I experienced through Christ Jesus. I must not allow a moment to be lost, I must not allow a moment to be used for the enemy for that will only be a moment lost for eternity that could have been a great story to tell the angels one day.