Hebrews 13:2: “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
I am not saying that this passage of Scripture is not referring to actual supernatural beings, but I would like you to just look out of the box for a moment and consider Mama Bear and the Deaconess.
The Town of Cicero has a little community for seniors made up of some town houses called the Villa and an apartment building. They are very nice, clean and well maintained facilities that seniors are able to rent at a very reasonable rate. It is probably a community of a couple hundred seniors. The Town provides excellent police service as well as a task force that regularly patrols the area an alerts the police of an potential trouble so these seniors are able to live in peace and safety. On top of that I have found two angelous’s or malaka’s human angels. One I call Mama Bear and the other I call the Deaconess as she is really a deacon in her church. Out of the two hundred residents in this community these two individuals are probably the most joyful and pleasant people to be around and probably the most handy to have around. I believe the reason for their joy is not only their faith in God which is very strong, but just their constant care and love for those living in their community. I love transporting these two women to their appointments as I feel like I am really entertaining angels unware.
First let me explain that the word angels here in the Greek and the Aramaic do not have to refer to just supernatural beings. Paul may very well be speaking of supernatural beings that appear and assist us in times of need. But he may also be referring to humans angels as well. The word angel is Greek here is angelous where we get the word angel from, however, it is only tradition that limits this word to supernatural beings. For instance John the Baptist in Matthew 11:10 quotes Malachi 3:1 when he says behold I will send my messenger before thy face. The word in Greek is angelous and John the Baptist is referring to a human messenger. The word angelous is used by the Septuagint for the Hebrew word malachi which means a messenger and is often used for a human messenger as well as a supernatural messenger. The Aramaic Bible, the Peshitta uses the Aramaic word malaka which is identical to the Hebrew word and means both a human and supernatural messenger.
Paul is exhorting us to not be forgetful. In the Greek that word forgetful is epilanthanesthe where we get our English word epilepsy from and means to be neglectful or forgetful. We are encouraged not to neglect strangers. That word for strangers is not in the Greek, it just uses the word philoxenias which is a word for hospitality. However, the word philo is the Greek word for friend and the word xenias is the word for strangers. So we are not amiss if we render this as do not be neglectful to show warmth and friendliness to strangers. The Aramaic is even stronger as it is saying to not be neglectful to show rachmetha to aksnaya. Aksnaya is an Aramaic word used for strangers, foreigners, pilgrims or wanderers. The word rachmetha however shows more than just warmth and friendliness, it is expressing the idea of showing tender mercies, deep compassion to these wanderers for you may be unknowingly entertaining messengers of God either supernatural or human. The word entertaining in the Greek is xenisantes which means to startle or be surprised. The word unaware in Greek is elathan which means to be concealed or hidden. The Aramaic uses the word la regash which means to be without rage as well as to be unaware.
When the Deaconess or Mama Bear ride my bus I am always xenisantes startled or surprise that I am la regash or without rage. I may be all upset or anxious over some matter but when I have the Deaconess or Mama Bear in my bus, somehow I am surprised to find that all my anxieties are soothed and I am feeling peaceful. Their joy and their love of God is so contagious you cannot help but share it with them.
Both are always there for any of the residents. If anyone is sick or needs any sort of help all they need to do is reach out to the Deaconess or Mama Bear and they will drop whatever they are doing and come to their aid. There is one woman in the Villa is who elder, ill, and has experienced much misfortune in her life. As a result she has grown so bitter and anger that no one wants to help her and believe me she does need help.
However, there are two people in the Villa that do reach out to her, Mama Bear and the Deaconess. But even with their loving and caring approach this woman still lashes out at them in her anger and bitterness. Yet, Mama Bear and the Deaconess do not grow angry with her, in fact the more this woman expresses her rage and anger the more Mama Bear and the Deaconess feels sorry for her and the more they long to reach out to her and help her.
Now that I look at Hebrews 13:2 again, I think I have it wrong to call Mama Bear and the Deaconess the angelous and malaka, the human angels. Everyone knows they are human angels, no one is unaware of their compassion and love. The real human angel is that bitter and sad lonely lady who no one wants to help because she is always in a rage. I think one day Mama Bear and the Deaconess are going to be xenisantes startled and surprised to find this woman la regash without rage. They are going to learn that this lonely lady is really a messenger from God to teach even the loving and caring Mama Bear and Deaconess Luke 6:32,35: “For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil.”
The Deaconess and Mama Bear are one day going to find a great reward for they would have gone beyond all the others who love those that love them, they will have loved the unloved who may just be an angel unware to teach them true compassion and all in that community will see what the compassion and longsuffering of God is like. For as I watch the Deaconess and Mama Bear reach out to an unloved bitter woman and show her love and compassion I can only think, “How much more must the Father in Heaven love me and endure my shortcomings.
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