06/17/2026
“The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.
“My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while. Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.”
“All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”
So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.” Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it. When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.
“Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked.
“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.
Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”
Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”
Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
Genesis 18:1-14
There’s a famous Polish proverb that says, “A guest in the house, God in the house.” This story of Abraham welcoming strangers under the oaks of Mamre is that very thing: he offers hospitality without question to the three strangers who appear nearby. For us as Trinitarian Christians, the trio immediately prompts our interest; Abraham had no knowledge of that, but knew it was honorable to welcome the stranger, to feed and care for the guest. Was this a test from God? The three have come with an important message for Abraham and Sarah: after so many years of childlessness they will have a son. Sara laughs—not, I think, a joyous giggle, but more of a sarcastic “hah!” At that point, it’s made clear that the guests are indeed a manifestation of God receiving their hospitality.
In our own time there’s been much debate about who is a stranger and who is a friend. About who has the right to expect welcome, and who does not. The conversation has been bitter, and the issue of what to do with or for migrants and refugees has become heated. As Christians, this is a critical question. In the entire Bible, God repeatedly commands the people to welcome the strangers, to care for the refugees, to comfort those who are cast out.
In Matthew 25, Jesus says, “in as much as you did it for one of them, you did it for me.” Abraham and Sarah are rewarded not for their perfect faith; God hears Sarah laugh at the very idea, and asks why she is laughing. Frightened, she denies it, but she doesn’t need to be afraid; God is blessing them for their welcome and their care of the strangers.
Prayer: Loving God, you have commanded us to welcome and care for one another, not just the privileged, or the ones we like, or the ones we already know, but everyone who has a need we can fulfill. Open our hearts and minds to the ways we can welcome others, in realization that when we do so, we are welcoming God into this place. Teach us also how to receive the hospitality of others, so that the circle of love and care that you intend for your people can be complete. Amen.
Mary (Mimi) Biedron
