Judges 19:16-22: a reflection

16Behold, an old man came from his work out of the field at evening. Now the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he lived in Gibeah; but the men of the place were Benjamites. 17He lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, “Where are you going? Where did you come from?” 18He said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem Judah to the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem Judah. I am going to the LORD’s house; and there is no one who has taken me into his house. 19Yet there is both straw and feed for our donkeys; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for your servant, and for the young man who is with your servants. There is no lack of anything.” 20The old man said, “Peace be to you! Just let me supply all your needs, but don’t sleep in the street.” 21So he brought him into his house, and gave the donkeys fodder. Then they washed their feet, and ate and drank. 22As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain wicked fellows, surrounded the house, beating at the door; and they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who came into your house, that we can have sex with him!”

In a dark chapter of Israel's history, a traveler and his companions, finding no one in the town square of Gibeah to take them in for the night, are welcomed by an old man returning from his work in the field, who shows them the hospitality the town had denied. The old man said, Peace be to you. Let me supply all your needs; only don't sleep in the street. He brought him into his house and cared for him and his animals. In a town that offered no welcome, and where wicked men would soon show their cruelty, this one old man showed the grace of hospitality to the stranger, taking them in, meeting their needs. The contrast is stark: the coldness and wickedness of the town against the kindness of the one who welcomed the stranger. One old man's hospitality stood against a town's coldness. Welcoming the stranger is a grace, especially where others refuse. Hospitality to the stranger shines against surrounding coldness. The old man welcomed those no one else would take in.

Notice the old man's hospitality against the dark backdrop of the town. The travelers had sat in the town square, and no one took them in; the town offered no welcome, and its wicked men would soon reveal their cruelty. But the old man, returning from his field, saw the strangers and would not leave them in the street. Peace be to you, he said; let me supply all your needs. He brought them into his home, cared for their needs and their animals, showed them the welcome the town had denied. In a place of coldness and coming wickedness, his hospitality to the stranger shines. This reminds us of the grace and importance of welcoming the stranger, especially where others will not. It is easy to leave the outsider, the traveler, the one with no place, unwelcomed, as the town did; but the old man took them in. To show hospitality to the stranger, to welcome the one who has no place, especially where others refuse, is a real grace. Hospitality to the stranger is a grace worth showing. The one who welcomes the outsider does a real good. Welcoming the stranger shines brightest where others refuse.

That is worth taking to heart, for welcoming the stranger is a real grace, especially where others refuse, as the old man of Gibeah took in the travelers the town had left unwelcomed. We can leave the outsider, the traveler, the one with no place, unwelcomed, as the town did; but the old man, returning from his field, would not leave the strangers in the street, but took them into his home and met their needs. Hospitality to the stranger is a grace. When you meet the outsider with no place, do not leave them unwelcomed; show them hospitality, as the old man welcomed the travelers. Show hospitality to the stranger and welcome the one who has no place, especially where others refuse, as the old man of Gibeah, seeing the travelers whom the town had left unwelcomed in the square, said, Peace be to you, let me supply all your needs, and brought them into his home, caring for them and their animals; for it is easy to leave the outsider, the traveler, the one with nowhere to go, unwelcomed as the town did, but there is a real grace in welcoming the stranger, in taking in the one who has no place, and this grace shines brightest against surrounding coldness, so that we do well to show hospitality to the stranger, welcoming those others will not, as the old man did against the dark backdrop of his town.

Lord, in a dark chapter of Israel's history, a traveler and his companions, finding no one in the town square of Gibeah to take them in for the night, are welcomed by an old man returning from his work in the field, who shows them the hospitality the town had denied. The old man said, Peace be to you. Let me supply all your needs; only don't sleep in the street. He brought him into his house and cared for him and his animals. In a town that offered no welcome, and where wicked men would soon show their cruelty, this one old man showed the grace of hospitality to the stranger. The contrast is stark: the coldness and wickedness of the town against the kindness of the one who welcomed the stranger. Show me the old man's hospitality against the dark backdrop of the town. The travelers had sat in the town square, and no one took them in. But the old man, returning from his field, saw the strangers and would not leave them in the street. Peace be to you, he said; let me supply all your needs. He brought them into his home, cared for their needs and their animals, showed them the welcome the town had denied. In a place of coldness and coming wickedness, his hospitality to the stranger shines. This reminds me of the grace and importance of welcoming the stranger, especially where others will not. It is easy to leave the outsider, the traveler, the one with no place, unwelcomed, as the town did; but the old man took them in. Take that to my heart, for welcoming the stranger is a real grace, especially where others refuse. When I meet the outsider with no place, keep me from leaving them unwelcomed; help me show them hospitality, Lord, as the old man welcomed the travelers, taking in the one who has no place and welcoming those others will not.