Tobit 7:6-11: a reflection

6And Raguel sprang up, and kissed him, wept, 7blessed him, and said to him, “You are the son of an honest and good man.” When he had heard that Tobit had lost his sight, he was grieved, and wept; 8and Edna his wife and Sarah his daughter wept. They received them gladly; and they killed a ram of the flock, and served them meat. But Tobias said to Raphael, “Brother Azarias, speak of those things of which you talked about in the way, and let the matter be finished.” 9So he communicated the thing to Raguel. Raguel said to Tobias, “Eat, drink, and make merry: 10for it belongs to you to take my child. However I will tell you the truth. 11I have given my child to seven men of our relatives, and whenever they came in to her, they died in the night. But for the present be merry.” And Tobias said, “I will taste nothing here, until you all make a covenant and enter into that covenant with me.”

Tobias arrives at the house of his relative Raguel, who springs up, kisses him, and weeps for joy at meeting the son of a good man. Learning that Tobias's father Tobit had lost his sight, Raguel weeps again, and the whole household grieves and then welcomes the travelers gladly. It is a scene of warm hospitality, of tears that mingle sorrow and joy, of a family opening its doors.

But Tobias will not simply eat and enjoy himself. He presses for the matter at hand to be settled first, the question of marriage to Sarah, and he refuses even to taste food until a covenant is made. Raguel, for his part, is honest, telling Tobias the hard truth about the seven men who had died. There is integrity on both sides: a young man who wants commitment before comfort, and an older man who will not hide the difficulty.

The passage quietly commends two things worth imitating: generous welcome and honest dealing. Open your home and your heart to others as Raguel did, with real feeling. And when something important is at stake, seek the clear commitment and the honest truth before you settle down to enjoy the meal. Hospitality and integrity belong together, and a household built on both is a household God can bless.

Lord, give me Raguel's warm welcome and Tobias's honest resolve. Let me open my home to others with real affection, and let me deal truthfully in the things that matter, seeking commitment and clarity before comfort. Build my household on hospitality and integrity together, that it may be a place you are glad to bless. Amen.