The Lutheran Hour
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"Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?"
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Text: Genesis 18:1-10a
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Prayer: Lord God, Heavenly Father, You have called all people from darkness into the kingdom of Your dear Son Jesus Christ. Give those listening today obedient hearts to Your Word that they might follow Your will. Help us, gracious God, to be one in Your Son, Jesus Christ, who unites us with power and glory to do Your will; through Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
A few weeks ago I took my wife, Linda, to Lambert International Airport in St. Louis. After she was safely aboard the airplane, as I was driving from the airport, my cell phone rang. It was a friend of ours named Jim. I had left a message that I was coming into town, but I knew he had been off work that day. It was his birthday. He invited me to stop by and visit. I told him I certainly didn’t want to bother him on his birthday, and I was heading home. Well, his wife Vicky got on the phone and insisted I come over. We had a great visit, and may I add–Vicky is a great cook! Not only was the food great, it was the fellowship that was best!
In the Biblical sense, fellowship is a term that speaks of relationships — the spiritual relationship we have in Christ through faith, and the unity we have with others being members of the body of Christ. Fellowship is not just eating a meal together among friends — it is a relationship found in Jesus Christ.
In the 18th chapter of Genesis there is an account of someone special coming to dinner. It reads like this: “The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of the tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my Lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way — now that you have come to your servant.” “Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.” So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three measures of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread.” Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree. “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There, in the tent,” he said. Then the Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah, your wife, will have a son.”
During Abraham’s time, it was common for people to observe a period of rest during mid-day because of the dangerous heat of the sun. So it was that Abraham was sitting in the door of the tent during this time. As he was sitting there, three men stood at his walkway. Abraham showed them great hospitality. With fine courtesy, he beckoned these passers-by not to continue on their way without stopping. He invited them to wash their feet, relax, and rest in the shade of the tree, that they might get out of the hot sun of the day.
Not only did Abraham want them to be comfortable, he wanted to give them the best he had. He told his wife, Sarah, to get the finest flour they had and bake some bread. In fact, she was to get about twenty quarts of this fine flour, so there would be an abundance of food for these travelers. He then went himself to the herd and selected the finest calf he had. He took care of all of their needs as he saw them. He gave them the best of his hospitality.
These weren’t just any guests, though — it was the Lord God and His angels. These were heavenly guests. The first verse says that “Yahweh,” or the Lord, came to visit. “Yahweh” is the Hebrew word for “the God of our salvation.” In its shortened form, it means “He is present.” God is present in His people! God is present in His church. He alone is the One who can give us salvation. Abraham was in the presence of God, even though at first he may not have known it. He was being hospitable and kind, as God has called us to do. Is it any wonder the writer of Hebrews said, “Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:1-2).
You see, God has called us to be kind and love others. God wants us to see Himself in the hearts and lives of His followers. Do you see the Lord in people around you?
A young lady named Sally relates an experience she had in a Bible class, given by her teacher, whom we’ll call Pastor Smith. One particular day, Sally walked into class and knew they were in for another fun day. On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Pastor Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person’s picture. Sally’s girlfriend (on her right) drew a picture of a girl who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend (on her left) drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of Pastor Smith, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing. Sally was pleased at the overall effect she had achieved.
The class lined up and began throwing darts, with much laughter and hilarity. Some of the students threw their darts with such force their targets ripped apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, and was filled with disappointment when Pastor Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats. As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn’t have a chance to throw any darts at her target, Pastor Smith began removing the target from the wall. Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus. A complete hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus. Holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced out. Pastor Smith quoted a Bible passage from St. Matthew, the 25th chapter, “Inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these my brothers, you have done it unto Me” (Matthew 25:40) No other words were necessary. The tear-filled eyes of each student focused only on the picture of Christ. The students remained in their seats even after the bell rang. Then they slowly left the classroom, tears streaming down their faces. They were truly taught a lesson in how to treat other people.
That story teaches you and me a lesson, too. It teaches us about love. And yet, when we don’t love, even when we don’t care as much as we should, God comes to us with His caring and love. God comes to us with forgiveness. As we return to Him in repentance, we receive the forgiveness that was wrought for us in Jesus Christ, through His death and resurrection. He gives us the promise of new life so we as His people can love. He has called us to love.
So often, we don’t look at others and see Jesus Christ, remembering His words. Martin Luther, commenting on Genesis 18, wrote: “There is hospitality where the church is. For the church, if I may say so, always has a common treasury, inasmuch as it has the command: “Give to him who begs from you” (Matt. 5:42).
The second president of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod was the Rev. H.C. Schwan, who became president in 1878. Commenting on the unity of the Synod in his 1884 presidential address, he stated, “What has kept us together until now was not our Constitution as good as it is, not the personality of those who bear the highest synodical office. It was something radically different, something which God Himself has given us. This was the unity of the spirit and faith. We remain together outwardly because we are one inwardly. ”
You speak the word “church” today and many people will get the picture of a beautiful stone structure with a sky-piercing steeple. According to Ephesians, the church is not a building with some pews, a communion rail, a lectern, and a pulpit. The church is God’s people, and Christ is the Head of the church! The church is where God’s Word and Sacraments are rightly proclaimed and instituted according to His Word and promise for the blessings of those who truly believe the Gospel.
The church begins and ends in the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; His atonement for human sin by His death on a cross and His resurrection from the dead. Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord of the world, the heart and core of the church’s message and the church’s life. Without Christ, the church is just a show! With Christ, the church not only proclaims but lives by the grace of God with forgiveness and life!
I heard of someone, who got up at a church meeting to say, “I’m sick and tired of all this talk about love.” Maybe he was talking about the kind of love that has so little foundation in faith, or the use of love as a law to beat people up instead of helping them. On the face of it, however, his comment directly contradicts what the Lord Himself expects of His church.
In resurrection, He made Himself known to His disciples as the Redeemer of the world and the Lord of heaven and earth. Without deserving such consideration, they received His forgiveness. Now He had one last word for them: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (St. John 13:34-35).
God made a promise to Abraham and Sarah in His visit. He told them they would have a son. This son was to be Abraham’s first descendant. God kept His promise to Abraham, just as God always keeps all of His promises to all people. In a miraculous way, even though Abraham and Sarah were well beyond child-bearing years, God kept His promise to them.
God’s promises are for you and me. He promised He would give you His Son for your sins. This is the One who was promised to Adam and Eve even at the very moment of their sin, as recorded in Genesis 3:15. God’s love is instantaneous! At the very moment of man’s sin, God’s plan of salvation was put into place. Jesus Christ is God’s Son, and His great promise of forgiveness to the world. It was His promise to Abraham, and it is His promise to us! That’s why He said in John 8:58, “I tell you the truth before Abraham was born, I am.”
In the mystery of the incarnation, God took our flesh, suffered our sin, and defeated the devil. He died and rose to pay the penalty of our sin. He has given this forgiveness to you and me. His Light has enlightened us. He has brought us out of sin to the peace of the Gospel. Not only has He been here, He is here. He dwells in you through His Holy Spirit, who brings you to this knowledge and faith.
That night visiting with Jim and Vicky, I saw Christ in them. I saw their concern and their love. We talked about how they could witness to a friend of theirs who didn’t know Christ as Savior and Lord. We shared our love for Christ together as God’s people. We had dinner, but we truly had fellowship.
I thank Jim and Vicky for the wonderful experience that night. I pray that you, my friends, experience that kind of joy in your life. Rejoice in knowing Christ as your Savior, and in the fellowship of believers. May the Holy Spirit lead you to spiritual fellowship in our Triune God knowing the forgiveness that comes in Christ, and the joy of living that fellowship in His church. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for August 3, 2001 “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” 68-48
ANNOUNCER: I’m Mark Eischer. We have in the studio today Pastor James Gullen. It’s a pleasure having you with us today.
GULLEN: It’s wonderful to be here, Mark.
ANNOUNCER: The epistle reading for today from Colossians Chapter 1 describes the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a mystery that was hidden until St. Paul brought the Gospel, the Good News to the Gentiles. What does he mean by mystery?
GULLEN: So often when we hear the word “mystery,” we think of the alternate definition, something which is not understood or beyond our understanding. An alternate word might be enigma from the Greek word, ainigma. Actually, in Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, the first definition of mystery states, “a religious truth that man can know by revelation alone but cannot fully understand.” The word used in the original text for mystery is mystérion. The Greek word is probably best defined as “something that one cannot get to know by himself,” something intended to be revealed.
ANNOUNCER: Well, who or what reveals this?
GULLEN: In the Apostle’s Creed, the third article, we confess “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.” Martin Luther explained this when he said in his explanation of the third article. “I believe that I cannot, by my own reason or strength, believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith even as He calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.” You see, the Holy Spirit sanctifies us. And that is, the Holy Spirit makes us holy by bringing us to faith in Christ and by imparting this blessing of redemption to us. You see, according to the Bible, I’m by nature a spiritually blind…I’m dead, I’m an enemy of God. So, therefore, I cannot by my reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ or come to Him. You see, the Holy Spirit invites us to partake of Christ’s blessings, which are offered to us in the Gospel.
ANNOUNCER: But why did God allow thousands of years to pass before He sent the Savior?
GULLEN: That’s a great question. In Galatians 4:4-5, St. Paul wrote, “But when the time had fully come, God commissioned His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem those who are under the Law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” Many people have tried to explain this passage in unique ways. We don’t want to say that God waited until the social conditions were correct or anything like that. All we are able to say is God knew when the proper time had arrived. The world was spiritually bankrupt and from a religious sense, there is no doubt, paganism was on the rise. We can only say God, in His wisdom, knew the best time for the redemption of the world, and the commissioning of His Son to execute His plan of salvation, that He promised in the beginning to Adam and Eve, in Genesis 3:15.
ANNOUNCER: In closing for our listeners at home, they don’t have to wait another day to receive the benefits of all that Christ did for us on the cross.
GULLEN: No, it’s no longer a mystery because Jesus says, “I stand at the door and knock.” He invites people, by the power and work of the Spirit to receive the forgiveness of sins which he wrought for them; which He accomplished for them in His death and resurrection, so they can enjoy life and forgiveness and the powerful spirit-filled joy that comes in knowing Him as Savior and Lord.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Gullen. This brings us to the end of our broadcast for another week. Look for next week’s message titled, “Rooted in Christ.”