We have answered similar questions about entertaining angels unaware, but it might be good to get some practical lessons about how we, today, might entertain angels unaware.  Let’s first look at the portion that speaks of this.  Hebrews 13:1-2 instructs us to, “Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”  There are several points brought before us here to draw our attention to behaviors that should characterize us as Christians.

LET BROTHERLY LOVE CONTINUE – We are not told to create brotherly love, because if we are truly saved, the love for one another is already inside us.  We learn in 1 Thessalonians 4:9, “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.”  The point in this verse is that we do nothing to hinder our brotherly love.  When we act in the flesh, we can hinder or stop this flow of love for the brethren.  When we react quickly or harshly, we are not exhibiting the love of Christ in our lives.  Oh how, we need to learn to simply allow brotherly love to continue to flow without hinderance.

BE NOT FORGETFUL TO ENTERTAIN STRANGERS – Hospitality should be the characteristic of every believer.  We should be open to inviting others into our homes to show them Christian love and to share the glorious Gospel of the Lord to all.  While we might be a little cautious about who we invite into our homes, especially for the concern and safety of any children we might have, we should pray about bringing people into our home to minister to their needs…physical and spiritual.  One of the qualifications for one to act as an elder in the local church is being hospitable.  1 Timothy 3:2 tells us, “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach.”  In fact, all believers should seek to be hospitable.  In Romans 12, we have a list of behaviors that should be descriptive of us all.  Verse 13 instructs us, “Distributing to the necessity of saints; GIVEN TO HOSPITALITY.” 

SOME HAVE ENTERTAINED ANGELS UNAWARES – There have been occasions in the Bible where angels have appeared to men.  At one point, the Lord and two angels appeared to Abraham in Genesis 18:1-2, “And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground.”  Angels appeared to Lot in Genesis 19:1, “And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.”  Angels appeared to Jacob in Genesis 32:1 which says, “And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.”  Do these things still happen today?  I would never try to shorten the Lord’s arm and say this cannot happen today because if it did, they may do it “unawares” and we may not know about it.  It might be good to look at the definition of angels mentioned in Hebrews 13:2. It can mean a literal angel, or a messenger.  Several times in the New Testament, this word is translated as ‘messenger’.  The Lord Jesus, speaking of John the Baptist said, “For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my MESSENGER before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.” (Matthew 11:10). Or as in James 2:25, “Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the MESSENGERS, and had sent them out another way?”  Even if we never entertain a literal angel in our home, when we show hospitality to others, we may be allowing the Lord to minister to us by His messengers through the words, lifestyles, and encouragement of other faithful believers.  (CC)  (675.6)