How does Judges 19:16 connect to Jesus' teachings on loving strangers? Judges 19:16—A Snapshot of Vulnerability “But in the evening, an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was staying in Gibeah, came in from his work in the field. He looked up and saw the traveler in the city square and asked, ‘Where are you going, and where have you come from?’” Key observations • The traveler and his companions are exposed, bedding down in an open square. • A local elder notices and immediately engages, recognizing their need. • His question is not casual small talk—it is the first step toward hospitality and protection. Hospitality in Israel’s Law and Life • Israel was commanded to love the stranger: “The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself” (Leviticus 19:34). • Judges 19 highlights what happens when that command is neglected. The rest of the chapter shows tragic consequences when a city refuses God-honoring hospitality. • The old man tries to obey the spirit of the Law, contrasting sharply with the townspeople’s later violence. Jesus Reaffirms and Deepens the Call • Matthew 25:35—“I was a stranger and you welcomed Me.” Jesus identifies Himself with vulnerable outsiders, making care for them a direct expression of love for Him. • Luke 10:33-35—The Good Samaritan crosses ethnic and social boundaries, binds wounds, pays expenses. Jesus presents this stranger-love as the model of neighbor-love. • John 13:34—“A new commandment I give you, that you love one another.” The cross will soon reveal the ultimate cost of such love. Connecting the Dots • Judges 19:16 shows the righteous impulse: see a need, step in, invite close. Jesus calls believers to make that impulse universal and sacrificial. • Where Judges exposes the horror of failed hospitality, the Gospel supplies the power to live it out—Christ indwells His people (Galatians 2:20), enabling genuine, costly love. • Both passages locate true righteousness not in mere words but in active, tangible welcome. Practical Takeaways • Keep your eyes open like the old man—and like the Good Samaritan—for those sitting in today’s “city squares” (immigrants, the homeless, the isolated). • Offer presence first, solutions second. A simple “Where are you going, and where have you come from?” can open doors for ministry. • Let hospitality move from convenience to sacrifice, remembering the Master’s words: “Just as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40). |
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