The other day I was listening to a secular radio station and the DJ shared a story that has been buzzing through the Midwest. Apparently, there is either a person or group of people frequenting restaurants and leaving enormous tips. Many range from $100-$500 but there was one tip for $10,000. And, if I recall the woman correctly, they write on the receipt "tips for Jesus." The DJ ended the story with, "So, waiters, be nice to your customers because you never know who you are waiting on." And this really got me thinking. Of course my first thought was that I was a waitress in the Midwest and it would've been nice if this happened a few years ago. Eventually my greed subsided and I thought about that beautiful verse in Hebrews: "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it" (13:2).
Do you think about this ever? First, do you think of how amazing it is that angels hang out on this earth? Second, do you think about it when you speak to strangers? Look at Abraham. Because of his hospitality to three men, he spoke to the Lord, was promised a son and saved his nephew Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18, 19). Hospitality is a pretty big deal and it isn't something we see in our culture very often.
It is so easy to pass by strangers. It's easy to put on our blinders and walk on by, absorbed in our own lives. It's easy to go throughout our day, keeping the incredible joy of Christ to ourselves, while others go about their day without any understanding of that joy. Easy, yes, but wrong. Our joy is meant to be shared; the Gospel is meant to be shared. And more often than not, God calls us to share with the outsiders: to see the invisible and care for the forgotten. He calls us to speak to strangers. Strangers to our circles, strangers to our lifestyle, strangers to our worldview, political party, religious beliefs and moral values. Be kind to the people you meet, but take it further, usher them into your life regardless of your differences. Form relationships and open yourself to the opportunities to share all about that joy deep in your heart.
As Christians, our incentive for kindness is not the hope of a big tip, but the deep joy from the greatest gift we've ever received. So be kind to those you meet. In doing this, you may entertain some angels. How cool would it be to see that angel in heaven and have a chat? And how cool would it be to see those strangers who were simply ordinary, broken humans that you refused to treat as a stranger? Instead, you showed the love of Christ to that opened their heart to accept the gift of salvation.
By the way, when you treat others, be they strangers or anything else, it isn't just about the possibility of entertaining angels. Check out Matthew 25:31-46. In that passage, Jesus tells those trying to enter the Kingdom of Heaven that whatever they did for the "least of these," the lowest of all people, they did for him-- Jesus himself! When you care for others, there is a chance you are caring for angels, but you are definitely caring for Jesus. These are the true tips for Jesus: caring for the broken, the lonely, the needy, and the lost. So show some hospitality today and leave a giant tip for Jesus. I bet you'll get to cash it on the other side.
