[The LORD your God] administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. Deuteronomy 10:18 NKJV

In this year-long focus on the Attributes of God: A to Z, I have learned much about the character of our Lord. I hope you have as well. In looking for an attribute that started with an X, I wondered if I would find one. Xenodochial means friendly to strangers. It fits God’s attributes quite well.

God loves the stranger and provides for him or her. The LORD watches over the stranger (Psalm 146:9). Consider the Old Testament example of Ruth.

Ruth, a widowed Moabite woman, followed her widowed mother-in-law Naomi from Moab to Israel. She chose to leave her culture, her country, her religion, and her family.

But Ruth said [to Naomi]:”Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from folllowing after you; For wherever you go I will go, and wherever you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God shall be my God.” Ruth 1:16 NKJV

God provided for the two women by leading Ruth to glean in the field of Boaz. He saw her and told her to stay with the women who worked in his fields where she would be safe (Ruth 2). God led Boaz to marry Ruth (Ruth 4). God brought this Gentile stranger into the line of Jesus. Ruth is King David’s great-grandmother (Matthew 1:5).

God reached out to the strangers, including those of us who are not His chosen people, the Jews. He provides for the Gentiles to enter into the special relationship with Him. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus,

Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called the Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:11–13 NKJV

What a privilege it is to be grafted into God’s family! He has chosen us to join Him! It’s not based on our heritage or anything we have done. God shows no partiality (Deuteronomy 10:17).

* How has God shown Himself xenodochial, or friendly to you?

God has given us His friendship, salvation, and love. Jesus calls us His friend, as He told His disciples:

No longer so I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. John 15:15 NKJV

God tells us to follow His example and show love and kindness to others. God told the Israelites to love the stranger, and not to mistreat or oppress them, for the Hebrews were strangers in the land of Egypt (Deuteronomy 10:19; Exodus 22:21). We also, as believers in Christ Jesus, are strangers and sojourners on earth. Our citizenship is in heaven where we will some day live with Jesus (Hebrews 11:13–16).

Since we are citizens of God’s kingdom, we should reach out to others as God has to us. We have God’s message of grace to share. We have experienced God’s welcome and friendship. We can show hospitality to others.

*How can or do you show friendliness to strangers? How do you make them feel loved and accepted? Please share in the comments. I’d love to learn from you!

Friends of mine make a point of opening their homes and hearts to refugees. They share meals, provide transportation, and help the people learn the new culture in which the refugees now live. They don’t force their faith on the newcomers. As my friends’ love shines into their new friends lives, some come to Jesus because of genuine love they receive.

My husband and I were involved with International students who were studying in the United States. We all shared our cultures and beliefs. A friend from Japan taught me to cook a Japanese dish. I recall a Thanksgiving shared with another friend from Asia. He saw the twenty-pound turkey and exclaimed, “I have never seen such a big chicken!”

Let’s not be a “chicken” and let fear get in the way of being friendly to others. Let’s show people the love we have received from the Lord.

Heavenly Father, Thank you for reaching out to us. Thank you for the friendship we have with Jesus. Amen.

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Scriptures marked NKJV are taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION (NKJV): Scripture taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION®. Copyright© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.