In Vayera, we behold the radiant mystery of divine visitation and the testing of faith. Abraham, seated at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day, lifts his eyes and beholds three men standing before him. Without hesitation, he hastens to welcome them, offering rest, bread, and refreshment. This humble act of hospitality becomes the occasion for revelation, for in receiving strangers, Abraham receives the messengers of the Most High. Their message—of life springing forth from the barren womb of Sarah—reveals that no human limitation can frustrate the purpose of Alaha: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14).

This same spirit of divine generosity shines forth in the Haftarah, wherein Elisha encounters another woman of faith—a widow in distress, whose meagre oil becomes, by prophetic command, a vessel of abundance. Later, the Shunammite woman, moved by reverence, provides the prophet a chamber and hospitality, and in return receives the blessing of a son. Both narratives proclaim that the God who visited Abraham and Sarah continues to manifest His mercy toward the faithful, rewarding their trust and service in unforeseen ways. In every instance, the divine presence enters human need, transforming scarcity into sufficiency and despair into promise.

The New Covenant likewise takes up this mystery of visitation and faith. In the Epistle to the Hebrews, the saints are exhorted: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Hebrews 13:2). This teaching directly recalls Abraham’s welcome at Mamre and the Shunammite’s kindness to Elisha, revealing that the same divine economy of grace continues in every generation. In Christ, the ultimate visitation of God to humanity is fulfilled—He who came not as a guest but as Emmanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23), dwelling among His people and transforming human weakness into the means of salvation.

Thus, the faithful soul is invited to emulate Abraham’s readiness and the Shunammite’s devotion—to open the door of the heart to divine presence, to believe in God’s promise even when hope seems barren, and to trust that every act of kindness toward others may become a meeting with the Holy One Himself. In this way, faith matures through hospitality, and the ordinary becomes the threshold of the miraculous.

(Matt.)