“A new commandment I give you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” John 13:34,35.

From the start, Abraham wanted to be used by God for mission. This truth can be seen for example, in Genesis 18, when God warned him about what was going to happen to Sodom and Gomorrah according to his word in Amos 3:7. And in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, ‘His servant the prophet was Abraham’.

Abraham was resting during the heat of the day when he saw three travelers. Abraham however soon became personally involved in God’s mission. His involvement, as revealed was to pray for and intercede for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. That is, he wanted to see if, somehow, these people, despite themselves, could be saved.

Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. This behavior was unusual. At that time of the day in summer, when the sun is at its zenith, everyone is looking for shade and for a fresh breeze. But perhaps, Abraham was enduring the heat in order to help anyone who might be passing by.

While there, he saw three travelers. His practice, most likely was to offer hospitality to strangers. This is why the initiative of the encounter was from Abraham: in the text, he ran towards them from the entrance of his tent. Abraham took the initiative to meet them even before they came to him.

“Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. (…)”

Abraham was aware of his mission, which was to share with everyone the knowledge of the Lord in a world engulfed in paganism, idolatry and polytheism. As we can see in this incident, his most immediate way to fulfill his mission was through hospitality towards these strangers, who seemed to have just appeared on the horizon. Abraham’s influence extended beyond his own household. Wherever he pitched his tent, he set up beside it the altar for sacrifice and worship.

From the start, this man understand that God had called him to mission, and that his going to the promised land was not for a vacation but to be a blessing to those around him and, through his seed, to the world.