And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
Read Chapter 19
John Chrysostom
AD 407
When he saw them resisting and bent on resting in the street (the angels did this out of a wish to reveal more clearly the just man’s virtue and to teach us all the extent of his hospitality), then he in turn did not stop at making entreaty in words but also applied force. Hence Christ also said, “Men of violence seize the kingdom of heaven.” … “He compelled them,” the text says. It seems to me he drew them in against their will. Then when they saw the just man applying this effort and not desisting until he should achieve the object of his desire, “they turned aside to him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, cooking flat bread for them; they ate before lying down.” Do you see here as well hospitality manifested not in richness of fare but in generosity of attitude? I mean, when he succeeded in bringing them into his house, at once he gave evidence of the signs of hospitality. He occupied himself in attending on them, providing something to eat and giving evidence of respect and attention to the visitors in his belief that they were only human beings, travelers of some kind.
