Level 3
Lesson 3: The Surprise Visitors

Here is a story about Abraham that the teacher often told Jesus and the other boys at the school at Nazareth.

Abraham had such large flocks of sheep and cattle that he had to move from place to place in order to supply them with food. When the sheep and cattle had eaten the grass in one little valley, they had to be led over the hills to the next valley where the grass was long and fresh.

So Abraham could not live in a stone or brick house. He had to have a home which could be easily carried about on the backs of camels. He lived in a large tent, made of skins of animals, sewn together and stretched over poles, then held in position by strong ropes. This made a comfortable home which kept out wind and rain, and when Abraham had to move on to another place it was easy to take down and carry away.

One day Abraham made a new camp on a great grassy plain. It was a splendid place to make his home, for there was enough grass to last the herds for a long time, and plenty of fresh cool water for them to drink.

Abraham and his wife, Sarah, thought they would like their new tent home very much, but there was one thing they wanted that would make them happier. They had no children of their own, and they wanted a little son so much.

Abraham was sitting in the shadow of the tent door one very hot day, when he saw, to his surprise, three men coming towards the tent. He got up and ran towards them, bowing himself to the ground.

“Do not go away,” he said, “but rest under this tree for a while. I will have water brought to wash your feet, and will bring you food, so that you may refresh yourselves.”

The three strangers sat down under the shady tree while Abraham and Sarah hurriedly prepared a meal.

When the meal was ready, Abraham served it himself to the strangers under the tree. While they were eating, one of them said to Abraham: “Where is your wife, Sarah?”

“She is in the tent,” replied Abraham.

Then the stranger made a wonderful promise to Abraham: “God is going to send you and your wife, Sarah, a baby son very soon,” he said.

Sarah was standing behind the tent door curtain and heard all that was said, even though she could not be seen. When she heard the stranger’s promise she laughed aloud because she did not believe she could have children anymore because she was so old.

Sure enough, a few months later, God sent Abraham and Sarah a baby boy of their very own, just as the stranger had promised. They were so happy, that they called the baby Isaac, which means ‘laughter.’

“God has made me laugh with joy,” said Sarah as she kissed her little son, “so that all who hear may laugh with me.”

So Abraham discovered that in being kind to strangers he had been welcoming the messengers of God to his tent home; and he was very glad.