Love For Strangers (Hebrews 13:2) | Worship Service

Good morning and welcome to Kootenai Church on the first Sunday of the new year.

Call to Worship from Psalm 95 and Opening Praise

Would you please stand as we begin this morning with a call to worship from Psalm 95. And it says in verse 1, O come, let us sing for joy to Yahweh. Let us make a loud shout to the rock of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving. Let us make a loud shout to him with songs of praise. For Yahweh is a great God and a great king above all gods in whose hand are the depths of the earth.

The peaks of the mountains are his also. The sea is his for it was he who made it. And his hands formed the dry land. So let's begin this morning in saying all creatures of our God and king.

Creatures of our God and king. Lift up your voice and with us sing.

Oh praise him.

Son with golden beard. With softer glee.

Oh praise. Thanks their creator.

Worship him in humbleness.

Praise the father.

Praise the son.

The spirit.

Redeemed washed by his blood. Rejoice in him. He shall return in power to reign.

What is our hope in life and death? Christ alone. Let's sing.

What is our hope in life and death? Christ alone. Christ alone. What is our only confidence? That our souls to him belong. Who holds our days within his hand. What comes is command. And what will keep us to be in which we stand.

Alleluia.

Eternal hosting. Truth can calm the troubled soul. God is good. Is his grace and goodness. Who sends the waves that bring us nigh. Unto the shore. The rock of Christ. Eternal. Christ he lives. And ever.

Christ is all.

Evermore.

Announcements and Upcoming Church Events

Just call your attention to the bulletin today which has some announcements in there about emailing out some contribution statements as well as some upcoming events including our annual meeting which is the first Sunday of next month.

So please put that on your radar. And then also the men's study which is on Monday nights is starting up on January 22nd. So I would commend that to you. And there's a sign up sheet out in the foyer if you want to be part of that.

Scripture Reading from Romans 12 and the Life of Love

Please turn now to Romans chapter 12 for the scripture reading. Romans chapter 12. And I've suggested to you in recent weeks that the passage that we're looking at in Hebrews 13 for the sermons is parallel in many ways and contains a lot of overlap with the content of Romans chapter 12.

That's not to suggest that Paul wrote Hebrews. It's just simply to observe that there is overlap in subject matter. Romans chapter 12. We're going to read together the entire passage, the entire chapter.

Therefore I urge you brethren by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God which is your spiritual service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think but to think so as to have sound judgment as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.

For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly.

If prophecy according to the proportion of his faith, if service in his serving or he who teaches in his teaching or he who exhorts in his exhortation, he who gives with liberality, he who leads with diligence, he who shows mercy with cheerfulness.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Give preference to one another in honor, not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly.

Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.

But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink, for in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Will you stand with me as we pray?

Let's bow our heads. Our Father, we rejoice in Your goodness to us. The lavish blessings that You have poured out upon us and undeserving people. You have lavished us with grace in Christ and brought us to salvation.

You have gathered us here to worship in this place on this day, granting to us the health that we enjoy, the ability to gather here, freedom from persecution. You've granted to us fellowship and brotherhood, one with another.

You have poured out upon us this body of Christ, the spiritual gifts that You have appointed for us. You have called us to serve. You have brought us together in fellowship. You have made us one in Your family.

You have adopted us into Your family and given us a seat at Your table. We thank You for all of this grace. We thank You for the immense blessing that it is simply to be called a child of God and then to be welcomed into Your household.

And we pray that our hearts would be filled with gratitude for that as we reflect upon the tremendous mercy that You have bestowed upon those who are Yours through Your Son. We pray that You would unite our hearts together in love and in peace and in unity, brotherly affection and kindness and gentleness and all of the virtues that we have just read here in Romans 12.

We pray that You would accomplish those in our lives and create them within the hearts of Your people, continuing to sanctify us and conform us to the image of Christ. We pray that You would reveal amongst us in our own hearts as well as amongst us in a body the sin that so easily entangles us and besets us, that You would expose that, that You would bring us to repentance continually and that through that repentance and through the grace that You give and the power of Your Spirit and the washing of Your Word that You would continue to cleanse us from every sin and stain and work and accomplish in us Your every good purpose and pleasure.

We ask this for the glory of Christ in whose name we pray.

Amen.

I shall not. In green pastures He makes me lie down He restores my soul And leads me on His great name. I'll trust You. Beside Of the shadow Of the shadow. Turn our attention now to the Lord's Supper that we will observe after the service today.

And in Psalm 130, it says, Out of the depths I call to You, O Yahweh O Lord, hear my voice Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If You should keep iniquities, O Yah O Lord, who could stand?

But with You there is forgiveness that You may be feared. Let's sing together, Have Mercy on Me.

You're blameless, Lord.

My sins against You can't be ignored They will be punished.

I know they must.

Your law demands it For You are just.

Everything that I've done would stand. But there's forgiveness with You, God. Have mercy on me. A broken and a contrite heart. Have mercy on me. Because of Your steadfast love You gave Your Son.

To make atonement.

Required.

Jesus fulfilled I don't deserve it. Everything that I've done would stand. But there's forgiveness with You. A broken and a contrite heart. Because of Your stead. Broken and a contrite heart You won't Your stead.

Prayer Before the Sermon on Hebrews 13 and the Call to Gospel Renewal

And now will you please turn your Bibles to the book of Hebrews, to Hebrews chapter 13. That too, Hebrews chapter 13. When you've found your place, let's pray together before we look at God's Word. Our Father, we bow our heads and our hearts before You this morning.

And it is our earnest desire that we would come face to face with Christ and Your grace in the pages of Scripture. That though we see our own failure to apply truth and our own failure to live up to the standards of Your Word And the example of Jesus Christ.

That we may also find in Your Word Hope and encouragement in the Gospel. Satisfaction in Christ. And consolation for us in our weariness and in our exhaustion. We pray that our minds and our hearts would be renewed by Your Word.

And that You would accomplish this through the work of Your Spirit. As we give our attention and our thoughts now to truth We pray that we would be conformed to the image of Christ and transformed by Your Word.

We love You and we thank You for the joy and delight that it is to open Your Word. To have it before us in our own language. And to be able to converse and fellowship around these things. Bless this time, we pray, for the glory of Christ our Lord, in whose name we pray.

Amen.

The Marks of Kingdom Citizens in Hebrews 13

So what are the marks of kingdom citizens? Assuming that you have been given a kingdom which is unshakable and that kingdom is eternal. And that your life is wrapped up in that kingdom and that you are a citizen of that.

What is a kingdom citizen and what does the life of a kingdom citizen look like? That is something that should concern us from the moment that we are transformed and redeemed and saved. How do kingdom citizens live in this world which is not our home.

And we are not citizens of any earthly kingdom in any kind of eternal sense. We are temporary residents here. And that is the question, that is the answer in that question. Is the focus of Hebrews chapter 13.

As the author now comes to this giant conclusion. To all of the argument that he has been making for 12 chapters. And you see the conclusion begin at chapter 12 verse 28 Where he says, therefore since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken Let us show gratitude by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe.

For our God is a consuming fire. That therefore at verse 28 is the ultimate. Therefore He has told us that we are redeemed and that we are saved. That our sins have been taken away and atoned for. That Christ has died to cleanse our conscience and to clear our slate.

And to give us His righteousness. He has told us now that Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father. And is currently interceding for us. From which position He has secured us everlastingly. And we have hope in this life and hope for the next.

All because of what Christ has done. And so therefore the author says. Having brought all of that argument now to a head at the end of chapter 12. Therefore here is how we ought to live. Here is what we should do.

Here is what should characterize us. Here is how we should behave. And that's what chapter 13 is. A list of exhortations and commands and closing considerations. By which the author is bringing to a focus now.

How it is that all of the truth in the first 12 chapters Impacts our day to day lives. If all of that is true If Christ has given Himself for you In your place. And if you have received an unshakable kingdom.

Then here is what should be true of you. Here is how you should live. Verse 28, we should show gratitude. Verse 28, we should offer to God acceptable service with reverence and awe. Chapter 13 verse 1, we should love the brethren.

And then chapter 13 verse 2 and on it follows These other practical applications. Things that kingdom citizens do. And last week we looked at verse 1. The brotherly love commandment. Let the love of the brethren continue.

Just two major words in the Greek. Which basically just says. That brotherly affection that characterizes family members. That love of the brethren. Let that continue in the church. Let that continue in your life.

Then that command to show brotherly love Which we saw last week Is natural for the believer. The possession of brotherly love Is natural for the believer. It is something that is instinctive to the Christian.

That idea of brotherly love now Sort of overshadows. It hangs over the rest of these commandments. In this opening paragraph of chapter 13. Look at verse 2. These are all expressions by the way Of brotherly love.

Verse 2, do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers. For by this some have entertained angels Without knowing it. We should remember the prisoners Verse 3, as though in prison with them. And those who are ill treated Since you yourselves are in the body.

Both of those are expressions of brotherly love. Let brotherly love continue. Let love of the strangers continue. And let love of prisoners continue. Verse 4 is also an expression of an appropriate brotherly love.

Marriage is to be held in honor among all. And the marriage bed is to be undefiled. For fornicators and adulterers God will judge. It is an expression of brotherly love That we honor marriage And keep our marriage bed undefiled From fornication and adultery.

That is an expression of proper love. Another expression of proper love Is to be free from the love of money. Verse 5, being content with what you have. For he himself has said I will never desert you nor will I forsake you.

So there is an improper love With which proper love is Contrasted in verse 4. That is the love of, in an inappropriate way Of those who are not our spouse Or somebody of the opposite sex Or somebody else where that love is inappropriate.

That's verse 4. Then there is the contrast with another kind of inappropriate love That is the love for money The love for things and an active discontentment. And another expression of brotherly love Is in verse 7.

Follow the example of godly leaders. Remember those who led you Who spoke the word of God to you. And considering the result of their conduct Imitate their faith. So brotherly love is sort of the overarching command.

The overarching principle. This brotherly affection, let it continue in the church. What does that look like. Here are some very practical applications of that. Some very practical ways where that is Worked out in body life.

Verse 2, this is our text for this morning. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers. For by this some have entertained angels Without knowing it. That is our verse for this morning. That first kind of expression of brotherly love Is the love of strangers Or showing hospitality to strangers.

And there are three questions that we are going to answer this morning. Three considerations. And here they are. Number one, what is hospitality. What is hospitality. Number two, why is it important Of all the things that we could be commanded to exercise.

Why is hospitality important. And number three What do angels have to do with it. That's a good question. What do angels have to do with this. Like it would have been sufficient simply to say Exercise hospitality and then to move on.

But what in the world do angels have to do With exercising hospitality. You notice that at the end of verse 2. For by this, that is by the exercise Or the showing of love for strangers. Hospitality, some have entertained angels Without knowing it Or angels unaware as some of the older translations say.

What Hospitality Is: Love for Strangers, Not a Gift

So let's begin with. What is hospitality. Let me offer you a definition. It was important to define what brotherly love was Or brotherly affection was last week in verse 1 There is a form or a part of the word Brotherly love that also appears In this verse, and it is the word for love.

Because that's what hospitality is. Hospitality is a form of love. And so the word that is used here That is translated hospitality Is phileozynia Phileozynia. And it's actually a combination of two words.

So just as brotherly love or affection. Love for the brothers is one word That is a combination of two other words. A phileo meaning love Or a kind of love, that is a kind affection Not an erotic love Not the kind of agape love But a brotherly affection.

And then adelphos which is brotherly Love of the brethren. They've crammed those two words together to get brotherly love. Philadelphia. It's the same word that we get our city name from. Well this likewise is Two words kind of combined Into one Phileo again the word love.

We are to have phileodelphia Which is love of the brethren. And we are to have a phileozynia Which is a love for strangers. And the word zynia is the word That is translated in the New Testament As lodging place or guest room.

It comes from the word Xenos which means stranger or foreigner. We're familiar with that word Because we have some of our English words that come from that. Like xenophobia Which is the fear of strangers, the fear of foreigners The fear of those who are not like us.

So a phileozynia Is a love for strangers Or a love for foreigners Or for others. And so the author is commending to us A kind affection, a warm regard A friendly love For strangers. The word for stranger by the way Sorry the word A form of the word for stranger Xenos is the word for stranger Xenia that Greek word in the New Testament Is sometimes used as a lodging place Or a room.

For instance in Philemon chapter Philemon has one chapter Philemon verse 22 Where Paul says to Philemon at the same time Also prepare me a lodging A xenia, prepare me a room. For I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you.

So the idea of A phileozynia Is the love Of a lodging place. It's the combination of the idea of preparing Somebody a lodging for a stranger Or a foreigner and then the Affection that is attached to that.

You could own a hotel And have no love whatsoever And sell out your rooms to complete strangers Each and every night And never exercise hospitality. Even though you might have hospitality services. But that's not hospitality.

Hospitality is having a kind Or warm affection for strangers To the point where you are willing To open up your home Open up your table And to provide means or sustenance To other people Who are not part of your home.

They might be strangers. They might be foreigners And they may even be people within the body of Christ. So the NASB translation Show hospitality to strangers Is somewhat redundant Because the word hospitality Would have been sufficient to just simply say Show hospitality.

But to show hospitality to strangers Is to say show the love of strangers to strangers. Because what he's describing here Is the kind of love that is willing to open up your home And to prepare a lodging To prepare a room Or to give somebody a room and board If show hospitality.

If we translate it Just show hospitality. You and I might be tempted to think That what the author has in mind here Is simply being kind To the people that we like The people that are like us The people that we really enjoy hanging around with.

And this command Would include that. But this command is much broader than that. This command has to do with Doing that for strangers. Now you say Jim I'm getting my stranger danger warning Is going up here.

There's got to be some consideration. You're certainly not talking about just running And grabbing a random homeless person Off of the street And bringing them into my house to lodge with my family. Are you?

Not entirely. There are some considerations which I'll get to later on. But I want you to understand that this word Is not just talking about opening up our table To the people that we like to hang out with Our close friends That is a form of hospitality.

But hospitality is in no way limited to that. This word was used To receive others into your home And to provide food And lodging. It is to open your home and your heart to others. So you can see how this is a form Of brotherly love.

And I think that the author has in mind here A love to brothers Who are strangers. It's not just that we open our homes In hospitality to people Who are believers. It certainly includes that. But it also goes beyond that.

It is more than that. And notice that this was an expected practice. Which is why the author says Don't neglect to do this. In other words it was going on. And he is encouraging them to not forget. That's really the word that is translated neglect.

It means to forget it or to lose sight of it Or to simply let it pass out of your mind To not recall to do it. It was the word used for something That is forgotten or lost to your remembrance. So really this is a command To remember to do something.

In other words it is the expectation That believers will open their homes To other people, strangers and people That they know well, Christians and non-Christians. And that when that is going on And this is happening within the home Within the believer's home.

That you and I will not get to the point Where we start forgetting to do this Because of whatever considerations come into our lives From outside of this. Don't neglect it, remember this. In fact this list of commands is a list of commands To remember different things.

We are to remember to let brotherly love continue. We are to remember to show hospitality to strangers. Verse 2. We are to remember the prisoners. Verse 3. We are to remember our marriage vows. Verse 4.

We are to remember that the Lord Himself Has said I will never leave you nor desert you. Verse 5. We are to remember those who teach us the word of God. Verse 7. There's a lot of things to remember. And this is just another one of them.

This hospitality, this love for strangers That is to go on, don't let it slip from your mind So that it gets out of your mind And thus out of your life. Because once it is out of your mind And you're not thinking about it Life will come and the days will stack up And the weeks will pass one after another.

And pretty soon you realize It has been months or years since I have done anything like this. But once you forget to do it Then it will be forgotten from your life. And you and others Will suffer as a result of it.

And I mean suffer not because God's going to Discipline you or hurt you or harm you. That's not the idea. But just that we lose out a blessing When we forget to do this. One last thing I should say about What is hospitality.

And this is something that needs to be Dislodged from our minds and our hearts. It is not a spiritual gift. It's not a spiritual gift. It's a command. People say this all the time, my gift is hospitality.

No Nobody has the spiritual gift Of hospitality. The command to you is to be hospitable To exercise hospitality. But nobody has that gift. Now you may have certain character qualities. You may have certain natural wiring.

You may be a gregarious And outward going personality. There might be things about your life And your pattern of life Or your home that makes hospitality easier Than it is for somebody else. But there's no such thing as that gift.

You may have other gifts that play well With exercising hospitality. But it is not a spiritual gift. And you can go to Ephesians chapter 4 Where the gifts, the teaching gifts and equipping gifts Are listed.

Or you can go to 1 Peter chapter 4 Where the distinction is made Between serving gifts and speaking gifts. Or you can go to the list of gifts in Romans chapter 12 Or the list of gifts in 1 Corinthians chapter 12.

And guess what you will not find In any of those listings of spiritual gifts In any of the four places Where spiritual gifts are dealt with in the New Testament. You will not find hospitality listed among them.

Because it is not a gift. It is a command. Imagine if you will That it were a gift. But it were listed here Along with all of these other commands. Have you ever heard Anybody say I would be very hospitable.

I would exercise hospitality. But hospitality is not my spiritual gift. Of course it's not your spiritual gift. It's not anybody's spiritual gift. Nobody has that gift. But everybody has that command.

Nobody would ever say Look, brotherly love is not my spiritual gift. I know it is commanded here in verse 1. But it's not my spiritual gift. I'm more of the sarcastic Cynical, critical, snarky type of a person.

That's my spiritual gift. Brotherly love is not it. Would you ever expect anybody to say Remembering prisoners is not my spiritual gift. Nobody's spiritual gift. How about the person who said Look, moral purity And holding my marriage in honor And keeping my marriage bed undefiled.

Not my spiritual gift. What would you think of such a person. You'd say you're a lunatic. Doesn't matter whether it's a spiritual gift or not. It's not a spiritual gift. Guess what it is? It is a command Which means that it is incumbent upon all of us.

Nobody has that spiritual gift. It is a command to be obeyed. Which is why Paul in Romans chapter 12 After talking about spiritual gifts By the way, he does mention hospitality. But not in connection with spiritual gifts.

In Romans chapter 12 In the first, well, verses 3 through 8 He talks about the various spiritual gifts. But then he talks about things that are incumbent Upon all of God's people. Romans chapter 12 verse 9.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Notice the reference there to love. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Giving preference to one another in honor. Not lagging behind in diligence.

Fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation. Devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints. Practicing hospitality. That's not a list of spiritual gifts.

Rejoicing is not a spiritual gift. Being diligent, fervent in spirit. Brotherly love, giving preference to one another. Those are not spiritual gifts. Those are commands that all of us have To exercise by God's grace.

Virtues of loving kindness Toward one another. And hospitality is included in that list. Hospitality is also included As one of the qualifications for elders In 1st Timothy chapter 3. In Titus chapter 1 It is also included as a qualification For widows who were to be put on the list That the church would support In their destitution.

And that's in 1st Timothy chapter 5 as well. Hospitality is also Not just a New Testament Command or ethic. This is something to remember. It's not just a New Testament ethic. Something goes back to the Old Testament.

In fact, it's part of the law. Leviticus 19 verse 34. The stranger who resides with you Shall be to you as a native among you. And you shall love him as yourself. For you were an alien in the land of Egypt.

I am the Lord your God. Now notice how the Lord there says. You once were an alien, a foreigner, a stranger. And therefore when you get into the land And people come into your land Who are aliens and foreigners and strangers.

You should treat them with kindness Remembering that you yourself were once just like them. And that command is repeated in Deuteronomy 10. He who executes justice For the orphan and the widow And shows his love for the alien By giving him food and clothing.

So show your love for the alien. For you were aliens in the land of Egypt. In Job chapter 31 When Job was reciting When Job was defending his own integrity And talking about how he had not sinned against his neighbor.

He lists his treatment of aliens And his acts of hospitality As among his righteous deeds. Job 31 verse 19. If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing. Or that the needy had no covering. Verse 32 The alien has not lodged outside.

For I have opened my doors to the traveler. He asked Job What is one of the marks of your righteousness. He had opened up his doors to the traveler. That's exercising hospitality. It was an expression of God's heart.

And therefore it was to be important to Israel. And if it was to be important to Israel It was to be important to you and I as well. So not just a New Testament ethic. This goes all the way back to the earliest.

The first book of the Bible ever written Is the book of Job. The first book was not Genesis. The earliest book was the book of Job. Even Job there talks about How he had exercised hospitality And treated aliens and strangers.

Why Hospitality Matters: It Displays God's Character and the Logic of the Kingdom

Now second question Why is it important? What is it? It is the love for strangers. And second, why is it important? It is important because It displays the character of God Through the lives of his people.

And this is significant. It displays the character of God. It is no mistake That the author has just said. And therefore Since you have received a kingdom Which cannot be shaken. In other words All of the future is yours.

The new heavens and the new earth. The new creation Resurrected body. You are heirs of the kingdom. Everything that Yahweh owns He has given to his son. And everything that the son has received He shares with all of those Who are in him.

So you are looking around Here at other believers and you are seeing A kingdom of kings And priests who will reign In that new heavens and that new earth. So it is as if the author is saying Since you have been given Everything by God that can possibly Be given to you, show love to strangers.

In other words Out of the wealth of what you have been given What we have been given We give out to other people. You have received a kingdom. God has opened up his table to you. God has opened up his family to you.

Everything that God has He has made available to you. He has laid it out and welcomed you to that table And welcomed you into his family. He gives you his entire kingdom. And so now It is as if the author is saying So that little kingdom that you have Here on earth Open that up to other people And share it with them in the same way That God has shared his kingdom with you.

You have received an unshakable kingdom. So therefore This little shaky kingdom that you have Open it up and share it with other people. It models the character of God and the nature of God To show kindness like that And care for outsiders.

And just as the children of Israel Were once aliens and strangers In a foreign land that was not theirs God redeemed them out of it And brought them into their land. So you and I were once aliens and strangers From the covenants of promise and from God's family.

And we have been brought in and brought near Through the blood of Christ. And the title pilgrim or alien Is one of the best titles that you could use To describe what a Christian life is. We are in that way Exactly as Abraham was And as Isaac and Jacob were.

Hebrews 11 verse 9. By faith Abraham lived as an alien in the land of promise. Remember his sojourn? Wandering around Living in tents. Looking for that City that has foundation Whose maker and builder is God.

And Abraham lived as a sojourner In this world. There's a very real sense in which when we welcome Strangers and other people into our homes. They may be strangers or travelers or aliens Or people we don't know very well.

And we welcome them in we are modeling the same thing That God has done for us. And we are offering up what God has Given to us to serve Other people and to benefit them. And then we are modeling The character of God in doing so And reminding ourselves that You and I were also once aliens and strangers To the covenants of promise.

And God has brought us in and welcomed us in. This practice Was essential in ancient cultures by the way Far more essential than it is In our culture and in our time. And I speak here only of Western American Christianity.

But it was something that was Incredibly necessary in ancient times When people would travel Because they didn't have Hotels and airbnbs and ramadas And inns with pools and hot tubs And all that good stuff.

If you wanted to go to a hot tub you went to a bathhouse. And those were places of ill repute. And if you were traveling from one city to another And you didn't know anybody in that city to go stay with A friend, a family member, an acquaintance Somebody that you had connected with previously That would open their home and share it with you.

Then you either slept outside Which itself was dangerous. Because imagine sleeping outside in South Central LA That can be a dangerous place to sleep. If you didn't do that then you might choose to Take up lodging in one of the houses Or places where they would sell rooms.