Zeus' Law
Welcoming the Stranger
I recently watched The Odyssey movie starring Matt Damon and a bunch of other A-list actors. My short review: I liked it. It had lots of action and it made me think. It’s no wonder the story has survived for two thousand plus years.
One of the central themes in the story is the idea of Zeus’ Law — essentially hospitality to strangers. This is the Greek concept of Xenia (“guest friendship”). The way this was understood was that the proper way to behave is to give food and shelter to a stranger first, and only later to ask who they are and where they came from. The law is rooted in the mythical idea that the gods sometimes travel among people while disguised as mortals. It is in this disguise that they can judge the true worth of a person. Or, as Odysseus says in the film, “the clearest view of men is from below.”
The way Odysseus was treated by those he encounters on his journey provides a number of examples of following or disobeying this law.
Spoiler Warning: I’m revealing some plot points below, but you likely know the story already. If you don’t, I recommend the book. It’s a classic for a reason.
The worst violation of Zeus’ Law is by the Cyclops Polyphemus, who doesn’t welcome Odysseus and his men, but rather traps them in his cave and turns a few of them into tasty snacks. Eating your guests is in no way hospitable.
Later on, Circe seems to welcome Odysseus’ men with food and drink, but the tainted concoction she serves them turns them into pigs. This betrayal of their trust is another way to mock Zeus’ Law.
The book contrasts this bad behavior with examples of how we should be acting. When Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, welcomes a stranger, he gives her food and drink and only later asks her identity. Similarly, when Odysseus returns home dressed as a beggar, his servant Eumaeus welcomes him without hesitation and shares his meager meal.
The idea of hospitality as critical to moral living was carried forward in Biblical literature. The Bible treats hospitality as a spiritual practice rooted in God’s own welcome of humanity. There are several places in scripture where hospitality is emphasized.
Hebrew Testament
Leviticus 19:33–34 (NRSVUE) says: “The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.” This command is grounded in Israel’s own history. Because the Israelites had experienced life as vulnerable outsiders, they were to extend compassion to others.
Deuteronomy 10:18–19 describes God as one who: “…loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You also shall love the stranger…” Hospitality is therefore not simply a human virtue—it reflects God’s own character.
Abraham: The Classic Example
Perhaps the best-known story is in Genesis 18. Abraham sees three strangers approaching. Before knowing who they are, he runs to them, washes their feet, prepares a meal for them and gives them a place to rest. The visitors turn out to be messengers from God, and Abraham receives the promise that Sarah will bear Isaac. This story teaches that hospitality may become an encounter with God.
The New Testament
Jesus continues the teaching of hospitality in the New Testament.
In Luke 10:25–37, the Good Samaritan not only helps the injured man but also pays for his lodging at an inn. Hospitality extends beyond one’s own home to ensuring another person’s well-being.
One of Jesus’ strongest teachings appears in Matthew 25:35–40, when he says: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me…” Jesus identifies himself with strangers and those in need. Hospitality toward them becomes hospitality toward Christ.
The Greek word often translated “hospitality” is philoxenia:
philos = love
xenos = stranger
Literally, it means “love of strangers.” Its opposite is not simply inhospitableness but xenophobia—fear of strangers.
Closing the Door
In our own country today, perhaps due to xenophobia, we are treating the stranger as a threat rather than a guest. U.S. policy focuses on detention and removal of strangers (foreigners). Asylum seekers, those threatened in other lands, are being treated as criminals and deported in record numbers. Even those who hold Temporary Protected Status, people who have already been received into our community, are having their status revoked and are being deported.
These political actions are already having unintended results. American farmers and restaurants are having difficulty hiring workers. Colleges and universities who previously brought in the brightest minds from around the world to work on scientific research are unable to continue valuable programs. And the U.S. military is no longer receiving the same level of support from many countries across the globe. To say nothing about the ill will that we are developing.
Jesus says, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me …” In America, we’re no longer doing that welcoming. We need to change, or, as was shown in The Odyssey, we will suffer the consequences.
