Admirable Ignorance

Θέλεις μιμήσασθαι τὸν Ἀβραάμ; Μίμησαι οὕτως, οὐ κωλύω, ἀλλὰ καὶ συμβουλεύω· καίτοι μείζονα τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἀπαιτούμεθα. Ἐαν γὰρ, φησὶ, μὴ περισσεύσῃ ἡ δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν πλέον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων, οὐκ εἰσελεύσεσθε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. Τέως δὲ σὺ κἂν τὸν Ἀβραὰμ φθάσον. Καὶ τί εἶχεν ὁ Ἀβραάμ; Φιλόξενος ἦν, καὶ ἀνέστη, καὶ προσεκύνησεν, οὐδε εἰδὼς τίνες ἧσαν οἱ παριόντες. Εἰ γὰρ ᾕδει, οὐδὲν θαυμαστὸν ἐποίει, ὅτι Θεὸν ἐθεράπευσαν· ἀλλ' ἡ ἄγνοια τῶν παραγενομένων μείζονα αὐτοῦ δείκνυσι τῆς φιλοξενίας τὴν προθυμίαν. Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Χρυσόστομος Εἰς Τον ΜΗ' Ψαλμον Source: Migne PG 55.505

You wish to imitate Abraham? So imitate him, I do not prevent you, but I encourage you; even if more is demanded of us than of Abraham. For the Lord says: 'Unless your righteousness exceeds the Scribes and the Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.' 1 Meanwhile you may at least follow Abraham. And what did Abraham do? He was hosptiable, he rose up and he bowed, even when he was ignorant of who it might be who was passing by. 2 For if he had known, he would have done nothing admirable, because he revered God. His ignorance of those who came near, declares his zeal to be hospitable. Saint John Chrysostom, On The Psalms, from Psalm 48 1 Mt 5.20 2 Gen 18.1-2