What if the stranger you encounter for only a few minutes is carrying the very message that changes the course of your life?
That possibility is at the heart of a remarkable story shared by Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel while discussing his book, “The Angels Among Us,” which examines accounts of faith, miracles and mysterious messengers who appear at precisely the right moment.
One story centers on Dr. Bill Rhodes and an encounter on the road between Jerusalem and Nazareth that would ultimately send his life in an entirely different direction.
Siegel told “Fox & Friends” that Rhodes and his wife were in Israel studying the Old and New Testaments while Rhodes was pursuing doctoral studies. Yet Rhodes was searching for direction.
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Then came the encounter.
While traveling between Jerusalem and Nazareth, the couple picked up two British hitchhikers. One told Rhodes he had completed his first year of medical school. Rhodes asked why a follower of Jesus would choose medicine.
The young man’s answer was simple but powerful.
“I would just like to see if I can alleviate a little bit of suffering in some small corner of the world in the name of Jesus,” he said, according to Siegel.
Those words apparently landed like an arrow.
“Because of this chance meeting I go into medicine,” Siegel recalled Rhodes telling him.
Rhodes became a plastic surgeon and eventually took his skills to Kenya, where Siegel said he treated burn patients and saved thousands of lives. Siegel said Rhodes was also honored by the American College of Surgeons for his humanitarian medical work.
But the remarkable moments did not end with the mysterious hitchhiker.
Siegel described another case in which Rhodes encountered a patient suffering from bleeding outside the brain. Rhodes recognized the problem but did not know how to perform the necessary procedure. Then, according to Siegel, Dr. Thompson, who was the physician capable of treating the condition, walked into the hospital. The patient received treatment and recovered.
Coincidence? Divine appointment? A messenger sent at exactly the right moment?
Scripture leaves Christians with a fascinating warning in Hebrews 13:2: “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
No one can say with certainty who that stranger on the road to Nazareth truly was. But his words planted something that did not disappear when the journey ended.
One conversation helped redirect one life, and thousands of suffering people would eventually feel its impact.
Sometimes God’s biggest assignments can begin with what looks like an ordinary encounter.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
