Reading: Genesis 18:20-32
Then the Lord said, “How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and how very grave their sin! I must go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me; and if not, I will know.” So the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. Then Abraham came near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.” Abraham answered, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” Again he spoke to him, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” Then he said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” He said, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” Then he said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” Reflection Today’s reading is a tough one. I imagine that, in the moments when you flip open your Bible in search of comfort, you do not turn to Genesis 18:20-32. This reading falls within the larger story of the judgement upon Sodom and Gomorrah. Sodom and Gomorrah were two ancient cities that were well known for their complete and utter wickedness. So God sent God’s angels to go and verify the cities’ wickedness; and if they found the cities to be as wicked as they seemed, God would destroy the cities. At the time, Abraham’s nephew, Lot, was living in Sodom. So Abraham stepped in to advocate for the cities, placing himself between God and the wicked towns. Abraham beseeches God that if God finds even a handful of righteous people living in the cities to please spare the whole metropolis. God agrees that if there is a remnant of the righteous, God will spare Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham is appealing to an aspect of God that becomes more apparent as the biblical story unfolds. Abraham appeals to God’s mercy. Catholic cardinal Walter Kasper wrote a beautiful book titled Mercy which explores God’s divine mercy. In that book Kasper makes the case that God’s mercy is also God’s justice and that God’s justice is not a justice of punishment but of redemption. God’s mercy and justice are the same thing: God condemns that which is sinful (which is justice) but also redeems the sinner (which is mercy). While the story of Sodom and Gomorrah is not the best example of God’s mercy, it points us forward. It shows us that while God’s wrath will always burn against sin, it will not always burn against us. In Christ Jesus, God’s mercy is fully revealed, a mercy which takes us sinners, frees us from our sinfulness, and ushers us into everlasting life. --Jim Vitale Prayer Good and gracious God, we thank you that you are a God of mercy. We pray that in our moments of sinfulness your hand of justice and mercy might reach within us, pulling out that which is sinful and transforming us into the righteous people you desire us to be. Amen.
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