Sin of Sodom

Have you heard the story of the city of Sodom?

In Genesis 18, God speaks to Abraham and tells him about His plan to destroy the city. Abraham begs God not to do it for the sake of his nephew Lot. So, in Genesis 19, God sends two angels down to the city gate of Sodom. The angels, two men, meet Lot at the city gate and proceed to the city square where Lot secures them in his house and then must defend them to the crowd of men standing outside that want to have sex with them. Yeah, you read that right!

So, in an effort to keep these men from accosting these angels inside his home, Lot offers up his two virgin daughters to the crowd of men to "do with what they want". They refuse Lot's offer and try to break down the door to get to the men inside. So, the angels pull Lot in the door, strike the evil men with blindness and proceed to lay out God's plan of destruction. The angels send Lot to a nearby town and God rained down burning sulfur on Sodom.  

So, here is a question; why was the city of Sodom destroyed?

You see, many people use the city of Sodom as an example that God despises same-gender relations and that He punishes this sin. While this is true, that is not the primary reason that the city of Sodom was destroyed! Read Ezekiel 16:49-50 and you find out something different.

"Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen."

That sounds a lot like America. Moreover, that sounds like a lot of Christians living in America!

ARROGANT ~ OVERFED ~ UNCONCERNED

It's odd that we look at the city of Sodom as an example that God will punish sin until we find that we are guilty of the very sin by which God was punishing.

Go And Do Likewise

Last week I wrote about the issue of immigration titled WWJD: Immigration. Since writing this I have been troubled by the issue of immigration but also by the issues going on around the world that we, as Christians living in America, seem to care less about.  

I am still looking to answer questions on what Scriptures say about Christians protecting and providing for their own before we concern ourselves with what is going on with those that are not "our own".  From what I have found thus far, we are not to draw boarders and look out for "our own", but rather we are to love and care for everyone.

This morning I was reading from Luke chapter 10 and I was struck by an account that I have read countless times, the parable of the good Samaritan. The question at the center of this parable; "Who is my neighbor?" Now, the reason this question was asked was that the experts in the law were looking for a way to restrict those they are called to love and to care for. Isn't that what we, as Americans, try to do daily?

You see, the problem is that we have become Americans, yet we have failed to become Christians!

Many Christians in America today need to ask this question; "who is my neighbor". When we ask this question, when we wrestle with this question, when we take this question to Jesus, we would find that His answer would be much the same as it was in Luke 10. The answer to the question of who our neighbor is, then, is anyone we become aware of that has a need, anyone we access to helping with their need, and anyone we have the ability to have mercy on.

But, and I believe this is the biggest issue, the real reason we don't ask the question, "who is my neighbor", is because we already know the answer and we already know that Jesus would call us to "go and do likewise" (Luke 10:37).

“Go and do likewise.”

Go, and see the world as Jesus saw the world. Go, and see other people as Jesus saw other people. Go, and love as Jesus loved. Go, and have compassion as Jesus had compassion. Go, and have mercy as Jesus had mercy. Go, and be a neighbor. Go, and do likewise.