Saturday, July 19, 2025

Today's Scripture
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.” (NRSV)

Reflection

“This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.” So says the prophet Ezekiel about the “wickedness” of Sodom. That feels important to point out about the scripture for today, because God never says what it is. The story that follows, however, has provided years of readers with what seems like an obvious explanation: since the men of that city expressed a desire to “know” their male visitors (in a clearly sexual sense), it has been asserted that Sodom’s sin was homosexuality.

Sodom is referred to often in the Bible after this Genesis story, and always with condemnation and warning. Even Jesus told a certain city that it would be better for nasty ol’ Sodom (I paraphrase) on the day of judgment than for it. Yet not once after Genesis does the Bible equate the wickedness of Sodom with anything like what the reading described above has concluded. Instead, a lack of hospitality and a callousness to the needs of those in need are described by the Bible as the wickedness of Sodom.

Yet the focus of the scripture falls less on the sin of Sodom, however understood, than on the mercy of God. And in this story, mercy takes the form of repeated concession. God is a terrible negotiator. With every advancing demand of Abraham for mercy, God retreats from God’s earlier position. “OK, I’ll forgive the whole place for the sake of fifty righteous.”

OK, forty-five.

Forty. Fine.

Thirty? Sure.

OK, twenty.

Ten it is.

God never defends a position of judgment. Even at the end of the story, when we arrive at ten, the emphasis is on God withholding punishment. As a parent, I know this approach to be counterproductive, because each yard you cede only sets up the terms for the next request (or demand if you’re dealing with a toddler). One more cookie? Fine.

But God is not dealing with toddlers in this story. God is dealing with Abraham, and Abraham is interceding on behalf of those residents of Sodom whom he knows must be hospitable and generous and compassionate — no place can be all bad, can it? And in relationship with a faithful one making the case for mercy on behalf of the innocent and the righteous, God’s mercy has no bounds.

Yet mercy is a relational dynamic that can’t be forced on those who resist it. So by the end of this story, Sodom is in ashes. I am very cautious about drawing moral conclusions from an ancient story like this, but one thing at least that the outcome of Genesis 18 suggests to me is that human “wickedness” that exploits and abuses vulnerable people does not escape God’s concern or even God’s action.

Prayer

Merciful God, as those who have received mercy and forgiveness of sin through the gift of your Son Jesus Christ, may we be people of mercy in all we do. Hear our prayers today for all those in the world victimized by evil, that they might know your saving care and be redeemed. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Written by Rocky Supinger, Senior Associate Pastor

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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