Proper 12 - Year C

Welcome Statement

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Old Testament Reading - Genesis 18:20-32

Genesis 18:20–32 NRSV

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.”

Advocacy

The first thing that always hit me about this passage, is that from our perspective, Abraham seems awfully naive to advocate for the righteous, even if there are only 10 people in the city. It makes me think of this sort of idea back in school where sometimes depending on the severity, if a kid acted up, the whole class could be punished. I don’t remember any specific instances, I just do remember it happening every so often.

While not a 1:1 comparison, I do see the similarities, God is clear that sin makes all surrounding that sin also suffer. When one is selfless, the only person they might harm is themselves by putting themselves in harm’s way for another. But pride, drags down not just the person who is narcissistic, but all of the people around them. It’s why sin can be so pervasive sometimes.

There is a reason Abraham is advocating for Sodom here though, recall earlier in the story, in Genesis 13, Abraham leaves Sodom so as to not overwhelm the grazing land between Abraham and Lot. We also see in the next chapter that Abraham is visible upset at the word that Lot was captured. Lot was family to Abraham, and this bothered him. I imagine this advocacy was rooted in love for his brother, but also at the same time, probably sentimentality of where he was from.

It’s al

Scandal

It’s almost scandalous it seems like, to advocate for the enemy, even one we know is wicked. There seems to be a hint here that Abraham is praying for the people that they might repent, and he is concerned for those made in the image of God. Once we come to this realization is difficult, because then the question is if God values life, why did Sodom and Gammora have to go? It was because they had consistently been unrepentant, and if you recall what happens during the story with Lot, they had refused hospitality to even two visitors, the place was violent, and dangerous to everyone living around it.

Bold Prayer

Abraham sets an example here, at least to a degree, of how radical and boldly to pray to God. Jesus calls us to this type of bold Prayer when he teaches his apostles the Lord’s Prayer, and provides a short story about a friend asking for bread at midnight.

New Testament Reading - Luke 11:1-13

Luke 11:1–13 ESV

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.” And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Lord’s Prayer

There are two places in the Gospel where the lord prayer is spoken. The other time is in Matthew, and it emphasizes that for us to receive forgiveness from God, we must forgive others, for what we

Matthew 6:9–13 NRSV

“Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.

New Testament Point #2

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New Testament Point #3

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Closing Statement

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Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, adfs asdfa

Amen.

Doxology / Benediction / Closing

May you Have a Blessed Sunday, and rest of your Week! Amen!