Our first (Hebrew Scripture) reading this Sunday is the story from Genesis (18:20-32) about how God decided to destroy the city of Sodom with fire and brimstone because of their sin. This Bible story is part of a longer passage (Genesis 18:16-19:29). Much discussion about this story, among both Jewish and Christian biblical scholars, centers around what Sodom’s sin was. Rampant homosexual promiscuity is suggested. But there are other interpretations in Christian Scripture, such as inhospitality (Matthew 10:15) and lack of repentance (Matthew 11:20-24). This “sin” discussion distracts from the religious messages in the story.
Abraham is wrestling with God, asking God to spare the city if he can find innocent people in it. He bargains God down from 50 innocent people to 10. We do not hear the end of the story where Abraham and his nephew Lot are saved from destruction. This story reveals God’s character. God hears the outcry of the innocent people of Sodom about what was happening there. God hears Abraham’s plea, not to destroy the innocent with the guilty. So this is a God who will not tolerate evil but will save good (see 2 Peter 2:6-10). We have a listening God, who hears the cry of us humans, and who saves the good in us from destruction by evil. Today we struggle to see how this can be true as we watch innocent people being wiped out in violent actions. We struggle to believe that God hears us when we do not receive a positive outcome as we pray about another of life’s tragedies. Our faith is challenged. When this happens we reach for other revelations about God that Jesus taught us. God’s saving time is different from our time. We do not know the day or hour when God will act, Jesus told his followers. And our death leads to resurrection. Perhaps the most appropriate prayer for us is the one Jesus prayed as he was dying on the cross: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46). A good thought to prepare us to hear Luke’s version of the Our Father in our Gospel today.
— Blog entry by Sister Mary Garascia
The post July 27, 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Fire: a Sunday Scriptures blog first appeared on Sisters of the Precious Blood.