Today’s Scripture Reading (June 3,
2015): Genesis 18
The story of
Sodom and Gomorrah is not about the condemnation of homosexuality, as much as
some might want us to believe exactly that. It seems to be the key text for all
who want to go out and beat up on people. But there is absolutely no way to
justify that kind violence, at least not biblically. The Bible, and especially
the Genesis text with regard to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, takes a
very strong stand against violence, especially violence committed against
people who are not like us.
So what was
the sin of Sodom? Ezekiel outlines their sin vividly.
“‘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
(Ezekiel 16:49-50).
Essentially Sodom violated the ancient law of hospitality. Sodom and her
sister cities refused to help, not because they couldn’t or that they did not
have the resources to help. They simply didn’t want to help. They, and the five
other cities located at the south end of the Dead Sea, practiced a non-interference
social policy. You don’t bother us and we won’t interfere with what you are
doing. Don’t come near us, and we won’t come near you. But in ancient times,
when “Motel 6” wasn’t around every corner, every society had a responsibility to
meet the needs of the traveler. Even if it was your enemy that knocking at your
door and asking for help, your responsibility was to give that help.
Sodom disagreed. And they used homosexuality as a way to keep people from
coming to the doors of their city. It didn’t take many incidents of homosexual rape
committed against the traveller before people began to realize that the best
strategy was to keep away from the entire area at south end of the Dead Sea –
and this violation of hospitality is what God found so detestable. For the
traveller, to travel around the north end of the sea may have been much longer,
but it was also much safer than getting caught anywhere near the cities of Sodom
and Gomorrah.
But before the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, the reader is given a
contrasting example in the behavior of Abraham. There is absolutely no
indication that Abraham knew the identity of his visitors. But he was willing
to do for the traveller what Sodom and her sister cities refused to do – offer genuine
hospitality. Abraham humbled himself, in no way even intimated that to offer hospitality
was going to put him out or cause him a problem. In fact, if the travellers
could just pause on their journey, to sit and eat and drink with Abraham, they would
be doing Abraham a favor. According to Abraham, the one who is being put out
was the traveller by stopping and sharing Abraham’s food.
I have a friend who seems to have a talent for making every request of
his my fault. If he needs to see me, he will come and tell me that we need to
meet, and then I will go and check my calendar and get back to him, and the
response is often, “well, if you need to see me I guess that will work.”
Sometimes I want to scream back, you are the one that said you wanted to spend
time with me. In reality, I seriously doubt that he even knows that he is doing
it. Abraham did exactly the reverse, and he is right. This is what hospitality
demands from all of us.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Genesis
19
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