Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. He is now a town elder, a respected
citizen. He invites the men to stay with
him because he knows what kind of place and people are here but he is willing
to live in the center of the town and have a prominent leadership position
there. Lot has compromised greatly and
been seduced by the world. The scene
that evening in Sodom is incredibly bizarre, almost like a horror movie as the
people, every last one, come to Lot’s house and demand that he send out these
men so that they may “know” them which is to say, have sexual relations with
them. Lot offers his virgin daughters to
appease the crowd but they will have none of that offer. The men perform a miracle causing blindness
in the people of Sodom but so great is their desire that we are told “they wore
themselves out groping for the door.” When
the angels tell him to get out of Sodom they have to seize Lot because he
lingered. What is wrong with this
man? Ultimately the cities are destroyed
but Lot is saved because of the prayers of Abraham.
The people who have followed Jesus and who, the day before,
were prepared to receive Him as prophet and king, prove that they are in some
ways like the men of Sodom, only in it for gratification of their physical
desires, in this case, nothing more than food.
Jesus promises greater sustenance and they initially respond as the
woman at the well, “Sir, give us this bread always.” They, unlike the woman, are unwilling to
accept any substitute for material bread.
They formed their opinion of Jesus based on his providing for their
material desires and now are prepared to reject Him based on His failure to
provide according to their desires. I am
the bread of life begins to turn the conversation and He continues with the
statement “everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have
eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” This too, is
reminiscent of what Jesus has already said, this time to Nicodemus concerning
the lifting up of the Son of Man as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent. That episode (Numbers 21) was also based on
the people’s rejection of God’s provision of what they called “worthless
food.”
Understanding faith begins with believing that the universe
was created by the word of God. Faith,
the writer says, begins with Genesis 1.
If we don’t begin to read the Bible through eyes of faith, we will have
a difficult time from start to finish.
If He is creator then we approach Him with the proper reverence and
fear. If He has the power to create then
He has the power to destroy, to uncreate.
Creation by fiat is a show of greatness, the Bible begins with greatness
and moves us towards an understanding of God that He is both great and,
thankfully, good. Because of sin, we are
forced to know Him not by sight but by faith.
Prior to sin, God walked among us.
Sin created distance and now faith is key to walking with God. Faith restores a sense of awe and wonder to
life, keeps us from being satisfied with the mundane. Faith calls us upwards, so that we can live
as more than flesh, but by Spirit. The
people of Sodom, even Lot, and the folks that wanted more bread in the Gospel
lesson, needed to get a bigger picture, they needed to know God as
creator.
Be merciful to me, O
God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.
I cry out to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
He will send from heaven and save me;
he will put to shame him who tramples on me.
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.
I cry out to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
He will send from heaven and save me;
he will put to shame him who tramples on me.
Be exalted, O God,
above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
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