Is that Fair?

 

When the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to 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, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. Then Abraham drew 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 spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death 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?” (Genesis 18:20-25 ESV).

 

I find a lot of people asking the question, “Is that fair?” especially this year. If fish can do analytical thinking (maybe they can… that’s way above my pay grade), our picture today surely would have the bigger fish looking at the smaller fish and thinking, “Really? How come the little guy gets the big fish bowl? I can’t even turn around in mine!” And, that’s something of what is going on in our reading today. Abraham pleads for Sodom, asking God not to destroy that corrupted city if some righteous people might still be there. And God says he will hold back if just ten are found. Abraham seems unsure at first, but he speaks out in faith, stating that surely God is just and would not destroy the righteous along with the wicked.

 

Abraham’s question is rhetorical: “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” And, of course, God will. But God also listens to Abraham and assures him. Sadly, though, not even ten righteous people lived in Sodom, and yet, before disaster struck, God also rescued Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family members who were living there (Genesis 19:1-29).

 

Now, what about natural disasters and human calamities that take so many lives? Are those about God’s judgment too? Jesus raised that question as he talked about people who had died when a tower collapsed: “Do you think they were more guilty than all the others” in that area? “I tell you, no!” Disasters like that are part of the brokenness of this world. But Jesus also warned his listeners: this doesn’t mean the people who survive a disaster are without sin. In fact, all of us need the Savior (cf. Luke 13:1-5.) In all kinds of situations in life, God calls us to recognize that we are sinners. We all need the Savior, Jesus, who died for our sake and rose again to make new life possible for us. He calls on us to trust Him, that in all things He is working to our good (cf. Romans 8:28). Do you trust Him?