Abraham / Lord's Prayer (2022-07-24, Sunday-17)

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2022-07-24 –17^th    Sunday  &  

Title: Abraham / Lord’s Prayer

● ● Genesis 18:    ● ● Psalm   ● ●●     ● Luke 11:1-13 ● ●

[__01__]     Are you familiar, do you recall the events surrounding Noah's Ark?  (Book- Genesis).

In the episode of the ark which was a BOAT - God caused rain to fall for 40 days.  So much water and rainfall was there that Noah had to build, to construct a boat in which he and his family could survive and float over the floodwaters, and live.

Noah and his family were regarded by God as the virtuous and the good people. Thus, they survived the flood. The whole episode was to teach Noah and his family that there would be consequences for sinfulness and for breaking God's law and that the guilty would be punished.

The Noah’s Ark incident also demonstrated God’s concern for the innocent, for the good people,  to spare the innocent, and to punish only the guilty.

 

[__02__]      This Sunday, we’re not reading about Noah’s Ark but about a different example of God's judgment and wrath upon the guilty and upon the earth, and specifically the city of Sodom.

          Still there is a similarity between what could happen to Abraham's people whom he knew and Sodom, and what had already happened to Noah’s his people in the flood.

Abraham doesn't actually live in the city of Sodom, but he knows people there, his cousin – named Lot - lives there. And Abraham has heard that God is very displeased with the immorality, the depravity of the people there and that God is going to destroy the city, in a way similar to what happened to the people who died in the flood.

But, unlike the flood incident, someone comes along in this case to plead the case and beg for mercy for the wrongdoers. This is Abraham.

 

[__03__]    Abraham, like a good defense lawyer intervenes, like an attorney or advocate is looking for a way to avoid destruction and punishment for the people of Sodom.

And it's also important to note that before we point fingers or blame Sodom or the people there or anyone else, for all the problems in the world, that we recall that sinfulness is not just for the law breakers of the population and Saddam, but that we are all in some ways, law breakers, we have all broken God's law, we have all transgressed the commandments, we are all sinners in need of redemption.

. Original Sin affects 100% of the population, we are all affected by original sin.

That's why we all need baptism, we all need the sacraments of Penance and Reconciliation. We need the sacraments of communion, all the sacraments to be connected to God. Abraham, like a good lawyer is looking for a reason, a precedent to liberate and free the people of Sodom from punishment that he knows is coming.

So thus begins Abraham's negotiation. Abraham negotiates versus to God, if there were 50 innocent people in the city of Sodom, would you spare the city? God clicks [OK] = 50.

Abraham reduces his number to 45; God clicks [OK] = 45.

Abraham drops down finally to the number 10. God clicks [OK] = 10.

Why is this episode part of the good news of our  salvation?

Because in the next chapter of the book of Genesis, the city of Sodom is destroyed. So does this mean that Abraham's negotiation did not work?

 

[__04__]     What's the good news here? What's good here is that we do learn something about God's heart in the process through Abraham's appeal

___1^st . DO NOT LOSE HOPE ___

There's always hope for the guilty person for the evil doer simply because the evil doer may be in contact with or has the example of good people in his or her life. Perhaps I am the guilty person. I am the evil doer. I need good people around me to influence me to witness to me to bring me back. This is Abraham's message to you or me as the wrongdoer that it’s worth it to save you or me as the  sinner, simply because of good people around the sinner, it's worth it to save you, the sinner simply because of the good people around us.

Abraham wasn't just trying to save the good people to get them out of the city, so the bad people could be destroyed, Abraham wanted to save everybody. So there's always hope for the guilty person. For the wrongdoer to be rehabilitated. Do not lose hope. You might be the wrongdoer. You may know somebody who's a wrongdoer. I don't want you or anyone you know to lose hope, simply because they have done some wrong. There are always good people who can help. God also is eager to forgive our sins. Don't lose hope.

___2^nd. PRAYER BUYS TIME ___

We like to buy time we have many time saving devices in our lives, we have tablets, we have computers, we have smartwatches. We have things that make our life more efficient, buying time. And Abraham is also engaging in this prayer, this conversation with God and showing us that prayer, far from being a waste of time actually postpones God's wrath. Prayer buys time, sitting in prayer before God buys you time. So if you're worried about reacting to somebody who has maybe caused you some anger, some frustration, pray first, buy some time. So first, don't lose hope. Prayer buys time.

 

[__05__] ___3^rd. ABRAHAM’S PRAYER predicts JC’S PASSION AND DEATH ___

     Abraham has a special relationship with God that puts him in a place to take action and speak up.

          So, when we see the innocent “captured”, we expect – for example -- the government to do something such as to …

·       Exchange a prisoner here in the U.S. for an American prisoner overseas

·       Pay the ransom

·       Launch a rescue operation with the Navy SEALS.

The Good News of our salvation is that Jesus our Savior does all of these and more. He is the lamb led to the slaughter who opens not his mouth. He is the prisoner who is given in exchange for you and for me. He pays the ransom with his life. And, he does much of this in the dark while some of his disciples and either deserted him or denied him.

Also, Jesus undertakes this RETURN of himself as the prisoner, the RANSOM, and RESCUE to save the innocent but to save the guilty, to to save the soul of the sinner. That’s you. That’s me.

 

[__06__]  God’s mercy is greater than our sins.

          And, our negotiations continue each time we pray the “Our Father ” is more powerful than that of Abraham, and also reminds that we have a father in heaven who does not forget us, and who wants us each day to remember that even if are alone and abandoned in this world, the Holy Spirit is our advocate, our negotiator to find peace here and a place in heaven.

          Yes, we are called to patience as a virtue. Forgiveness of another person does not mean that we are agreeing with what the other person has done or is doing.

          Abraham is not necessarily asking for forgiveness or approval for Sodom, but only that they be given more time to repent. Perhaps, this is all we can ask for, for ourselves and for others.  We trust and hope in Jesus’ patient regard for us, even when we trespass against him.

          And, a reminder that we are all connected as one body in Christ and called to pray for each other.

[__END__]