The story of Abraham praying for Sodom and Gomorrah to be spared deserves to be preached, if for no other reason that it demonstrates how to argue with God. When I counsel couples before marrying them, I tell them that our second session will be devoted to the subject of how to have a good argument. “But, we don’t argue,” they say. “Then you can’t be married.” In a similar vein, arguing with God is an important skill to be developed for a long term relationship.
The story of Abraham praying for Sodom and Gomorrah begins with God saying, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? If Abraham’s people are to bless all of humanity on God’s behalf, then God will need to be transparent with him. One is reminded of how Jesus during the last supper told his disciples that he wasn’t going to treat them as servants who didn’t know what God was up to, instead he would call them ‘friends’ (John 15:15). This is why I think of the conversation between Abraham and God over the fate of the two cities as prayer taken to the next level. It allows us to say that prayer is not about getting God to do things for us. Instead, it is about relationship. We seek to become the kind of friends with God who can speak honestly and listen deeply.
Abraham’s boldness is born out of his deep understanding of God. When the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray, he respond by giving them a formula. Everything else that Jesus says and does, however, points to prayer as honest discussion. Jesus makes it simple because the disciples weren’t ready for much more. What he really wished for them, and for us, was the ability to pray like Abraham. Are we willing to take prayer to the next level?
The surprising thing, that also needs mentioned, is that the subject of Abraham’s prayer was two cities deeply caught in sin. Abraham mistakenly believed that there were some good people in those places. Abraham’s heart, like Gods, is for people to be redeemed not punished. Notice, however, that Abraham could have simply prayed for his nephew’s family to get out safely. Abraham’s love, however, is for the stranger. He cares for those who, without his intervention, wouldn’t be saved. Abraham was a true evangelist. The wretchedness of his neighbors’ lifestyle didn’t diminish the value of their souls.
This might also be a good time to do your due diligence in biblical research. Genesis 18 is pivotal in the church’s ongoing debate regarding homosexuality. Note that the chapter begins by showing the hospitality of Abraham towards strangers. In contrast, the chief sin of Sodom was the way they abused everyone they could. The preference that men of Sodom had for other men is a minor issue, compared to their violence and lack of hospitality. Similarly careful examination of other Bible passages reveals God’s overarching concern that we treat all people justly and prevent the weak from being preyed upon by the strong. Like Abraham, we have to seek God’s blessings upon all people, even those whose customs seem peculiar to us.