Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. And he said, "Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant's house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way." They said however, "No, but we shall spend the night in the square." Yet he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. (Genesis 19:1-3 NASB)
In this chapter I am going to wander into the spooky world that is Sodom before it's destroyed. Right off the bat, in the first few verses, I find what I would never expect. In the ancient days of cities, the gates were important places. It constituted the "courts" of their day. The elders of a city would sit and deliberate various civil cases that people brought before them. The elders were said to be "sitting in the gate" for this purpose. This phrase appears right in verse 1, and it's Lot! What this verse essentially says is that at this time Lot is an elder in Sodom, the most sinful place on the planet at the time.
What does it mean to be an elder in Sodom? Lot clearly has enough of his sensibilities to recognize the two angels for what they were. His greeting is much like Abraham's in the previous chapter. It doesn't say specifically he was the only elder, but no one else is mentioned. I infer from the way it's worded here that he is the only one. Could it be that "elder" and judge over civil disputes is a job that, instead of being highly regarded, was held in contempt? What if Lot took the job because no one else was willing, and he saw it as important? With all the sin in the city, why wasn't he so busy he may not have even noticed the angels? It's like he's a judge and an elder, but without respect or recognized authority.
What if Lot's ability to recognize the angels infers some degree of "righteousness" still exists with him? In that case, the city would have had a "righteous judge" whom they completely ignored. He should have had influence for God in that place as an elder and judge, but didn't. There should have been constant inquiries of what Lot thought on a matter, and there wasn't. Consider what sort of city has a righteous judge whom they completely disregard and hold in contempt. Laws are only effective when the society enforces them. It is understood (but rarely contemplated) that people have to agree to live by laws for those laws to have their desired effect. It takes more than force for laws to begin to work. The force of a few rarely works for long against the unwillingness of a mob to comply. The right to assemble is a frightening thing for those in power.
What's my point? It's common for us to point at another city and say, "Sin City!" But in my own town, in my own neighborhood, do I have any effect on the moral health of those around me? What about the sin in my city, in my neighborhood? Does my Master have influence through me in these places? It's easy to point at other places, other people, and other mobs, but what about my place, my people, and the mob of people around me? What sort of influence am I here? If I were to "sit in the gate" here would I be ignored? If I put myself forward as an elder, would I be respected? Would people in my neighborhood wonder what I thought of matters of concern to them?
It's not about how great I might be, it's about how much influence my Master has through me. I'm not really wise, I try to be sensitive to my Master's Spirit leading me. I'm not "powerful", I rely on the power of my Master. I'm not respected around here, instead I try to let my Master's words gain respect for Him. So, what sort of influence do I have? How effective am I in my efforts to point others to my Master? I'm somewhat ashamed to say that I don't know. I feel I should, at least know more than I do. I believe, wrongly or rightly, that there should be some tangible evidence of my influence for my Master right here where I live. But I don't know of it. I'm not complaining, I'm just pointing out an area of my life where I believe I'm lacking. I also believe the answer is fearless devotion to my Master. So, it's time for me to take a deep breath and take a step out my door and into the lives of those I live around. Scary, but necessary.
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