Appalachian Disciple

This past year as my Bible study group worked in Genesis, I found myself unsettled by our discussions about Lot.  Nobody liked Lot.  He was Lot the selfish, choosing the well-watered Jordan Valley.  He was Lot the foolish, settling near the wicked city of Sodom.  He was Lot the impotent, powerless to persuade the people of Sodom to follow Yahweh, or even to get his sons-in-law to flee imminent judgment.  He was Lot the compromiser, willing to sacrifice his daughters to quell the mob.  Lot the whiner, saying in effect, “please don’t make me go all the way to the hills — it’s too far!”  And Lot the fearful and manipulated, duped by his daughters into fathering future enemies of God’s people.

In light of these less-than-flattering depictions, many in our group took umbrage at the fact that the New Testament speaks of Lot, the righteous.  Peter, specifically, refers to him as “righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard.)” (2 Peter 2:7-8)  I began to feel uneasy about the ease with which we piled on Lot.  On further reflection I thought, are not we — all of us — just like him?

Lot the Selfish, the Foolish

Who are we (Americans, especially) to denounce Lot for relocating his family to the place he felt would prosper them most financially?  Is this not our own standard mode of operation?  What choices do we make, often unquestioningly, to do the same, regardless of the evil it may put us or our children alongside?  I’m not condemning, necessarily, the pursuit of a material goal and changes we may make to our addresses, schedules or relationships to achieve it.  But often, we are not many shades different from Lot in taking those steps; why do we presume better outcomes?

Lot the Impotent

Then there’s Lot, some time later, sitting at the city gate as an elder of Sodom.  Maybe it’s just the circles I run in, but that sounds to me like the very epitome of what many modern-day believers are encouraged to pursue: get right in there amongst the world — live, work and rise in position among them.  This magnifies your witness for Christ and is surely the way to win their hearts, right?  Yet when Lot stood in the way of his wicked neighbors having what they wanted, we see how he was really viewed: “an outsider” they called him, and a sojourner, now “acting like our judge.” (Genesis 19:9)  On that point , it was lamented in our study that Lot did not have “a better witness” (and it is certainly true that he contrasts poorly with Abraham, who was able to convince an entire household of hundreds of grown men to undergo circumcision in obedience to God).  And yet, is that not what we, as Christians, really are — “strangers and exiles on the earth,” who “desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one”? (Hebrews 11:13-16)  The men of Sodom were not wrong in calling Lot an outsider any more than our world is wrong to recognize that we are not of them, no matter how much we may be among them. And we really will one day judge the world, even if we seem powerless to significantly change it in the here and now. (see I Cor. 6:2)

Lot the Compromiser

 We look in disgust at Lot offering his virgin daughters to be gang-raped by this angry mob, as we well should.  There is no defense for this action.  Yet I squirm, as I sincerely wonder what actions modern-day Christians might take, that in the moment we view as the “lesser” evil.  After all, we reason, it’s not outside the realm of what is culturally acceptable.  Abortion, for example, is culturally acceptable, and how many Christian daughters have been taken down that dark road by their own parents for the supposed greater good?  Our current culture condemns slavery as it was practiced in our country’s early years as sinful in numerous, obvious ways, as we should. But many of our brothers and sisters in Christ of that era both participated in and defended it.  From the standpoint of eternity, on what might we look back in disgust — horror, even— that we okayed in the desperate moments of our lives?

Lot the Whiner

When the angels instruct Lot to run for the hills, he negotiates down the distance, as if asking, “How close can I stay to this place where I’ve become so comfortable?  How little exertion in fleeing sin can I get by with?  If you require the full measure of full obedience — if you require me to go that far —I’ll never make it!”  Enough said.  Do I even need to spell out the parallels between Lot’s thinking and ours?

Lot the Manipulated

And the last we see of him, he’s made it to the hills after all, driven by fear, living in a cave, probably with a goodly amount of PTSD.  Think of what the man has seen!  Fire raining down from heaven, the utter destruction of former prosperous cities, his own wife becoming a pillar of salt!  He has seen the judgment of God, the likes of which we have only read about.  Indeed, Peter calls it, “an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.” (2 Peter 2:6)  Now he’s old, and the very memory of it is immobilizing.  I sympathize with Lot; I really do.  And yet… Why didn’t he go to Abraham?  Why didn’t he search for husbands for his daughters among Abraham’s affiliates or go back to Haran?  Venturing into pure speculation here, I wonder — was he afraid?  Despondent?  Probably.  But also maybe proud?  To have had so much and now have to come with nothing.  Oh, how we could count the ways that we, too, get immobilized by fear, by past trauma, or by pride!  Christian, Satan is not able to take away your salvation, but if he can immobilize you during your time here, then he can manipulate you for his purposes.  In Lot’s case, the Moabites and Ammonites were born as a result.  Time will reveal what breeds from our inaction.

Lot the Righteous

So given all this, it heartens me to see that little glimpse into Lot’s heart by Peter:  Lot, a righteous man, “tormented in his soul” by what he heard and saw day after day.  Who among us believers hasn’t felt that same way?  And the next verse heartens me even more:  “So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment.” (2 Peter 2:9)  May we all seek to be more brave, more selfless, more discerning, more faithful and more alert than Lot; may we learn from his mistakes as we’re intended to.  May we not think that we could never make them, or aren’t possibly making some of them right now.  And may we rejoice that a righteousness has been made available even to us who are so like Lot — “the righteousness of God through faith in Christ Jesus for all who believe,” our only hope!  (see Romans 3:21-22)