Lent, Week 2 – Tuesday: Is 1:10,16-20; Ps 49:8-9,16-17,21,23; Matthew 23:1-12

The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are often seen as symbolic of human communities that brought destruction upon themselves – places where nothing good was preserved, and so they merited annihilation and faced God’s wrath. You could say they represent the archetype of ultimate sinners. And yet, in an extraordinary turn, Isaiah references the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah in his teaching and says: “you shall eat the good of the land.” He offers them a message of forgiveness, blessings, and conversion.

What does this show us? First, it highlights our human helplessness – the reality that, by our actions and choices, we are deserving of failure, just as they were. But God does not desire our defeat. He longs for our victory. Secondly, it reminds us of the importance of striving for God as a community. Just as the sins of individuals – now and in the past – leave their mark on the fabric of our relationships with one another, so too must the good we do and obedience to God’s law permeate and embrace everyone.

In this context, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah also become symbols of hope. They teach us that the conversion of even a few can determine whether the greater community flourishes or falls apart. Perhaps, then, renewal must begin here: within my own heart.

Lord Jesus, countless times I have sought teachers, masters, and guides, drawn by human reasoning and misplaced trust in false authorities. Today, I choose You and You alone as the one I wish to follow and strive towards. Help everyone in our community to do the same. You live and reign forever and ever. Amen.