Sodom and Gomorah, God and His Christ

[NotWorthy]

This is perhaps a little off topic but I had to respond to that one.

I haven’t counted specific references but I know that Jesus’s primary purpose was to teach about God’s kingdom. Not about hell. He starts many parables with “The reign of God could be likened to…” and his instructions to his disciples included telling people “The reign of God is at hand” but those instructions had no particular mention of hell.

Avoiding condemnation is part of the pursuit of God’s kingdom, but not the primary focus.

Jim

True, so very true.

But the poster was minimizing Jesus’ teaching on hell. Jesus did talk about hell, even moreso than heaven, in the 4 gospels.

That being said, Jesus’ primary focus was spreading the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

 

[NotWorthy]

A reading of Matthew 23 shows that the Pharisees were indeed guilty of great things. Greater than any sexual deviancy. I think that Jesus was being very direct and blunt when he said that those who flatly rejected God’s word would end up worse off than Sodom and Gomorrah.

I think it was because the bridegroom was face to face with them, and they weren’t going to attend His wedding.

Our society has made crimes of sexual deviancy to be the worst of all possible crimes. (I sometimes wonder why murderers, theives, arsonists, don’t have to “register” after they have been released but sexual deviants do.)

In a large part it has to do with two things:
a) The “cure rate” of sexual deviants is very low.
b) The victims of sexual deviancy, are often the future sexual deviants. I’m not saying all kids molested will become molesters. But a vast majority of child molesters were molested themselves as kids.

I think God does not see things the same way. Otherwise the first commandment would have been, “You shall not be a sodomizer” rather than “you shall love the Lord your God will all you heart, mind and strength.”

All commandments flow from love of God. I agree. That’s why this is the first commandment.

I do think Jesus was very capable of laughter. Anyone willing to greet little children has to have a sense of humor.

Jim

I agree. Laughter is one of the most beautiful sounds people make and is a wonderful sign of joy. I laugh all the time during the day, and it’s not usually at the expense of somebody else. Often it’s at my expense.

My son, who is 15 and has PDD (a form of autism) still has a child-like laugh - very pure and joyful. It always brings great joy to my heart to hear him laugh.

 

[trogiah]

I think it was because the bridegroom was face to face with them, and they weren’t going to attend His wedding.

I thought I would put in the complete reference to Sodom that was in Luke’s Gospel

**After this the Lord appointed seventy (-two) others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’ Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, ‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.’ Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town. **

It seems that Jesus is saying that anyone who is presented with clear teachings of God’s kingdom, as well as examples of that teaching (such as the sick being cured), - and still refuses to accept God’s kingdom - That person is in a very bad place.

Perhaps one thing we could say in defense of the people of Sodom is they never had the person of Jesus come and visit them.

I agree. Laughter is one of the most beautiful sounds people make and is a wonderful sign of joy. I laugh all the time during the day, and it’s not usually at the expense of somebody else. Often it’s at my expense.

My son, who is 15 and has PDD (a form of autism) still has a child-like laugh - very pure and joyful. It always brings great joy to my heart to hear him laugh.

That is a great challenge to have to deal with, as well as potenially a blessing. Sounds like you are able to find at least some of the blessing. Good luck in continuing to do so.

Jim

 

[NotWorthy]

One other thing to consider.

Sodom’s inhabitants merely suffered Temporal Death.

To reject the teachings of Jesus is to suffer Spiritual Death.

BIG Difference!

 

[MHalsey]

I think he was perfectly correct in saying the blind leading the blind, nor do I believe a single soul here has the faith of a mustard seed. Christ was the light of men. Have you ever analyzed humor; name one time it wasn’t at something or someones expense.

So, is humor a sin?? Now that I find humorous.