The readings for the seventh Sunday after Pentecost are from Genesis 18:17-33; Colossians 2:6-19; and Luke 11:1-13.
Abraham prayed for Lot and Sodom by interceding . . .
Genesis continues to record the life of Abraham as an example of the life of faith: “He believed God and that was accounted to him as righteousness.” Abraham is a model of one who eagerly waits for and attends to the Lord. In this lesson, Abraham prays as an advocate for his nephew, Lot, but also for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah in general. Paul was equally concerned for all souls, but no one is concerned for all souls like the Son of God incarnate, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the world.
The Lord provides many examples of the Christian life via Abraham. He shares what He is doing in order to give opportunity for Abraham to be indicative—the life of faith is one of advocacy for others. “Whoever is forgiven much loves much.” The Lord is not negotiable. He always knew that He would spare the city for the sake of ten righteous people—but Abraham is learning about the Lord.
In the lesson from Colossians, Paul describes Abraham, who is the father of us all who have been regenerated by God’s Word and Spirit: “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” Consider “buried with Christ and raised with Him,” both in history (as Jesus was a substitute for us all) and every day as we try to keep our unbelieving human nature buried in the truth and as the truth of God’s grace keeps raising up and empowering our soul.
Luke records Jesus teaching us a simple template for prayer and teaching us to be steadfast in prayer, as Abraham was. The prayers of those already saved and resting in God’s care turn to pray and advocate for others. Jesus was often awake all night long in prayer. How could He take so long to pray? What if Jesus prayed for every living person, by name and by need? I suspect He did and continues to. What an advocate we have in Jesus.