Gee, slow crowd this weekend… no guesses at all.  Does that mean you all know and I made it too easy, or that no one has any idea, or maybe that you just want me to go away and leave you alone already?  I’ll assume it isn’t no.3 and provide the answer:

‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.  They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.’  
-Ezekiel 16:49-50

Similar to this verse is a very short Pensee from Blaise Pascal that I posted once before:

Wretchedness: Job and Solomon

That’s all there is to that one.  A recognition that both were wretched in very different ways.  We see ourselves as blessed… and we are, in so many ways.  Yet our wealth and blessing can lead us away from reliance on and pursuit of God as all-fulfilling.  Just as Pascal compared the wretchedness of Solomon in his wealth to the wretchedness of Job in his physical distress, we should compare our desire for and surrender to God (or lack thereof) in our wealth with the desire for and surrender to God found in the poor and persecuted church (without posessions, He is all they have).  They are wretched in physical circumstances, but we must take care that we do not become wretched spiritually due to our comfort and self-reliance. 

One more quote… I’ll try to track down this final quote more precisely, but I believe it comes from a pastor who was jailed and tortured in Romania for his faith.  He may or may not be correct, but regardless, I think it spurs productive thought about our circumstances and our faith.

“I believe that 90% of Christians will pass the trial of persecution.  I believe that 90% of Christians will fail the trial of affluence.”