2 “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.” “No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.”
Sometimes you protect someone else’s reputation with great tenacity. I see this many times with the spouse and family of an alcoholic. They do many things to provide cover for the drinker. The family makes excuses for them, both within the family and to the outside world. They clean up the messes that they make. In our text today the man Lot is in the habit of doing this for his city. It seems as though he is in the city square according to local custom. He waits for any visitors who might be arriving in order to provide the proper lodging and care for the night. Remember, no Motel 6! But Lot knows something about the people of his city and he wants to protect visitors from their evil intents. This evening is probably like many others. Lot is sitting in the square and some distinguished men walk into the city. They want to just spend the night in the square, but Lot knows that would not be safe for them. He insists that they spend the night with him. I wonder how many other evenings Lot has sat in that square waiting for the unexpected visitor. I bet some friend came previously and was caught up in the cities’ sin. Perhaps Lot himself was embarrassed by their behavior. Later in the Scriptures we learn that Lot’s righteous soul pulled on him. Perhaps these were the moments every evening when his soul was torn, rescuing visitors from the cities’ grip. He could have left the city with his family, but he stayed. Perhaps this self-sacrificing made a difference in the life of the city. Sometimes protecting is not the answer. Sometimes turning the offender over to the authorities is a better solution, rather than enduring the abuse. Incest is one such case. Protecting the innocent is of a greater value than protecting the guilty. Lot stood on behalf of the innocent visitors and worked to protect them from what had become a normal ritual. He eventually lost everything he owned, and even his wife in the process.
The Arnold Journey 