But for the one

Human experience in terms of our spiritual life is a dichotomy of relevance. We know, as God's creatures, that we are irrelevant, in the sense that we as individuals cannot alter the Will of the Almighty, nor can we even perform a single act of goodness without His assistance. However, as the readings today pointed out, each of us as individuals is essential to God's designs, because He desires it.

When God's wrath was prepared to descend upon Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham engaged in a bit of bargaining. It's almost comical to see Abraham, like a small child, going, "but how about this? And this? And this?" God bears this patiently, each time granting Abraham's requests. I think that a lot of scholarly examination of this would parse God's justice, about how He would never destroy an innocent. I see it totally differently. God didn't spare anyone on account of their innocence. God spared them on account of Abraham.

I am often reminded of the situation with Job, because when it comes to human pain and agony there is scarcely a better portrait of it outside the Passion of our Lord in Scripture. The Book of Job is almost a trial simply to read, watching how this poor man's life was devastated through no fault of his own. What I really like is the end of the book where Job gets it all back times two. However, most people miss the condition that is attached. In Job 42:10 (RSV) it reads:

And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends; and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

We all like to cheer and say, yay! Abraham got Lot's family spared from Sodom's destruction, and Job got back all his family and stuff! The fact is, Abraham and Job weren't granted these things because they deserved them, or even because they were persistent in questioning. The reason that these things occurred is that both Abraham and Job stood as intercessors. Abraham begged for the lives of the righteous to be spared. Job prayed for those who had calumniated him during his trials. For this, and for no other reason, were they rewarded.

The Gospel for today is a valuable one for several reasons. First, it addresses the Our Father and the way in which we should petition God. This is crucial, of course, because no word of the Savior was wasted breath. There's more going on here, though. Jesus stresses that God answers prayers and gives good gifts when we ask for them. I think this passage of Scripture gives people trouble. "Ask, and it shall be given." Well, why am I not getting what I asked for? people think. The honest answer is it depends on what it is you're requesting.

Then there's that pesky Psalm 37:4 (RSV).

Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

People are all too happy to think about getting their heart's desire that they miss that little verse 5:

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will act.

God is infinite in His goodness, His mercy, and His generosity. He desires the best for us, but the best we can have is to desire what He desires, to want what He wants. God desires that all men come to repentance, to come to Him, to love and be loved by Him. However, He won't give if we don't ask.

We are obliged to stand as intercessors. It is the nature of man's relationship with God. While childlike persistence is needed, learning to stand in the gap for all of God's children is the desire God most wishes to grant us.

So here we are, the product of that dichotomy of relevance: invaluable to God, but totally unnecessary. However, as He repeatedly shows us in Scripture, one single person does make a difference. We were individually dreamt of by the Infinite and made perfectly according to His own plan. When we are able to intercede in prayer and action for those others who are the products of His handicraft, He is most pleased. But for Abraham's hope and Job's obedience, the stories end very differently. We might not ever save people from brimstone or double our money, but only will we know in Heaven what our one prayer, said with childlike persistence and faith, could accomplish.

But for the one who hung on the Cross to stand in intercession for us all, we would be lost.