Calloused Hearts Clouded Eyes

Happy Sunday. I went to the dermatologist the other day and she removed a spot on my finger that looked suspicious. Before she did her scraping and cutting, she gave me a shot. It was to desensitize the area.

I felt nothing after the shot. I think that in many ways, people today are desensitized to many things. It's been sad to watch people celebrating the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Many people have lost their jobs because of their boneheaded decisions to post something repulsive on social media, celebrating murder.

Sadly, I've seen com comments online from people who hope that the shooter burns in hell or the people that have lost their jobs burn in hell. And both sides are wrong. This desensitization has impacted so many. What's this cause of moral numbness?

How can people kill and celebrate killing and not think a thing of it? Several things come to mind. Think how television has changed in my lifetime. I grew up watching shows like Andy Griffith and I Love Lucy.

And there was no cussing. There was no sex. And today it's hard for me to watch most shows. I tried to watch a movie the other day online about an hour in God's name was taken in vain and I immediately turned it off.

I will not be desensitized to the breaking of the third commandment. If I read a book and they take God's name in vain, I'll find another book no matter how many chapters I'm into. The book doesn't matter. I've drawn a line of what I will accept and what I will not.

Have you? Some video games sold today glorify killing. If a kid shoots people eight hours a day on a computer 7 days a week, why are we surprised when they get a real gun and shoot real people? They've been desensitized.

In Psalm chapter 101, David wrote these words in verse three. He wrote, "I will set nothing worthless before my eyes." Other versions say, "I will set nothing wicked before my eyes." His words remind me of the song we sang as children.

Be careful little eyes what you see. Be careful little ears what you hear. That's great teaching and it is the truth. Today I want us to look at a dysfunctional family that was desensitized.

In Genesis chapter 13, we read the story of Abraham and his nephew Lot. At this point of the juncture of the story, they're choosing land to settle in. Abraham let Lot choose first. Let me read to you a small part.

Abraham said to Lot, "If you want the land to the left, I'll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, I'll go to the left. Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zor. The whole area was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord and or the beautiful land of Egypt.

This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot chose for himself the whole Jordan valley to the east of them. He went there with his flocks and servants and parted company with his uncle Abram. So Abram settled in the land of Canaan.

And Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom. And he settled among the cities of the plain. But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord. Lot knew of the reputation, but he made a choice.

Lot made a choice that would end up desensitizing him. It's a sad story. In Genesis chapter 18, we learn that God is going to destroy Sodom. He'd had enough.

In chapter 19, God sends two angels on a rescue mission to get Lot and his family out of Sodom before it is destroyed. The wicked men of the town learn that there are some new visitors in town. And they come to see Lot. Then I pick up the story in verse 5.

They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." Lot went outside to meet them. And he shut the door behind him and he said, "No, my friends, my friends, don't do this wicked thing.

Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof. They have come under the protection of my roof.

This seems like a Hollywood movie, doesn't it? Culturally, you were required to protect the guest under your roof. This rule did not include giving your daughters to a deranged mob. Wasn't he supposed to protect the daughters under his roof as well?

We're told that the angel struck the crowd with blindness to diffuse the situation. To me, Lot was blind, spiritually blind. He had been desensitized. What a horrible decision he thought of making.

Living in Sodom, he became less holy. Scripture tells us that Lot sat in the gates of Sodom. He was part of the community, a respected elder among the men. We're told also that Lot's daughters were engaged to be married to local boys.

Listen to these words from verse 14. Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who were pledged to marry his daughters and he said, "Hurry and get out of this place because the Lord is about to destroy the city." But his sons-in-law thought he was joking. Lot had become a joke.

And it's sad. His words carried no weight to these boys. It's sad that he let them into his home and accepted them as potential sons-in-law. And they had to know that he was willing to give their fiances to a crowd to do with what they wanted to.

Read the rest of chapter 19. It gets worse. Lot was rescued. He needed it.

Today, be careful what you endorse, what you watch, what you listen to, what you allow. Be sensitive to the spirit of God. Pray with me. Father God, thank you for today.

Help us to look at our lives and see what we've let in that we should not let in. Help us to never celebrate sin on any side in any way. Help us to celebrate you and to love you with all of our hearts. In Jesus name I pray.

Amen. God bless. Have a great great week ahead.