The evangelical Christians still in Gaza suffer along with its 2 million inhabitants. Lack of food, water, shelter, and sewage is their daily fare, along with deadly bombings, artillery and gunfire. What should Christians do in response to this situation? Without resolving political issues, Christians may manifest Abraham’s compassion. He prayed for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, even though they were wicked cities. He pleaded on the basis of a few believers residing in those cities—50, 45, 40, 30, 20, even 10.

Genesis 18:16-33

It was a wicked city. A very wicked city. So the Lord sent messengers to make one final determination regarding the extent of the city’s wickedness. Seeing the two strangers at the city gate, Lot insisted that they come to his home for food and lodging. At that point, all the men of Sodom, both young and old from every corner of the city, came together with one purpose. They would execute gang rape on these two strangers that Abraham’s nephew Lot was entertaining.

Despite the wickedness of the city, Abraham had compassion. He stood before the Lord to make his plea. Would you destroy this entire city? What if there were 50 righteous people in the city? And what if there were only five lacking of the 50? Would you destroy the city for a shortage of only 5? What if there were only 40 righteous people? Or only 30? Or only 20? What if there were just 10 righteous people in the city? Would you not spare the city for the sake of 10 righteous people? Perhaps Abraham was counting with his fingers behind his back. Lot and his wife; Lot’s two daughters and their fiancées. That makes a total of 6. So he needed only four more to save the city.

The Lord assures him. He will not destroy the city if 10 righteous people live among its population. The Lord is righteous. But he is also compassionate. He finds no delight in the death of the wicked.

Jesus the Son of God says, “I have compassion.” When he saw several thousand people fainting from having had nothing to eat for days, he said, “I have compassion” (Matt. 15:32; Mark 8:2).

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