Monday, April 11, 2005 Lenten Fast
Callinikos of Cernica, Bishop of Rimnicu
6th Hour: Isaiah 37:33-38:6 1st Vespers: Genesis 13:12-18 2nd Vespers: Proverbs 14:27-15:4
Genesis 13:12-18 LXX, especially vs. 18: "And Abram having
removed his tent, came and dwelt by the oak of Mamre, which was in Hebron, and he there built an altar to the Lord."
Starting with Genesis 12:1-7, we begin a series of readings concerned with Abram's faith. In this passage, Genesis, 13:12-18, we discover three ways by which Abram remained open to God's will during his sojourn in Canaan: 1) he arranged to
separate from his nephew, Lot; 2) he migrated the length of Canaan from Bethel to Hebron to resettle; and 3) he built an
altar to God.
The first eleven verses of Chapter 13 explain the division between Abram and Lot: their possessions were great, and "the
land was not large enough for them to live together...there was strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle, and the
herdmen of Lot's cattle" (vss. 6,7). So "Abram said to Lot, 'Let there not be a strife between me and thee, and between my
herdmen and thy herdmen'" (vs. 8). The Patriarch proposed, instead, that Lot choose whatever territory he favored, and
Abram would be satisfied with whatever region he did not choose. The result: "Lot dwelt in a city of the neighboring
people, and pitched his tent in Sodom" (vs. 12).
Observe Abram's unspoken faith that God's will would be achieved by allowing his nephew to choose the land he wished.
This is what happened: "Lot, having lifted up his eyes, observed all the country round about the Jordan, that it was all
watered" (vs. 10) and that place seemed desirable and so he chose the far southern plain of the Arabah-rift valley; but
Abram waited for God. Do notice the difference between uncle and nephew: "And God said to Abram after Lot was
separated from him, "Look up with thine eyes, and behold from the place where thou now art"" (vs. 14). Lot looked out for
himself, but Abram looked solely to God for direction.
Abram's faith blessed him to be a peacemaker, to be meek, and to hunger for the righteous will of God. Abram continued
as the "friend of God" (Jas. 2:23). Thus, he inherited the promised land (Mt. 5:5) and saw God in the visit of the three
angels (Gen. 18:1-3). The unfortunate Lot, trusting in what his eyes showed him, moved to Sodom where the men "were
evil, and exceedingly sinful before God" (Gen. 13:13). In following his own perceptions instead of God's will, Lot paid a
terrible price, losing his home, wife, and God's blessing. St. Augustine characterizes the mind of Abram as one who
trusted God to show him what to do: "I have believed that You are God, Who gives to man that which enables him to do as
You command." When God instructed Abram to "Look up with thine eyes," He showed him the Promised Land
"northward and southward, and eastward and seaward" (vs. 14). Then, God led Abram to "experience" the land, to walk its
length from Bethel in the north to Hebron in the south, with the promise that "all the land which thou seest, I will give it to
thee and to thy seed for ever" (vs. 15). To secure Abram's faith, God explained that the seed of Abram would be "like the
dust of the earth" (vs. 16). This was no extravagant figure of speech, for in Christ our God the "Seed" of the righteous
Abram, the Patriarch's descendants, are becoming ever more numerous (Gal. 3:7).
Finally, notice where the man of faith arrived when he was led by God. Hebron is the highest point in all of Palestine, over
3,000 feet above sea level. By contrast, Lot went down to the lowest place in all the earth, over 1400 feet below sea level.
Faith leads us to "seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God" (Col. 3:1). When
God had shown Abram His best, he built an altar to God and worshiped. Let us direct our steps to the altar of the Lord, His
highest place, and be fruitful in peace, meekness, and righteousness.
O Lord, Make straight our path: establish us all in Thy fear; make firm our steps.