Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God)
From: Genesis 13: 2, 5-18
Abram in Bethel
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[2] Now Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. [5] And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, [6] so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, [7] and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites dwelt in the land.
Abram and Lot Separate
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[8] Then Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen; for we are kinsmen. [9] Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left." [10] And Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw that the Jordan valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar; this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. [11] So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan valley, and Lot journeyed east; thus they separated from each other. [12] Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, while Lot dwelt among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. [13] Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.
A New Promise to Abram
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[14] The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward .and southward and eastward and westward; [15] for all the land which you see I will give to you and to your descendants for ever. [16] I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your descendants also can be counted. [17] Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you." [18] So Abram moved his tent, and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron and there he built an altar to the Lord.
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Commentary:
13:1-18. Abraham prospers in the land God has promised will be his; this is an early confirmation of God's blessing. But he still has to undergo another test--family rows over pastures. The patriarch comes across as a peaceable person; he lets Lot have first choice. Abraham's behavior is a kind of new act of faith in the divine promise, accepting as he does that God gives the land to whomever he chooses. Once Lot has gone off, God emphatically reaffirms his promise of descendants and land, and Abraham will progress across the country, taking possession of it, as it were. He eventually settles at Hebron. in the south of Palestine. on the edge of the Negeb desert.
Lot has chosen the rich lands, the Jordan plains; but the sacred writer points out how near he is to Sodom, the city of sin. Lot will later regret his decision to settle there (cf. chap. 19). The account seems to imply a geography with no Dead Sea, at least not as we know it today.
Apropos of this passage, St John Chrysostom points out how family peace was being undermined by prosperily: "Their flocks grew bigger, great wealth accrued to them, and immediately harmony between them was disrupted--where there had been peace and the bonds of affection, now there was trouble and hostility. You see, whenever it is a question of mine and yours, there are grounds for the utmost trouble and a basis for hostility: by contrast, where this isn't the case, habits of peace and harmony exist together without any confusion" ("Homiliae In Genesim", 33, 3).
[6] Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you.
The Golden Rule
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[12] "So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
The Narrow Gate
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[13] "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. [14] For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few."
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Commentary:
6. Jesus uses a popular saying to teach prudent discernment in the preaching of the word of God and distribution of the means of sanctification. The Church has always heeded this warning, particularly in the sense of respect with which it administers the sacraments—especially the Holy Eucharist. Filial confidence does not exempt us from the sincere and profound respect which should imbue our relations with God and with holy things.
12. This "golden rule" gives a guideline to realize our obligations towards and the love we should have for others. However, if we interpreted it superficially it would become a selfish rule; it obviously does not mean "do utdes" ("I give you something so that you will give me something") but that we should do good to others unconditionally: we are clever enough not to put limits on how much we love ourselves. This rule of conduct will be completed by Jesus' "new commandment" (John 13:34), where He teaches us to love others as He Himself loved us.
13-14. "Enter": in St. Matthew's Gospel this verb often has as its object the "Kingdom of Heaven" or equivalent expressions (life, the marriage feast, the joy of the Lord, etc.). We can interpret "enter" as an imperious invitation.
The way of sin is momentarily pleasant and calls for no effort, but it leads to eternal perdition. Following the way of a generous and sincere Christian life is very demanding--here Jesus speaks of a narrow gate and a hard way--but it leads to Life, to eternal salvation.
The Christian way involves carrying the cross. "For if a man resolve to submit himself to carrying this cross--that is to say, if he resolve to desire in truth to meet trials and to bear them in all things for God's sake, he will find in them all great relief and sweetness wherewith he may travel upon this road, detached from all things and desiring nothing. Yet, if he desires to possess anything--whether it comes from God or from any other source--with any feeling of attachment, he has not stripped and denied himself in all things; and thus he will be unable to walk along this narrow path or climb upward by it" (St. John of the Cross, "Ascent of Mount Carmel", book 2, chapter 7, 7).