The Works of Abraham
If you were Abraham's children...
Jesus told the Pharisees that they would do the works of Abraham if they were
truly his children.1 Abraham was remembered for his faith, leadership, wealth,
generosity, love for his family, and fairness when dealing with his neighbors.2 To put
an end to strife over who would possess the land of Palestine, he gave his nephew Lot
the choicest land near Sodom and Gomorrah. Later, when he learned that Lot had been
taken captive in war, he armed several hundred servants and rescued him. Finally,
when the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were about to be destroyed, Abraham
prayed that God would spare them for the sake of Lot’s family.
Abraham, on the other hand, was also remembered for giving his wife Sarah to
the Pharaoh in Egypt, claiming that she was his sister. Afterwards, he gave her to
another king as well. When God promised Abraham a son in his old age, he took
Sarah’s advice and slept with his handmaiden Hagar. He also bore many children to
concubines. Christ taught that righteousness comes not from obedience to religious
laws, but from a willingness to demonstrate mercy, forgiveness, and compassion.
Abraham excelled in these qualities.
The prophet Micah wrote: Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or
with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the
fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good, and
what the Lord requires of you, but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly
with your God.3 Yet, even before the prophets, Abraham taught this lesson when he obeyed the Angel and held back his hand from slaying his son Isaac even though God had commanded him to do so. Abraham, in other words, taught that it is God’s will that, in order to
have mercy on those we love, we set aside his commandments requiring that life be
taken away.
References
1 Jn 8:39
2 Genesis Chapters 12-25
3 Mic 6:7-8
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