The shooting death of Charlie Kirk has brought about many reactions across the United States and the world. Some of those reactions are quite passionately displayed, whether expressed in grief or glee. In time, many of those passionate people will find something else to be passionate about. One of the enduring questions that comes from the murder of Charlie Kirk is whether we, as a nation, can be civil with one another or whether there will be a permanent state of strife. I think the answer is that there will always be a state of strife, so long as there are believers and non-believers, because there is a boundary between light and darkness. The idea that there is a difference between believers and nonbelievers is not my idea, and it is certainly not a new one. Our scripture reading today featured a man named Abram, whom God called to follow Him. The first step God called Abram to take was to separate himself from his land, his fellow citizens, and his father’s house. Abram would be the father of many nations, but mostly Abram’s full story is told through the accounts of God’s Chosen People found in the Old Testament. They were God’s Chosen People. Isaiah 42:6 says, "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles." In being called by God, God expected His people to live without strife among themselves. God anticipated strife to exist with those outside the faith. In view of the Charlie Kirk assassination, we must then ask, “Can those who claim Christ live without strife regardless of their personal political views, no matter how passionately they hold them?” How then are we to understand strife as Christians?
To begin understanding our response to that question, let’s start with a look at our scripture reading today about Abram. God had called Abram to a land that God would show Abram. Abram arrived. Abram’s nephew, Lot, came with Abram. They traveled the land. Thereafter, a famine struck the land, and Abram and Lot left the land to go to Egypt.
Egypt was the land of many gods, ruled by the Pharaoh, but it had an abundance of food. Abram’s faith seems to have faltered, believing that if he stayed in the land that God showed him, God would let him die of hunger in that land. So Abram felt that he must go to Egypt to escape death in the land that God had shown him. While in Egypt, Abram experienced great difficulty. Pharaoh saw Sarai, Abram’s wife, and believed she was beautiful. Abram and Sarai had pretended they were only brother and sister, not husband and wife, so Pharaoh took Sarai to be part of his harem. Pharaoh gave Abram “16 Many gifts because of her—sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels” (Genesis 12:16). Before Pharaoh married Sarai, God intervened and sent plagues upon Egypt until Pharaoh came to understand that Sarai was Abram’s wife. When Pharaoh understood, he sent Abram and Sarai away with all their wealth.
Abram had not remained in the land God had set aside for him. Instead, Abram decided he knew better than God and left the land to go to Egypt. Abram lied to the Egyptians, believing God would not protect him and Sarai from harm. God intervened, causing the Egyptians to release Abram and Sarai with their wealth intact. God was faithful even when Abram stumbled. God is slow to anger and steadfast in faith.
From our text today, we would read, “1 So Abram left Egypt and traveled north into the Negev, along with his wife and Lot and all that they owned. 2 (Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.) 3 From the Negev, they continued traveling by stages toward Bethel, and they pitched their tents between Bethel and Ai, where they had camped before. 4 This was the same place where Abram had built the altar, and there he worshiped the Lord again. 5 Lot, who was traveling with Abram, had also become very wealthy with flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and many tents” (Genesis 13:1-5). Abram and his nephew, Lot, were back in the land God had shown Abram. Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold (13:2). Lot was very wealthy, possessing sheep, goats, cattle, and tents (13:5).
Everything was going well. “6 But the land could not support both Abram and Lot with all their flocks and herds living so close together. 7 So disputes broke out between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot” (Genesis 13:6-7a). Disputes and strife had entered the land, but not between Abram and the Canaanite inhabitants. That one would expect. God had called Abram, but the Canaanites had not been. The strife and disputes were between the families of Abram and Lot and were played out through their herdsmen. Many of you, from personal experience, know that inter-family strife can be a challenging experience. Loyalties are tested and sides are chosen. In serving people with grief counseling, it is not uncommon for strife to enter the family after the last parent dies. When both mother and father are dead, sibling rivalries that have simmered beneath the surface for years explode. Why? What causes us to have difficulties within our families? What caused the strife between Abram and Lot?
Most likely, the cause was jealousy that led to resentment. Abram was rich with cattle, silver, and gold. Lot was wealthy with livestock, but no mention is made of precious metals such as silver and gold. Envy and jealousy led to disputes over the best grass and water for their herds. The “mom liked you best,” or “your piece is bigger than mine” attitude causes significant discord in families. How are such disputes settled righteously?
From our text today, we would read, “8 Finally Abram said to Lot, ‘Let’s not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives!’” (Genesis 13:8). Abram, the one called by God, took the first step. Abram approached Lot and appealed for unity, not by force or using his superior wealth. Abram’s appeal was that we are family, and we must not let strife separate us. Abram was learning how to be a great nation by understanding that strife within the family weakened everyone.
Abram continued, “9 The whole countryside is open to you. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want the land to the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, then I’ll go to the left” (Genesis 13:9). Abram, reaffirmed in his standing with God after his trials in Egypt, was willing to allow Lot to choose what would resolve the strife. Abram now knew God would take care of him no matter what Lot decided. That is faith. Faith in God assured Abram that he did not need to concern himself with earthly riches and wealth. Abram knew he was leading a new life under God's authority.
Lot, on the other hand, had a more worldly view. The scripture said, “10 Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the Lord or the beautiful land of Egypt… 11 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” (Genesis 13:10-11). We see here that Lot made his decision based upon pure logic. Lot saw a fertile plain and a great deal of water, and he chose those lands for himself. Whatever jealousy Lot had toward Abram was satisfied by taking the best lands available. Lot then left Abram for his new lands and settled near the city of Sodom, which at that time was known for its wickedness.
Abram, comfortable in placing his life under God’s authority, was unconcerned with the lesser lands he now occupied. What was important had been achieved. The strife within the family had been resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. Scripture tells us, “14 After Lot had gone, the Lord said to Abram, 'Look as far as you can see in every direction—north and south, east and west. 15 I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession. 16 And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted! 17 Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you” (Genesis 13:14-17). God had spoken again to Abram and affirmed God’s blessing upon Abram.
What then do we take away from this exchange between Abram and Lot? There are three things we should see here for ourselves.
First, Abram had been tested by the Lord and failed. The Lord had called Abram and promised to bless him. Abram responded and stayed close to God as God unfolded before Abram the vast lands that would become those of Abram and his descendants. However, when famine hit that land, Abram’s faith faltered, and he abandoned those lands in favor of Egypt. Abram left the promised land of God for the land of the world. Oftentimes, we do the same. When life is good, God is good. Following our faith journey and giving glory to God comes about with a certain ease. However, when things do not go our way and issues arise in our personal lives, the first thing many Christians do is abandon their faith practices. They stop coming to church. They stop reading the Bible. They stop engaging Christians. Instead, they move closer to the world. I have seen this happen repeatedly. Such responses are born of human logic, not faith.
However, the story of Abram shows us that, although we may move away from God due to circumstances, God does not move away from us. God still has a plan for us and a desire for us to love Him. Abram experienced the steadfastness and love of God. When Abram returned to God and the promised land, Abram understood the blessing of being under God’s authority. In that understanding, Abram confidently expressed his faith in God and found inner peace.
How about you and me? Do we understand Jesus’ promises to us? Jesus said of salvation, “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37). Jesus will not forsake us when things are not going our way or even if we, for a time or season of our life, set our faith aside.
Jesus’ apostle Peter gave us a spectacular example of personal failure followed by restoration. When Jesus was arrested, and things looked bad, Peter immediately retreated from his faith and denied knowing Jesus. Peter stepped out from under God's authority. Yet, Jesus would later restore Peter. It is essential that when things don’t go our way, we not retreat from our faith but press on all the harder. The Apostle Paul put it this way, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13b-14). We must not retreat from our faith, but if we do, we must also remember that God will restore us if we return to our faith.
Second, Abram, in faith, under the authority of God’s Word, understood God’s desire that we be united. Abram understood that strife, division, and conflict between believers were behaviors outside of God’s Word. It was wrong for Abram, and it remains wrong for us. We cannot be at odds with other believers. Abram and Lot conflicted over pasture lands and envied each other's wealth. They had put their self-interests above the interests of God. Believers of any political persuasion choosing to demean or otherwise denigrate believers of another political persuasion have placed their self-interests above the interests of God. Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between us.” They resolved the strife and then tended to their own self-interests, but did so without attacking each other. We will see in the weeks ahead that Abram would seek Lot’s rescue twice, even though they had differing self-interests.
Jesus had apostles and disciples who came from diverse backgrounds. They too had self-interests, but Jesus' call upon their lives was a call to prioritize their walk with Him over their self-interests and, in doing so, “to love one another.” When we consider matters such as the murder of Charlie Kirk and the subsequent public debates or other emotionally charged topics, we cannot introduce strife by attacking other believers. Let there be no strife between us.
Finally, we see from this scene between Abram and Lot that Abram understood the bigger picture. We will enjoy specific blessings in this life. But the Apostle Paul said this about our material blessings, “7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith” (Philippians 3:8). Abram had the view of eternity as did Paul that joyful things on earth are incomparable to the joys of eternity.
In addition to joys, we will also experience difficulties in our lives. Paul here again shares with us the view of eternity. “18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). Whether in joy or trial, our lasting and enduring view must be of eternity with God. Having this view of the full breadth of our lives helps us avoid strife in our lives.
Dear brothers and sisters, let there be no strife between us. Amen and Amen.