Gênesis 15
John Chrysostom · Comentário Patrístico (catena)
Gênesis 15:1
God said to him, "Don't be afraid, Abram." Notice the extraordinary degree of his care. Why did he say, "Don't be afraid"? Since Abraham had scorned so much wealth by giving little importance to the offerings of the king, God said to him, Have no fear for despising gifts of such value. Do not be distressed on the score of your diminished prosperity. "Don't be afraid." Then to cheer his spirit further, he adds his name to the encouragement by saying, "Don't be afraid, Abram." It proves to be no little help in encouraging a person to invoke the name of the person we are addressing. Then he said, "I am your shield." This phrase is also rich in meaning: I summoned you from the Chaldeans. I led you to this point. I rescued you from the perils of Egypt. I promised once and again to give this land to your descendants. It is I who will be your shield. After daily making you acclaimed by all, I will be your shield—that is, I will struggle in your place. I will be your shield. "Your reward will be exceedingly great." You refused to accept reward for the troubles you suffered in exposing yourself to such risks. You scorned the king and what he offered you. I will provide you with a reward, not to the degree that you would have received but wonderfully, exceedingly great. "Your reward," the text says, remember, "will be exceedingly great." — HOMILIES ON GENESIS 36.10
Gênesis 15:2-3
Since God had promised him a reward, a wonderfully, exceedingly great reward, Abraham revealed his grief of spirit and the disappointment affecting him constantly on account of his childless condition. He says, "Lord, what sort of thing will you give me? After all, you can see, I have reached the height of old age and am to pass on without children." See how from the outset the just man showed his sound thinking in calling his departure from here a "passing on." I mean, people who live an assiduous life of virtue really pass on from struggle, as it were, and are freed from their bonds when they transfer from this life. You see, for people living virtuously it is a kind of transfer from a worse situation to a better, from a temporary existence to an everlasting one that is protected from death and has no end. — HOMILIES ON GENESIS 36.11
Gênesis 15:2-3
These words reveal the extreme degree of the pain in his soul. [It is if he were saying] to God, Far from being granted what my slave was, I am to pass away without child or heir, whereas my slave will inherit the gifts granted me by you, despite the promise received from you more than once in the words "to your descendants I will give this land." Consider, I ask you, the just man's virtue in this case also in the fact that while entertaining these thoughts in his mind he did not protest nor say any harsh words. Instead, driven on in this case by the words spoken to him, he spoke boldly to the Lord, revealed the tumult of his interior thoughts and made no secret of the wound to his spirit. Hence in turn he received instant healing. — HOMILIES ON GENESIS 36.11
Gênesis 15:6
Accordingly let us learn, I beseech you, a lesson for ourselves as well from the patriarch: Let us believe in the words of God and trust in his promise. Let us not apply the yardstick of our own reasoning but give evidence of deep gratitude. This, you see, will succeed in making us also be seen to be righteous and will quickly cause us to attain to the promise made by him. In Abraham's case, however, the promise was made that a complete multitude would develop from his descendants. The effect of the promise was beyond the limits of nature and human logic. Hence faith in God won righteousness for him. In our case, … if we are alert enough to see it, he promised much more. We are able in great measure to transcend human reasoning, provided we believe in the power of the One who promises, in order that we may gain also righteousness from faith and attain to the good things promised. — HOMILIES ON GENESIS 36.15