Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.” But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, I have made Abram rich". (Gen 14,21-23)

War is one of the most lucrative businesses: seizing the territory, forcibly taking away the wealth of its people and plundering mineral resources have long been one of the fastest ways to get rich. It happened in Europe in the 20th century and it is still happening in the world today. Moreover in the past, the inhabitants also used to be sold into slavery. When Abram returned with the people and property of Sodom, which he had taken from the conquerors, the king of Sodom therefore assumed that Abram would want both or at least the property, which belonged to him through a custom right. The king thought that Abram was the same as everyone else. Same as he himself - after all, he would have also behaved in the same way...

But Abram was no longer the same! If anything shows the person's greatness, it is his generosity. As long as moral principles are forced on us by our family or community, shortly, by our environment, we adhere to them because we adjust. Externally, we act as "good people". Yes, it is better to be surrounded with people like this than the bad ones, but this kind of goodness still has its limits. The true greatness of a man is where he exceeds the boundaries of the general good. Abram has now surpassed them, at least for the third time.

For the first time, he did not adjust to his environment in the matter of religion. It would have been much easier for him if he had not insisted on the worship of a single God and accepted the deities and manners of Canaan. He would have had more friends and a much simpler life. He would have not irritated many Canaanites with his altars, "with which the stranger acts like someone who owns it here." It was a crucial decision and he must have known very well it would affect him and his descendants for centuries, and that it might not always be an easy path for them.

In order to find the strength to do so, he had to grow up internally. However, like with any change, the growth is associated with pain, which is why not many people commit to it.