In the time of the pharaohs, and when land was nothing but sand, cities, and oases, there lived a great man by the name of Abraham. Those whom followed him knew of his promise with his God, and saw how he blessed them greatly. They saw his kindness and mercy, and saw with awe how blessed the man was by his Lord.
On the day Abraham of the Jews breathed his last breath, there was a great celebration in his honor, and all of the nations around him came to pay their respect to the man who showed them just as much himself in life. Yet, as the burial process was about to start so that those in mourning in his family could find their closure, a commotion was started up by those who refused to let a proud man with his clan of 12 sons through.
"You are no one. You cannot pass further!" people hissed in anger, pushing the man back as he fought his way forward.
"How dare you try to push your way through?" others harshly scolded, shouldering their shoulders into him as he shouldered his way past.
"You are not wanted," those who knew the man well enough said as he finally was just about to reach the front.
But the coldest of all the remarks as the man obstinately broke through the line and faced the one person who could truly say anything was this: "Father sent you away years ago. Do you come to pay your respect, or to fight me when you were never supposed to be born-much less here."
Wet hot trails ran down the man's stoic, hard set face. His eyes were red and puffy but he showed no signs of weakness. Yet, rather than back down, he simply stated, "I was his first born. I, Ishmael, God's promise that He hears, have just as much right to mourn my father as you, the oh so promised prince, Isaac. Do not send me back when I have lost just as much as yourself. I grieve more so than you for this is the second death of my father I must face. Will you deny me my father once more?"
Isaac, the promised son, said no more. He simply waived a hand at his children and descendants so they would make space for their long lost relations. On either side, 12 sons from each father, with their 12 wives, and children from each pair sat crowding the front. From each corner, as the sermon started and moved forward, each brother glared icily at the other.
'Has he come to try to take away what Father denied him?' Isaac wondered warily.
'He thinks he can deny me Father once more? I was his beloved son before him. I lost all my final years with Father because of him. He will not deny me my place yet again!'
'Does he plan to stay? I will not house him if he so insists... That will give him ample opportunity to war with me yet again as he did when I was a child.'
'He probably expects me to disappear again just as his mother forced my mother and me to do all those years ago... Well, he'll see. My mother was a servant. A queen forced into bondage because of that wicked Sarah, but I am not forced under that same yoke. I will make him pay for the disrespect his family did my own. The land to the east of Egypt looked rather homely. I believe I should stake a claim in it now while the opportunity presents itself.'
"...a man of promise, and peace. And now that his life is over, we should all follow in his example and keep that peace so that the God of the dearly departed Abraham will keep His promise with us. Oh, friends, family, and any other er, relations, that have come to pay your respects, I call to you to follow in this holy man's lead. Peace, brothers. That is all that will sustain us as we mourn for the following months. Make peace to rid yourselves of any poison in your heart. Make peace, and that will mend the wounds from your past. And with this, I end once more. Peace..."
Though this sermon for Abraham was aimed at all, the brothers each heard it directly attacking them. Though they would never believe it, they both were one in the same in how they took these words as their immediate response to this call was the incited, hateful promise from each that 'I will never make peace with him!'