Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground.  In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So, Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.  The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen?  If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.” (Gen 4: 2b-7, NewRSV)

God accepted the offering of Abel, but he did not favour Cain’s offering. As a child, I used to think that God probably likes lamb chops and steak more than fruits and vegetables. Some of you may have other ideas such as Abel was God’s favourite or God prefers shepherds more than farmers. God accepted Abel’s offering because Abel understood the heart of God and he understood the condition required to come in the presence of God. To enter in the presence of God, one had to be purified of sin and a price paid for the atonement of one’s sin. The blood of an animal was shed as an atonement for sin and it was acceptable to God, as one cannot wash away the stain of sin, except through the blood of the lamb, and Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God. Abel, with his offering, symbolically presented the prophesy which was yet to come, Jesus Christ our sacrificial Lamb, and his offering was pleasing to God.

Cain, on the other hand, brought the produce of his work as an offering to God, which symbolised the labour of his hand, his self-righteous and was despised by God, because our self-worth does not cleanse us from unrighteousness, nor does good work earns us our salvation. Cain brought his self-worth as an offering and it was despised because self-worth is worthless in the eyes of God. We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away (Isa 64:6). Abel, on the other hand, pleaded to be cleansed by the blood of the lamb. He came in humbled, acknowledging his unworthiness and seeking the presence of God, through the redemption of a blood sacrifice. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace (Eph 1:7). God calls Abel righteous, because He found his worth and salvation in the blood of the lamb. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith he still speaks (Heb 11:4).

When you enter in to the Holy of Holies, in the presence of God, to worship, what kind of an offering do you bring to the Lord? Do you enter God’s presence washed by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, or do you bring in your self-righteousness and your good deeds? Do you come with a broken and repentant heart or do you come with pride and a self-made halo around your head? The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise (Ps 51:17). 

Whenever our gaze in on our deeds, God’s favour will not be upon us. Either we will think too good about ourselves or we will be downtrodden by our unworthiness. However, if our gaze is on our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and on His blood, shed for our sins on Calvary, we will not be focused on our good deeds, because we know that God alone is good. We will not be focused on our wrongdoings either, because we know that the blood of Jesus has washed away every stain of sin.

Heavenly Father, we come in your presence in the name of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ. All that we can offer is all that you have already given to us. The sacrifice we bring to you is our brokenness and a heart humbled in your presence pleading for your mercy. We pray that your blood may cleanse us and sanctify us and make us acceptable to be in your presence. Amen.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Rom 12:1).

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