6 January | EVERYONE
"And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell." Genesis 4: 3-5
The young murderer, as he was taken to jail, simply said, "I did it; I deserve to die." What he did not know, perhaps, is that we all sin and deserve to die. Salvation does not come by works nor by merit, but only by divine grace.
Cain and Abel came before God with their respective offerings. The elder brother was carrying the fruit of the earth, which was the result of his labor and the work of his hands; Abel, on the other hand, brought a lamb. The lamb became a symbol of Jesus, the "Lamb of God" who takes away the sin of the world.
Since the first lamb was sacrificed to provide its skin to prepare tunics to cover human nakedness, to the story of Cain and Abel, and later through the daily sacrifices of the people of Israel, the life of the lamb was given to wash away, symbolically, the sin of human beings.
The message is clear: There is no life without blood. No salvation without a lamb.
Abel understood the message and brought a lamb to the altar. Cain believed that the fruit of his hands and his good works would be enough to atone for his sins. The outcome was sad. God accepted Abel's offering but rejected Cain's.
One of the lessons of the story of Cain and Abel is this: Do not try to draw near to God by bearing the fruit of your efforts to earn salvation. Our righteousness is like filthy rags.
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Behold Jesus, know His love, become acquainted with grace, and you will be free from the worst inclinations of your heart. Spend time alone with Him, and then you will come to recognize Him in your peers.