Cain And Abel - The.. Story Of Every Man Series

TWO REACTIONS THAT ARE SO DIFFERENT.

We don’t know how God made it known to Cain that his offering didn’t find favor with Him. He was far from pleased. In fact we’re told: "So Cain was very angry and his face was downcast." What is to blame is his reaction to the Lord’s response. He wasn’t blamed for his mistake. God asked him why he was angry and upset. He asked, "If you do well, will you not be accepted?" He was told where he’d gone wrong; the responsibility was his; and God said, "You must master it." There’s nothing like a disappointment to bring out our true nature. Our guard is down and our unhappiness becomes obvious to those around us. The "old man" of our evil nature comes to the forefront.

Cain’s anger towards God is then transferred into jealousy toward Abel. "The Cain within us" is seen in our envy of others’ gifts. Cain is seen in our resentment of others’ service to God, especially if they appear to be more successful than we are. How hard it is to rejoice in others’ gifts, when we wish they were our own!

C S Lewis in his "Screwtape Letters", which is the imaginary account of a senior devil giving the benefit of his experience to fellow tempters, has Screwtape saying, "Religion can still send us the truly delicious sins. The fine flower of unholiness can grow only in the close neighborhood of the Holy. Nowhere do we tempt more successfully as on the very steps of the altar."

Any pretence of brotherly love that Cain had for his brother was swept away as a fit of jealousy came over him. But somehow he kept his cool while seething within himself. He was going to deal with this "goody goody" brother of his! Cain didn’t master the wild beast that raged within him. It began to devour him. Resentment and jealousy turned to deceit. "Cain said to Abel … ’Let us go out to the field’ … and he killed him." There were no human witnesses but God saw the horrible act and immediately challenged Cain: "Where is Abel your brother?" The unrepentant Cain answered rather disrespectfully: "I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?"

There’s a powerful drama by J B Priestley titled, "An Inspector Calls". It tells how a young woman died in tragic circumstances. The story revolves around a wealthy home. A police inspector calls and asks to see the members of the family. Every one of them was denying any involvement with the victim. But each of them, in different ways, through uncaring behavior, mistreatment, pride, greed and selfishness had contributed to her misery and eventual death. They are eventually and reluctantly forced to admit to a guilty conscience. They were "my brother’s keeper", just as we are if the "Cain spirit" is in our hearts.

That was Cain’s reaction, but what about Abel? He was dead physically but alive in spirit. Jesus Himself confirmed in Matthew 23:35 that Abel was numbered with the martyred prophets of Israel, and the writer to the Hebrews states: "and by faith he still speaks." The story of his faithful achievement speaks to us today in his Viewpoint of Life, his Motivation for Worship and the Sacrifice he Offered. Abel’s attitude towards life and possessions and his commitment to God in worship speak volumes to us.