The Heart Behind The Gift: Lessons From Cain And Abel

We are currently in the season of Lent, the forty days leading up to Good Friday. One important aspect of Lent is its emphasis on sacrifice.

It recognizes that choosing to do something out of the ordinary— restraining ourselves, setting aside a common pleasure, or adopting a new spiritual discipline—can help refocus our hearts and minds on the Lord.

By intentionally creating space through self-denial, we become more attentive to God’s presence and more aware of our dependence on Him.

Of course Lent is the period of time that also marks the last 40 days of Jesus ministry on earth.

So there is a certain seriousness and solemnity in this time when we choose to sacrifice something relatively small and simple compared to the ultimate and world-altering sacrifice of Jesus when he suffered and died for us on the cross.

So we’ve been looking at various Biblical characters and the sacrifices they made to God, all of which were, it could be said, indicators of the state of their hearts and their relationship to God.

Last week, Pastor Miguel walked us through Abram—later Abraham—and what his offering revealed about faith

And today as you’ve seen we’re going to focus on the story of Cain and Abel. Let’s read this again together:

Genesis 4:1 Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man." 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

As we read, Cain kills Abel and gets banished from the Garden of Eden. A bad day in anyone’s books.

As with a lot of important things, you’ve got to look at the details if you’re going to figure out what’s going on.

There was a distinct difference, a huge difference between the offerings and the attitudes of these two brothers. What kind of difference was it? It was a heart difference.

To put it simply, Cain brought some produce. Abel brought his best. Cain brought a casual offering to God. Abel put a lot more thought into it. I imagine these guys thinking to themselves.

Cain: “I’m really super-busy with these crops, but I'm supposed to bring something to God today. I’ll grab something from the field on the way. God will understand”.

Abel: “God is awfully good to me. How can I express my gratitude? What’s the best I can give my God?

“I know. I’ll take the firstborn, my first success among my flock this year.

“I’ll take it and sacrifice it and bring the tastiest portions to God. That might start to show a little of how grateful I am to God for all He’s given me”.

Abel brought a generous offering, one that reflected his hard labour in caring for his flock. He brought his firstborn. His firstfruits.

Cain fulfilled a duty and brought an obligatory or a ‘required’ offering to God. He brought what he had to bring. The sense I get is that for Abel, there was worship in the preparation and in his intention and in his following through with his plans.

Scripture often gives us “types”—real people whose lives become patterns. Adam points forward to Christ. Abel becomes the pattern of faithful worship and innocent suffering. Cain becomes the pattern of jealousy and unrepentant violence.

Their story isn’t just history. It’s a mirror.

Now, maybe you think this is being unfair to Cain. Maybe Cain’s attitude and intention was just as pure as Abel’s. We don’t need to look hard, though I think, to get a good look at Cain’s heart.

3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

In his jealousy at God looking with favour at Abel’s offering and not his, what does he do? Does he reflect on WHY God saw Abel’s offering as favourable?

Does he take this as a learning opportunity? “Hmmm...Our Creator prefers that more thought and feeling be put into worship. Yeah, I guess I did just grab some veggies on the way to worship - my heart could have been in it more.