Many times we are upset and angry with God for not accepting our sacrifice! Our thoughts are always self centered - self justification of the task we have "sacrificed" for God's sake. The tireless effort, the sleepless nights, the fleshly endeavor for perfection and the list go on and on....
It is interesting how God dealt with one such person. His name was Cain, if fact we all can easily relate to him and most of us will have pity for him too. Probably we would championed his cause against God's action. He worked hard on the land and toiled on that which God had cursed. As Abel did, he too desired to offer to God a sacrifice.
Most of the initial historical encounters with God would have been passed on by word of mouth by Adam and Eve. Both Cain and Abel would have been told the story of how God had clothed their parents with the sacrifice of His own creation. This offering denotes God's preference which Abel discerned. Abel's sacrifice included death of the firstlings of the flock and of their fat portion!
In the New Testament we see in Hebrew 11 that Abel acted in faith in obedient response to what he had discerned of God's Word or His nature. Cain on the other hand didn't discern and became angry with God for not accepting his offering. The warning by God that, "sin is crouching at the door and its desire is for you, but you must master it", was not heeded to by Cain.
This led to hate and eventually murder, the first man to be killed by another in God's creation. Our Lord Jesus Christ too was killed but He chose to lay down His life for mankind. We are called to discern and be like Christ, to love others and to lay down our lives for them.
The test of Godly sacrifice is when I can say to my brother I will lay my life down for you. This does not mean words only but action like what Jesus did!
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