“And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering He had no regard.” (Genesis 4:4-5).
Though I was born in Australia, and my mother was born in Australia, and my father migrated to Australia about seventy years ago, like the child of migrant families, a part of me will always be a bit Lebanese…
And being Lebanese, some of the cultural heritage of my past will come with me wherever I go.
One of the most important and significant parts of that cultural heritage for me is the concept of “weshbeit”, which is a word that could be loosely translated to mean “duty”. And the way that this works in Lebanese (and Middle Eastern) culture, is that there is a keen sense of duty in relation to various things. For example, if someone visits me when I am ill, it is my “duty” to visit them back when they are ill. If someone who I know dies, it is my “duty” to attend their funeral mass and pray for the repose of their soul.
Now, this duty goes beyond common sense and kindness, it becomes part of the basic essence of human decency associated with the human condition. It is a non-negotiable and something that defines the “goodness” of a person within the culture. Those who take their “duty” seriously are considered better than those who do not.
Now, I am – of course – generalising, but to be honest, in my own limited experience this generalisation is not too extreme…
And this sense of “duty” has been playing on my mind as I have considered the situation of the Pharisees… “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and salutations in the market places.” (Luke 11:42-46).
In ancient times, the Pharisees exacted a tithe of 10 percent of all the Israelites grew and earned to be paid to the Temple. They were great with their “duty” but not so good with the love…
And this reminds me of the story of Cain and Abel… We are told “Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering He had no regard.” (Genesis 4:3-5). And I have been reflecting on why God liked Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s… Was it because God preferred animals to plants? Seems unlikely really because God made animals and plants and considered both GOOD. So what was it about the offering of Cain that caused God to reject it?
Perhaps it was the love with which it was offered? Perhaps – for Cain – there was an absence of LOVE for God?
And I have been reflecting on that today, because I wonder if I am Cain or Abel… I just wonder…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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