Cain

How can I ask God for EVERYTHING if I only ever agree to give Him SOME THINGS?

Cain and Abel (Titan)

I have often heard the story of Cain and Abel.  After both brothers provide sacrifices and offerings to Our Lord, it is Abel’s offering that is more favourably received than Cain’s.  As a result, Cain in a jealous rage kills his brother and the first murder is committed.

“Now Abel became a shepherd and kept flocks, while Cain tilled the soil. Time passed and Cain brought some of the produce of the soil as an offering for the Lord, while Abel for his part brought the first-born of his flock and some of their fat as well. The Lord looked with favour on Abel and his offering. But he did not look with favour on Cain and his offering, and Cain was very angry and downcast. The Lord asked Cain, ‘Why are you angry and downcast? If you are well disposed, ought you not to lift up your head? But if you are ill disposed, is not sin at the door like a crouching beast hungering for you, which you must master?’ Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let us go out’; and while they were in the open country, Cain set on his brother Abel and killed him.

  The Lord asked Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ ‘I do not know’ he replied. ‘Am I my brother’s guardian?’ ‘What have you done?’ the Lord asked. ‘Listen to the sound of your brother’s blood, crying out to me from the ground. Now be accursed and driven from the ground that has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood at your hands. When you till the ground it shall no longer yield you any of its produce. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer over the earth.’” (Genesis 4:1-15).

I have considered these two brothers for some time.  You see, Abel gave a lamb, and the lamb was killed, and the entire offering became the property of God.  But Cain gave gifts of the land and of those gifts, Cain would still be able to produce from the sacrifice that he made.  In other words – he gave ungenerously.  He did not give in entirety.  He gave enough but not enough for it to hurt him.  And because his sacrifice was the lesser sacrifice, it also garnered the lesser favour from God.

And this caused me to think…  If I spend all my time hold back ungenerously so that God only gets the bits and pieces that are left over, then I just wonder if there will ever be a chance for me to please Him.  After all, how can I ask God for EVERYTHING if I only ever agree to give Him SOME THINGS?  How can I – miserable creature that I am – make demands on the Almighty Creator of the Universe, if I am not even capable of actually giving Him a complete sacrifice – in its entirety?

And then – miserable creature that I am, no better than Cain – I have the audacity to complain about things…  Poor God.  Poor, poor God…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.