Gen 4:3-5a “In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel brought fat portions of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering. But on Cain and he offering he did not look with favor.”
In Cain’s case he brought just your average ho-hum offering. Abel brought the best of the first that he had. Not surprisingly God preferred Abel’s offering. The question becomes what does this action say about each person’s heart. Abel was one who wanted to worship the Lord, while Cain took his relationship with the Lord casually. As we know from the previous post Cain got offended when his casual approach didn’t pay off. Then things got uglier from there.
Here is another similar story. One person giving an offering to the Lord and someone else with different priorities getting offended and committing murder (or at least assisting one).
Mark 14:3 While he [Jesus] was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, ‘Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.’ And they rebuked her harshly. ‘Leave her alone’ said Jesus. ‘Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. . . . . . .Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.’”
People with right priorities toward the Lord, inevitably offend those with less than ideal priorities. Offense in us is a sign that our priorities are off somehow. Offense at us is a sign that we just might be doing the right thing; of course there are plenty of bad ways to offend people too. If we are following the Lord as we should, be assured that not everyone will like us.
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