After Adam and Eve sinned, God made a promise that He would send a Savior. In the Old Testament era, salvation was through faith in the coming Savior, just as we are saved through faith in our Savior who already came.
Well, in due time, Eve conceived and bore a son. They named their son “Cain” which means “acquired.” Eve said, “I have acquired a man, namely, the Lord.” Eve thought that Cain is the promised Savior. Eve, then, bore another son. They named him “Abel” which means, “vanity” as in meaningless.
There are several differences between Cain and Abel. Cain worked the soil, but Abel raised livestock. Cain tried to win favor with God by his work, but Abel won favor with God through faith in God’s promises. Cain was unrepentant, but Abel was repentant. Cain was full of pride, but Abel was humble. God had regard for Abel and his offering, but He had no regard for Cain and his offering.
Why? Why did God have regard for Abel’s offering but not for Cain’s offering? Hebrews 11:4 says that Abel gave an offering through faith while Cain did not. In other words, Abel gave an offering for the right reason, whereas Cain did not. Abel’s offering showed that he was thankful to God, whereas Cain’s offering did not. Abel’s offering showed that he believed in God’s promise to send a Savior, whereas Cain’s offering did not. Abel comes seeking refuge in God’s mercy, while Cain did not. In the end, Abel went home justified through faith in the coming Savior.
In our Holy Gospel for today, we also learn that there are several differences between the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee tried to win favor with God by his work, but the tax collector won favor with God through faith in God’s promises. The Pharisee was unrepentant, but the tax collector was repentant. The Pharisee was full of pride, but the tax collector humbled himself confessing that he is a sinner.
Why did God have regard for the tax collector but not the Pharisee? The tax collector prayed with faith in a merciful God on account of the animal sacrifice in the temple, whereas the Pharisee did not. The tax collector believed in a merciful God, whereas the Pharisee did not. In the end, the tax collector went home justified, whereas the Pharisee did not.
God knows all things. He can look into our heart, and see unbelief, pride, idolatry, anger, lust, gossip, covetousness, and the list goes on and on. God can see whether there is a proper attitude of repentance and faith or not. So, for us to go through the motions of church and have no faith does us no good. None of us can fool God. None of us can justify ourselves before God.
Well, Cain was more than just angry. The Hebrew text says that he was very hot. You could probably see the steam come out of his ears. He was angry toward God and his brother.
God cared about Cain and so He warned Cain of his sin. He told Cain that sin is crouching at his door.
God cares about you and me. So, He warns us of sin. Sin desires to control us. It wants to be our master. It thirsts for our soul. It is like an evil demon. It is like a dangerous beast waiting to pounce on us. By God’s grace, resist such temptation and remain faithful.
It is as if God said, “Cain, I have always been gracious and merciful to you. I am the one who has blessed your crops. If you live a life of repentance, then salvation through faith in the promised Savior will continue to be yours. You will, then, want to do what is right. But if you let sin prevail, it will surely destroy you. I love you Cain, therefore, I am warning you against sin which wants to overtake you.”
Cain should have said, “God, you are right. I am sorry for not regarding you as the only true God. I am sorry for making myself an idol god. I need your help. I cannot master sin by myself. Please, keep me strong in Your Word. I pray that my love for you would not grow cold. Forgive my sin on account of the coming Savior.”
But Cain never prayed this prayer. The prayer that Cain never prayed, the tax collector prayed. It is as if the tax collector said, “God, I am sorry for all of my sin. Be merciful to me a sinner. On account of the animal sacrifice just made in the temple, don’t be angry at me but forgive me.” The tax collector recognized his sin. He was repentant and he received mercy from God.
We also should pray, “Lord, God heavenly Father, sin is crouching at my door. There are times when I gave in. My thoughts and desires have been soiled with sin. I am sorry for all of this and ask for grace. I want to do better. On account of your Son and the sacrifice he made upon the cross, have mercy upon me.”
And He does. Your sin is forgiven because of what Christ did by His death and resurrection. God is gracious and merciful toward you because of Christ’s atoning sacrifice upon the cross. In Christ you have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins (Eph 1:7).
Cain and the Pharisee neglected to confess their sin. They failed to seek forgiveness from God. Woe to us if we ever neglect to confess our sin. Woe to us if we fail to seek forgiveness from God.
Well, Cain planned ahead of time what he would do to Abel. It is as if Cain said, “Abel, my brother, come out to the field with me. I have something to show you.” Abel had no idea what was coming up. Suddenly, Cain rose up against his brother and killed him. This is the first murder recorded in Scripture.
Cain broke the fifth commandment. What is the Fifth Commandment? You shall not murder. What does this mean? The Small Catechism says that we should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body but help and support him in every physical need.
Abel’s life had value because God created him in His own image. Cain had no right to take Abel’s life. Your life has value because God created you in His own image. God loves you. You have a purpose in life. Your neighbor’s life has value because God created them in His own image. We don’t have the right to hit them, to abuse them, or to harm them physically or emotionally. Even the baby in the womb has value because God created the baby in His own image. Even school children singing in a religious service in Minneapolis have value because God created them in His own image.
May God give us the ability to speak out for those who cannot speak. May God give us God fearing leaders who will protect the rights of all both living and those in the womb.
May God give us the ability to love and to care for our family and our neighbor. May we not harbor anger or hatred in our hearts against others. By God’s grace, may we treat our neighbor with kindness and compassion. Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
In a way, Abel’s death and Christ’s death are similar because both shed blood and both were victims of anger from their own brother. But Christ’s death was different than Abel’s death because Christ’s death was an atoning sacrifice for the sin of the whole world. Christ’s death was the payment for your sin and mine. Jesus willingly went to the cross for our salvation, whereas Abel knew nothing of his oncoming death. Stanza four in the Lenten hymn, “Glory Be to Jesus” goes like this, “Abel’s blood for vengeance; Pleaded to the skies; But the blood of Jesus; For our pardon cries” (LSB 433).
God knows exactly what happened to Abel. He asked Cain, “Where is your brother?” God invites Cain to confess his sin, and to seek forgiveness. God wants Cain to repent. But Cain lied. He said, “I do not know where he is; am I my brother’s keeper?”
Well, yes, Cain you are your brother’s keeper. You are supposed to love and care for your brother.
So also, we are supposed to love and care for one another. We are our brother’s keeper. We are to help our neighbor. We are to speak the truth in love toward others. We are to help those in need. We are to love the neighbor. We should even pray for our enemies—pray that they be converted with faith in Christ.
After Adam and Eve sinned, God promised to send a Savior. God fulfilled this promise by sending His only-begotten Son. Jesus was born of a woman—the virgin Mary. Jesus was human like us, yet without sin. He came into our world to be our brother. He came to pay for our sin. He came to rescue us from death. He came to defeat our enemy the devil by crushing his head.
Unlike us poor sinners, Jesus was sinless. Sin did not rule Jesus. But rather, Jesus bore the sin of the whole world. He bore the sins of Adam and Eve, of Cain and Abel, of the Pharisee and the tax collector. He bore the sins of the extortioner, the unjust person, the adulterer and the murderer. He bore all of your sin and mine.
Like Abel, Jesus was a Shepherd. Like Abel, Jesus was the obedient Son, faithful, and innocent. Like Abel, Jesus’ blood soaked into the ground. Cain’s offering was rejected, but Jesus’ atoning sacrifice was pleasing to the Father. There on the cross, Jesus truly tithed giving all of Himself as a righteous sacrifice.
Everyone who humbles himself will be exalted. Jesus humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death upon the cross. Therefore, the Father exalted His Son and raised Him from the dead. Jesus was raised for our justification.
Abel humbled himself. Abel went home to heaven justified. He was declared righteous through faith in the coming Savior.
The tax collector humbled himself. He confessed his sin and trusted in the mercy of God. Therefore, he went home justified. He was declared righteous through faith in God’s mercy.
You humble yourself in confession. You trust in God’s mercy through His Son. You are justified not because of righteous things you do, but because of the righteous works of Christ. You were baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ. You were redeemed with the blood of Christ. Jesus gives you His body and blood for the forgiveness of all your sin. The Word of God, the Gospel, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer all help us to resist the threats against sin.
Thanks be to God for giving us life and for sustaining life with daily bread. Thanks be to God for giving us saving faith in Christ.
May God keep us faithful to Him and to Him alone. May God always keep us in repentance and in faith in the forgiveness of sins. May He continue to bless us with the Gospel and Sacrament so that we may be a blessing to others. Amen.
