What more does God want of us? In the first reading today (Genesis 4:1-15, 25), the story of Cain and Abel, no one really knows why God was pleased with Abel’s meat offering and was not pleased with Cain’s offering of the fruit of the earth. Perhaps there is something “more pleasing” about a blood offering than an offering consisting of the fruits of the soil? Think about it. What happens during the Mass. We, through our priest and through Christ, take products that are made from grain and fruit and offer them to God, just as Cain did. But consider. First they must be converted, “transubstantiated” into a blood sacrifice of flesh and blood. So maybe a meat offering is more pleasing to God.
But I don’t think that is the reason God rejected Cain’s offering. I think the difference between the offerings of the two brothers was in their hearts. Cain’s offering was not accompanied by love or faith. The scripture hints that Cain waited until he was sure that there would be enough of his crop left for himself: “in the course of time Cain brought an offering to the Lord . . .”. No faith was involved on Cain’s part. Enough “time” had passed that his crop was now sure and certain. His crop was most likely already in the barn. He probably thought to himself, “I’ve now got plenty for myself, so I’ll take a little to the Lord as an offering.”
Abel, on the other hand, gave his offering in faith. “Abel, for his part, brought one of the best firstlings of his flock.” Before his “crop” had grown enough to assure his sustenance into the future, he gave his first-born fatlings out of faith that God would provide later. Abel took a risk and gave abundantly, without knowing for sure that there would be anything at all coming for him later. He did not know that any more animals would be born, but he had faith.
Cain’s offering did not please God, I believe, because it simply was not made in faith. Abel’s offering did please God because it was made in faith.
We know the rest of the story. Cain was very angry and “his face was downcast. . .” He later murders Abel. For spilling his brother’s blood, God condemns Cain to a life of wandering. In some respects, because of our own lapses in faith, we all are like Cain, wanderers, seeking our way in a world where sin and evil are real.
Let us now move to today’s Gospel reading (Mark 8:11-13). By the time of the encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees described in today’s gospel, Jesus had performed numerous miracles and works of power. Yet the Pharisees were not satisfied. They wanted something more, something on a grander scale perhaps. “For those with faith, no proof is necessary. For those without faith, no proof is sufficient.” Mark’s gospel, the shortest of the four, presents the deeds and words of Jesus in a succinct manner, but not to the exclusion of details. Today, we are given Jesus’ verbal response to the Pharisees, but not before we are given a clue as to Jesus’ inner reaction to their request.
“He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, ‘Why does this generation seek a sign?’” He sighed from the depth of his spirit. Was his sigh the sound of disgust? Of impatient anger? Of dismissal?
I believe that the groan in the heart of Jesus is the sigh of rejected love. It is like the pain of parents who desire so much for their child, but who experience the rejection of their love and the poverty of waiting for a child to awaken to love and to receive rather than reject all that they offer. The child makes demands but remains blind to love.
The heart of Jesus, full of divine love, comes to call everyone to “believe in the gospel,” the good news of the nearness of the Kingdom of God. But for that good news to be received, a change of heart is necessary: “Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Jesus groans and sighs in the face of rejected love. His heart will not rest until those he calls respond to the love he gives.
In the light of today’s gospel, we might ask: where do I insist on having proofs of God’s power according to my way of thinking? Where might I be blind to the already-present power of the Kingdom of God? In what way may Jesus be sighing in the face of my rejection of his love and presence?
May God Bless You and Grant You His Peace!