Two brothers set off to a field to do the labor of that day. One was Cain, a gardener. He was a worker of the ground, following in Adam’s footsteps, and truly his father’s son. Cain was the firstborn son, a high honor in the first family. Could he be the long promised Seed born of a woman who would save them from their sin? The other brother was Abel, a lowly livestock worker, one who raised sheep and cattle to provide meat and make a suitable offering unto the Lord.

In this trip out to the field, brotherly love and affections gave way to jealousy born in distress. Cain rose up and murdered His brother Abel. Blood was shed and stained the earth from which Cain raised up his offerings.

Both brothers, Cain and Abel, were born and raised in the one same faith. Both made sacrifices from their goods accompanied by the spiritual offering of prayer from their lips. The Lord looked favorably upon the choicest offerings Abel gave in humble faith, but the Lord disregarded the fruits Cain offered in self-righteous pride. The Lord heard the prayer of Abel, but Cain’s prayer He did not hear, because his heart was not right before God.

Two brothers, be it by blood or not, yet both sons of the Israelite nation, went up to the temple together. The first man was a most favored son of God’s chosen people- a Pharisee, righteous in his own keeping of the law. He kept account of all of his tithing and fasting. Is there any doubt that he would receive a most favored place in heaven?

The second man was a tax collector- one of the most despised professions of the time, a job that implied and thrived upon theft and greed. He came to the temple with nothing but downcast eyes and clenched fists made ready to beat his own chest in shame. What business did he have in even entering so holy a place?

Both brothers, the Pharisee and the tax collector, made confession before God. The Lord looked favorably upon the humble tax collector, yet the Pharisee’s confession He rejected. The Pharisee had created a superficial lifestyle of admiration from others with the assumption he was fulfilling God’s Law.

And yet it was the Pharisee who killed his brother the tax collector, even as Cain killed Abel. The Pharisee looked down upon and despised this brother. He killed him by slandering him and hurting his reputation. The Pharisee did not show God his sins, but tried to show the sins of the tax collector to God. And yet, we cannot condemn this Pharisee of his sin, because we can and do also point out everyone else’s sins and mistakes.

We must not condemn the Pharisee in the parable, but this Pharisee, the one who dwells within each and every one of us. This Pharisee is the hardest one to recognize, for a Pharisee is always looking at other people and looking down on other people. We size ourselves up by comparing ourselves with other people. We find ourselves to be bigger and better than others.

Most of us find contentment in seeing someone who is less than ourselves. We are pleased when our house and our paycheck are bigger than some else’s. When things go wrong in life, we find consolation in knowing that someone out there has it worse than we do. No matter how bad it gets there’s always someone to look down upon. We yearn for excellence in ourselves which raises us above others. If we are mighty in stature, we scorn the small and weak. If we are bright and intelligent, we make fun of the slow learner. If we are caring and compassionate, we resent the hard and tough one to love.

When we do feel inferior to anyone on one point, we are quick to point out the other area on which we are vastly superior. Although someone else may have more time, we have more money. If they have a perfect marriage, we have an exciting and fulfilling career. We would be miserable if there was no one to look down upon - no one to be superior to - in order to make us more pleased with ourselves.

There is a Pharisee in all of us. How often do we look at other people and find them to be inferior to us? How often is a Christian considered to be no more than someone nice, decent, and to be admired? Such morality and self-righteousness block us off from God and His presence for us. By such an attitude, we anger God, and by good works we cannot deceive Him. By sin we ignite God’s anger, but by good works we merit nothing. If you claim your rights and desserts from God, you will get them, that is, you will get nothing, and that will be the end of you.

Besides the Pharisee, there was someone else there that day; call him the tax collector if you must. There was someone there that day that stood in the presence of God and he knew it. He was afraid. He didn’t dare go into the church. That was for the good people; the people who tamed and controlled god. This man knew he didn’t belong in church so he stayed outside. He didn’t know how to pray in lofty phrases and long heart-felt ballads. He merely knelt down and told the truth about himself in the presence of God. He was a sinner. God’s mercy was his only hope.

It is good for us to see this picture of ourselves: in sincerity, we say as the tax collector did, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.”

And we are still sinners. Yes, we also killed our brother, even Christ Himself. Our Lord offered perfect worship to the Father and exposed our self-righteousness and phony morality. Now we ask God not for justice, but mercy. Jesus is the mercy for which we plead. By his blood are we given life. Even as,

Unlike Abel’s death resulting in the mark of a curse and estrangement from God for Cain, Jesus death brings life eternal and the blotting out of each stain of sin. For our hatred, He gives love, for our murder, He gives life. Jesus is the answer to our need for mercy. He is the propitiation for sin. He is our Peace with the Father. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, even our sin.

Therefore, King David declares in Ps. 32: “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile.”

The Peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

✠BJF✠