Thursday, February 27, 2020

Abel... the first martyr?

4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. (Hebrews 11)
The writer jumps from creation to Abel, which in itself makes a statement: Adam is not a "hero of the faith", having left instead a heritage of succumbing to the Fall.  Abel is more than a victim.  It is encouraging to find him in this list, as we often jump over his body to get to the next "big" hero, Noah.  But Abel does speak to us of true faith, which is found in simple obedience: he gave God what God desired. His quiet life speaks volumes. You don't have to be a big and loud voice or personality to be a great example of faith.  Simply put, Abel did "die for his faith", his trust and commitment to God and His will.  May we find in his life, and death, a call to simple trust and obedience to God in every point.

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