Many people believe that in this prelude to the story of the first homicide, God did not accept Cain’s offering because it was not a true sacrifice involving the slaying of an animal as we find in the later Mosaic sacrifices.  According to this view, God had instructed the first man and woman in how to sacrifice when  he made clothing for them from the skins of animals (Genesis 3:21).   But however logical this view might seem, it is, of course, speculative in that the Bible does not say this or even mention sacrificial offerings at all before this point.
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The sacrifices of Cain and Abel described in Genesis 4 are not depicted in any way as being made to cover sin or to seek atonement. In fact, we should note that the Hebrew word used for the offerings of both individuals is not one of the specific words for animal sacrifices found later in the Old Testament; it is minhah – which is usually translated a “gift” or “offering” of any type.

But although this scripture does not clearly indicate that the difference between the two offerings was one of blood sacrifice and non-blood sacrifice, it does give us important clues to what the problem was with Cain’s offering and the lesson we can learn from it.
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First, we should notice that the text tells us that Cain brought “some” of the fruits of the soil as his gift (vs. 3).  There is nothing in the Hebrew to suggest anything special about this offering – the word “some” could connote randomly selected items, or even items selected that were of no particular distinction. 

This is contrasted with what we are told of Abel’s offering – that it was an offering of “fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock” (vs. 4).  In Abel’s case we see that the same word “some” is qualified with “of the firstborn of the flock.”  Giving of the firstborn was a principle that was later incorporated into the Mosaic sacrifices because even apart from any symbolic aspect, to give the firstborn was a greater sacrifice in the sense that it meant those giving the offering had to wait to obtain the next cycle of animals for themselves.

Additionally, we are told that Abel gave from the “fat portions” of some of these firstborn animals. The meaning is clear – Abel was highly selective – he offered the choicest parts of selected firstborn animals as his gift to God – a description which is very different from the fruits Cain offered which were merely “some” of those available to him.  Clearly, Abel’s gift was a generous and appreciatively chosen one, while Cain’s gift was not at all special and possibly even an inferior one.
 
But we must notice that God’s reaction to Cain and Abel was not primarily toward the gift – which would have been the case if Cain’s offering had been of the wrong type – but toward the givers:  “…The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor…” (Genesis 4:4-5).  The Hebrew stresses it was primarily with Cain that God was displeased and this is made clear in the following verses:

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?  If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:6-7).

Genesis 4 paints a picture then, not of improper sacrificial ritual, but of the very different attitudes exhibited by Cain and Abel – between the generous and sacrificial spirit of Abel and the less generous and unsacrificing attitude of Cain.

The lesson for all of us, as we read this story, goes far beyond any point of sacrificial form to one of sacrificial intent.  As always, God looks more closely at the heart of the giver than at the gift.

I’m thinking, of course, about the story of the widow’s “mite.” It’s a story every Christian who has read the New Testament knows, but it’s a story that contains more than we often realize. Both the Gospels of Mark and Luke (Mark 12:41-44, Luke 21:1-4) tell the story of when Jesus saw a poor widow contributing two small “lepta” – the smallest coins in ancient Judea – to the Temple treasury.  Jesus told his disciples: “… Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others…” (Mark 12:43).

We know the poor woman’s gift was more than everyone else had given because she gave more proportionately, giving all she had.  But her tiny gift was also perhaps literally more than all the others had given that day. How could this be?
 
Think about the rain. A single rain drop cannot accomplish much, but if it is the first drop of a downpour it can be the initiator of a flooding rain.  The widow’s tiny coins may have been insignificant of themselves, but they have inspired generations of individuals to give for over two thousand years. In fact, the total amount given as a result of that “drop” may well be many times more than all the money cast into the Temple treasury through all of the Temple’s history.

Going back to our analogy, rains begin when microscopic water particles condense.  When one or two tiny droplets fall, they join with others and become larger and they also bump and jostle other droplets into falling, too.   Our small efforts may do likewise. Sometimes even a single drop of rain waters a tiny seedling and makes a difference.  Even if our giving does not result in a rainstorm of similar actions, it may still have an effect.

It is often said that we should give, but give wisely.  Usually people think that means if we are giving lots of money, we should be careful how we give it. But even if we do not have much to give, it is important to give with careful thought.  If our contributions are of necessity small, we can often enlarge their effect by how or where we give. 

​We do this by thinking how can we give in ways that will inspire and encourage others to give – or inspire and encourage those doing the work that we are trying to support.  Like the widow’s tiny coins, the total value of even the smallest gift may be far greater than the gift itself.

​“Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and turmoil with it” (Proverbs 15:16).

“Less is more and more is less” is a maxim that we see frequently these days. As life in the 21st Century gets ever busier, more cluttered, and more complex, many of us find ourselves wanting less in our lives rather than more, and wanting to focus on what we have rather than what we don’t have. 

“Less is more” is a basic principle anyone can apply and profit from, but for the Christian it has a particular depth of meaning. We can see the underlying principle in Paul’s letter to the Philippians:

“… I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ … Brothers, join in imitating me”(Philippians 3:8, 17).

Paul not only tells us here that he had come to consider everything else besides his relationship with God meaningless, but also he specifically tells us to imitate him in this. Now that does not mean that we have to renounce all worldly possessions, of course.  But once we understand and begin to live the principle of not placing undue importance on “things,” we begin to realize we do not need nearly as much as we might assume.  Not only that, but for those of us who enjoy plenty in many aspects of our lives, also we begin to see many of our excess possessions as things that could help others. 

We are reminded of the words of John the Baptist. When John was asked what people should do to prepare for the Kingdom of God that he announced, he answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same” (Luke 3:11).   Once again, it is a principle that is involved. John’s words did not mean that we should not own more than one set of clothing.  Paul’s own writings speak of parchments and an extra item of clothing he had stored away for later use (2 Timothy 4:13), but Paul didn’t speak of packing crates of extra clothes, either.

If we take the admonition of Paul seriously and begin to follow the principle of John’s Kingdom preparation advice, we see more and more clearly that so many of us need less than we have.   That’s the exact opposite mindset of the prosperity focus that some have chosen to follow, but it is a scriptural approach, nonetheless.
  
What does “less is more” mean in our lives?  Perhaps it means taking the time to go through closets and storage areas once a year, to weed out some of the many extra things we may have gathered, but don’t use, and to donate them to a charity or missionary work. A good rule of thumb is often that if we had forgotten we had something, we probably don’t need it.  Unneeded expensive items can often be sold online with very little difficulty and the money given to a good cause, but even an old pair of shoes we never really wear might look very good on the feet of someone who has no shoes at all.

Ultimately, a Christian acceptance of “Less is More” is all about relearning what we really need, sharing from what we don’t need, and thankfully enjoying what we have.  But the relearning is key. Only as we begin to realize we can live with less – and perhaps help others in the process – do we come to realize that less is more for everyone.