Diving Into the Process

One of the things that sticks out most prominently about the theologians’ version of the earliest part of the Bible is their musings about why Abel’s sacrifice was acceptable, while Cain’s was not.  Certainly a bias in favor of blood sacrifice seems to be detectable in the text, although the theologians must admit that a bloodless sacrifice was perfectly acceptable.  Abel’s sacrifice is described more explicitly than Cain’s—what with the first-born of the flock and their fat as well—but any pointedly-intended praise of Abel’s sacrifice (if it is relatable to the subsequent instructions to the Hebrews) would have emphasized that it was “without blemish.”

There does not seem to be anything wrong with Cain’s sacrifice (which, in its vegetarian essence, would not have the same oomph as Abel’s.)  In truth, we do not know why Abel’s sacrifice was accepted, and Cain’s was not.  Most importantly, we can never know with certainty what would make any person (or any person’s efforts) acceptable.  “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?” was certainly a good question to be asked of Cain, but it tends toward a challenge to Cain to “do what is right,” not to opine about what is acceptable to God.

Similarly, statements from Jesus are best understood as challenges, not as postulates for our examination.  The idea of us as “the salt of the earth” is just one of a galaxy of gospel statements that are gazed at by theologians in light of notion of salvation/justification, but we must ask a pertinent question: Of what profit is it to us to understand (as though ever we might) the connection of “losing one’s saltiness” to ultimate salvation (or the possible loss thereof) if we can never know how “salty” we are, or whether or not our “saltiness” is still sufficient?

We are participants in the salvation process (or else all opining is without substance).  We are not observers of the salvation process.  Any notion of the course of our participation (e.g. “roused, readied, reaped”) is only of value if we dive into the process, not hover above it.