Building Altars
Ministerial Meandering
Building altars
For my 75th birthday, Sheila and I went to hear Jordan Peterson speak at UFV in Abbotsford. His topic was ‘sacrifice’ - after a fashion. For any of you who know Peterson or follow his debates on You Tube, you will be aware that he (like me) meanders around his topics - but in a more erudite way, I think.
Be that as it may, the topic is one which I have been thinking about for some while now - probably because sacrifice is a significant part of the allegorical novel, ‘Hinds feet in High Places’ that I read a few weeks ago.
Peterson’s use of the theme was to emphasize the character of the sacrifice by using Cain and Abel’s different offerings; why should one be acceptable to God, and the other brother’s not? The only difference we are told of is that Cain was a crop grower, and Abel was a shepherd.
When Cain made an offering to God (Genesis 4), he brought some of the ‘first fruits of the soil’, and when Abel made an offering, he brought ‘fat portions from the firstborn of his flock’. Does this mean that God was not a vegetarian, and liked his meat over the choice of mealies and aubergines? Probably not. Peterson suggests that it is more an issue of attitude; come with gratitude and not resentment, and always give of your best. Then, as the story goes, your offering will be acceptable to God, and the aroma from the smoke will be pleasing to Him.
Within the book, ‘Hinds feet in High Places’, there are many little altars built. Each is an offering of something that our heroine has to lose if she is to progress down the path that the Shepherd has indicated for her. For her, these things she has to lose are her negative attitudes; her resentment, her pride, her selfishness, her fear, her anger - and so on. This is completely the opposite of what the two biblical brothers are offering, which is supposedly the best that they have to give. For our heroine it is the worst that she offers up. God destroys her offerings in fire; God accepts the brothers - or not, dependent upon their perceived attitude.
How do we get around this apparent contradiction? On the one hand, God is accepting (or expecting) our very best, and on the other, He is accepting (and destroying) our worst.
Perhaps this is not so difficult to understand. If what we are offering of our worst is something that was very precious to us, then to give it over to God is possibly the biggest offering that we can make. For example, if I really enjoy holding onto resentment for something because it makes me feel self-righteous, or I cannot forego my pride in my ability to trounce any opponent in intellectual argument - then to put those on the altar as my sacrifice for God’s acceptance and ultimate destruction, truly is the very best I can offer.
In this Lent, therefore, it would be well to consider not what fruit, veg, or pork chop you plan to figuratively place on your altar, but rather to determine which of your many unhealthy attributes you really need to let go - and have God destroy. Believe me, He will find the smoke from your relinquished sin far more acceptable than any 5-course dinner you place on the altar table. Think carefully, what did Jesus put on the altar? - if not himself, for all the sins we have - and those of the rest of the world. And how did his Father deal with that offering?
Come to our Easter morning service and find out!
Philip