Offerings

"He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself." Paul (Hebrews, 7:27)

Human beings, as a rule, feel rather comfortable in an opulent home, under a sky of blue.

Meanwhile, when the difficulties surge they immediately seek out someone to substitute them in places of boredom and pain. They often pay a heavy price for this escape, and indefinitely postpone the beneficial experience to which they were invited by the hand of the Father.

It is because of this that the religious leaders of all times, establish complicated problems with the offerings bestowed by the faithful.

In the primitive rituals there was no hesitation in sacrificing the young and the children.

In the course of time man reverted to sacrificing sheep, bulls, and goats in the sanctuaries.

For centuries the habit of offering coins, precious objects, and riches endured, which were delegated for service of the worship.

But, with all these demonstrations, the human being seeks only to incur individual favoritism from God, as if the Father were so inclined with earthly matters.

The majority of those that make material offerings, do not act in this manner in the places of worship due to their love of the divine work; but rather, with the deliberate purpose of buying favors from Heaven, excluding themselves from their personal inner edification.

However, in this sense the Christ provided a most precious response to the students of the world. Far from arguing over any prerogatives, He did not send any substitutes to the Calvary, nor animals to be sacrificed in the temples; but rather, He personally embraced the heavy wooden cross, sacrificing Himself in favor of His people, thereby demonstrating that each of His followers shall be compelled to offer his own personal testimony at the altar of his own personal life.

XAVIER, Francisco Cândido. Our Daily Bread. By the Spirit Emmanuel. Spititist Alliance for Books, 2003. Chapter 139.