Jacob Chanikuzhy

Benjamine Rousewet has this to say about the rectification of the imperfections of the civil courts: “No nation can answer for the equity of proceedings in all its inferior courts. It suffices to provide a supreme judicature by which error and partiality may be corrected.” But, what if the supreme judiciary itself is partial in its attitude and judgements? What if God himself is partial? God of Christians is far from an impartial person. He is partial through and through!

The partiality of the God of the Jews and Christians is evident in several stories in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. God chose Isaac as the son of the promise; and the line of Abraham was continued through Isaac and not through Ishmael, Abraham’s eldest son in his concubine Hagar. Isaac too had two sons – Esau and Jacob. Jacob was tricky and even treacherous. Still God preferred him over the elder son Esau. The specially favoured Jacob had twelve sons and Jacob’s special love for his youngest son Joseph in his favoured wife Rachel was so embarrassing and annoying to the other brothers that they even thought of killing him and finally sold him. Jacob maintained his habit of favouritism by showing special love now to Benjamine. In the divine plan, Joseph’s younger son Ephraim was specially blessed than his elder brother Manasseh. God chose Moses, the greatest leader and prophet in the history of the people of Israel, who was also the youngest among the three siblings – Miriam, Aaron and Moses. Divine favour showered on the youngest is continued in the election of David, the youngest among the six children of Jesse.

In the New Testament the story is not much different. In the story of the prodigal son, the younger of the two sons had gone wayward. But at his return the reception he received from the Father was so stunning that the elder son got completely upset. In yet another story of the two sons, Jesus portrays the second son in a good light (Mt 21:28-32). The idea that the last will be first and first last is repeatedly stated in the gospels (Mt 19:30; 20:16; Lk 13:30).

All these stories of favouritism to the youngest begin with the story of the first siblings – Cain and Abel. Cain was the elder of the two and he seemed to have been faithfully engaged in the task originally assigned to the human beings –tilling the ground (Gen 2,15). However, when he and his brother offered a sacrifice to God, his younger brother Abel’s sacrifice was found favour with God while Cain’s offer was rejected. It is not stated that Cain offered only small, low quality or spoiled fruits and vegetables. Neither is it said that Cain did not offer it with free will. Then why was Cain’s sacrifice unacceptable. Should one think that Israel’s God prefers animal sacrifice and not the sacrifice of grain or fruits?

May be the most plausible answer is that Abel made a selection when he decided to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. From his flock he chose the firstlings and offered their best parts – the fatty portions – to the Lord. That means, Abel offered the best part of the choicest animals of his flock. Nothing of that sort of a selection is hinted with regard to the offering of Cain. It seems that he took something from his garden and offered it to God. Perhaps he thought that God would be satisfied with anything. But, his sacrifice was rejected. Thus, even at the first incident of sacrifice there was an acceptable and an unacceptable sacrifice. The worshipper is called to offer his best to his Lord.

However, the acceptance of Abel’s selective sacrifice does not solve the problem of God’s partiality, rather, it accentuates it. Why was Abel made capable of offering the best and Cain not? Divine favouritism seems to be at work not simply at the outcome of Abel’s act but at its very origin. It is God’s special favour that made Abel do what he did.

As these stories highlight, God of Israel is not an impartial God, but the one who is shamelessly partial. He is the one who openly takes sides with the youngest. The youngest is the symbol of the weakest, helpless, powerless, rightless, dependent, oppressed, harassed, discriminated, undervalued, despised and marginalized. God of Israel is the one who is on the side of the last and the least not because they are morally the best, but because it is they who need God the most.