Thy Brother’s Keeper

Gen.4:3-9 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

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 master it.” Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let's go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”“I don't know,” he replied. “Am I my brother's keeper?”

Cain is remembered for his sin against his brother, but this week I’ve been reflecting on his sin against God. In the gospels, Jesus was asked a theological question intended to scandalize his reputation as a teacher. The question was, “What is the greatest commandment?” Jesus’ answer has framed what we understand as the essence of obedience: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matt. 22)

Now, back to Cain. After Cain had murdered and put his brother in the ground, God spoke to Cain and asked where Able was. At this point two things stand out to me:

God already knew where Able was. God has a habit of asking questions He already knows the answers to.

God spoke to Cain. Remember God spoke with Cain’s parents nightly in the Garden, but that relationship had ended years ago. It was not a usual event for God to speak. How could Cain have been so flip?

Cain answers, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” And there is the root of Cain’s sin against God. He could not love his neighbor (brother) as himself. All my life I thought that was a perfectly acceptable and reasonable question. Surely we are not responsible for others. Right!?!

Loving your neighbor as yourself means that you do have a responsibility to be your brother’s keeper. We can’t live their life or account for their every moment, but, to the degree we’re able, loving them as we love ourselves means we are our brother’s keeper. Consider that in light of Jesus teaching on the greatest commandment our relationship with God is directly related to our relationships with others.

--Ben