Thoughts for the Day

Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. The Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.'

Cain said to his brother Abel, 'Let us go out to the field.' And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain. 'Where is your brother Abel?' He said, 'I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?' ....

And the Lord put a mark on Cain, so that no one who came upon him would kill him.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

We see after their expulsion from the Garden of Eden that Adam and Eve have two children, Cain and Abel. But Cain is jealous of his younger brother Abel. Why does God not accept his offering? Perhaps he offered the minimum he could, rather than Abel who offered the best? His response to God, "Am I my brother's keeper?" is a sentence we all know well. He rejects the notion that he should be concerned about his brother.

But the point of this story is that God says that he is responsible for his brother. Our New Testament also teaches us that we are responsible for others. Is that not the purpose of the parable of the Good Samaritan?

And the 'Mark of Cain'? It's surely not a mark to show he was a murderer, but a mark to show he belonged to God. An example of this is how we are marked for God at our baptism perhaps as a baby. God reaches out to rescue us even before we are able to repent!

Lord God,
teach us that we are
responsible not just for ourselves,
but also for others.
Also teach us to turn to You,
even when we have made mistakes,
knowing that whatever we have done,
when we repent You are there
to welcome us once more.
Amen.