Am I My Brother’s Keeper?

 

In Genesis 4 Cain killed his brother, Abel, and then took on a cavalier and callous attitude in his attempt to cover up his moral bankruptcy. His retort towards God was, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” 

 

 

We’ve all seen the uptick of death, violence, conflict, corruption, callousness, and cruelty in the world. It’s terrible now, just as it was terrible then. God told Cain in Genesis 4:7, “You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” (NLT)

Now, When God asks, “Hey, where is your brother (or neighbor)? He’s missing.”, do we respond like Cain, “Am I responsible for them?”, or do we respond like Christ and take up our cross and stretch out our arms in love?
 
There are a lot of people outside of Christ and being eliminated by the effects of sin and death without any hope or future. Unfortunately, many Christians have an “every man for himself” attitude that seems to reflect Cain.

While we may not be directly wielding a sword or casting stones against anyone, we do need to ask ourselves if we have sinned against our fellow man by omission, standing by in a callous or even disengaged and disinterested, self-centered lifestyle.
 
Currently, there are more people on the outside than on the inside of God’s house. There are empty spaces and missing people. There are nations and people groups that do not know Christ. There are people at our doorstep and in our neighborhoods who do not know Christ. This is a challenge for the “family” of God in Christ Jesus. We are our brother’s keeper. We have the answer for sin and death, no matter where or in whom it crouches.

In Christ we are meant to walk with the same care, concern, and compassion toward our fellow man as Christ demonstrates toward us.

Matthew 22:10 “So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.” (NKJV)
 
God expects a full house, and He commissioned all believers to be messengers of the great news of life in Christ. It is, after all, more blessed to give than to receive. It’s time to turn Cain over in his grave and give life back to our brother.

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