As I have watched the news over the past weeks, my mind goes back to so many similar photos, videos, and tragic scenes. For over 400 years in this country, The Civil War, Women Suffrage movements. the decade of the 60’s, mass School Shootings to name a few. The needle has not moved extremely far! Yet, the mind of man continues to struggle, argue, and shove its way toward self-created unity.
Genesis 4: 9-14 ESV
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” And the LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
Cain and Abel were brothers, each had a different role to play but each shared the same blood line. Cain lost it and murdered his brother. Cain was now going to be a poor farmer, never to find success from the ground. Cain feared that he would be noticed and murdered. There must have been some trait about Cain that would allow him recognition immediately.
Now that I have linked this passage inside the context of our Nation’s current situation, you may be utilizing your own experiences to formulate what happen between Cain and Abel. In today’s World we are witnessing an erosion of moral authority; first the virus is taking out our desire for Godly authority as we look to science to resolve that issue. Second, we are moving from Police Enforcement to looking at human social training to resolve behavior patterns in our country. In this Blog you may notice that I lean toward a type of training, but one that relies fully on the unity of God’s Spirit being placed inside of us. One that loves first, values everyone, and cares for those who are the least cared for.
With Cain in mind, I would like for us to focus in on the thoughts and emotions that came about once Abel’s offering was accepted and Cain’s was not. The struggles between Humans has been around as long as Sin has been on the Earth. Let me give you a good working definition for Sin, “The desire to control my life, my way.”
1 John 3: 11-15 ESV
For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.
Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
God has given us this message from the beginning of time, “Love one another”! It was Cain who felt superior to Adam. Cain went into the day feeling he had the better offering and should have been honored by God for his actions. Look back in Genesis 4 above, the punishment was that the ground would no longer yield its strength. That makes me believe that Cain was excellent at growing crops before the offering and Abel’s death.
Genesis 4: 3-7
In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of 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 face fell. The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”
“Sin is crouching at the door”. Cain’s desire for acceptance brought about anger instead. He felt his offering was as worthy as Abel’s. Cain had the opportunity to create a new offering, but instead he fell into sin, “The desire to control his life, his way.”
To be Worthy – The definition of worthy is someone or something that has desirable qualities and is entitled to respect or attention. An example of someone who would be described as worthy of an award is a person who has all the qualities required to obtain the award. (from http://www.yourdictionary.com)
Ephesians 4: 1-2 ESV
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Colossians 1: 8-10 ESV
and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
Philippians 2: 1-8
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
We do not have the capacity to resolve the evils of our World within our own ability. Laws do not make us better; they may move us toward some resemblance of civilization. But they cannot resolve the challenges rooted deep within us. We must let go of our desire to control our life and instead we must transform our mind to accept the mind of God. One that is of one mind: having the same love, being in full accord and doing nothing from rivalry or conceit. Let us live in humility counting others as more significant than ourselves.
If you would like to know more about this transforming power in Christ, please let me know by making a comment below.
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