(With your Bible in your hand), MY BROTHER!
Background for MY BROTHER!
Additionally, MY BROTHER!
Genesis 4:9
However, ‘The Lord said unto Cain: Where is Abel thy brother? And he said: I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? MY BROTHER!’
However, the one who hates MY BROTHER! is in darkness. He walks in darkness and does not know where he goes, because darkness blinds his eyes. 1Jn_2:11.
MAN’S FALL, whatever else it may have been, changed the centre of his being. He was made in the likeness of God.
God’s nature is absolutely selfless. God’s will and purpose was the one rule of man’s existence. The moment came when our first parents substituted self-gratification for God’s will and law.
From that hour the self-life became the dominant principle of mankind. The world is what it is because the essence of life is the service of self.
This truth, MY BROTHER!, shapes our understanding.
We do not know what really caused the difference in the disposition of Cain and Abel.
There are hints and suggestions.
However, the fundamental reason why these two brothers differed so is veiled in mystery.
It still shows itself in our homes.
St. John gives us the clue in his first Epistle.
He says that Cain slew his brother, because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.
God remonstrated with Cain.
He warned him that sin was lying at the door of his heart, waiting to enter.
He exhorted him to watch and not allow it to intrude.
When the dreadful deed was done, Cain found that all nature was in arms against him.
He became an outcast.
The blood of Abel cried against Cain.
For all sin cries to God.
He is the Avenger and Vindicator of wronged ones who have cast themselves upon Him in simplicity and faith.
Thank God.
Moreover, there is a cry louder than Abel’s, which pleads not for judgement but for mercy (Heb_12:24[PS1]).
This world is full of envy, jealousy, strife, and murder. Men guard themselves instead of caring for their brothers. Moreover, our own welfare, not another’s, revolves around the idea of ‘I’. Therefore, the first Epistle of St. John is the opposite of this Genesis story, and contains its corrective. When we love God first and best, we love our brother. As we open our soul to God’s love, we rise above the self-life into true life. 1Jn_3:14-17[PS2].
PRAYER
Our Father!
Help us to consider the interests of others and to act generously towards them.
Moreover, we are Thy children, and Thy infinite resources are at our commands. AMEN.
Evening
“But He did not say a word in answer to her. And His disciples came and asked Him [repeatedly], “Send her away, because she keeps shouting out after us.” ” — Mat_15:23
Genuine seekers who as yet have not obtained the blessing, may take comfort from the story before us. The Saviour did not at once bestow the blessing, even though the woman had great faith in him. He intended to give it, but he waited awhile. “He answered her not a word.” Were not her prayers good? Never better in the world. Was not her case needy? Sorrowfully needy. Did she not feel her need sufficiently? She felt it overwhelmingly. Was she not earnest enough? She was intensely so. Had she no faith? She had such a high degree of it that even Jesus wondered, and said, “O woman, great is thy faith.” See then, although it is true that faith brings peace, yet it does not always bring it instantaneously. There may be certain reasons calling for the trial of faith, rather than the reward of faith. Genuine faith may be in the soul like a hidden seed, but as yet it may not have budded and blossomed into joy and peace. A painful silence from the Saviour is the grievous trial of many a seeking soul, but heavier still is the affliction of a harsh cutting reply such as this, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.” Many in waiting upon the Lord find immediate delight, but this is not the case with all. Some, like the jailer, are in a moment turned from darkness to light, but others are plants of slower growth. A deeper sense of sin may be given to you instead of a sense of pardon, and in such a case you will have need of patience to bear the heavy blow. Ah! poor heart, though Christ beat and bruise thee, or even slay thee, trust him; though he should give thee an angry word, believe in the love of his heart. Do not, I beseech thee, give up seeking or trusting my Master, because thou hast not yet obtained the conscious joy which thou longest for. Cast thyself on him, and perseveringly depend even where thou canst not rejoicingly hope.
Morning
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling or falling into sin, and to present you unblemished [blameless and faultless] in the presence of His glory with triumphant joy and unspeakable delight, ” — Jud_1:24
In some sense the path to heaven is very safe, but in other respects there is no road so dangerous. It is beset with difficulties. One false step (and how easy it is to take that if grace be absent), and down we go. What a slippery path is that which some of us have to tread! How many times have we to exclaim with the Psalmist, “My feet were almost gone, my steps had well-nigh slipped.” If we were strong, sure-footed mountaineers, this would not matter so much; but in ourselves, how weak we are! In the best roads we soon falter, in the smoothest paths we quickly stumble. These feeble knees of ours can scarcely support our tottering weight. A straw may throw us, and a pebble can wound us; we are mere children tremblingly taking our first steps in the walk of faith, our heavenly Father holds us by the arms or we should soon be down. Oh, if we are kept from falling, how must we bless the patient power which watches over us day by day! Think, how prone we are to sin, how apt to choose danger, how strong our tendency to cast ourselves down, and these reflections will make us sing more sweetly than we have ever done, “Glory be to him, who is able to keep us from falling.” We have many foes who try to push us down. The road is rough and we are weak, but in addition to this, enemies lurk in ambush, who rush out when we least expect them, and labour to trip us up, or hurl us down the nearest precipice. Only an Almighty arm can preserve us from these unseen foes, who are seeking to destroy us. Such an arm is engaged for our defence. He is faithful that hath promised, and he is able to keep us from falling, so that with a deep sense of our utter weakness, we may cherish a firm belief in our perfect safety, and say, with joyful confidence,
“Against me earth and hell combine,
But on my side is power divine;
Jesus is all, and he is mine!”
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We give thanks and acknowledgement to Rick Meyers for e-Sword.
P.O. Box 1626
Franklin, TN 37065
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www.e-sword.net
[PS1]Heb 12:24 and to Jesus, the Mediator of a new covenant [uniting God and man], and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance]. [Gen_4:10]
[PS2]1Jn 3:14 We know that we have passed out of death into Life, because we love the brothers and sisters. He who does not love remains in [spiritual] death.
1Jn 3:15 Everyone who hates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is [at heart] a murderer [by God’s standards]; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. [Mat_5:21-23]
1Jn 3:16 By this we know [and have come to understand the depth and essence of His precious] love: that He [willingly] laid down His life for us [because He loved us]. And we ought to lay down our lives for the believers.
1Jn 3:17 But whoever has the world’s goods (adequate resources), and sees his brother in need, but has no compassion for him, how does the love of God live in him?
