Where is your brother?

“Where is Abel your brother?”

Cain: “Am I my brothers keeper?”

Me: “Yes! Absolutely yes! And of all people, YOU, his only recorded brother so far, should know where he is. In fact, you DO know where he is, you’re just a heartless monster and THAT’S why Abel’s offering was accepted and yours wasn’t.”

You see, 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 contrary to you, but you must rule over it!

We all know how the story went though. You killed your brother. 

I know it.

You know it.

Your Creator knows it. 

Cain: “Then why even ask me?”

Me: “Because your Creator is merciful to you and He is giving you a chance to grieve over your sin, admit it to Him, and turn from your evil ways with a new heart, just like He did with your Dad Adam.”

It’s too late now though because you chose to respond to your Creator with a snarky attitude and a prideful heart, as if He couldn’t and wouldn’t discipline you for your disobedience. 

Yet even in that He was merciful to you but you’re too stubborn hearted to realize it and you think that your punishment was too severe. 

REALLY?!?

Your brother is dead because of you and YOUR punishment is too severe?!?!?

You’re the one who sinned, you’re the one who picked up the stone. You’re the one who hammered your brothers skull with it until the blood poured out and yet you’re the one complaining that the trials you now have to face in this life are too severe?

...le sigh. “Oh, Adam’s sons, how cleverly you defend yourselves against all that might do you good!” (Aslan)

Since intellectual acumen has all but disappeared in today’s age I’m sure I need to explain what this question has to do with us today because rest assured that the questions that our Creator Himself asks in the Bible must be relevant to us today or else they wouldn’t have needed to be written. 

With that being said; Where is your brother?

Men today: “Larry, I’ve never killed my brother with a rock.”

Me: “Well that may be true but our problem goes deeper than that. Have you ever hated your brother in your heart? Remember brother in our context is any other human being because we are all related through Adam.”

Men: “Maybe but surely that isn’t morally equivalent to ACTUALLY murdering someone.”

Jesus: “Actually, it is because I care more about your heart than I do about your outward actions and I’ve seen all of your hearts. There isn’t one of them that’s righteous I assure you.”

Me: “And you (men) know this to be true because we’ve all had thoughts that made us go “eek” or we’ve made moral judgements about the words others speak.”

Men: “So I’m just stuck with this brain that has morally bad thoughts? Why even give me a “bad heart”? How unjust of you Jesus... Checkmate.”

Me: “le sigh...Well it’s too late now because you chose to respond to your Savior with a snarky attitude and a prideful heart, as if He couldn’t and wouldn’t discipline you for your disobedience.

Yet even in that He is merciful to you but you’re too stubborn hearted to realize it and you think that your punishment of a hard life is too severe. 

REALLY?!?

Jesus died and rose again because of you and YOUR punishment is too severe?!?!?

You’re the one who sinned, you’re the one who picked up the nail. You’re the one who hammered your Saviors hands with them until the blood poured out and yet you’re the one complaining that the trials you now have to face in this life are too severe?

That’s what your morally bad thoughts cost. That’s the cost He paid so that even though your thoughts and desires are as sinful as Cain’s, your Creator can be both just and merciful. 

Justice was paid by Jesus so that mercy could be shown to men. 

Your Creator is merciful to you and He is giving you a chance to grieve over your sin, admit it to Him, and turn from your evil ways with a new heart, just like He did with your Dad Adam and your brother Cain.

The reality is that Jesus is our brother and so I’ll ask you one more time; 

Where is your brother? His blood is crying out to you from the cross and you can be released from the sinful curse of Cain by answering that call. 

(Part 2 of my “Questions from the Creator” series)