March 15th - Reflection

Genesis 4:1-16 (NRSV)
God protects Cain
Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have produced a man with the help of the Lord." Next she bore his brother Abel. 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 said, "What have you done? Listen; your brother's blood is crying out 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 till the ground, it will no longer yield to you its strength; you will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth." Cain said to the Lord, "My punishment is greater than I can bear! Today you have driven me away from the soil, and I shall be hidden from your face; I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and anyone who meets me may kill me." Then the Lord said to him, "Not so! Whoever kills Cain will suffer a sevenfold vengeance." And the Lord put a mark on Cain, so that no one who came upon him would kill him. Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Reflection
Who decides what is good or what is bad? We do it all the time. We decide what is good and what is bad. We judge people based on our decisions. But here, God decides not good or bad, but what pleases him. The Lord had regard for Abel;s offering. He thought highly of Abel's offering. Abel brought of the first lings of his flock and Cain brought of the fruit of the ground. Was it the manner the offering was presented or the quality? We are really not sure, but for some reason God had thought highly of Abel's offering. God can have a favorite after all. It's not a competition here between Cain and Abel. But it seems to have became one when Cain became angry, killed Abel and lied to God about his death.

Sin enters into us through one means of anger. Our selfish pride of seeing someones work honored, leads to the open door of sin and the anger it produced to sneak into our lives. Then when action is taken on that anger, sin controls us, even to the point of murder.

Our separation in sin from God widens as we deny any knowledge. God here chose to protect Cain but Cain didn't feel like it was protection, but rather made him a target and a shame to all the world. We are set out as fugitives and wanderers away from God in our sin. We are lost in our sin.

But thanks be to God, we are marked and still claimed by God. We are also free to turn around a wander back to God. He didn't say Cain couldn't return to him and repent of his sin. God opened the door for the return of man to him by sending his son Jesus to be that man that would lead us all back to the Father.

Marked with the ashes of sin and death, through Jesus coming, life, ministry, suffering, death and resurrection, we are lead back to God in Jesus to be marked with that baptismal cross of Christ forever. It's Jesus that saves us and re brands us with the death tool he died on for us that gives us eternal life with God. We return, through Jesus, to the grace of God in joy and thanksgiving. Marked by the saving grace of God that protected Cain we are marked with the cross of Christ and see the countenance of God shine once again upon us and be gracious to us. The return! Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, cast me not away from your presence...but let the glow of your countenance graciously shine in and through me that I may love those you give me with your love this day. You are God! --- Amen