Iliff and Saltillo UM Churches
July 21, 2002
“Am I My Brother’s Keeper?”
Genesis 4:9-13
INTRODUCTION: Today’s scripture opens with God asking Cain a question. it was a question that Cain already knew the answer to, but he gave a rather flippant, arrogant answer. God simply asked, “Cain where is your brother Abel?” Cain answered, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
The New Living Translation says, “I don’t know! Am I supposed to keep track of him wherever he goes?”
Cain had an attitude problem. He had a meanie on toward his brother in the first place and took him out in the field and killed him. God was zeroing in on him and putting him on the spot. He’s trying to get away from the pointed question by saying, “How do you expect me to know where he is? Am I my brother’s keeper? Am I supposed to follow him around every minute and know where he is? He’s not MY responsibility!”
I thought that this would be a very easy question to answer, but it is a thought-provoking one. Most people usually give a pat answer on this question.
How many would answer “yes”?
How many would answer “no”?
You probably have a variety of reasons why you answered as you did. Cain’s response to God was one of CALLOUSED INDIFFERENCE all too common throughout the whole course of human history. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” People say, “I’ve got enough to do to look after myself.” On the other hand, many times we quickly say, “Yes, I am my brother’s keeper,” but it turns out to be more of “a duty required but a duty geneerally neglected because of our own selfishness.” Matthew Henry said, “When a person is unconcerned in the affairs of others and takes no care when they have opportunity to prevent hurt--especially in their souls,--that person in effect speaks Cain’s language.”
1. “Am I My Brother’s Keeper?: What is the definition of KEEPER and who is OUR BROTHER? Does it mean taking RESPONSIBILITY for another person? Does it mean like Cain thought, “following him around all day and trying to keep track of what he does?” Does it mean nagging at a person about their bad habits or controlling what they say or do, making their decisions for them, bailing them out of their problems when they make bad choices, lying for them when they are in a pinch or any number of other things?
What does the word KEEPER mean to you?
And just who is OUR BROTHER? Does it refer to a FAMILY MEMBER or to a CHRISTIAN brother or to ANY PERSON as used in the sense of neighbor in the story of the Good Samaritan?
Are we commanded in Scripture to be our brother’s keeper?
These three questions:
1. What does KEEPER mean?
2. Who is our BROTHER
3. Are we commanded to be our brother’s keeper
is more thought provoking than we would think. Does scripture give us insight on these questions?
2. To Be or Not to Be: Should I be my brother’s keeper or should I strictly mind my own business? Well, scripture doesn’t come right out and give a commandment that says, “Thou shalt be thy brother’s keeper” in those words. It is not a part of the Ten Commandments either. Jesus gave a New Commandment in John 13:34 that said, “a new commandment I give you, Love one another as I have loved you so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”
In Matthew 22:38 Jesus answered the question, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment. He replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is love your neighbor as yourself.”
The idea of keeper is to guard, watch, protect, oversee; but it doesn’t mean that we take on ownership for what others should be taking ownership for. We don’t enable people to continue doing wrong, cover for them by lying for them in order to keep them out of trouble. We don’t do for people what they should be doing for themselves. We don’t bail people out of situations time and time again. Sometimes parents do not allow their children to grow up by keeping them dependent upon them -telling them what to do--making their decisions for them. Some people think they are being their brother’s keeper by continually giving advice. We are not our brother’s keeper in that sense.
ILLUSTRATION: There was an EMT who stopped at a little restaurant and while he was there he got a phone call to come out on an emergency run. He asked the person in the next booth to tell the person that he couldn’t come because he was up in a tree trying to get a cat down. Actually he said, “I can’t go because I have been drinking.” So the person said, “He can’t come because he’s up in a tree trying to get a cat down.”
One lie after another was told to “help this poor drunk guy so he wouldn’t get fired.”
After awhile after all this continued they found out that they were on SPY TV and they were set up.
Romans 14:12 says, “Each of us will give an account of himself to God.”
You might say, “Whew, that gets me off the hook then. God doesn’t expect me to be my brother’s keeper.”
In Galatians 6:5 it says, “for each one should carry his own load” but in verse 2 it also says, “Carry each other’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Is this a contradiction? I don’t think so. We are to ASSIST IN HELPING people with their burdens but not do it all. To often we don’t want people to experience pain, we don’t want people to have to face consequences, we make excuses for why people did not take ownership of their own responsibilities. Sometimes we make it too easy for people. At times there is a fine line. How are we then to look at this?
3. Awareness: Cain’s attitude was arrogant, selfish, and calloused toward his brother. He didn’t want to be bothered by anyone else.
Paul says in Philippians 2:4, “each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”
Scripture gives us an awareness of His attitude toward others and it doesn’t let us off the hook concerning our relationship toward others. Paul and the other New Testament writers gives us specific examples of how we are to carry out this attitude of Jesus. Here are some of the various ways:
1. Restore: Galatians 6:1 “Brothers if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him GENTLY.
2. Do Not Be a Stumbling Block: I Corinthians 8:9 says Be careful that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
STORY: Some months after his conversion Stuart Hamblen said: "My greatest stumbling block has not been my old cronies out in the world but the skeptical Christians waiting and watching for me to stumble."
- Robert G. Lee, SERMONIC LIBRARY, p. 9.
3. Warn: II Thessalonians 3:15 “Do not regard him as an enemy but WARN him as a brother.”
4. Generosity: I John 3:17 “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”
STORY: A peasant applied to join the Communist party and appears before the local party secretary to answer questions about his worthiness.
“If you have two cats, will you give one of them away?”
“Yes, I will.”
“If you have two tractors, will you give one away?”
“Certainly.”
If you have two houses, will you give one away?”
“Absolutely!”
“If you have two cows, will you give one away?”
“Oh, no I couldn’t do that.”
“Why on earth not?
The man replied, “Because I HAVE two cows!”
James says, “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food if you of you says, “Go, I wish you well. Keep warm and well fed but does nothing...what good is it? (James 2:16). Do we try to share what we HAVE with one another?
5. Kindness: II Peter 1:7 says, “Add to your faith...brotherly KINDNESS.
STORY: Joe had been away from his family for two weeks and was getting lonesome. As he sat down in a little restaurant to eat, the waitress asked, “What would you like?
Joe said, “I want some lasagna and a few kind words.”
The waitress soon returned with his order, set it in front of him and turned to leave when Joe said, “Say, what about my kind words?”
She laughed and said, “Don’t eat the lasagna.”
6. Encourage: Acts 15:32 says to “encourage and strenthen the brothers.”
Hebrews 10:25 says, “Let us encourage one another.”
7. Pray For: James 5:16 says “therefore confess your sins and pray for each other that you may be healed.
8. ANGER: Matthew 5:22 says “anyone who is ANGRY with his brother is subject to judgment.”
9. FAITHFULNESS: Hebrews 13:1 says “Keep on loving one another.”
10. SERVE: Galatians 5:13 “SERVE one another in Love.
CONCLUSION: Are you your brother’s keeper? What kind of keeping do you do? Nagging, controlling, criticizing, parenting, rescuing, loving praying, encouraging? What brothers and sisters do you keep?
Today what does it mean to you to be your brother’s keeper? Which of your relationships need strengthening or healing?
LET US PRAY:
