Am I My Brother’s Keeper?
“Am I my brother’s keeper?” is the retort of many siblings when asked by mom and dad, “Where’s your brother?” or “Why did you let your sister do that?” It’s a flippant remark used to deflect responsibility and blame. The question was first asked by Cain when God asked him where his brother Abel was.
Genesis 4 records the whole story. Cain and Abel present their offerings to God (4:3-5). God accepts Abel’s offering, the firstborn of his flock, but God rejects Cain’s offering of fruits of the field. When Cain became angry, God promised him acceptance if he did what was right, indicating Cain understood his responsibility. Instead of repenting, Cain falls into a downward spiral.
He focuses on himself and his failure.
He becomes angry at God’s rebuke.
He compares himself to Abel.
He envies the recognition Abel received.
He ignores his unique role as an elder brother.
He murders his brother.
In Genesis 4:9, God asks Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?”
Cain starts with “I don’t know,” but he then continues his response with “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Cain was wrong because he lied to God. Cain knew where Abel was or at least where Abel’s body was. But the lie was not Cain’s most critical mistake. He erred on a deeper level when he implied having no responsibility for his brother. The following verses reveal that Cain did, indeed, have a responsibility for his brother.
Genesis 4:10 tells us the voice of Abel’s blood cried out to God from the ground. The voice of the one who had suffered injustice cried out to God.
The story of Cain and Abel is found in the first chapter of the Bible. In the last book, Revelation, God prophetically enables the Apostle John to hear other voices crying out—voices from every people group in the world. In chapter 7 these voices are not crying out from the ground or crying out for justice, but they are crying out in worship around the throne of God to the Lamb who had given His life for their redemption.
It’s God’s design and desire for voices from every tongue and tribe to form a choir of worship to Him, but today many of these voices are still missing from the choir. While every tongue and tribe will be represented around the throne, many voices still have not been given an opportunity to know the Lamb and to join the choir singing His praise.
We are our brother’s keeper. We have been commissioned to make disciples of all nations. We have a part in helping the voices of the unreached sing the glories of God. As John Piper shares, “Missions exists because worship does not.” Many voices designed to worship God have not been given the opportunity to cry out in praise to Him. As our brother’s keeper, we have a responsibility to invite the unreached to the heavenly choir.
Why is it that 2000 years after Christ gave the Great Commission so many voices are still missing from the choir? Why is it that so many people groups remain yet unreached with the gospel?
Perhaps we are more like Cain than we want to admit. Perhaps we need to get our eyes off ourselves and what we want. Perhaps we need to stop focusing on ourselves and our failures. We need to stop comparing ourselves to others and envying others for the recognition they receive. Perhaps we need to stop being angry at God for the state of the world and realize that He has given us an assignment of discipling all nations and inviting them to worship around the throne.
Will we overcome our self-centeredness?
Will we stop blaming God for our lack of obedience?
Will we stop our comparisons and envy of others?
Will we conquer our desires to be noticed?
Will we recognize our unique role as the Church to be a reconciler to God?
We are all our brother’s keeper. As Christians, we have the responsibility of sharing the truth of Christ with every nation. As we one day join with every tongue, tribe and nation around the throne, may we rejoice in the efforts we made to ensure that voices from every people group on earth had the opportunity to sing in the choir to Lamb who is worthy!