You are your Brother’s Keeper

Marriage is the most intimate, the closest and the deepest of all human relationships in the world. Next to the bond of marriage, sibling relationships are supposed to be the strongest and the most long-lasting and enduring ties in life. They ought to be a source of support, comfort, solidarity and well-being; after all, siblings grow together under the same roof. They have flowing through their veins the same blood from their common parentage. Therefore, we expect nothing less than the strongest of bonds – bonds of love, affection and friendship between or among siblings. This is the ideal, the norm, the common thread that we would wish to see in all families. Sadly, it is not always the case, as sometimes siblings may become more and more distant from one another. People who were once so loving towards one another become strangers, and in some instances, this antagonism may lead to something far worse. This is the tragic story of Cain and his brother Abel.

In this sermon, we continue our consideration of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4, focusing on verse 9. We consider two questions:

1. God's questing of Abel, "where is Abel your brother?"
2. Cain's question to God, "am I my brother's keeper?"

Listen in, to find out what we can learn from these two questions in Genesis 4:9.