6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”[d] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. (Genesis 4:6-8)
We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. (1 John 3:11b-16)
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.]”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ (Luke 10)
(Cain kills Abel- Jan Van Eyck 1432)
Thoughts: The New Testament contrasts Cain vs. Love. Cain's murder came from his anger and jealousy. If we hate our brother or sister (1 John says) we are a murderer. God even warned Cain to not let his emotions become action. Jesus says if we are angry with our brother it is breaking this commandment. But Jesus gives us a positive example to follow- the Good Samaritan. Not only was he not angry or hateful to his Jewish enemy, he went out of his way to help him. So we are called to love our neighbor- as Christ loved us.
Prayer: Give me grace to not be like Cain, but to be like you, Lord. Give me grace to love and not let my anger, hatred, and jealousy control me. But let love fill every cell, every atom of my being.
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