Genesis 4:1-16 – A Tale of Two Brothers*

I encourage you to read Genesis 4:1-16 along with your reading of this blog. Find the NRSV translation of this passage here!
 
            Adam and Eve have been driven from the Garden as a consequence of their rebellion.  They are now wanderers on the earth and in our story for today we see a ripple effect which engulfs the descendents of Adam and Eve.  The story of the brothers Cain and Abel is a story of rejection, jealousy, envy, murder and alienation.  But it is also a story of grace, for in the end, even as Cain must bear the consequence of his rash act, God does not abandon him.  In fact, God promises to be accompany him even to the land of Nod, which is truly at the edge of the earth.  There is no place too far or too distant for God; there is no place too remote for God’s presence; there is no sin which will lead God to completely abandon us.
            It is easy to be distracted in this story by details that are not explained in the text.  Why does God choose Abel’s thank-offering over Cain’s?  There is nothing in the text to suggest that there was anything wrong with Cain’s.  Commentators through the years, including notably John Calvin, have invented all kinds of reasons why Cain’s offering was not acceptable.  But the fact is - this is not explained in the Genesis text.  We can only conclude that this is not an important point for the storyteller.  It is also important to recognize that this inequity mirrors the inequities we experience in our own lives.  Why are some born with certain skills and others not; why do the innocent suffer?  Life can be unfair.  This is the state of life after the fall.  There is no explanation, only a promise: God is present with us no matter what.
Also, other questions we can get sidetracked by: Where did Cain’s wife come from? And where did the people of Nod with whom Cain settles come from?  The text does not answer these questions either.  We need to accept the text as it is and not invent reasons, and also not dwell on these secondary issues, lest we miss the point of the story.
            And what is the point of this story? Working backwards I have mentioned one of the important points above – God is present with us in our wanderings no matter what.  The other main point of the story centers around Cain’s famous question to God: Am I my brother’s keeper?   The answer is – Yes!  We do have a responsibility for God’s wonderful creation, including and especially our brothers and sisters.  As long as we are in enmity with others we will never experience God’s Shalom (peace).  Shalom is a triangle: Brother*/Brother*/God!  Our calling is then to be open to the needs of others and to be willing to reach out of ourselves to give of ourselves for others.  The promise is God’s presence and that in so doing God will grant to us an experience of Shalom/Peace.  This vision of Shalom is beautifully described in our Psalm for today: Psalm #133: How very good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!  It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord ordained his blessing, life for evermore.  
* Please note – the word “brothers” is interchangeable with “sisters.”

Bibliography - "Genesis - Translation and Commentary" by Robert Alter.  This is a wonderful translation.  This is the translation I am using at Peace.
Also see Walter Bruggemann's Interpretation commentary on Genesis; Bill Moyer's conversations about Genesis and Gary Rendsburg's lectures on Genesis (available through "The Teaching Company") 

 This work is by Caspar Luiken, 1672-1708

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Funeral Sermon on John 14

Once more I have had the unpleasant experience of having to listen to a "pastor" expound on the John 14 text in a way which focuses exclusively on "what we get when we get to heaven." Central to this position is the insistence that "you better believe in Jesus - have a personal relationship with Jesus" or else you won't be getting one of those nice mansions." This is not the Gospel and it is not what this text is saying. In fact I find this approach to funeral sermons to be reprehensible as it subjects vulnerable and grieving men and women to a manipulative religious diatribe which is totally irrelevant to the occasion - the loss of a loved one. Not only that, but I have experienced also the dishonesty of evangelical "pastors" enlisting the deceased in their manipulation (e.g. Mildred believed in Jesus so you all should be like Mildred and believe in Jesus). This is NOT the Gospel. This is manipulation and it is irresponsible. So, for al
Read more

Reflections on the text: Genesis 33:1-11

Image
Please note - I am replacing the Lectionary text appointed for Proper 14 with this text. This text is the climax of the narrative we have been hearing for the previous 3 weeks.  I will say that I think it odd that this text was not included in the series of texts appointed this summer.  Leaving the story and jumping to the Joseph cycle over this climactic story is kind of like following Captain Ahab on his quest for Moby Dick and then jumping to a new story just about the time that they lower the whaling boats.  So, here is the climax of the story:  Genesis 33:1-11 Confrontation! As morning breaks Jacob moves from his campsite and there he sees his brother approaching with 400 (armed?) men.   After the experiences of the previous night his fear and foreboding seems to have been replaced with a sense of inevitability.   He spent the night wrestling with an unknown and unknowable assailant and in the morning he has determined that in this assailant he has experienced and come face
Read more

Reflections on the text – “David and Goliath”

Image
Read the text here: I Samuel 17:1-49 Five Smooth Stones* Of all the stories in the Old Testament perhaps there is none which is as well-known and well-loved as this story of the little shepherd boy, David, defeating the big, well-armed Philistine champion Goliath. The entire construct of this story – the little guy defeats the big guy - has entered into our national consciousness and is often referred to when a small community, for example, is able to prevail over some large corporate conglomerate.  But there is a lot more to this story, so much more in fact, that it is impossible in one week to examine the story completely.  In preparation for this week I read a number of articles and sermons – one of the best is an essay on the nature of religious violence: “After He Killed Him, He Cut Off His Head: David, Goliath and Sacred Violence” by Dan Clendenin – find it at: http://www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/20090615JJ.shtml   So, what is your experience with thi
Read more