The God of Cain

My Bible reading today included the story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-16). If you are not familiar with the tale, here it is in brief: Cain and Abel are the first offspring of Adam and Eve. Cain is a crop farmer and Abel is herdsman. When the time of harvest comes, both men bring an offering to God. God likes Abel’s offering but not Cain’s. Cain reacts by killing his brother, and God exiles Cain from his family and God’s presence. As a life-long church attendant, I know the story and sometimes skim over it. Yet this time I purposely am focusing on the text and looking for what God wants to show me in His word. So I noticed what a whiner Cain is.

First he sulks because God honors Abel’s offering (his first and best portion) and not Cain’s (not his best). God tries to reason with Cain on this issue, but Cain doesn’t repent. He kills his brother in jealousy. So when God calls him on this latest sin and exiles him, Cain again whines against his punishment. “It’s too harsh!” “I’m gonna die!”

Notice how God responds to this sinful, pathetic man: He places a warning mark on him so that others will be punished if Cain is killed. God doesn’t tell him to “man up” or “you made your bed, lie in it.” No, God sets a mark of protection on him. Yes, Cain has sinned, but God still cares for him! Cain didn’t get what he deserved – death for a death. Mercy again in the first chapters of the Bible, the Old Testament.

Cain was under the old law of the time. He was exiled from God’s presence because of his sin, but God put a saving mark on him.

Under the new law, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we don’t have to wander in exile because of our sin. Through His death on the cross, when we seek forgiveness or repent of our sin, His sacrificial blood offering wipes us clean of our sin. We can return to the Father’s presence and stay there.The God of Cain, who placed a mark of protection on him, is merciful to everyone who seeks Him.

And I have to wonder, was that mark on Cain perhaps the shape of a cross?

I AM

"When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, and they took a boat and were going across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and still Jesus had not [yet] come back to them. Meanwhile, the sea was getting rough and rising high because of a great and violent wind that was blowing. [However] when they had rowed three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and approaching the boat. And they were afraid (terrified).

But Jesus said to them, It is I; be not afraid! [I AM; stop being frightened!]

Then they were quite willing and glad for Him to come into the boat. And now the boat went at once to the land they had steered toward. [And immediately they reached the shore toward which they had been slowly making their way.]" - John 6:16-21

What a jewel within a familiar tale of Jesus! Jesus is crossing atop the water to the beleaguered boat full of His disciples. Amidst the wind and storming waves, their leader approaches in a manner outside their understanding. Other versions say they feared He was a ghost.

Then He reveals Himself: "I AM; stop being frightened."

I AM, God's simple and succinct and profound name for Himself. Is any other clarifier needed? I AM creator, provider, protector, almighty, incomparable, unchanging, love everlasting...

I AM.

Solid, faithful and steadfast. No need to fear, I AM more than anything. What reassurance in the midst of an unnerving storm! God reminding who and what He is.

But this is Jesus speaking, revealing Himself not only as Son of God, but Emmanuel, God with us.

I wonder, did the disciples feel an outpouring of peace as their Prince stepped into the boat? Did the wild weather fade out of their awareness as they took in His words?

Is this not how Christ comes to us in our trials and storms? Walking into our circumstances unaffected and master of them. Reaching out as we flounder, probably praying, "HELP!!"

How often does He need to hail us with a reminder of Who He is when we are buffeted and focused on our struggles? Or is it just me that gets swamped in this life? And, like the disciples, need a few moments to move from "what now" to "oh thank you, Lord," to "welcome aboard, Captain!"

It doesn't say, in this version, that Jesus calmed the weather. No, only that suddenly they could quickly reach the shore they had been battling unsuccessfully toward. Safe harbor.

To me this was a delightful story for this Advent season as I prepare to celebrate the coming of Jesus into the tempest-tossed world, to welcome once again the Prince of Peace who tells us, "Fear not! I AM here with you."

I'm a collector of Scripture verses; what verses remind you that God is with you and you need not fear?

Blessings,

Becca

Do Lord, Remember Me

Recently I played a children's CD of Christian songs, and my older granddaughter began humming to the gospel song "Do, Lord". As I began singing along with her humming, I recalled where the lyrics come from: the crucifixion scene where Christ is nailed up between two thieves. I shared that with Kat and suddenly got all broken up in the middle of it. A sensitive child, Kat got teary too, confused about my tears.


But I wasn't sad or in pain, and I quickly reassured her. My tears were simply a sign of the vast joy upwelling in my soul, my extreme thankfulness for Jesus' action on the cross and for the pardon He gave the second thief. The saving grace He made available to all of us.

So I hit the replay button, and we sang it again.

Luke 23:39-43
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

I cannot remain unmoved when I think about all that Jesus did for me. What an awesome, marvelous gift!

"Do, Lord, O do, Lord, O do remember me," rings out the old gospel song. And He does.

Thank you, God!

Bring Forth Fruit

[Jesus said] “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” – Luke 7:41-48

“Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with your repentance.” – Matthew 3:8

“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” – Luke 3:8-9

“But made known openly first of all to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and throughout the whole land of Judea, and also among the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works and live lives consistent with and worthy of their repentance.” – Acts 26:20 (The apostle Paul is defending himself to Agrippa, speaking of his ministry.)

That the Word of God is a dynamic living thing is never more apparent to me than when the Holy Spirit gives me two or more seemingly unlike Scriptures. I had been looking for the source of the phrase “He who is forgiven much, loves much.” I ended up with the Scriptures above.

Then I found this quote from a Psalms of Ascent’s blog entitled “He Who is Forgiven Much, Loves Much” by Father Rick. He says, “The one story that will be told everywhere is one that says where there is greater debt, there is greater forgiveness.” Father Rick is of course speaking for the woman washing Jesus’ feet. The one forgiven much, loves much. So what comes of that love? The “fruit in keeping with repentance". This flows together for me with a surety of truth from deep within my spirit, but I’m not sure I’m explaining it well.
Repentance --> Forgiveness --> Love --> Fruit

In my old perspective, the Scriptures from Matthew and Acts sound like a balance sheet idea: I've repented "X" amount so I need to produce "X" amount of fruit. But God’s does not keep such a balance sheet. There are no merits or demerits He’s tracking over our lives. He pours out His grace, covers all our sins, forgives all the moment we repent.

Then God pours His Spirit into our hearts, now empty of sin and quickened with thankfulness. His Spirit mixes with our new love to flow out in acts of love and grace, the fruit spoken of in the passage. The more you love God, the more you are aware of His great gift of forgiveness, then the more you are motivated, inspired even, to pour out that love onto others.

What then messes up this flow and keeps us from being fruitful all the time? What prompted Jesus and Paul to exhort us to do good works in keeping with repentance? I say it is our flesh, our old nature so prone to sin that gets in the way. Just as fatty deposits - plaque - can build up in our veins and arteries, restricting - even blocking - the flow of blood so vital to our bodies, so sin blocks the flow of spiritual vitality and renders us fruitless.

But God is faithful! His Spirit is not taken away, just the flow diminished or blocked. Believers once again can repent and be forgiven, fall in love and be fruitful again.