(Note - this year I am participating in a Lenten rotation on Repentance. There will be three sermons on stories of repentance from the Old Testament.)
In the Name of Christ the Crucified +
Lent is a season of repentance. While it is true that every day of our lives we are to be repentant ones, that our baptisms indicate that our lives are ones where we daily repent and die to sin and arise to new life in Christ, during the season of Lent we ponder repentance. We pay special attention to sin, its impacts, and we pray to God that we would be turned from it. And in our midweek services this year, Pastor Wyeth and I are going over some of the great examples of repentance from the Old Testament – where sin is addressed. And for tonight, let's go back almost to the beginning – let's go to Cain.
Now, if I say “Cain” I expect that most of you have rather negative thoughts about him. Cain – he's the first murderer. In many ways Cain is the first villain of the bible. I mean, sure, Adam and Eve sinned... but we can downplay the magnitude of their sin. They just ate something they weren't supposed to – plenty of us eat plenty of things we aren't supposed, no big deal. (Well, it was it, ruined creation – but nevermind that). But Cain – Cain is a killer. And not just a killer – he kills his brother, his immediate family. And it wasn't that there was an argument, it wasn't a crime of passion – it was planned. And what for? Why was there bad blood between Cain and Abel? Because Abel's offering was better than Cain's. Think about that – Sorry, Jim, you put in too much money into the offering – now I've got to kill you. What Cain does is repugnantly evil.
And now, let's begin considering God's response starting at Genesis 4:9 – Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” So God comes to Cain – because that's what God has done in Genesis so far. Whenever there's been sin, there's been God coming to people – Adam,what did you do, Eve what do you do? And God gives Cain a chance to fess up, to admit what has happened. And instead, Cain brushes off God, gives a saucy reply. A reply so backhanded and wrong that the phrase “my brother's keeper” is still a common expression to this day.
So, let me ask you a question. Who is God? What is He like? If you think of God primarily as the Great Punisher, you would expect that God would just drop the hammer on Cain – divine smite. You might expect anger, or that God would match Cain's disdain with an even greater disdain. But is that who God is? That's not who God says He is. In Ezekiel we hear: For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.” Turn. Repent. In 1st Timothy we hear that God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. And I will submit that what we hear from God in His response to Cain and his murdering and his disdain towards God isn't just blanket anger. It's a call to repentance. Listen.
God responds – And the LORD said, “What have you done?” Pause there. If you are responding in anger, if you just want to punish – you don't pause and ask the person a question. You don't ask they what they have done. The LORD God looks at Cain almost dumbfounded – you don't get it Cain – do you realize what you have done? Do you realize the implication, the impact of your sin? And the LORD isn't asking if Cain realizes the how naughty it was to murder Abel – no, there are going to be ripples, consequences of that sin that Cain can't comprehend. The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. The dirt, the ground, that stuff from which I made your father Adam, it hates you. You're a farmer Cain, you work with the ground – and guess what? You were supposed to tend to the soil – instead you watered it with your brother's blood – and so the ground itself will forever reject you. The ground will curse you. When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You're done. Your job, you livelihood – it's over.
Sin has consequences. Sin has ripples. Its impact spreads out. Adam and Eve took down all creation with their sin. God points out to Cain the rippling consequences of his sin. But the same holds true for us. Let's say I'm supposed to work with one of you here on something – and I'm just an utter jerk. Well, the problem isn't just that specific sin of jerkiness – it's going to spread. Anyone else going to want to work with me? Sin never just lives in the present, it expands on into the future catastrophically. And that's what the LORD is spelling out to Cain here – you can't farm anymore, Cain. It just won't work. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth. I'm sorry, Cain – you have just made your life much, much harder.
And then we hear something. Cain replies, and his sauciness, his defiance is gone. Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.” I have made a mess of things, and I am not able to bear, to fix, to clean up this mess. I have unleashed a catastrophe. Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from Your face I shall be hidden. Note what Cain thinks – I'm away from the ground, yes – but Cain adds something. I'm going to be hidden from Your face, LORD. You're not going to want to have anything to do me anymore. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me. That's it – I'm just a dead man walking, simply waiting execution for my crimes that I have done.
And we could end here – say yep, good enough. There's some good old frontier justice, eye for and eye sort of punishment. You're cut off, Cain – and you ought to be. God ought hide His face from you forever, God ought never look at you ever again. Except, that's not what has happened or happens. Then the LORD said, “Not so!” No, no, no. Cain, you blockhead. You're not hidden from My face – I'm talking to you now. And I don't want you dead – if I wanted you dead I would have taken you out Myself. In fact, I specifically don't want anyone else to take you out, and certainly not thinking they're impressing Me if they do so. “If anyone kills Cain, venegeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest anyone who found him should attack him. No – the LORD desireth not the death of a sinner but that they turn and live. And what's happened – Cain has turned, Cain has been repented – God has revealed to Cain the depth and impact of his sin, and Cain confesses that he cannot rescue himself. This is what repentance looks like. And God shows mercy to Cain – God still protects Cain. And Cain, who thinks he's going to have a short and brutal life... lives a long one. Gets married. Kids. Things sort of smooth over – though I'm sure in a horridly awkward way.
But ponder this. God Himself goes to Cain when Cain is at his worst – when Cain is in the midst of being the first great villain of the bible. And God speaks to Cain – He speaks Law, about sin and its consequences. But the LORD speaks Gospel as well to the repentant Cain – I am still your God; I will still protect you. God desired that Cain repent and live.
And what of you, oh Christian? What of you who too needs to repent? Repent of some wretched things – perhaps things you have long buried and refused to address? Things whose consequences you try to ignore? Things which make you think in the back of your head mean that surely God no longer would care for someone the likes of you? Not so! God loves you. Christ Jesus has come to redeem you from your sin and to win you forgiveness. God has put a mark on you – on your forehead, receive the sign of the holy cross to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the Crucified. Yes, your sins are strong, and yes, there are temporal consequences. But the LORD does not hide His face from you – no! He lifts up His countenance upon you, and He gives you the peace that Jesus Himself wins and makes and gives to you. God brings even big sinners to repentance. Christ Jesus came to save sinners, of whom I am the Chief. This is true. Amen. In the Name of Christ the Crucified +
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