Cain and Abel both offered sacrifices to God (Genesis 4:1-4).  God was pleased with Abel’s offering (ver. 4), but He rejected Cain’s (ver. 5).  Why?  The Hebrews writer tells us why when he said, “by faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain” (Hebrews 11:4).  Since faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17), we know that Abel’s sacrifice was according to the instructions that God gave him and his brother.  Cain did not follow the instructions of God, taking his own way instead.  Hence, God rejected his attempt at worshipping Him.

The Bible says that at this point Cain was so angry that his countenance fell (Genesis 4:5).  This anger eventually led him to murder his brother, Abel (Genesis 4:8).  When God confronted him and asked, “Where is Abel your brother?” (ver. 9), he lied, saying, “I do not know.  Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Cain’s name lives in infamy because he will forever be known as the first murderer.  His question, however, though it was asked by him in a contrary fashion, was, in itself, a good question that needs answering, and the answer is yes.

We are our brother’s keeper.  I am talking about our brethren in Christ.  Why?  Because love demands it, and we are commanded to love the brethren (1 John 4:7-21).  How can we be keepers of our brethren?

One way is to care for them.  Paul wrote, “…that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another” (1 Corinthians 12:25).  The word care here means “to be anxious about” or “to take thought” (Strong).  It is the same word that Jesus used in Matthew 6:25 when He said we should not be anxious about our lives, that is, the necessities of life.  When we are anxious about the things that God said He will provide for us, we show a lack of faith, but when we are anxious about our brethren, it shows our love for them and that we realize that we are our brother’s keeper.

If we truly care for our brethren, we will demonstrate it by our actions—actions that are involved in being our brother’s keeper.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 (ESV)
¹⁴  And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

Every local church is filled with members who are in different places spiritually.  Paul tells us what to do with them in certain cases.  If a member is idle, he needs to be admonished.  To admonish means to caution, reprove, or warn, and to do so gently.  Why do we do this?  Because we care for them.

Sometimes brethren become fainthearted.  That is basically referring to those who lose heart because of some condition of life.  They are on the verge of giving up.  They need encouragement from brethren who love them.  Who will step up and do it?  Those who realize that they are their brother’s keeper.

What do we do with weak brethren?  Do we cast them aside as being useless to the cause?  Do we become overly judgmental because we view ourselves as being so much stronger than they are?  No, those are not the actions taken by those who care.  Paul said we are to help them.  The Greek word for “help” means to hold on to and support.  It is what Paul was talking about when he said, “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak…” (Romans 15:1).  Paul’s use of the word “obligation” reminds us that we are our brother’s keeper.

Finally, Paul said that we are to be patient with all.  Being our brother’s keeper is not a temporary responsibility.  Love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).  It is our ongoing obligation to be there for one another in times of need.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.