A SERMON from THE ROYAL POINCIANA CHAPEL Palm Beach, Florida Thomas W. Kirkman DD Minister THE FIRST MURDER: AM I MY BROTHER'S KEEPER? Text: "And the Lord said we Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?" (Genesis 4:9 King James Version) Murder is not new to the human race. The first crime was not stealing or lying. It was not rape or adultery. To be sure, all of these crimes quickly became a part of human life. The first crime was murder. That murder was not a random killing. It was not the result of a drive-by shooting. The gun did not go off by accident. One brother, with his own hands, choked the life out of his brother. Our first parents had two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain was the farmer and a tiller of the soil, while his brother Abel was a shepherd and tended sheep. Cain made an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the earth, while Abel offered a first-born lamb. Although the Scriptures do not tell us how or why, Cain believed that God rejected his offering while accepting the sacrifice of his brother Abel. Cain took his brother into the fields and murdered him. The voice of God was heard from heaven speaking to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" Cain answered, "I don't know. Am I supposed to take care of my brother?" (Genesis 4:9 Good News Bible) The King lames Version translates this verse, "Am I my brother's keeper?" In my judgment, Cain's reply to God's question raises three issues. I. THE HALLMARK OF TRUTHFULNESS First, this incident teaches us how to listen for truth. Many years ago, when the Watergate scandal first broke, a good friend and I were discussing the incident. This friend was a lifelong Republican. He was the Republican equivalent of a "yellow dog" Democrat. He was a circuit judge and known for his directness. He said to me, "Nixon is lying!" I said, "Jim, what makes you so sure? Isn't he considered innocent until proven guilty?" When it was all over and the president was found to have lied, I asked Jim, "How could you tell from day one that Nixon was lying?" He replied, "It is simple; the innocent person answers with a 'Yes' or 'No.' The guilty person always answers a question with another question. Nixon could never say just 'Yes' or 'No.'" That is what you find with Cain. The Lord asked where Abel was. Cain replied, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Cain knew where his brother was. He knew the spot where he left his lifeless body. Although he knew the answer to God's question, Cain, like all liars, answered God's question with a question of his own. II. THE BAD BROTHER The majority of sermons preached on these words of Cain affirm that we are our brother's keeper. Many people believe that we are responsible for our brothers. Unfortunately, not all who try to help are good brothers. In fact, some brothers in the name of goodness are bad brothers. Dr. Michael Bauman, Professor of Theology and Culture at Hillsdale College, has published an article entitled "The Dangerous Samaritans: How We Unintentionally Injure the Poor." We have all heard about the good Samaritan. Dr. Bauman suggests that (unlike the good Samaritan) those who would help the needy are often not offering meaningful help. Dr. Bauman writes: "We think that by transferring money as generously as we can to the mothers of illegitimate children, we can soften the pains of youngsters without fathers and of mothers without husbands." Dr. Bauman quotes author Patty Newman, author of Pass the Poverty: "Can you imagine my shock when I went into the welfare department and said, 'Do you mean to tell me that a woman can come in here every nine months and begin to get checks for another illegitimate child?' The welfare man said, 'Oh, no, Mrs. Newman, she has to claim a different man as father every time or else she doesn't get the money.'" Concludes Bauman, "As long as we pay the poor to continue doing the very things that help make them poor in the first place, poor they shall remain."* In the thirty years of the Great Society, we have transferred (in 1990 dollars) 3.6 trillion to the poor and poverty is still winning. One of the great heresies of our day is that giving money to the poor is always a noble and generous act. If our support allows and encourages the poor to stay poor, we are bad brothers. I know that Palm Beach gives more to charity per capita than any city in the United States. The people of the community are to be encouraged and praised. What I see often overlooked is that the gifts are failing to lift the poor out of their poverty. There is more poverty in Palm Beach County today than when I came to this area nine years ago. III. THE GOOD BROTHER We are our brother's keeper; we should be concerned about each other. It may surprise you to learn who Bauman believes is doing a good job of being his brother's keeper. He believes that the late Ray Kroc and Dave Thomas, founders of McDonald's and Wendy's fast food chains, did more for the poor than all the government agencies. These firms have provided affordable and enjoyable meals outside the home, and more importantly, they have given workers entry level jobs which allow experience to be gained and work habits established. Writes Bauman, "You cannot climb the ladder of success without first getting on the ladder." If we are our brother's keeper, our first aim ought to be that of setting him free. We hear a lot of talk today about empowerment, but unfortunately empowerment is defined in political terms. A minority person may be elected to public office, but that is less important than making his constituency self-sufficient. A good brother wants to see his brother grow and become independent. What can we learn from Cain? We can learn that if we have to answer a question with another question, we are running from the truth. Jesus understood this very fact. He told His followers, "Just say 'Yes' or 'No'-- anything else you say comes from the Evil One." (Matthew 5:37 Good News Bible) We are the keepers for our brothers, and they are the keepers for us. John Donne, the seventeenth century poet-preacher, has reminded us that no man is an island-- we are all a part of the continent. Forbid that we should be an Orwellian "Big Brother" who seeks to control others. Forbid that we should be a brother who contributes to our brother's problems. Let us be brothers who seek to lift and strengthen, even as we need brothers who will lift and strengthen us. THOMAS W. KIRKMAN DD THE ROYAL POINCIANA CHAPEL PALM BEACH, FLORIDA FEBRUARY 6 , 1994 * All quotations are from Michael Bauman, Imprimis, January, 1994.