My brother's keeper. Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Vorobyovy Gory
Am I my brother's keeper?
Am I my brother's keeper?
From the Bible. The Old Testament (Genesis, chapter 4, v. 9) gives this answer of Cain, who killed his brother Abel, to the question where his brother is.
Encyclopedic Dictionary of winged words and expressions. - M.: “Locked-Press”. Vadim Serov. 2003.
Am I my brother's keeper?
In the biblical story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:9), these words are spoken by the fratricide Cain in response to God’s question about Abel.
Dictionary of catch words. Plutex. 2004.
See what is "Am I my brother's keeper?" in other dictionaries:
Am I my brother's keeper?- wing. sl. In the biblical story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:9), these words are spoken by the fratricide Cain in response to God’s question about Abel... Universal additional practical Dictionary I. Mostitsky
According to the Bible (Book of Genesis, Chapter III), the eldest son of Adam, who killed his brother Abel. K. committed the first crime on earth - fratricide, and his name is associated with “the first death on earth”, the first grief of a mother who lost her son. The Bible talks about this... Literary encyclopedia
My Sister's Keeper Title page of the first edition ... Wikipedia
In the Bible, two brothers, sons of Adam and Eve. According to the Book of Genesis, Cain was history's first murderer and Abel was history's first murder victim. Hebrew name Cain reveals similarities with the verb kana (to bring into being), used by Eve, who said: ... ... Collier's Encyclopedia
- (ancient Hebrew קין) Gender: Male Interpretation name: “Create” Occupation: Agriculture, Town planning Father: 1) Adam, or 2) Samael, or 3) the evil one (devil) M ... Wikipedia
Main article: Gargoyles (animated series) The animated series “Gargoyles” is conventionally divided into two parts: the original “Gargoyles” (65 episodes, season 1 13 episodes, season 2 52 episodes) and “Gargoyles. The Goliath Chronicles (13 episodes), created without Greg Wiseman. Description... ... Wikipedia
1) eldest son of Adam and Eve. His name, first mentioned in Genesis 4:1, is associated by researchers with the verb kana (to acquire, to obtain). After his birth, Eve said: I have acquired (Heb. kaniti) a man from the Lord. K. became a farmer. Lord... ... Brockhaus Biblical Encyclopedia
And the Lord said to Cain: Where is Abel your brother? He said: I don’t know; Am I my brother's keeper? Ps.9:13 Ps.115:6 ... Bible. Dilapidated and New Testaments. Synodal translation. Biblical encyclopedia arch. Nikifor.
- (acquisition) (Gen.4:1, 9, 1John.3:12, Jude.1:11, Heb.11:4) the name of two persons and the name of the city: a) The eldest son of Adam and Eve, brother of Abel. I received a man from the Lord, Eve said after his birth (Gen. 4:1), i.e. acquired that deliverer... ... Bible. Old and New Testaments. Synodal translation. Biblical encyclopedia arch. Nikifor.
Am I my brother's keeper?
“God hates to see a person who cares only about his own good and turns a blind eye to the interests of his neighbors.” -Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p. 137.
“By helping others, they themselves become happier and increase their usefulness.” – Adventist House, With. 485.
“Only a life of service brings true happiness.” –Sons and Daughters of God, p. 272.
Where are the others?
- How did Cain answer the Lord's question about where his brother was? What does the Lord say about those who do not want to care about other people?
Life 4:9; And the Lord said to Cain: Where is Abel your brother? He said: I don’t know; Am I my brother's keeper?
Ps. 9:34, 35;
Why does the wicked despise God, saying in his heart: “You will not require it”?
35 You see, for You look upon insults and oppression, to repay with Your hand. The poor man betrays himself to you; to the orphan you are a helper.
Jacob 4:17 So, if anyone knows to do good and does not do it, it is sin for him.
“They [some church members] don't seem to care or care whether these orphans are saved or lost. They think it's none of their business. Together with Cain they say: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” – Adventist House, With. 168.
“Everywhere we are surrounded by people who need to be saved, people who are dying; we find them everywhere - at our doors, around us - men and women dying without hope, without God, but for some reason we still do not feel interested in their salvation, and if not in words, then in our deeds we seem to say: “ Am I my brother’s keeper?’” – ( Review and Herald, August 14, 1888) Christian service, With. 93.
- Should we care only for ourselves, or is it our duty and privilege to be our brother's keeper?
Phil. 2:4 Not only does everyone care about himself, but everyone also cares about others.
Rome. 15:1 We, the strong, must endure the weaknesses of the powerless and not please ourselves.
Ezek. 34:6 My sheep wander on all the mountains and on every high hill, and My sheep are scattered over all the face of the earth, and no one spies for them, and no one seeks them.
"Brothers and sisters! Has the question ever arisen in your heart: Am I my brother's keeper? If you claim to be children of God, then each of you needs to be your brother's keeper. The Lord has instructed the Church to take care of souls for whom it can be a means of salvation" ( Historical essays, c. ). ...
The world praises people who gave their lives to save others and calls them heroes and martyrs. How should we, who have the hope of eternal life, feel if we do not make even the small sacrifices that God requires of us for the salvation of human souls" (The Review and Herald, August 14, 1888)" - Christian service, With. 13, 93, 94.
The meaning of brotherhood
- What is said about humanity despite the fact that we come from different races, nations, languages and cultures? Who are we all, therefore, according to creation?
Acts 17:26 From one blood He brought forth the whole human race to inhabit all the face of the earth, having appointed predetermined times and limits for their habitation,
Small 2:10 Don't we all have one Father? Didn't God alone create us? Why do we act treacherously against each other, thereby violating the covenant of our fathers?
Acts 7:26 The next day, when some of them were fighting, he appeared and persuaded them to peace, saying: you are brothers; Why do you offend each other?
“God does not recognize national, racial or social differences. He is the Creator of all mankind. All people are one family through both creation and redemption. Christ came to destroy all the walls dividing people, to open all the spaces of the temple, so that every soul would have free access to God. His love is so wide, so deep, so complete that it penetrates everywhere. She snatches from the arms of Satan the poor souls deceived by his tricks. She brings them to the throne of God, a throne illuminated by the rainbow of promise.
In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free. All were made close by His precious Blood (see Gal. 3:28; Eph. 2:13).
Whatever the differences in religious beliefs, the call of every suffering person must be heard and must not go unanswered. Where there are bitter feelings arising from differences in religious beliefs, the role of personal service to people is great. Such heartfelt service breaks down prejudices and wins souls to God.” Christ's Object Lessons, With. 386.
- What vast meaning is contained in this great truth? What does it primarily mean to be your brother's keeper?
Col. 3:14 Above all, put on love, which is the sum of perfection.
Gal. 5:14 For the whole law is contained in one word: love your neighbor as yourself.
“Everyone into whose heart God’s love is poured out in abundance will reflect the purity and love of Jehovah as revealed by Christ in our world. A person in whose heart God’s love lives is not hostile to God’s law, but voluntarily obeys all His commandments, and this is Christianity. He who loves God above all else will also show love to his neighbors who belong to God - both by right of creation and by right of redemption. Love is the fulfillment of the law, and the duty of every child of God is to obey His commandments...” Sons and Daughters of God, p. 51.
Love and the Gospel Message
- What is the main evidence that our hearts are truly filled with love for our fellow men?
Phil. 1:14, 17
And most of Some of the brothers in the Lord, encouraged by my bonds, began to preach the word of God with greater boldness and fearlessness.
17 But others out of love, knowing that I am appointed to defend the gospel.
“People who are willing to leave their farms, their businesses, and if necessary, their families, are called by God to become His missionaries. And His call will not go unanswered. In the past there were people, moved by the love of Christ and understanding the needs of the lost - they left the comfort of home and the company of friends, and sometimes even wives and children, to go into foreign lands and preach the Good News to idolaters and savages. It cost many their lives, but others took their place and continued the work they had started. Thus, step by step, the work of Christ advanced, and the seed sown in sorrow brought forth a bountiful harvest. The knowledge of God spread to distant places, and the banner of the cross was raised in pagan countries. ...
Paul's heart burned with love for sinners, and he did everything to win souls. History has never known a more selfless and persistent worker. He regarded the blessings he received as great benefits to be shared with others. He did not miss an opportunity to talk about the Savior or help those in trouble and moved from one place to another, preaching the Gospel of Christ and creating churches. Wherever he found listeners, he opposed untruth and directed people to the path of righteousness" - Acts of the Apostles, p. 370, 367.
- Treating our neighbor as a brother, what desires will fill us?
Titus 3:8 The word is true; and I want you to confirm this, so that those who believe in God will try to be diligent in good works: this is good and beneficial to people.
Gal. 6:10 So, as long as we have time, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who belong to our faith.
1 John 3:17 And whoever has wealth in the world, but, seeing his brother in need, closes his heart from him - how does the love of God abide in him?
“We are commanded to “do good to all, but especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). In our charitable work special assistance should be given to those who, because of the truth presented, have believed and been converted. We must show concern for those who have the moral courage to accept the truth and thereby lose their position, or for those who are denied work to support their families. We need to take action and help the deserving poor, find work for those who love God and keep His commandments. They should not be left without help, so that they are not faced with a choice: work on Saturday or starve. … It is this category that the Lord takes special care of when He says: “Bring the wandering poor into the house” (Is. 58:7).” -Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 85.
- Can we neglect this holy principle or delay its implementation? What is promised to all who love their brothers?
Jacob 2:15, 16
If a brother or sister is naked and has no daily food,
16 And one of you will say to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and nourished,” but will not give them what they need for the body: what good is it?
Matt. 25:41, 45
Then He will also say to those on the left side: Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
45 Then he will answer them, “Truly I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.”
Acts 20:35 In everything I have shown you that, while working in this way, you must support the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, for He Himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
“Every neglect on the part of those who call themselves followers of Christ, every unwillingness to supply the needs of a brother or sister who bears the yoke of poverty and oppression, is recorded in the heavenly books as manifested towards Christ in the person of His saints. What kind of retribution awaits the Lord for those many, very many who bring the words of Christ to people, but do not show tender compassion for a brother in faith who is less successful and prosperous than themselves..." -Ministry of charity, With. 210.
“True happiness is found only in service. A person who lives a useless, selfish life is unhappy. He is dissatisfied with himself and everyone around him." -In the heavenly abodes, With. 229.
For further research
- 1 Cor. 10:24
- Matt. 25:42-44
- Is. 58:10-12; 20:35
“Happiness, which is sought for selfish reasons, refusing to fulfill one’s duty, cannot be durable and strong. It quickly passes, and the person who was looking for it is left alone and sad. But serving God brings joy and satisfaction." Path to Christ With. 124, 125 (1892); Mind, character and personality, vol. 2, p. 644.
“But remember that you will not find happiness by isolating yourself in communication only with each other, ... Take every opportunity to contribute to the happiness of those around you. Remember that true joy can only be found in selfless service." –Healing Ministry, p. 362.
Soul winning
I met a Christian merchant who was being visited by a broker who was selling goods from a catalogue. One day the trader said to himself: I have been dealing with this broker for nine or ten years, and we have met almost every day. He brought me his goods and I paid for them, but I never tried to do anything good for him. It is not right. Providence has placed him in my path, and I must at least ask if he loves Jesus.
Now when the broker came next time, this respected brother thought that now was not a good time to begin a religious conversation. But the broker did not come again. The goods were delivered by his son. "What's happened?" - asked the merchant.
“Dad died,” the boy answered.
This merchant, a close friend of mine, told me a little later: “I will never be able to forgive myself for this. That day I couldn't stay at work any longer. I felt responsible for this man's blood. I never had a single thought about this before. How can I get rid of the feeling of guilt when I remember how my stupid shyness shut my mouth?
Dear friends, we are responsible for our brothers, for their lives, for their future, for their salvation. Do not be tormented by terrible repentance, but speak to them, help them, give them a message, and it will be a blessing to yourself also. –Adapted from C.H. Spurgeon , quoted in A. Lerin, 500 Ilustraciones, № 485.
After being expelled from paradise, Adam and Eve began to have children: sons and daughters.
They named their first son Cain, and the second Abel. Cain was engaged in farming, and Abel was engaged in raising livestock.
One day they made a sacrifice to God as a sign of love, submission and thanksgiving. Cain is the fruit of the earth, and Abel is the best animal of his flock. Abel was of a kind and meek disposition, he made a sacrifice from a pure heart, with love and faith in the promised Savior, with a prayer for mercy and hope for the mercy of God; and God accepted Abel’s sacrifice - the smoke from it rose to the sky.
Cain was of an evil and cruel disposition. He made a sacrifice only according to custom, without the love and fear of God. The Lord did not accept his sacrifice; smoke from it spread across the ground.
The Lord did this as an instruction that sacrifice to God should be combined with the inner sacrifice of a good heart and a virtuous life.
Seeing that his sacrifice was not accepted, Cain became angry with his brother and began to envy him. His face darkened. The Lord, seeing Cain’s embitterment, turns to him as to his own son, but standing on the edge of an abyss, warning him against the already planned fratricide.
If you do good, don’t you lift your face, and if you don’t do good, then sin lies at the door. He attracts you to him, but you dominate him.
Life 4 - 11 With these words, the Lord shows that every person, even with such inclinations as Cain, can become a righteous person.
But Cain did not heed God’s admonition and, calling Abel into the field, killed him. Then the Lord turned to Cain, wanting him to repent, and asked him: “Where is your brother Abel?” But the devil finally took possession of Cain’s heart, and he boldly answered: “I don’t know; am I my brother’s keeper?” This denial of guilt no longer gave hope for correction.
Then God said to him: “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the earth. For this you will be cursed, and the earth will not bear fruit for you, and you will wander the earth.”
The severe punishment broke Cain's tenacity. He began to ask that someone who met him would kill him. But this desire, caused by despair, was criminal and therefore could not be fulfilled. As a punished murderer, Cain should have served as a warning to others. His drooping face, distorted by villainy, served as a sign so that no one would kill him, neither wild beast nor man.
Great was his crime and the insult inflicted on the purity and holiness of love. But, despite this, there were people who decided to follow Cain into exile.
This story opens up two paths for us: the path with God and the path without God, the path of goodness and love and the path of evil, pride and tyranny. One leads to eternal life- another to death...
Human life is a gift from God, therefore a person has no right either to take his own life or to take it from others. Taking the life of a neighbor is called murder and is one of the most serious sins.
...And God gave Adam and Eve another son. Their joy was immeasurable. In the hope that he would not be like Cain, but would replace Abel, he was named Seth, which means “foundation” - the foundation of a new humanity, peaceful, pious, in which there will be no fratricide and malice, which for centuries will return step by step to the road of the righteous, leading a person through overcoming sin to God.
“Sunstroke” by Nikita Mikhalkov has been in theaters for a week now. And on Sunday, October 19, the Russian premiere of “White Nights of Postman Alexei Tryapitsyn” by Andrei Konchalovsky will take place on the First. Vasily Koretsky - about what is bad about one movie and what is good about another.
The blue scarf is spinning and spinning. It flies out the window of a white ship, flies up to the mast to the groans of passengers, and soars next to painted seagulls to the sound of a silver synthesizer. And behind the scarf, a good fellow in a white jacket gallops along the decks, almost slips, makes stupid faces, looks around awkwardly, touches passengers and rigging: oh, oh, oh, what an embarrassment!
No, this is not a slapstick from the beginning of the last century. However, Nikita Mikhalkov’s new film “Sunstroke” is full of such a rosy, dignified and touching longing for the pastoral past that it itself looks like a postcard from the time before. Well, what kind of postcards there were in the nine hundredths: children with cigarettes, languid ladies in hats - or grievous gentlemen with negligee girls, romantic scenes of Arcadia. Greetings from Yalta. Greetings from Kyiv. Mass culture the beginning of the century - this is not the Hermitage and the Tretyakov Gallery. And Bunin... well, yes, Nobel Prize- but, in fact, what could be more anachronistic and boring today than a story (and Mikhalkov inflates Bunin’s story to epic proportions - the heroes, for example, go to bed exactly two hours after the start of the film), entirely devoted to the subtle psychological experiences of a casual connection in road. Me too, great story.
However, for Mikhalkov, this is precisely this - a comedy of attractions, cheerful, light music, nonsense, jumping, a farting boy and a seagull pooping on a golden shoulder strap, black currants in champagne and a rubber oud in the pants of a provincial official posing in front of a photographer - and this is Russian History, interrupted by the turmoil of 1917 th. The glossy, as they would say now, idea of the “old order” as a large, cool veranda with windows overlooking the Volga expanse, on which it is so good to tell stale jokes, in principle, has some cultural and historical foundations. It is nauseatingly reminiscent of the inner world of many of Chekhov’s heroes - and it is this ubiquitous “ringing vulgarity (in Nikita Sergeevich’s own words) that is the main problem"Sunstroke" Not the timing, not the vaguely reactionary remarks, not the caricature of some scenes (the same act with the pistons) - but the director’s petty giggle. Stupid running around, small topics, narrow scope... about “Sunstroke”, in contrast to the Rabelaisian “US-2”, there is nothing special to say. After the belated recognition of Mikhalkov as an unbridled visionary (and I confess, I also highly appreciate the reckless savagery of “The Barber of Siberia” and “The Citadel” with “Presentence”), the temptation to continue the sensational nonconformist praise of the villainous genius is understandable. But, alas, Mikhalkov of “Sunstroke” is no longer Faust, but an ordinary moneylender. Yes, NS works well with extras (although not as masterly as Ken Russell did, whose “Music Lovers” takes Mikhalkov to task in his own field of kitsch a la Ruesse), yes, he is good at apocalypse scenes (isn’t that why that this is precisely reality, given both to us and to him in sensations, in contrast to groundless fantasies about the endless summer of the Lord). But the director’s statement is so amorphous, so poorly articulated that it is impossible to distinguish where the author’s speech is and where it is just nonsense and bad jokes foolishly thrown by the characters (like the overplayed “accordion” about Darwinism and monkeys). It is not Mikhalkov who speaks here - it is the imperial It that speaks through Mikhalkov, and just as any patriarchal structure is built on the nakedness of a drunken Noah, so in the heart of this monarchical idyll lies vulgar obscenity - horse oud, seagull droppings, children's farts and wet senile eroticism. It’s impossible without them. Without them, without these small weaknesses, there is the deadly seriousness of the Red Terror.
Studio TriTe
But maybe this is not laughter - but convulsions of sentimental crying about the old Russian culture of lieutenants, esauls and beautiful young ladies? Alas, judging by the film, it would only be enough for a bad joke. And when it comes to a serious tear-squeezer, Mikhalkov turns to the tools of the enemy, the Bolshevik avant-garde: he steals a baby carriage from Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein and again lowers it from the Odessa stairs - already making it a symbol not of Nikolaev, but of Lenin’s terror. Oh well.
However, this seemingly shameless travesty has its own undeniable logic: inversion in general is the main technique of ultra-conservative ideology. And NS is very consistent here: after all, he not only turns back time, contrasts the theory of evolution with faith in involution, but also generally turns on its head all modern ideas about what is good and what is bad in art. His toilet comedy turns into lyrics, and what serves in the film decoration tragedy has long been relegated to the department of comedy or even farce. Like, for example, the famous Cossack song, which sounds much louder in “Gorko-2” or Bogomolov’s “Lear” than in the final credits of “Sunstroke.”
Andrei Konchalovsky has a similar, fatalistic idea of history. Similar, but different. To begin with, “The White Nights of Postman Alexei Tryapitsyn” is a kind of continuation of “The Story of Asya Klyachina,” but made in a different time, in a different place and, most importantly, in a different cultural context. Konchalovsky, while maintaining his authorial gestures and, perhaps, idefixes, is very far from self-repetition in White Nights. Here he shows both self-fidelity and vitality, naturally adapting to the changing world, peering with interest - and not abandoning it.
Here, it’s probably worth making a reservation right away - I don’t share the enthusiasm for “White Nights.” Still, they are interesting precisely as a film by Konchalovsky, and not as a film in general. Taken out of the context of the director’s filmography, “Nights” seems like a strong, modern postdoc (if Konchalovsky himself had not invented his postdoc half a century ago, mixing professional actors, peasants, workers and office workers in “Asa Klyachina”). They have all the techniques that we see at festivals - long hypnotic shots of landscapes, the collision of fiction and reality, the pantheism characteristic of directors South-East Asia...yes, a lot of things. The Russian rocket taking off at the final shooting range behind the silent villagers obviously rhymes today with the flying saucer descending onto the landscape dug up by the great construction site in the Chinese “Still Life” by Jia Zhangke. But for Konchalovsky, unlike Zhangke, this spacecraft is not an alien invasion. The rocket taking off from the Plesetsk cosmodrome is its own, dear, just as the tanks that constantly rumbled behind the fields in “Asa Klyachina” were dear. “Russian European” Konchalovsky believes in progress, believes in the symbiosis of the lake surface and the military-industrial complex - even if this symbiosis consists of the general’s illegal fishing. And him digital cameras, which catch the light so well and do not create the texture of the image at all, are organic in relation to the colorful but superficial existence of the inhabitants of Kenozerye (at some point Konchalovsky directly likens his stupid hero to a water strider sliding on a thin film of water).
Producer Center of Andrei Konchalovsky
Armed with the latest achievements of culture and technology - “digital” and a cute cat, Konchalovsky lands on the shores of Kenozero not in order to “understand” or “comprehend” the aborigines. No, Konchalovsky comes as a colonialist to give them his own meaning, to make them part of his script. Their own existence is not manifested for him, and therefore has no value. The residents of Kenozero live in every sense without history: at the very beginning of the film, having laid out a photo album on a psychedelic oilcloth, Tryapitsyn has difficulty remembering his biography - he got married, got divorced, tried to run a household (in the photo - a sad cow), struggled with vodka; Damn you won. Compare this with a similar episode from Asya Klyachina, when the walls of a peasant hut turn into a chronicle of generations. The meaning of the villagers' existence appears along with the director's narrative. This narrative is a matrix taken from the past, Soviet life, which the director superimposes on reality to find ten differences. It’s not difficult to look for them: the dwarf chairman of the collective farm from “Asia Klyachina” over the course of half a century has degenerated into a village drunkard named Kolobok. Rural labor disappeared. The school closed. Soviet songs are forgotten. All that was left were missiles, space, the silence of the night and a feeling of infinite distance from the world, in which Vietnam and the machinations of NATO used to thunder, and now “Fashionable Verdict” with Alexander Vasiliev is thundering (for some reason, it is this program that Tryapitsyn always stumbles upon).
But there is something else - something that could not be shown in 1967. Firstly - intelligible, clear, honestly articulated existential horror. “And there is always pain in my soul... My whole life has passed as if in some kind of patience... You can get to the point of murder like this,” the dangerous neighbor confesses to Tryapitsyn. Secondly, eschatology, a vague expectation of the end. Unknown people cut the engine from Tryapitsyn's boat (an emergency for a village in which no one locks the doors), a gray ghost cat appears to him every night, and then new rules were issued from Rybnadzor. The world is confused, agitated, and perhaps it is not peace, but only an appearance. “You think it is so. But it turns out strange. “Whoever says he knows, knows nothing,” the village Caliban Kolobok retells Lao Tzu (obviously from the words of the director).
What will happen to them when all the signs that Konchalovsky prophesied for them come true? Never mind. Frozen now in amazement before big world, giggling stupidly, drunk, aged, these people will endure everything and outlive everyone. After all, it was they - and not the caricatured popovichs and Jewish girls invented by Mikhalkov - who got up from the stove in 17-18, won the Civil War, fell under collectivization and industrialization, again won the Second World War and the battle for the harvest, and then fell back onto the stove, blinking his eyes drowsily. Now they are indifferent to the rocket's takeoff - and they will be just as indifferent to its fall.
But let's see what after this godless act and after such a crime that does not deserve any apology; - Let's see what kind of condescension and love for mankind the God of all shows. "And God spoke to Cain". Is this one thing, that He honored with His conversation the one who committed such a crime, which shows goodness? If we often abhor people like us when we see them committing a similar crime, then we should be all the more surprised at the good God who has shown so much patience, and quite rightly so. He is a doctor and a loving father. As a doctor, He uses all measures and means to restore health to those suffering from severe diseases; and as a loving father, He desires, by the power of fatherly love, to bring (the children) who, through carelessness, have lost their nobility, to their former prosperous state. Since His goodness is immeasurably great, He wants to show the one who dares to commit such lawlessness His great love for mankind, He says to him: “Where is Abel, your brother?”. Is God's condescension great and immeasurable? (God) asks not because he does not know; no, He did the same with him (Cain) as with his father: nothing prevents us from telling about this again. In fact, seeing him (Adam) hiding from the shame of nakedness, God asked: “Where are you?”(Gen. 3:9), not out of ignorance, but wanting to encourage him, so that through confession of his fall he would wash away his sin (from ancient times and from the beginning it was customary for Him to demand from us confession of sins and grant forgiveness), - so now He asks Cain and says: “Where is Abel, your brother?” The philanthropic Lord assumes the appearance of ignorance in order to induce the person who committed such a crime to confess his sin with a question and so that he can receive some forgiveness and (take advantage of) philanthropy. “Where is your brother Abel?” What about reckless, insensitive, stubborn and shameless? He should have thought that (God) was asking, not out of ignorance, but in order to hear a confession from him, and to admonish us not to pronounce a sentence on our brothers before the case is considered; it would be necessary to think about the guardianship of the Lord - how He, wanting to keep him from the enterprise, and knowing the plan of his soul even before bringing it into action, used protective measures; It would behoove him, having thought about all this, to stop his fury, tell what happened, show the ulcer to the doctor and take medicine for it; and it further enlarges the wound and intensifies the hardening of the ulcer. "And speech, - it is said, - we don't know". Look what a shameless answer! Are you talking to a person who can be deceived? Or do you not know, pitiful and unfortunate, who is talking to you? Don’t you understand that He asks out of His great goodness, wanting only to find a reason to show His love for mankind and so that after He has done everything on His part, you no longer deserve any apology, since you brought yourself to punishment? “And I say: we don’t know. Food am I my brother’s guardian?” Notice here how conscience denounces how he (Cain), forced, so to speak, by conscience, did not stop at this word: "we don't know", but added: “Am I food my brother’s guardian?” I just didn’t expose myself. Yes, if everything was done according to the (natural) order and according to the law of nature, then you should also be the guardian of brotherly happiness, because nature instilled this in (you), and those born of the same mother should be guardians of each other. And if you didn’t want this and refused to be your brother’s guardian, then why did you become a murderer, killing someone who had not offended you in any way, and then thought that there was no one to convict you? But wait, and you will see that the one who was killed will become your accuser, and the one lying dead will loudly accuse you, the living and walking one.
Discourses on the book of Genesis. Conversation 19.
St. Kirill of Alexandria
And the Lord said to Cain: Where is Abel your brother? He said: I don’t know; Am I my brother's keeper?
St. Maxim Turinsky
Of course there is no voice of blood, but it is said that innocently shed blood cries out because it cries not with a voice, but with what has been shed; and appeals to God not with eloquent words, but with indignation at the crime; and convicts the criminal of the crime not with accusatory speeches, but with the voice of his own conscience. A crime denounced in words can be justified; but if shed blood appeals to conscience, there is no justification for it, for conscience silently, without encountering objections, denounces and judges the criminal.
Sermons.
St. Filaret (Drozdov)
And the Lord said to Cain: Where is Abel your brother? He said: I don’t know; Am I my brother's keeper?
The consequences of fratricide reveal in Cain a bitterness that extends to despair; and on the part of God they show justice dissolved in mercy.
Where is Abel, your brother? This question proves that God, who did not want the sinner to die, despite neglecting his first suggestions, still wanted to convert Cain to repentance with meekness. For this, just as before in the denunciation of Adam, He takes upon Himself the image of ignorance, for this in the name brother awakens in him the gentle feelings of nature.
Don't know; Am I my brother's keeper? If these words were explained only by the desire to hide the crime, then one could ask: did Cain really have no idea about the omniscience of God? But they are uttered not so much by pretense as by annoyance. Cain does not know, according to him, about the condition of his brother, not because he cannot, but because he does not want and does not consider himself obligated to know: he is denied, contrary to the suggestion of nature - be a guardian, that is, being concerned about the safety of your younger brother, in order to thereby reproach God, who has shown special favor for this.
Interpretation on the Book of Genesis.
St. Ephraim Sirin
Art. 9-10 And the Lord God spoke to Cain: Where is your brother Abel? And he said: we do not know: am I the guardian of my brother? And the Lord said: What did you do this? The voice of your brother's blood cries to Me from the earth
Cain, having killed his brother, falsely assured his parents that Abel was introduced into paradise because he pleased God, and said that the pleasingness of Abel’s sacrifice testifies to his introduction into paradise, for observing the commandment brought him into paradise, just as crime drove her out of Raya. When Cain thought that he had deceived his parents, and there was no one to avenge Abel, then God appears to Cain and says: where is your brother Abel? God appears to him without anger, so that if he repents, the prayer uttered through his lips will atone for the sin of murder committed by his hand; and if he did not repent, then he was given the grave punishment that the crime deserved. But Cain, instead of repentance, is filled with indignation and the Omniscient, who asked him about his brother in order to attract Cain to Himself, answers with anger and says: We don’t know: food is my brother’s guardian. God continues: what did you do this. If you do not know where Abel is, because you are not his guardian, then tell the one who asks you about what you have done, what you have done, so as not to ask Him others about you. Tell, what have you done? If the One who questioned you did not know what you had done, he would not have asked you about what you did. When Cain did not want to say even this, that is, what he had done, then God’s knowledge is revealed, and God, distinguishing the crime, says: the voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the earth. What do you say, Cain? Will Justice take revenge or not take revenge for the blood crying out to Him? Wasn't It delayed so that you would repent? Was it not for this reason that It hid His knowledge and questioned you as if you were ignorant, so that you would confess your crime? Since it does not please you to do good, as Justice inspired you, and you rushed towards sin, from which it warned you in advance, you are cursed on earth, because he caused grief to Adam and Eve, the forefathers of the whole earth, you are cursed on earth, because he opened the doors of Sheol (hell) to the whole earth. When you make land, and he does not apply his strength to give you, - because you alone wanted to taste her works, - groaning and shaking you will fall to the ground(Gen.4:12) - for you walked along it with pride and arrogance.
Interpretation on the Book of Genesis.
Right John of Kronstadt
And the Lord said to Cain: Where is Abel your brother? He said: I don’t know; Am I my brother's keeper?
Look how boldly Cain answers God! This is the fruit of sin: it created a terrible storm and indignation in the soul of poor Cain, so that it seethes before the face of God Himself. I can see darkness, storm and excitement in his soul. Don't know(darkness) says Am I my brother's keeper?(storm and excitement, attacking the Creator of all things). It was necessary to punish a terrible sin - and Cain is cursed: the earth, which opened up to receive the blood of Abel, will be stingy for him in its gifts; he himself will groan and shake on it, like a monster of God’s creation, without peace, without consolation.
Diary. Volume I. 1856.
Origen
Art. 9-10 And the Lord [God] said to Cain: Where is Abel your brother? He said: I don’t know; Am I my brother's keeper? And [the Lord] said: What have you done? the voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the earth
Yes, we know that what was said about Abel, who was buried by the murderer and wicked Cain, applies to everyone whose blood was unrighteously shed. For these words: the voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the earth, we should understand that this is said about each of the martyrs, voice of blood which cries out to God from the earth.
An exhortation to martyrdom.
Salvian of Marseilles
Art. 9-10 And the Lord [God] said to Cain: Where is Abel your brother? He said: I don’t know; Am I my brother's keeper? And [the Lord] said: What have you done? the voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the earth
Cain, preparing the crime, took his brother to a deserted place and committed the murder there without interference. And he revealed himself to be equally wicked and stupid, for he believed that in order to commit the greatest wickedness it was enough to avoid human eyes, while God had to become a witness to fratricide. Therefore, I think that in Cain the conviction that is present in many today already arose, namely: that God does not look at earthly affairs and does not see human crimes. This is undoubtedly: after all, after the crime was committed and God began to question Cain, he answered that he knew nothing about the shed blood of his brother. He was so sure that God was unaware of his crime that he hoped to hide the most monstrous of wickedness with lies. However, it turned out differently than he expected: when he killed, he thought that God did not see the crime; but he realized that God saw when He punished him.
About the reign of God.
Lopukhin A.P.
And the Lord said to Cain: Where is Abel your brother? He said: I don’t know; Am I my brother's keeper?
Cain's trial and punishment
“Where is Abel, your brother?” Following the example of the judgment of the fallen first parents (Gen. 3:9) and the judgment of their criminal son, the merciful God begins with an appeal (call) to repentance. With his question, the Lord wants to awaken the conscience of the fratricide, to call him to sincere repentance and to ask for mercy.
“Am I my brother’s keeper?” But Cain was in a completely opposite mood: with the tenacity of a hardened sinner, he not only locked himself in the crime, but also gave a bold answer to God, as if even blaming Him for such an inappropriate question.
