[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media]
Ten minutes after hearing a sermon about justice and fairness I find myself saying, “That’s not fair.” I’m 100 steps away from where I was sitting, listening. I was even taking notes. Those words came out of my mouth not because I was summarizing what I had just learned. They were spoken in response to hearing that a person in the wrong might be the recipient of having their debt paid, and a free night in downtown Chicago.
Isn’t it reasonable to expect the wrongdoer to be penalized and the victim of wrongdoing to be compensated for their loss, injury, inconvenience, and expenses? What if the wrongdoer gets away free of any consequence? That’s. Not. Fair. Right? That’s what I said.
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| Photo Credit: Max Newhall |
“Life’s not fair,” parents to children when they encounter the world’s inequity. Though I heard that and believe it to be true, I still point it out when I see justice I want served, or wrongs I want righted. An ex-husband is financially wounding his ex-wife yet again. A known sex offender gets to live without consequences. A parent denies, defends, protects, and excuses their child's bullying behavior. An employee is shut down, demoted, or let go because the person in charge is cowardly, proud, jealous, insecure, and weak. An elderly woman is robbed in broad daylight because the offender needs another drug fix. A brother kills his brother because he is hotheaded, hardhearted, and hates. Life isn’t fair.
“Cain, what have you done?” the Lord asks.
“Eve, what have you done?” the Lord asked Cain’s mother a chapter before.
The Lord can ask me and you the same question. Prior to that question, the Lord made it clear to Eve and Adam that they were not to touch fruit of one and only one tree. Prior to the question asked of Cain, the Lord made it clear that acceptance of the offering came with right-doing and a strong warning about devastation because of wrongdoing. Always there is the option of our will to be humble and obedient. But there is also always the option of following a proud unbelieving will. This battle goes on in all of humanity. The Lord reasons with Cain, calls him to repentance. However, hate in Cain’s heart is well watered and hearty. So hate led to death by his hands and lying from his mouth. And then what kills me (pun intended) is that when Cain is caught and confronted, he complains about his punishment. There is no remorse. There is only self-pity.
Did anyone else find themselves getting spooled up by Cain's actions?
“Eve, what have you done?” the Lord asked Cain’s mother a chapter before.
The Lord can ask me and you the same question. Prior to that question, the Lord made it clear to Eve and Adam that they were not to touch fruit of one and only one tree. Prior to the question asked of Cain, the Lord made it clear that acceptance of the offering came with right-doing and a strong warning about devastation because of wrongdoing. Always there is the option of our will to be humble and obedient. But there is also always the option of following a proud unbelieving will. This battle goes on in all of humanity. The Lord reasons with Cain, calls him to repentance. However, hate in Cain’s heart is well watered and hearty. So hate led to death by his hands and lying from his mouth. And then what kills me (pun intended) is that when Cain is caught and confronted, he complains about his punishment. There is no remorse. There is only self-pity.
Did anyone else find themselves getting spooled up by Cain's actions?
Maybe I got spooled up because I’m reminded of my own hardheartedness, my own wrongdoing, the battle of obedience versus disobedience in my own will. Maybe I needed that reminder so I can talk with Jesus about that. Maybe I needed that reminder so I could also hear the rest of the message - the part about hope and holiness. Thanks be to God that Jesus did something about our wrongdoing. Thanks be to Jesus for his death and resurrection, for his forgiveness, kindness, and mercy toward us. Thank you Jesus for the ongoing call to turn away from sin and death and turn toward the Life Giver. Thank you for not leaving us estranged from you, homeless, helpless, hopeless. Thank you for giving us hearts of flesh in exchange for hearts of stone. Thank you Jesus for your breath in our lungs so we can pour out our praise to You Only.
This story of God and his interaction with his created ones is in the fourth chapter of the whole Bible. Crouching sin that’s eager to control is still a threat. We need to know that. And we need to know - not just know about - but know with as much faith as we have, that God’s grace is greater than that which wants to subdue us. Sin is great. But grace gets the last word.
[Laura DeGroot likes to laugh out loud, drink good coffee and eat delicious food...with Jesus her family and friends. She has lived from the West to the East coast but Grand Rapids is home as of one whole year. As The Caffeinated Woman, she speaks to groups of people about how ordinary life is profoundly better knowing an Extraordinary God, and works at Art Of The Table. And she loves books.]
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