Crime and Punishment

So, the first murder didn’t pan out so well…

And the events that led up to it weren’t exactly auspicious either. When you really think about it, Cain seemed doomed from the start. He’d been born into the wrong profession,(tilling the ground) or perhaps he chose it, because after all, it is much easier to look after some plants than to defend livestock from ravenous wolves, and, being the first born, he would’ve had dibs on which duties he performed. So, if indeed Cain had chosen the easier job, it wouldn’t be surprising, knowing now what we know about his character.

He’s the type to get jealous at his brother’s success. He’s the type to make poor, second-rate sacrifices to God. And worst of all, he’s the type that, after having chosen an easy path, made insufficient sacrifices, and had those sacrifices rejected by the universe, to grow spiteful, and resent his ideal (Abel) and the creator of the universe. Oh, and he’s also the type who, after having done all that, would STILL refuse responsibility for his own suffering.

Really, he’s just like you and me. Or rather, there’s a little monster within each of us who sees the world just like Cain does. That’s why such a story exists in the first place; to warn us on just how not to live.

(Targeting the ideal)

Cain’s story is all to familiar to us all, and the crime he commits is one far too tempting for us to succumb to ourselves. When faced with failure, and worse yet, when faced with our failure and other’s success, it’s extremely easy to want to “murder” our own ideals, and diminish their status, or accomplishments.

“Oh, he got so lucky” “Oh, they were probably born rich” “Oh, they’re only successful because they’re crooked”.

How many times have you heard these words (or similar ones) fall from your lips, or similarly, uttered inside your mind? Hip-Hop culture would likely deem you a “hater”, and frankly they’re not wrong. However, what is far more difficult to acknowledge is that everyone to some degree, shows marked traits of a hater.

(It’s what they do)

Haters hate, not because they truly dislike another person’s success, but because deep down, they wish for the same good fortune themselves, and resent others for having it. But rather than looking within, admitting this, and recognizing what character flaws we might be harboring that would keep us from our own success, it’s far easier, and far more convenient to simply denigrate the successful, and manufacture several reasons why another might succeed, and justifications for our own lack of prosperity.

“Money is the root of all evil”. Where have you heard that before? Likely the same place you heard the words “Also, would you please make a donation to our organization, this Sunday”.

(Evil Incarnated)

What do these people truly desire? What are they in denial of?

Why on earth would you think the universe is somehow averse to you becoming successful? In the Bible, God does nothing but shower those who make the proper moral choices with power and wealth, and ensure that their ancestors prosper along with them. There are a few lines in scripture which seem to imply the impropriety of wealth, and we will address those individually as they arise.

However, on the whole, it’s safe to assume that God, fate, the universe, whatever you want to call it, isn’t actively preventing you from your success, out of some insane, moralistic bent. If you don’t experience the results you want from the sacrifices you make, it’s on you not God, to figure out why.

However, Cain doesn’t seem to get the picture. When he fails, instead of taking stock of his own inadequacies, (If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?) he immediately blames God for his lack of success, and worse yet, murders his brother Abel, to whom he aspires to most.

He suffers the worst of consequences as a result.

“And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?”

AGAIN denying responsibility, here we see the theme of Adam played out once more by his firstborn son. Unable to accept the consequences of mistakes, he shifts the blame elsewhere, this time, on the brother he has just killed.

(Devastated parents cradling their slaughtered son)

“And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand; When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.”

That sucks.

“ And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.”

Of course it is, because when you kill the only thing that you ever admired, when you despise the success of others that you really only desired for yourself, you have nowhere to go but down. This is why Cains sin of envy is so catastrophic. There’s no up from there. He has cursed, worse yet, murdered his own ideal, thus barring himself from ever truly experiencing success.

This is something to consider well within your own life. Whenever you notice even the slightest inkling of envy or resentment for anyone you deem successful, even if you believe it’s by nefarious means or otherwise, STOP and correct it. Whenever you see success in any form, and whenever you see anyone living or possessing anything that YOU want, ENCOURAGE them. The only way to attract good things into your own life is to appreciate them when you see them, including when in possession of another person. Assume the best of their success, not the worst, lest you end up like Cain.

“…and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.”

This is interesting. Even after Cain has just committed the worst crime possible, killing not only his blood brother, but the embodiment of his ideal, the Lord protects him. Why?

To prevent the cycle of evil from perpetuating itself. Or rather, in this lore, to illustrate that when you fight violence with violence (to slay the slayer) only further hatred and violence can be the result.

Cain is a murderer, yes. And he’s just done the worst of the worst, yes. But to answer that blood with only more blood, will just lead to greater catastrophe. This is why the proper answer is forgiveness, difficult as it may be, to break the cycle of hate. However, that realization is much further into the texts than where we are now, and we’ll have to get all “New Testament philosophy” to discover just that.

“And Cain knew his wife…”

Now, after the climax and resolution of this story, Cain procreates. This has been criticized for logical inconsistency, by those asking “where did his wife come from” to which I might answer, did you even pay attention to the rest of the story, because if not, you kind of missed the point.

The point is; that with Adam and Eve long gone, and Abel stricken from humanity’s lineage, Cain is the only forefather we have left. All of the sin and catastrophe that has befallen Cain is inherent, inborn into our very blood. That’s the reason why Cain is chosen as the progenitor of mankind. By default, for one reason or another we humans on the whole, are more like Cain (unfortunate and bitter) than Abel (lucky and successful). And if you don’t believe that, open your eyes, and take a look at your own family, coworkers, and indeed, yourself.

As such, we aren’t safe from his mistakes, you and I. Truly, Cain’s not Abel’s blood, runs most deeply and powerfully within us, and it’s up to us to remain vigilant, and walk a more noble path.