4. While experience has proven this otherwise incredible fact, John
vouchsafes the admonition notwithstanding: "Marvel not, brethren, if
the world hateth you." If we are not to wonder at this, is there
anything in the world to incite wonder? I should truly think the
hearing of a single sermon on the grace of Christ would suffice to
bring the world to receive the Gospel with intense joy and never to
forget the divine mercy and blessing. It would be no wonder should
the earth suddenly open and engulf mankind because of its ingratitude
to God who has given his Son to become man for the purpose of
redeeming us condemned mortals from sin and death and restoring us to
life and salvation. Is it not a horrible thing that any man should
shun and oppose such a Savior and his doctrine even more than he does
the devil himself?
5. But what is God's attitude toward such conduct? Well does he say
to the Jews through the prophet: "O my people, what have I done unto
thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me. For I
brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of
the house of bondage; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and
Miriam. O my people, remember now what Balak, king of Moab, devised;
and what Balaam, the son of Beor, answered him; remember from Shittim
unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteous acts of Jehovah." Mic 6,
3-5. And well does Christ say to his ungrateful people: "O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent
unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even
as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!"
Mt 23, 37. As if he would say, "I surely did not come to effect your
death and condemnation by my message. I am about to suffer death and
God's wrath for your sins. I bring you God's endless grace and
blessing for time and eternity. Then why this bitter hatred against
me and my message?"
6. "Since the world hates even God for his kindness," argues John,
"marvel not, my beloved, that you suffer the same fate. What does it
signify that I show my love by hazarding life and limb to sustain
this doctrine of the Gospel and help my neighbor? Mine is but a poor,
mean, uncouth, offensive love in comparison with the love that led
Christ to die for me and to redeem me from eternal death. If God's
supreme, unfathomable love fails to awaken the gratitude of the
world, what wonder if the world hates you for all your kindness? Why
will you bring down your fist and stamp your foot in anger at such
ingratitude? You are yourselves of that race for whom the Son of God
had to die. And even were you to die for the Gospel, your sacrifice
would be as nothing in comparison to the fact that God, for the sake
of the world, spared not his own Son but permitted the world to put
him to death."
7. But whence arises the world's hatred? John tells us in verse
twelve when he mentions the incident of Cain, who, he says, "was of
the evil one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him?
Because his works were evil, and his brother's righteous." An
excellent reason, indeed, for hating--the hater and murderer is evil
and the benefactor good! In civil and domestic affairs it is the
evil-doers and disobedient who incur displeasure and receive
punishment; and such reward is just. But whenever God has dealings
with the world, it shows what a rotten fruit it is by hating,
persecuting, and putting to death as evil-doers and impostors its
very benefactors. This trait it inherits, John tells us, from its
ancestor Cain, the great fratricide saint. He is a true picture of
the world of all times, and ever its spirit and fashion is patterned
after him.
8. When mother Eve, the dear, godly woman, bore her first son, she
declared in her joy and her hope of God's promise of the future seed
that should bruise the serpent's head: "I have gotten a man with the
help of Jehovah" (Gen 4, 1); and she named him Cain, which means
"obtained," as if she would say, "I have obtained the true treasure."
For she had not before seen a human being born; this was the first,
precious fruit of man. Over Cain she rejoiced, pronouncing herself
blessed. This son was trained in the hope that he should be a savior
of the future race, a comfort to his brothers and sisters with all
their offspring. Nor was he unaware of these proud hopes. Proudly he
lorded it over his brother, who in contrast had to bear the
ignominious name of Abel, meaning "nothing," or "vanity," as if
voicing the thought of the parents' hearts: "Alas! this one has no
future. Cain is the rightful heir to the blessing God has promised
man; he is lord and master of his brethren."
9. It is likely that the godly father and mother for many years drew
their solace from the hope placed in their first-born son, as they
looked forward with intensest longing to the redemption from their
deplorable fall. Doubtless they trained both sons very carefully and
instructed them concerning their own sin and fall and the promise God
had given them, until they were fully grown and had entered into the
priestly office. Cain the first-born was particularly zealous in that
respect, desiring to be first inasmuch as he offered his first fruits
of the earth, given by God and obtained by his own labor, as he no
doubt had seen his father offer. Abel, however, the inferior, the
poor shepherd, offered the firstlings of his sheep, given him of God
and obtained without effort and toil of his own. Now, God in a
wonderful way manifested his preference concerning the gifts upon the
altar. Fire descended from heaven and consumed Abel's offering, but
Cain's remained. The fire was the sign of God's favor. The text says:
"And Jehovah had respect unto Abel and to his offering: but unto Cain
and to his offering he had not respect." Gen 4, 4-5.
10. Thereupon Adam and Eve saw that the hope and solace centering in
their first-born son, were a delusion. They began to learn the
wonderful judgments of God, who gave precedence to Abel, the male
counterpart of Cinderella--which is all he was in his own sight when
he compared himself with his brother. Now Cain, with full confidence
in his position, spoiled by the delusion of his parents that as the
first-born he was God's preference, felt himself outraged. His
hypocrisy, hitherto masked, comes to the surface. He burns with
secret hate against God, with hate and anger against his brother,
which he takes no trouble whatever to disguise. The parents rebuke
him, but effect nothing. The flame of his resentment rises higher,
and meeting him alone upon the field, he fells him to the ground. Far
from contemplating amendment of life or seeking grace from God, he
has no mercy upon the only brother he has on earth, who has done him
no harm whatever. He cannot forgive him and leave him in unenvied
possession of the grace of God.
11. Such was the solace and joy poor Adam and Eve lived to experience
in their first children! From this time on their earthly life was
fraught with gloom and sorrow, particularly since they could not but
see the source of these in their own fall and they would have pined
to death had not God comforted them with another son. For when it
became evident that the hope they had placed in Cain was a delusion,
and that they were deprived of the son who, beyond a doubt, possessed
the grace of God, they, without another son, would not have known
where to look for the solace of the promised seed.