12. Note, in this man Cain is pictured the world in its true,
characteristic colors; in him its true spirit stands reflected.
Certainly his equal has never been. In him are unquestionably
prefigured the very flower, the very quintessence, of holiness on
earth--the most pious servants of God. On the other hand, that poor,
wretched, abject male counterpart of Cinderella, Abel, well
represents the obscure little brotherhood, the Church of Christ. She
must yield to Cain the lord the distinction of being everything
before God, of being the recipient of every gift of God, of being
entitled to all honor and every privilege. He feels important in his
imagined dignity, permits this spirit to pervade his sacrifices and
his worships, and thinks that God cannot but favor and accept his
offering rather than that of his brother.
Meanwhile, the pious Abel goes his way, meekly suffering his
brother's contempt. He willingly yields Cain the honor, esteems
himself vastly inferior and beholds no consolation for himself aside
from the pure mercy and goodness of God. He believes in God and hopes
for the promised future seed. In such faith he performs his sacrifice
as a confession, a sign, of his gratitude.
13. This illustration is intended by God as solace for his little
throng; for the incident is not written for Abel's sake but for the
sake of the humble children of God, whose condition is like that of
Abel. God has not forgotten them, though they are haughtily ignored
by proud Cain, who regards them as nothing in his presence. God
graciously looks upon them and rejects proud Cain with his birthright
and offering.
14. Innocent Abel becomes the object of anger and hatred when the
Word of God lays hold of Cain revealing God's displeasure where he
had fancied himself worthy, and God's unwillingness to regard his
offering and devotion as superior to this of his brother and more
meritorious. Cain begins bitterly to hate and persecute his brother.
He finds no rest until Abel is laid low and cut off from the earth.
Now you have the cause of the world's hatred and anger against
Christians; simply this, as John says of Cain: "Because his works
were evil, and his brother's righteous."
15. What offense had godly Abel committed against his brother to be
so hated? He had even regarded that brother as the first-born, as
vastly superior to himself, and had done him all honor and loved him
as became a brother. He was easily satisfied, desiring simply the
grace of God. He prayed for the future seed, that is, for the
salvation and happiness of his parents, his brother and the entire
human race. How could Cain be unmerciful and inhuman enough in his
frenzy to murder his own flesh and blood?
The answer is found in the fact that the devil had filled Cain's
heart with pride and vanity over his birthright. He considered
himself a man of distinction, with every claim upon God's favor and
sinless, whilst his brother was nothing whatever. Cain's heart is
devoid of true brotherly love; he has only contempt for Abel. He
cannot endure God's manifest favor toward his brother, and will not
be moved by the injunction to humble himself and seek God's grace.
Anger and envy possess him to the extent that he cannot tolerate his
brother alive. In violation of God's commandment and his own
conscience, he becomes a murderer, and then goes his way as if he had
done right.
16. This is what John means when he says that Cain had no other cause
for his crime than that his own works were evil and his brother's
righteous. Similarly, that obedient daughter of Saint Cain, the
world, hates the Christians; and for no other reason than the
latter's love and goodness of heart. Witness the examples of the holy
patriarchs, the prophets and, most of all, of Christ himself.
17. What sin against the world did the beloved apostles commit? They
desired the injury of none, but went about in extreme poverty and
toil, teaching mankind how, through faith in Christ, to be saved from
the devil's kingdom and from eternal death. This the world will not
hear and suffer; hence the hue and cry: "Kill, kill these people!
Away with them from off the earth! Show them no mercy!" Why this
hostility? Because the apostles sought to relieve the world of its
idolatry and damnable doings. Such good works the world could not
tolerate. What it desires is nothing but praise and commendation for
its own evil doings, expecting from God the impossible endorsement,
"Your deeds are good and well-pleasing to me. Pious children of mine
are you. Just keep on cheerfully killing all who believe and preach
my Word."
18. In the same way does the world conduct itself today with
reference to our Gospel. For no other reason are we hated and
persecuted than because we have, through God's grace, proclaimed his
Word that recovered us from the blindness and idolatry in which we
were sunken as deeply as the world, and because we desire to rescue
others. That is the unpardonable sin by which we have incurred the
world's irreconcilable anger and its inextinguishable hatred. It
cannot permit us to live.
We preach no other doctrine than faith in Christ, which our children
pray and they themselves confess in words. We differ only in our
claim that Christ having been crucified for us and having shed his
blood to redeem us from sin and death, our salvation is not effected
by our own works, or holiness or devotion. The fact that we do not
regard their faithless worship equal to Christ himself, but teach men
to trust in the grace of God and not their own worthiness, and to
render him gratitude for his grace--this fact is intolerable to the
world. It would be well for our adversaries if they would receive
such teaching, since it would render them more than ever what they
profess to be: our superiors in wisdom, knowledge and reputation--a
claim we are willing to concede. But Cain's works are evil and Abel's
righteous. The world simply cannot tolerate the Gospel, and no unity
or harmony is ever to be hoped for. The world will not forsake its
idolatry nor receive the faith. It would force us to renounce the
Word of God and praise its Cain-like worship, or take death at their
hands.
19. Therefore, John says, "Marvel not, brethren, if the world hateth
you," for it is compelled to act according to the nature inherited
from its father Cain. It would have all merits and concede to Abel
none. The world comprises the exalted, the wise, the learned, the
mighty. The Scriptures represent these as under necessity to hate and
persecute the poor throng of the Church of Christ by reason of the
good works done by them. They can under no consideration tolerate the
idea of being taught by this despised and humble throng the doctrine
of salvation through the grace and mercy of God alone, not through
man's own merits. They cannot endure the teaching that their
offering--the mass, regarded by the Papists as a work of superlative
merit and holiness--avails nothing before God.
20. In the text the nature of the world is portrayed for our
recognition. So to understand the world as to know what may be
expected from it is essential and valuable knowledge for the
Christian. Thus armed he will not be dismayed and become impatient of
suffering, nor permit its malice and ingratitude to mislead him to
hate and desire for revenge. He will keep his faith and love,
suffering the world to go its way if it refuse to hear his message.
The Christian should expect nothing better from the world than its
bitter persecution in return for his good works and love. The Church
of Christ on earth, let him remember, is never to have an easier lot.
He is not to judge according to show and appearance, thinking: "They
are the great throng, the wisest and cleverest people on earth; how
is it possible that they should all be in error and under
condemnation?"
21. It is necessarily true that discipline and peace are impossible
without the most excellent, exalted, erudite, clever people--royal,
princely, noble in achievement and honor. Cain is never plain and
lowly. He is always eminently clever, wise, holy and in every way
vastly Abel's superior. In fact, he must in himself represent all
desirable things, as his name indicates. And the same characteristic
is manifest in his children, who are ingenious in the invention of
every variety of art. Deplorable the fact that a man of Cain's
qualifications, born of godly parents and signally honored of God,
should display such hatred and inhumanity toward poor Abel merely
because of God's Word and Abel's faith.
22. Such knowledge is comforting to the godly little company of
Christians, who are confident they have God's favor and know it to be
the occasion of their persecution; they have no protection and succor
but are exposed to the same fate as Abel. If they fare better, they
may thank God for it. But they are ever to abide in love toward God,
whose love they have received and felt, and likewise toward men,
their enemies not excepted. This was Abel's way; could he have lived
again, he would have kept his brotherly love for his murderer,
forgiving him and even imploring God's forgiveness for him.
"We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love
the brethren."