Bible Text: Gene\u00adsis 4:1\u201315 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Like you and me | Why is the\u00adre so much inju\u00ads\u00adti\u00adce in this world? Or is God even unjust? Cain felt set back and unapp\u00adre\u00adcia\u00adted by his brot\u00adher Abel. Deep\u00adly offen\u00added and con\u00adsu\u00admed by envy, he gave free rein to vio\u00adlence and kil\u00adled his brot\u00adher. God had shown him a bet\u00adter way to deal with his nega\u00adti\u00adve fee\u00adlings. Nevert\u00adhel\u00adess, God gave Cain a second chan\u00adce. He should live, a mark\u00aded man, but live.<\/p>\n
\tHow do you deal with the fact that the\u00adre is so much inju\u00ads\u00adti\u00adce in this world? Is God unjust? Bible Text: Gene\u00adsis 4:1\u201315 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Like you and me | Why is the\u00adre so much inju\u00ads\u00adti\u00adce in this world? Or is God even unjust? Cain felt set back and unapp\u00adre\u00adcia\u00adted by his brot\u00adher Abel. Deep\u00adly offen\u00added and con\u00adsu\u00admed by envy, he gave free rein to vio\u00adlence and killed\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[63],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-wie-du-und-ich","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-2894","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"hentry","10":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nHave mer\u00adcy on us, Lord. Why does a per\u00adson get dia\u00adgno\u00adsed with an incura\u00adble dise\u00ada\u00adse? Why does this traf\u00adfic acci\u00addent hap\u00adpen to her of all peo\u00adp\u00adle? Why does this child have to grow up in such dif\u00adfi\u00adcult fami\u00adly cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances? Why does this stro\u00adke of fate hap\u00adpen to this per\u00adson of all peo\u00adp\u00adle, who is alre\u00ada\u00addy on the dark side of life? Life is unfair. May\u00adbe we even have to say: God is unfair!? He makes things easy for some and unspeaka\u00adb\u00adly dif\u00adfi\u00adcult for others.
\nGod is unjust
\nThe sto\u00adry of Cain and Abel is about such ques\u00adti\u00adons. It\u2019s about you and me. The stuff of life, so to speak. \u00abAdam slept with his wife Eve and she beca\u00adme pregnant. And she gave birth to Cain (= gain, acqui\u00adsi\u00adti\u00adon) and said: \u00abWith the help of the Lord I have given birth to a man.\u00bb Later she gave birth to a second son and named him Abel (= cor\u00adrup\u00adti\u00adon, not\u00adhing\u00adness). Abel beca\u00adme a she\u00adp\u00adherd, Cain a far\u00admer. After some time, Cain sacri\u00adfi\u00adced part of his har\u00adve\u00adst to the Lord. And Abel also offe\u00adred him of the first\u00adborn lambs from his flock and of their fat. The Lord loo\u00adked favour\u00ada\u00adb\u00adly on Abel and accept\u00aded his offe\u00adring, but rejec\u00adted Cain and his offe\u00adring\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 4:1\u20135a NL<\/span>).
\nA bad expe\u00adri\u00adence, to put it very sim\u00adply. Two peo\u00adp\u00adle do the same thing: one arri\u00adves and is noti\u00adced, the other is over\u00adloo\u00adked, fails and does not know why. Both want the same thing, name\u00adly to say thank you to God through the offe\u00adring and to plea\u00adse him. In doing so, they hope that he in turn will be kind to them again. That is the cycle of bles\u00adsing. And now it is not Cain who inter\u00adrupts it, but God. He accepts Abel\u2019s gift and does not even look at Cain\u2019s. We do not know what this gift is. We don\u2019t know what this being seen or not seen was reflec\u00adted in, whe\u00adther they saw it, heard it \u2013 per\u00adhaps they only felt it. Per\u00adhaps Cain also noti\u00adces it in his who\u00adle exis\u00adtence: in the fact that the arduous work in the field remain\u00aded unsuc\u00adcessful this year. It is bare\u00adly enough for a living, while Abel\u2019s flock threw par\u00adti\u00adcu\u00adlar\u00adly well this year. A frigh\u00adtening fee\u00adling creeps over Cain: My life is fai\u00adling and Abel is shi\u00adning with joy. It is incom\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adble and almost unbe\u00adara\u00adble. Why does God make it easy for one and unspeaka\u00adb\u00adly dif\u00adfi\u00adcult for the other?
\nCom\u00adpa\u00adring is a bad thing. Eit\u00adher a depres\u00adsing fee\u00adling creeps over us becau\u00adse the other per\u00adson ear\u00adns more, has the more har\u00admo\u00adnious mar\u00adria\u00adge, can show off the suc\u00adcessful child\u00adren, owns the big\u00adger house, etc. or we feel ele\u00adva\u00adted becau\u00adse we are not as bad as the other per\u00adson after all.
\nHow do I deal with the\u00adse dif\u00adfe\u00adren\u00adces and the inju\u00ads\u00adti\u00adce of life? In a para\u00adble, Jesus speaks open\u00adly about the fact that not ever\u00adyo\u00adne recei\u00adves the same num\u00adber of talents from God: someone recei\u00adved five, ano\u00adther two and the next only one (Matthew 25:14ff). It is the same in life. The con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons are dif\u00adfe\u00adrent. What can a child do to grow up in an int\u00adact fami\u00adly while his school\u00adma\u00adte had dif\u00adfe\u00adrent fos\u00adter par\u00adents? Why is it that one Chris\u00adti\u00adan is hea\u00adled becau\u00adse of pray\u00ader, while ano\u00adther dies pre\u00adma\u00adtu\u00adre\u00adly or lives in gre\u00adat pain? Why does one always find a good job imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly, while the other gets rejec\u00adtion after rejection?
\nCain is envious
\nOur nar\u00adra\u00adti\u00adve descri\u00adbes Cain\u2019s reac\u00adtion with a deep psy\u00adcho\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adcal view. If trans\u00adla\u00adted lite\u00adral\u00adly, it says: \u00abAnd Cain beca\u00adme very hot with anger and his face fell down\u00bb (v.5b). He does\u00adn\u2019t do that, it assaults and over\u00adw\u00adhelms him. Psy\u00adcho\u00adso\u00adma\u00adtic. It takes hold of the body via the soul. Soon envy burns and makes the body hot, high\u00adly char\u00adged and wan\u00adting to dischar\u00adge its\u00adelf. He wants to res\u00adto\u00adre jus\u00adti\u00adce by force. His deep depres\u00adsi\u00adon makes his face look down\u00adcast. This is an expres\u00adsi\u00adon of loss of love: with the down\u00adcast face, cont\u00adact with fel\u00adlow human beings is bro\u00adken off. For a good rela\u00adti\u00adonship, the face needs to be uplifted so that peo\u00adp\u00adle can look each other in the eye.
\nIn Cain\u2019s case it con\u00adtin\u00adued unche\u00adcked: \u00abLater Cain sug\u00adgested to his brot\u00adher Abel, \u00abCome, let\u2019s go out into the field\u00bb. When they were the\u00adre, Cain fell upon his brot\u00adher and struck him dead\u00bb (v.8 NL<\/span>). The most important com\u00admandment is to love God with all your heart and your neigh\u00adbour as yours\u00adelf. Adam and Eve vio\u00adla\u00adted the love of God, Cain was the first to vio\u00adla\u00adte the love of neigh\u00adbour. This is a cau\u00adsal chain: tho\u00adse who do not love God will soon fail in loving their neigh\u00adbour. Befo\u00adre we point the fin\u00adger at Cain, we must con\u00adsider that he who says raka to ano\u00adther alre\u00ada\u00addy com\u00admits mur\u00adder (Matthew 5:22). Raka is a mean word of con\u00adtempt, so in the cur\u00adren\u00adcy of fool.
\nThe sto\u00adry could have taken a dif\u00adfe\u00adrent cour\u00adse. How can we deal with our nega\u00adti\u00adve fee\u00adlings like envy and anger? \u00ab \u00abWhy are you so angry?\u00bb the Lord asked him. \u00abWhy do you look so grim\u00adly at the ground? Isn\u2019t it like this: If you have good in mind, you can look around free\u00adly. But when you plan evil, sin lies in wait for you. It wants to bring you down. But you shall rule over it!\u00bb \u00bb (V.6+7 NL<\/span>). God sees Cain, even though it feels very dif\u00adfe\u00adrent to Cain. Cain no lon\u00adger sees any\u00adthing else, only his rele\u00adga\u00adti\u00adon and mor\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon. Ever\u00ady\u00adthing else around him sinks into the secon\u00adda\u00adry, so fix\u00ada\u00adted is he on his ter\u00adri\u00adble expe\u00adri\u00adence. He iso\u00adla\u00adtes hims\u00adelf and hides away. Yet God has long sin\u00adce tur\u00adned his gaze back to him and is loo\u00adking at him. It can hap\u00adpen that the birds of envy fly over our heads, we can\u00adnot chan\u00adge that. But you can pre\u00advent them from buil\u00adding nests in your hair. To do this, we should lift our eyes and come to God with our com\u00adplaints, or even to other peo\u00adp\u00adle. For tho\u00adse who accept God\u2019s love can endu\u00adre living in a divi\u00added world. If we remain alo\u00adne with our bad fee\u00adlings, we give them tre\u00admen\u00addous power.
\nThe important mes\u00adsa\u00adge for Cain is: You shall rule over sin! No one is hel\u00adp\u00adless\u00adly at the mer\u00adcy of sin, even though it can be very per\u00adsis\u00adtent. The balan\u00adce of power is cla\u00adri\u00adfied for us all the more. Paul says: \u00abOur for\u00admer life was cru\u00adci\u00adfied with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. Now we are no lon\u00adger slaves to sin\u00bb (Romans 6:6 NL<\/span>). This is exact\u00adly what we estab\u00adlish in bap\u00adtism! We no lon\u00adger have to sin, but we still can. This is good news for all of us \u2013 espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly for peo\u00adp\u00adle in whom cer\u00adtain habits have taken on an addic\u00adti\u00adve character.
\nGod is merciful
\nCain did not lift his gaze, but car\u00adri\u00aded through the cho\u00adsen path of anger to the bit\u00adter end. He lures Abel to the field with a pre\u00adtext and slays him the\u00adre. Then Cain pre\u00adtends to know not\u00adhing: \u00abThen said the LORD<\/span> unto Cain, Whe\u00adre is Abel thy brot\u00adher? And he said: I know not; shall I be my brother\u2019s kee\u00adper?\u00bb (v.9 Lut). Cain was the first to offer a memo\u00adrable quo\u00adte to this world. God does not go into it at all. Yet Cain knows very well that this is what he is sup\u00adpo\u00adsed to be: His brother\u2019s kee\u00adper and his own kee\u00adper. Once again it beco\u00admes clear that the abili\u00adty to rela\u00adte is mas\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly disturbed.
\nCain was not too proud to ask for miti\u00adga\u00adti\u00adon of his punish\u00adment when he knew he had lost: \u00abCain repli\u00aded to the Lord, \u00abMy punish\u00adment is too seve\u00adre; I can\u00adnot bear it\u00bb \u00bb (v.13 NL<\/span>). This is the first request for for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness in the Bible! God then makes him a sign to pro\u00adtect him and keep him ali\u00adve. The sign of Cain. It is a sign that reminds us of the mur\u00adder. But it is also a sign to live and to go on living. Cain is given a second chan\u00adce by God: you shall live, as a mark\u00aded man, but you shall live. It will not be the same life as it was befo\u00adre. You shall be unste\u00adady and flee\u00adting on earth \u2013 a life in the land of Nod, i.e. in the land of unrest, bey\u00adond Eden (v.16). In his love and mer\u00adcy, God seeks to reach peo\u00adp\u00adle who do not deser\u00adve it, who\u00adse natu\u00adre is har\u00adden\u00aded and reluc\u00adtant. God never gives up on anyo\u00adne. And again it cries out in us: this is unjust! It can\u00adnot and must not be that such a per\u00adson sim\u00adply recei\u00adves forgiveness.
\nThis act is a refe\u00adrence to Jesus Christ, who paid for all the guilt of huma\u00adni\u00adty many years later on the cross. He thus laid the legal foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon for the for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness of all guilt and trans\u00adgres\u00adsi\u00adons. All sin can be for\u00adgi\u00adven \u2013 all sin \u2013 pro\u00advi\u00added the per\u00adson accepts the for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness. That is so real\u00adly unfair! But let\u2019s face it; if that were not so, we would all be at the mer\u00adcy of God. Thanks be to God, who gives us a second chan\u00adce. Not as mark\u00aded, but as per\u00adfec\u00adted, we may later return to Eden, to the pre\u00adsence of God!
\n
\nWith Karl-Heinz Ron\u00adecker we could pray:
\nWe are not Cain, Lord.
\nWe did not slay our brother.
\nBut our words are often as sharp as knives.
\nWe are not Cain, Lord.
\nWe have not thrown a stone against others.
\nBut in our minds we have writ\u00adten them off and humi\u00adlia\u00adted them with looks.
\nWe are not Cain, Lord.
\nThe\u00adre is no blood on our hands.
\nBut out of indif\u00adfe\u00adrence and blind\u00adness we have aban\u00addo\u00adned them,
\nwho nee\u00added our help.
\n
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead the Bible text: Gene\u00adsis 4:1\u201315<\/p>\n
\n\tWhy did Cain feel that God did not accept his sacrifice?
\n\tWhe\u00adre do you see the con\u00adnec\u00adtion bet\u00adween the sin of Adam and Eve and that of Cain? (Key\u00adword: Most important com\u00admandment [Luke 10:27]).
\n\tWhat kind of beha\u00adviour would be hel\u00adpful in such a bad and depres\u00adsi\u00adve pha\u00adse as Cain experienced?
\n\tWhat has chan\u00adged through Jesus in the topic of forgiveness?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"