James Street Church of Christ

Am I My Brother’s Keeper?

By Scott Klaft

There is no doubt, Cain’s rather snotty and certainly contemptuous reply to God was filled with disrespect. Above whatever else we might notice, it was attached to a lie; he knew good and well where his brother, Able, was. Supposing he might get away with trying to hide his murderous heart from the Creator of all things, Cain sneered out this question as if to say, “Now you are going to oppress me with this expectation, that I must know the whereabouts of Able at all times?!”

The attitude of Cain’s heart in the rashness of the moment was on display as plain as the dirt on the ground. Yet, it was not the question itself that contained wickedness, but rather the subtext attached to it. The question is really rather interesting. The answer is neither yes, nor no; it is both yes, and no - which is why Jehovah did not take the time to parse it out for Cain’s education. Cain’s responsibilities toward Able, and God’s expectations, were not at issue at the time. The Lord has every right to bind or loose whatever responsibilities upon us that He deems is right and just, regardless of what Cain thought of it. Such a thing is not up for debate. It was what Cain took, forcibly took, from Able, from the human family, and ultimately from God that was of the main concern.

There is, of course, a sense in which we are all accountable for one another. We are to “[l]ook not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Philippians 2:4). “...if a man be overtaken in a fault” those who consider themselves “spiritual” are to “restore such an one” because to “[b]ear ...one another's burdens” is to “fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1, 2). Am I to be my brother’s keeper? Yes.

On the other hand, however, there is also a sense in which no one else will be, or even can be, accountable for me. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2nd Corinthians 5:10). In the judgment, we shall all face our deeds alone. I cannot answer for another person’s deeds. Am I to be my brother’s keeper? No.

But there is another sense in which some people are their brother’s keeper, and should not be. The word “keep”, as it is found in Acts 5:2 comes from the Greek word, nosphizo, and carries the idea “to set apart for one’s self.” Ananias and Sapphira “kept back” for themselves, attached their wickedness to a lie, and gained a sentence of death.

The same word is used in Titus, where Paul admonishes the preacher to “Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again” (2:9); and he continues with the contrast, “Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things” (2:10). “Purloining” is the same word, nosphizo, which, in this context has the idea of keeping a part of that which their ‘masters’ had entrusted to them. Whether it is from a First Century-perspective of master/ servant, or from the modern employer/ employee relationship, it is the opposite of adorning “the doctrine of God” to take that which does not belong to us. Whether grand larceny extortion, or taking office products for private use, it is an abuse of privileges, and it is stealing.

Under the Old Testament Law, a violation of “thou shalt not steal” brought an equal punishment. What Cain took for himself bought a life of misery and rejection. What Ananias and Sapphira kept back for themselves bought the removal of life entirely. Now, really… are those sticky notes and pens really worth it? When it comes to someone else’s things, don’t be your brother’s “keeper.”

-Scott Klaft

(231) 425-6564

sklaft@jamesstcoc.com