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Note to readers: This is an alternate reading from the Three Year Lectionary, and may not match up with the readings your church uses this Sunday.
Genesis 4:1a, 2b, 5b-7, 8b -9a, 10b, 12b-14-15 – Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain … and … his brother Abel. … Cain was very angry [when God accepted Abel’s sacrifice but not his own], and his face fell. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” … Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, … “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. … You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, You have driven me today away from the ground, and from Your face I shall be hidden. … and whoever finds me will kill me.” Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him.
This whole story is strange. How did Cain know God didn’t accept his sacrifice? The story doesn’t tell us.
Still, however he knew, Cain was upset. And God speaks to Cain, warning him to change his ways. But does Cain listen? I mean, what a privilege, to hear God actually speak to you! I’d expect him to pay at least a little attention. But no. Cain goes off and kills his brother.
And even stranger—God speaks to Cain again! Why? He’s a murderer already. Why hasn’t God given up on him?
But clearly He hasn’t. He does pass judgment on him. But when Cain starts whining, God shows him mercy. He puts a mark on him, to stop people from killing him in the future—even though it’s exactly what Cain deserves.
Whatever the mark was, it protected Cain from the worst of what he deserved. It did other things, too. It served as a daily reminder to Cain that God still cared about him—that God didn’t want him dead, and was still showing him mercy. It also kept the story of the one true God alive in the family Cain eventually had—because nobody could look at that mark without asking what it meant, and how it got there. And so the people would hear the story of the Lord, and both His judgment and His mercy.
We, too, carry a mark like Cain’s. It isn’t a visible mark, except when it’s first put on us—it’s the mark of our Baptism. This is God’s gift, marking us as people who have done wrong, yes—but also people God has forgiven and had mercy on. We are marked for life, not for death. And we have this gift because of Jesus, our Savior, who took our sins and wrongdoing upon Himself, setting us free from them. He took them to the cross, where He destroyed them forever. Through His own suffering, death, and resurrection, He restored us to God, as forgiven, reconciled people marked for life, not death. And why? Because He loves us.
WE PRAY: Dear Lord, thank You for marking me as Your own. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
- Do you think Cain appreciated his mark or hated it?
- Why do you think so?
- What about Baptism—are you glad of it? Why?
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