Am I My Brother's Keeper?

And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?


  Now that's a good question. But does it apply to us today, after all, didn't God say those words to Cain after he killed his brother? If it does apply to us today, what does that look like?
  Well, first of all, people who have put their trust in Jesus Christ for their salvation, and have repented of their sins, according to the Bible, are born again. They are born of the Holy Spirit and the spirit inside them, which once was dead, is now alive. Also, they are born into the family of God. That person is now God's child. Other people who have done the same are also God's children. All people who are born again are part of God's family, with God being the Father. 
  In a human family, we have parents that watch out for the children. When the parents are around, the children should watch out for each other. That doesn't always happen because we are basically selfish and aren't mature enough to do that until we become adults (and it doesn't always happen then either). 
  In the Boy Scouts organization, they have a policy called, The Buddy System. In the Buddy System, a boy scout is always with another boy scout just in case something happens to one of them and they need help. If a boy scout is alone, it would be easy for him to be in dangerous situations. No one would know that he was in danger because he is by himself. But with another boy scout around, there is safety. 
  I think that is a good point in any relationship setting. No man (or woman) is an island. We are all together in this life. God designed us to be in relationship with one another in the Body of Christ. God puts us together and we grow together as a body of believers. If we are left to ourselves, we put ourselves in a dangerous place, spiritually speaking. 
   Yes, we need one another. If you look throughout Paul's writings in the New Testament, you will see many times the words 'one another' (note: this phrase is different in different versions). We do, up to a point, have a responsibility for each other in the church. That is why we have small groups, care groups, activities for people to engage in together and get to know one another. 
   Jesus commands us to 'love one another'. Is love just an idea, or is it something deeper. We love babies and ice cream, but what is really involved with loving someone. 1 Corinthians 13 gives a description of what that is like. It involves sacrifice and seeing the other person's needs above our own. Loving someone is caring for what is best for the other person, regardless of what it takes out of us.
   In Romans 12:5, it tells us that we are members of one another. "So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another."
We are not only members of the family of God, but also of each other!
  In other parts of the New Testament, we are to 'edify' one another. In Galatians 6, it tells us to carry or bear one another's burdens. Other verses tell us to admonish one another. 
  So my point is this; Are we taking care of one another, the way that it is prescribed in the Bible? Are we aware when one of our brothers or sisters in the Lord is going through a hard time? Are we letting people slip through the cracks because we are too busy with our own activities that we don't even remember there are other people in the church? What about that person who was involved in the church last year? Have we noticed that he is missing? What about the woman who was going through a terrible divorce a couple of months ago? Where is she now? Was someone there to help her walk through that dark time in her life? How about that couple whose teenage son was killed last year? Where are they now? Were we able to reach them and minister to them in their dark hour? I think you get the point.
   In 2 Corinthians 2:13, Paul was very distressed because he couldn't find Titus. In 2 Corinthians 7, Paul explains the joy and comfort he had because of finding Titus. This was no small matter for him.
   Are we our brother or sister's keeper? You bet. If we don't see things this way, let's ask God to show us our hearts and give us a deep love and care for one another in the Body of Christ.