(I Am My Brother`s Keeper).

Genesis 4:9 (KJV) And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother?

And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?

Luke 10:36-37 (KJV) Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him

that fell among the thieves?

[37] And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus

unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

VERY BREIFLY THIS EVENING I WOULD LIKE TO USE FOR A TOPIC

(I AM MY BROTHER`S KEEPER).

THIS STORY FOUND IN THE 4TH CHAPTER OF GENESIS IS A VERY FAMILIAR STORY

MOSES REVEALS TO US THAT ADAM LAY WITH HIS WIFE EVE

SHE CONCEIVES AND GIVE BIRTH TO HER FRIST SON CAIN

LATER, SHE CONCEIVES AGAIN AND GIVES BIRTH TO HER SECOND SON , ABEL

THE RECORD ALSO REVEALS THAT CAIN WAS A FARMER AND ABEL WAS A

SHEPHERD

AND CAIN & ABEL GAVE OFFERINGS TO THE LORD.

ABEL`S OFFERING WAS LOOKED UPON WITH FAVOR,

BUT GOD REJECTED CAINS OFFERING

THE BIBLE SAYS THAT CAIN BECAME UPSET AND INVITED ABEL OUT TO THE FIELD

AND IT WAS THERE THAT HE COMMITTED THE WORLD FRIST MURDER

VERSE 9 IN THE TEXT REVEALS THAT the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother

? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?

IN THIS STORY NOT ONLY DO WE FIND THE GENESIS OF ALL CREATION

BUT ALSO THE BEGINNING OF DIVISION, STRIFE,AND SEPERATION BETWEEN BROTHERS

AND THIS SEED OF DIVISION AND STRIFE CONTINUES TO MOVE DOWN THROUGH THE GENERATIONS

FROM CAIN AND ABEL TO JACOB AND ESAU TO JOSEPH AND HIS BROTHERS TO ABSALOM AND AMMON AND

THE LIST GOES ON AND ON

AND IT EVEN HAVE MANIFESTED ITSELF IN THE CHURCH TODAY

THIS DIVISION AND SEPERATION OF BROTHERS WOULD BECOME SO ENGRAINED INTO THE FABRIC OF THE

ISRAELITE COMMUNITY

THAT BY THE TIME JESUS ARRIVED ON THE SCENE

IT HAD PREMATED THE VERY RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY

A COMMUNITY THAT GOD HAD COMMISSIONED TO BRING RECONCILIATION AMONG BROTHERS

AND IF THE PURPOSE OF GOD WAS GOING TO BE ACCOMPLISH

SOMEBODY HAD TO ANSWER CAIN`S QUESTION ( AM I MY BROTHERS KEEPER)

SO AS WE EXAMINE THE 10TH CHAPTER OF THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE

WE FIND JESUS BRINGING CLOSURE TO CAIN`S QUESTION

IN THE 10TH CHAPTER OF LUKE

JESUS IS TEACHING HIS DICIPLES AND THE COMMUNITY

VERSE 25 TELLS US - a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

Luke 10:26 Jesus replied, "What does Moses' law say about it?"

Luke 10:27 "It says," he replied, "that you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all

your strength, and with all your mind. And you must love your neighbor just as much as you love yourself."

AND REALLY TRYING TO BE SLICK - The man wanted to justify (his lack of love for some kinds of people), so he asked,

"WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR"

JESUS BEING THE MASTER TEACHER HE IS JESUS

TAKES THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT A CASE STUDY THROUGH WHICH HEARERS COULD DECIDE FOR

THEMSELVES THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION

HE BEGINS BY TELLING THEM A STORY THAT’S HELPS TO DEMONSTRATE THE TRUE MEANING OF BEING OUR

BROTHER`S KEEPER

JESUS SAID, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his

raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

Luke 10:31-32 (KJV) And by chance there came down a certain

priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other

side.

[32] And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

Luke 10:33-35 (Living) "But a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw him, he felt deep pity.

[34] Kneeling beside him the Samaritan soothed his wounds with medicine and bandaged them. Then he put the man

on his donkey and walked along beside him till they came to an inn, where he nursed him through the night.

[35] The next day he handed the innkeeper two twenty-dollar bills and told him to take care of the man. 'If his bill runs higher than

that,' he said, 'I'll pay the difference the next time I am here.'

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

[37] The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on

him."Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

AND THIS PARABLE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS HAVE BECOME TO MANY OF US A LIVED REALITY

CAN I TELL YOU WHAT I`M TALKING ABOUT

THERE ARE MANY NAMELESS AND COUNTLESS MEN

WHO ARE TRAVELING OR HAVE TRAVELED THE LONELY DESOLATE ROCKY ROAD