Cain, in his sin, shirks God’s probe for his brother Abel.
           "Am I my brother’s keeper?" [1] Genesis 4:9

I believe the opposite holds true: 
           Cain, outside of his sin, is his brother’s keeper — and he knows it.

[2] James 2:8-10 teaches so strongly that between you and God stands your neighbor. As members of the Church, the Body of Christ, we are mutually responsible for one another. We are responsible for our brother’s spiritual, emotional, and social welfare. Here’s a tough Christian responsibility to ponder in our shallow-commitment-society: We are also responsible for our brother’s shortcomings, his/her speech, & restititution from the damage of sin.

"A dramatic story illustrative of this point has been passed down from talmudic times. The tale is about three men in a boat. Suddenly one of the men begins to drill a hole beneath his seat. When his friends immediately plead with him to stop, he replies, What are you worrying about? I’m only drilling under my seat." The moral drawn by the rabbis has been repeated again and again: ‘We’re all in the same boat’."^{[3] 1}

1. Wilson, Marvin R. Our Father Abraham, Eerdmans p. 188-189 [[4] back]