“Biblical Family Values”
GENESIS: Covenant Community
Genesis 4.1-16 and Mark 1.16-20
Rev. Dr. Charles H. Berthoud
Covenant Presbyterian Church, Madison WI
Sunday, September 15, 2013
The call of Jesus is our first reading, and it is an important account to remember, and a call for which we always
need to listen. And it’s interesting to note that James and John, two of the brothers who followed the call, left their
father behind.
Our second reading is the fourth chapter of our Bible, as we continue the series on Genesis, called Covenant
Community. In the first three chapters, we learn about creation, in two different accounts. First in a more cosmic
description, we hear how God speaks creation into being and that creation is good. Then in the second account,
we see how Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command.
Genesis 4 moves from the vertical relationship to include a horizontal relationship, with the well-known story of
Cain killing his brother Abel. While the murder stands at the center of the story, it is not the focus of the story,
only taking one verse. The first part of the story focuses on the challenging situation in which Cain finds himself
and the choices that he has, with the personified force of sin lurking at the door, ready to pounce. The second half
has a sort of lawsuit, with God and Cain, and we see God’s concern for the murderer and God’s refusal to give up
on him, even marking Cain as his own.
Reflecting on these verses and especially on the final three words, has made me realize there is another great
novel that I have not yet read: John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, which deals with many themes in Genesis 4: sin, guilt,
forgiveness, self-destructive behavior, and choices.
This account of Cain and Abel also introduces a common biblical theme: God’s special concern for the younger
siblings, in a culture where the first born son was viewed with high esteem. We see this in the story of Esau and
Jacob, as well as in the story of Joseph. And we see this theme as well in the story of the prodigal son, the younger
of two sons, who was lost but was found.
Jesus expands on the concern of God for the younger sibling by extending mercy and welcome to other “excluded”
people, like the prostitutes, the tax collectors, and the foreigners, and by teachings such as “The last shall be first
and the first shall be last.”
One question that has generated much reflection is, why did God prefer Abel’s offering? Walter Brueggemann calls
it the “capricious freedom of YHWH.” While commentators have offered many reasons for God’s preference, the
text says nothing. It is possible that God may be introducing the idea that life isn’t always fair and God’s people
should get used to it and figure out how to deal with it.
Listen now for God’s word in Genesis 4.
4
Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have produced a man with the
help of the LORD.” 2 Next she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the
ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel for his part
brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for
Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 The LORD said to Cain,
“Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do
not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.”
[a]
C. Berthoud, page 2
Covenant Presb 9/15/13
Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against
his brother Abel, and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” He said, “I do not
know; am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And the LORD said, “What have you done? Listen; your brother’s blood is crying
out to me from the ground! 11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive
your brother’s blood from your hand.12 When you till the ground, it will no longer yield to you its strength; you will
be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can
bear! 14 Today you have driven me away from the soil, and I shall be hidden from your face; I shall be a fugitive
and a wanderer on the earth, and anyone who meets me may kill me.” 15 Then the LORD said to him, “Not
so! Whoever kills Cain will suffer a sevenfold vengeance.” And the LORD put a mark on Cain, so that no one who
came upon him would kill him. 16 Then Cain went away from the presence of the LORD, and settled in the land of
Nod, east of Eden.
8
[b]
[c]
[d]
“Family values.” “Biblical values.” “Judeo-Christian values.” These phrases get tossed around
with assumptions that such values are universal and self-evident. But what exactly are “Biblical
family values”?
A few years ago at a conference, I heard Methodist bishop and author Will Willimon speak at a
conference, and he commented that he sees some more fundamentalist churches having
sermon series on “Biblical Family Values.” He then said something about how he didn’t know
where they were getting the material for these sermons, since most of what he sees in biblical
families involves polygamy and adultery, lying and cheating, bickering and quarreling, and in the
case of Cain and Abel, murder. Not exactly my idea of healthy values.
Certainly we can see that Cain’s murder of Abel was wrong. But we also have to be careful that
we don’t look at the Bible as a simple book of morality, encouraging us to “live right.” Our
practice of the Christian faith is much more than encouraging one another to be faithful like
Abraham, or to be good like Joseph, or to be courageous like David, or to be wise like Solomon.
While there are admirable traits in many biblical characters, we also see how they are deeply
flawed in their behavior, and if we think of the Bible primarily a source of “family values” or as a
place to learn good morals, we’re missing something. There has to be more. And there is.
If we’re expecting the church to simply be a place where we learn to be good citizens, or simply
taught good values, we’re missing something. There has to be more. And there is.
C. Berthoud, page 3
Covenant Presb 9/15/13
Sometimes when I talk with people who aren’t involved in a church, they often say something
about how they couldn’t come to church because they’re not good enough, like all those
people in church. I try not to laugh. Do you really know anybody at church? We’re far from
perfect.
The reality of our brokenness within the church became clear to me several years ago, at a
different church. The tradition at this other church is for people to share their joys and concerns
out loud with one another. On a typical Sunday, someone might ask the congregation to pray
for their father who is dealing with cancer, or for their grandmother who is under hospice care,
or for their friend who just lost a job. Sometimes people would announce a family member’s
birthday or share other light hearted news.
But on this one particular Sunday, a young man of about 23 years, from a prominent family in
the church and in the community, stood up and thanked God, because for four weeks he had
been free from his heroin addiction.
You could have heard a pin drop in that sanctuary. I was offered some words of encouragement
and support, for this young man and for everyone struggling with addiction. In the weeks after
that this young man and his family received love and support from one another and from the
rest of the church, as we prayed for him, and for them, and for all people affected by addiction,
that God would bring healing, courage, and strength. And in that same time, two other families
came to me and told me about heroin issues in their families—all good, respectable, church
going families.
We may not be dealing with things like heroin or murder, but we get angry, we get bitter, we
do foolish and self-destructive and hurtful things. We know the right things to do and we don’t
do them. We are sinners in need of a savior. We are the lost we need to be found. We are the
broken who need to be set straight.
We are not perfect here in church. We need to acknowledge who we are, which is why we
confess our sins, and why we have a variety of Bible studies and small groups where we can
share, pray, and grow. We need each other.
C. Berthoud, page 4
Covenant Presb 9/15/13
In the story of Cain and Abel, and in the stories of Genesis, we see imperfect people and
imperfect families, dealing with all sorts of “stuff” and somehow moving forward. Genesis is not
a book about “good people.” It is a book about a good and loving God who has given people
freedom, who is saddened and angered by their mistakes, and who yet refuses to give up on
them because of a covenant promise. Cain, though deeply flawed, was marked by God and not
forgotten or abandoned.
And here at Covenant church, we also are imperfect people, imperfect families, with our
“stuff.”
But we are created in the image of God, the maker of heaven and earth,
and, in Jesus Christ we are marked as new people, baptized into a new family, a family that
gives us strength and hope,
and, by the power of the Holy Spirit we are learning how to be our brother’s keeper, as well as
our sister’s, our parents and kids, and neighbors and even our enemies.
With each other and with God, we are a Covenant people. Amen.