Ok, so this story is less than inspiring. This image is probably less than inspiring as well. Think about how quickly sin spread. The first sin was a rebellion against God, eating of the fruit. And while we all acknowledge that to be a clear evil, what’s even more shocking is to see how that rebellion spirals into something so horrifying in this episode recorded in Ge. 4:1-16.
Cain breaks relationship with God, and in seeing his brother find favor, he is moved to jealousy. Jealousy turns into deceit (”let us go out to the field”), deceit becomes murder, murder against his own brother, murder of a good man. And as with Adam and Eve, he too attempts a shallow defense (”am I my brother’s keeper?)
Most images of this story capture the moment of attack, what I like about this one is that it captures the emotion of the aftermath. Even before God confronts Cain, he must realize what he has done. Again, things will never be the same. There is something new in the world, and this new thing is not good.
Sin is crouching at the door and waiting to overcome (4:7). Here is a picture of a man who knows he has been overcome.
What do we look like in the moments where we know we’ve been overcome?
While this image is not inspiring, what can be inspiring is that sin is not the only thing there. God is also there in those moments. Will we let him ward off those attacks? When we fail, will we let him apply his grace?
