Thy Brother's Keeper by A. T. Robinson

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Apr 6, 1911

Thy Brother's Keeper

By A. T. Robinson

A. T. ROBINSON

“And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” Gen. 4:9.

Every person who lives in this world becomes a part of the great web of humanity. It is impossible for any one to so shut himself up to himself that his life will not come in touch with and affect some other life. When Cain thought that his brother Abel had been put beyond the sphere of his life, the Lord said to him, “The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.” It is impossible for us to occupy a position in this world where the influence of our lives does not affect either for weal or woe those who are about us. The apostle stated this truth in these words: “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.” Rom. 14:7.

Unlike Cain, who tried to escape responsibility by declaring that he did not know where his brother was, is the example of Job, who said, “The cause which I knew not I searched out.” Job 29:16.

To a certain lawyer who would escape responsibility, one who, “willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor?” Jesus spoke the parable of the man who, going from Jerusalem to Jericho, fell among thieves, and was robbed and left half dead, and who, after being passed by the priest and the Levite, was ministered to by the good Samaritan. He then asked the lawyer, “Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves?” The lawyer answered, “He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”

If the good Samaritan was neighbor to the man who fell among

thieves was neighbor to the good Samaritan. The man who fell among thieves represents every soul in this world who is in the bondage and darkness of sin, while the good Samaritan represents the true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This makes China’s 435,000,000, Japan’s 50,000,000, Korea’s 10,500,000, India’s 300,000,000, Africa’s 127,000,000, and South America’s 40,000,000, our 962,500,000 next-door neighbors, who truly have fallen among thieves, been robbed of the blessed gospel of peace, and left to die in the darkness of sin and unbelief, without God and without hope.

What have we been doing to give to these, our neighbors, the blessed news of salvation, which has been so richly unfolded to us? Think of one little hand-power printing-press, operated in a Chinese dwelling-house, the rooms of which are dark and dingy and most unfavorable for health and good work, and this the only means for publishing this glorious message to China’s four hundred thirty-five millions of unsaved and unwarned people. In this great, needy field, also, we have no suitable school for the training of workers who accept the truth.

Think of our only printing-plant, a small press turned by hand, and our only school in Japan, both conducted in the private dwelling of one of our workers! These are indeed meager facilities for giving the message to the intelligent, thrifty millions of Japan.

What has been said of China and Japan is true of Korea, where we also have a small printing-plant and a school in operation. Here, notwithstanding our feeble efforts, the Spirit of God has been moving upon hearts, and we have over four hundred Korean Sabbath-keepers.

But space forbids our even touching upon the crying need of facilities for carrying forward our work in India, South America, Africa, and other dark portions of the earth.

Who does not see the justice of quickly doing his part in the raising of the $300,000 Fund with which to provide the needed facilities for carrying on the work in these great, needy, unworked fields, and also to provide homes for our workers? Already many have fallen at their post of duty, and others have been obliged to return to the home land, who, if they had been provided with suitable places in which to live, might now be doing valiant service for the Master.

Will you not respond to this, the call of the hour?

Boulder, Colo. *