You Were Supposed to be the Chosen One.

At the end of the 2005 box office hit Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan cries out to Anakin Skywalker "you were supposed to be the chosen one..."

This must have been how Adam and Eve felt when they found out that Cain had killed his brother Abel. As Cain was growing up, I am sure he was told countless times how his mother and father had disobeyed God. How they had hid from God, but God came looking for them. How God had cursed the serpent and promised that from the offspring of Eve there would be one who would bruise the head of the serpent and bring redemption to the world. It would

make sense that all eyes would be on Cain and Able. Cain being the first born would be the likely one who would be the one who would be this redeemer.

As a result, the focus is on Cain. Cain's name means "here he is" and like any parents, Adam and Eve expected great things from Cain. With this name they likely believed their first-born son would be the one who would liberate them from the curse and allow them access back to Eden. In actuality they were raising the assassin of their second son Abel.

One day Cain and Abel brought to the Lord an offering. Abel offered the first born of his flock,

his offering was from his heart and was the likely most prize possession he could offer. Cain, on the other hand, perhaps made his offering just because he thought it was good to provide something to the Lord because his brother was doing it. In the book of Hebrews, we are told that Abel offered up a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. This angered Cain, it is likely that Cain’s pride was hurt. God confronts Cain and tells him he must make a choice to do well otherwise sin is crouching at the door.

Cain had a choice. He could have repented of his halfhearted offering, his pride, and his

anger. He could have resisted the pull toward anger and violence. Just like today people have a choice. People in Atlanta are being asked not to take part in the violent anti-police riots that have rocked the downtown. Other major cities are preparing for what will likely be a brutal couple of nights due to the pending release of a video depicting a confrontation with police in Memphis that lead to the death of Tyre Nichols. We, like Cain, have a choice. We can prevent sin from ruling over us by allowing God to transform our lives. If we follow His path we will not be ruled by our emotions and we will not be slaves to sin.