My Brother’s Keeper
Fan Li, a strategist of China’s late Spring and Autumn period, helped the king of Yue rescue the state from crisis. Yet having discerned the ruthless nature of power, he soon withdrew from public life and disappeared from view. He later settled in Tao, where he worked diligently and amassed great wealth. Then one day, he received unexpected news: his second son, who had gone to the state of Chu, had killed someone and was now imprisoned, awaiting execution. Fan Li summoned his third son and instructed him to load a cart with gold, travel to Chu, and save his older brother. When his eldest son heard of this, however, he insisted that such an important responsibility should fall to him as the firstborn. Having no other choice, Fan Li sent him instead. He told his eldest son to deliver both his letter and one thousand pieces of gold to an influential old friend in Chu and to follow the man’s instructions without question.
Some time later, the eldest son returned home with the body of his younger brother. Although he had gone to see the influential man, he had failed to follow his advice. Reluctant to part with the money, he sought another way to secure his brother’s release. Offended by his actions, the influential man instead urged the king to carry out the prisoner’s execution. As the entire household wept, Fan Li spoke calmly. “I knew this would happen when I sent my eldest son. It was not that he did not care for his brother; he simply could not bear to give up the money. He grew up through hardship and therefore hesitates to spend it. My youngest son, however, was born after I became wealthy and has known only prosperity, so he does not cling to money. That is why I intended to send him.”
What could possibly be too precious to give when a life is at stake? Wealth, time, strength, effort, wisdom, and pride—none of these is more valuable than life. God regarded a single life as more precious than the whole world. To save the lives of His children, who had become sinners, He endured the ridicule and contempt of His own creation and withheld neither His precious flesh and blood nor even His life. The New Covenant Passover fully contains this love, given with all His heart, life, and will.
The footsteps of those who have set out at the request of Father and Mother to save the lives of their brothers and sisters are now reaching Samaria and even the ends of the earth. Like the good Samaritan, they spare neither their valuable travel expenses and free time nor their labor, effort, and goodwill in the work of saving souls. Through their single-minded desire to save their brothers and sisters, precious souls are being brought back to life one by one and returning to the embrace of Father and Mother.
After committing a terrible wrong against his brother, Cain asked God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Yet being “one’s brother’s keeper” is precisely what God desires of us. Those who unite in love and protect one another’s lives are truly family—true brothers and sisters.
