Cain and Abel are arguably one of the more well-known Bible stories, or at least the conflict between two brothers. John Steinbeck borrowed themes from the biblical story to craft East of Eden, whose title implies the location of the story. Cain and Abel were the first children of Adam and Eve following their expulsion from Eden for disobeying God’s commandment not to eat from the knowledge of good and evil.

As the story goes, Abel presents the first fruits of his offering, while Cain brought an offering. There is no explanation as to why God chose Abel’s over Cain’s, yet Cain’s jealousy led to Abel’s death. Cain expresses remorse, and God marks him so that no one will kill him.

What the story highlights is the significance of sin on the rest of humanity. Violence. Murder. Jealousy. These arose out of the fallen human nature emanating from the Cain and Abel story. In our world today, jealousy remains. We are jealous of someone else’s status, possessions, life, and their relationship to others. The 9th and 10th Commandments warn against getting jealous of our neighbors’ lives and possessions (Exod. 20:17-18), and Jesus even amplifies that commandment during his Sermon on the Mount that jealousy, or hating our brother, leads to murder (Matt. 5:21-26).

How does the cycle of violence end? The quick answer is: until Jesus comes again. While that may be so, the other answer is love. While there is no happy resolution for Cain because his line descended and amplified the violence, there is a promise—that Jesus came not to condemn the world but to save the world through his death and resurrection. Christ’s love for us and his command for us to love one another provides that end to the cycle of violence.