In the Unification framework, the order in which love is given is not a matter of preference — it is principled and non-negotiable. The eldest son position, even when held by the wrong person, must be honored before the second son can receive love.
“Since Satan is the eldest son in principle, if God wants to love Abel, He must establish the condition of having loved Satan, the eldest son, first. Without showing such love to Satan, there is no way for Him to love the second son. This is according to the Principle.” (CSG 124-73, 1983.1.23)
Why the rule exists:
The Fall did not merely make Satan evil — it gave Satan the position of eldest son in humanity’s fallen history. Position, in Principle, carries rights. The eldest son has right of inheritance. Love given to the second son without first honoring the eldest is a violation of the principled order — and Satan knows it. He would accuse such a love before Heaven.
So the condition must be established: the Messiah (or anyone in the restoring position) must demonstrate love toward the Cain world — the hostile, fallen, opposing world — before that love can legitimately flow to the Abel world. This is not sentimental charity. It is cosmic jurisprudence.
The consequence for True Mother
This principle directly shapes Moon’s relationship to Hak Ja Han (True Mother) in the early providential years. Moon states explicitly:
“No matter how universal a love Mother wants to receive, I cannot give such love. That is her situation.” (CSG 124-73)
The Cain world must be loved first. Until the condition is established, even the one standing closest to the restoring central figure cannot receive unrestricted love from him — not because of withholding, but because the structural condition hasn’t been fulfilled. The rule is not personal; it is providential.
The Eve figure’s path
Eve’s restoration requires her to unite Cain and Abel and return to Adam. This is the prescribed pattern — she cannot bypass the Cain relationship and go directly to Adam. She must pass through the work of uniting the divided brothers before the family can be reconstituted.
Cross-domain parallel
This principle appears everywhere a legitimate authority is being built in opposition. A new pastor cannot come into a conflicted congregation and immediately shower the loyal faction (Abel) with attention while ignoring or skipping the resistant faction (Cain). The resistant group will rightly sense the injustice — and the pastoral authority built on partial love will be partial and fragile. The one who wins over the opposition first earns the right to bless the community.
The order is: love the hardest case first. Then the rest follows with legitimacy.
Sermon / pastoral use
“Bless those who curse you” (Luke 6:28) is usually taught as extraordinary virtue — going beyond what’s required. This note suggests it may be something stronger: the structural requirement for any genuine blessing to flow. If you can only bless those who already bless you, you haven’t established the condition. The love that transforms is the love that goes to the one who doesn’t deserve it first.
The Cain-first rule is why the cross looks like failure and is actually victory. Jesus loved the world while the world was still his enemy (Romans 5:8). That is not the secondary plan — it is the Principle.