THE HUMAN REVOLT AGAINST GOD

I SUNDAY OF LENT - Genesis 2:7-9,3:1-7

Whenever we read the Bible, we must understand it as speaking to us and about us. And that is so when we read the story of Adam and Eve disobeying God and going their own way. We should not spend time blaming them for all the hardships we go through in our lives and in our world. The story of Adam and Eve is not an old story, but it is a reflexion on our own lives and our own history. Before being personal names, Adam and Eve simply mean man and woman, that is humanity. The sin of Adam and Eve is the sin of humanity, that is a condition and a situation of sin, which set us on the path of sin. The way Eve was seduced is the way we are seduced and carried off the right path, opening the doors to evil in our lives and our society.

The commandment forbidding to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was given to the man before Eve was created (Gn 2:17). Learning it from Adam, she became the weak link that could be used to introduce doubt and suspicion. And while she was being seduced, he was there by her side, saying nothing, hoping to get the same thing that she was promised, knowledge and power. That’s why God started by questioning Adam, who had received the commandment.

In order to seduce, the serpent used half-truths and exaggeration, thus sowing doubt in their hearts and minds. Filled with suspicion, they could not trust anymore God’s intentions. Why should he have secrets from them and why should he deny them the fruition of such knowledge? It sounded as if God had a hidden agenda for them, or was he afraid of them?

God had not forbidden to eat from the tree of life, but they did not. Knowledge and power were more important to them than life. Possessing the knowledge, they would become the owners of their own lives, deciding what is good or bad for them. They would not need God; instead, they would take his place, becoming gods themselves.

It is interesting that, in Jesus Christ, we are called to be divine, by being the Children of God. But the only way to achieve it is the way of Jesus Christ, who behaved like the Servant of the Lord. We will become gods by being in communion with God, and that happens when we are one with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Then, God will be all in us.

When we follow the serpent’s way and promote ourselves to gods, we will end up discovering that we are naked, that is we discover our shortcomings and our weaknesses; we discover our fragility and our mortality. The only way to life is accepting God’s wisdom, having a listening heart to his word, putting all our trust in his love and mercy and proclaim with words and deeds that only God is God.

The sin of Adam and Eve is the human revolt against God. We don’t need God and we don’t want him; so we throw him out and take his place, or give his place to gods created by us to satisfy our desires and needs. However, Adam and Eve were not even able to satisfy their basic needs; being naked, they had not the knowledge need to make clothing. God had to make clothing for them (Gn 3:21).

Blinded by the desire to be autonomous and rulers of their own lives, they made a mess of their lives. Their relationship with God was destroyed and they had to hide from, feeling ashamed of God and of each other. They did not accept responsibility for their own decisions, but blamed God, blamed each other and blamed the serpent. Everybody else was responsible, except them. They did not recognise their disobedience and ask for forgiveness; they did not even think of running for the tree of life. They preferred to be their own masters than to submit and accept the gift of life in communion with the one who is the source of life.

During this Lent season, let us try to walk with Jesus along the path that will take him through suffering and death to resurrection. With him, we can follow the path of faithfulness, finding true life and salvation from the only One who can give life and salvation.