Genesis: The Fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil

I often find myself reading three areas of the bible over and over again: The Creation Story, The Exodus and the sermon on the mount. At this point in my life, these sections seem to give me insight into how God thinks (at least a little bit).

The creation story is anything but simple. I think it's good to simplify it for children, but as adults, I think there is a lot more there to consider.

In the story of the fall, Adam and Eve are tempted to eat the fruit from the one tree that God said not to - and they fail. They seem to go through this testing period, where God is absent, the Serpent (Satan) is there trying get them to disobey, and they are "new creations" - naive and could easily become victims.

There are all kinds of questions I have asked about this story:

• Where was God? Somewhere else...
• Who let the Serpent (Satan) in the garden with them?
• Why did Adam stay silent in all of this?
• Why did God put the tree right in the middle of the garden with no protection?
• What about the Tree of Life right next to it? It seems to get ignored - go figure.

I could go on all day, (sometimes I drive my poor family nuts.)

For the moment, I'm going to focus on this idea: Once they came to the realization that they really wanted the fruit, even at the risk of death, what were they supposed to do then? 

Continue to have this enticing, deadly thing in their living room for eternity, driving them insane?

Move to a different area of the garden to get away from the temptation?  

Maybe chop the tree down and burn it?  

Stare the thing down every morning an build some spiritual super immunity?  

 What was God's ultimate end-game on this situation?

Did God give them any indication there there would be some resolution to this? I think he did, but this is purely speculation on my part.

In the scene before this one, God made Eve out of a rib from Adam (kind of crazy).

God took Adam though a pretty elaborate exercise to get to Eve. He brought each animal to him and told him to give it a name, and I think he also asked, "so is this one suitable to be a mate for you?" And in each case, Adam said "No!". I envision a long, tedious, weird and even comical process. I am going to assume that by the end of it (thousands of animals) that Adam was petty beaten down.

I think in this whole scenario, God created a huge desire in Adam for a mate. But Adam seemingly did well, went through the process with God. In the end, he gave him something beyond any animal he saw - and he had to give a piece of himself for it all to work.

So by the time they were faced with the temptation of the fruit, Adam had a chance to see how God functioned. God creates us with desires, and takes us through some "adventures" to test us - so we come to a better understanding of him and ourselves - and He fills those desires.

Back to the fruit...

What did God want? Patience and some fortitude to not be tempted? Sure. Maybe the choice to stay far away from it? That would probably be a good idea.

But what I really think he wanted was for Adam and Eve to talk with him about it. To be honest about their desires and the struggle they were going through. I think he wanted them to ask, "if you won't give us that fruit, can you give us something better? Something that we would desire even more and also makes you happy as well?"

Here is where I speculate that the Tree of Life comes in. At the very end of the bible, it says:

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse.

I think Adam and Eve where so wrapped up in their desire, they didn't even notice the Tree of Life, sitting right in front of them. Exactly how it all played out is beyond me - but I'm almost positive that God want them to ask for that fruit. I also believe he would have given to them, and we would all be children of Eden.

So what does all this mean to me? Hopefully this is more than a 51 year old college-educated man spending too much time contemplating ancient myths.

I need to talk with God about my desires - all of them. Nothing should be off the table. I should also be assured that he will give me more than I desire, if I'm patent. I'm in no way thinking about him making me prosperous with stuff and money - but in those things that really matter: Love, friendship, relationships, significance, eternity. 

I often try to hide my desires from God, since I know they can be small, petty, even evil at times. It's embarrassing to verbalize some of things I want, even when it's just me and God. It sheds light on problems with my ego and motivations, it exposes my fears and things about me that I never want anyone to know about.

I want to be able ask him for everything. As always, God help me.

Blessed are the Pure in Heart

Jesus said: Blessed are pure in heart, for they will see God.

I've discovered that if I want to be like God, I can't avoid other people's pain. I can't even just tolerate it - I have to engage with them in it. It take's a lot work and isn't natural for me.

Henri Nouwen wrote:

Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.

In no way do I think I'm "pure in heart" - but I know that previously my heart was often closed to others. I wasn't willing - or seemingly able - to empathize and enter into another person's misery. After going through my own anguish and seeing others engage with me, I think I'm at least a bit more open. I hope I have the courage to continue on.

I had somehow convinced myself that an antiseptic, intellectual, moral faith was acceptable to God. I wanted to be strong with the weak, encourage those who mourn, and tell those in pain that better things would come - and I felt righteous in now what know to be disobedience and ignorance.

Jesus said:

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

God - help me.