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Week IV - The Reality of Sin
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The woman answered the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.” But the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad.”
The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loin-cloths for themselves
(Genesis 3: 2-7).
THE DECEPTION OF SIN:
Chapter 3 of Genesis offers us the most original understanding of sin and its devious nature. Every other description of sin in the Bible reflects this foundational portrayal of sin. In the above passage the woman states a fact and a prohibition. The fact is that she and the man may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; the prohibition, however, is that they are not to eat or touch the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. If the prohibition is broken, death will ensue. It is then that Satan as represented by the serpent enters the scene. He is a master at deceit and trickery. He twists the facts given to him by the woman and makes God out to be a liar. Satan argues that God is in fact afraid that the creature He created will become equal to Him and like other gods. Through this web of deception, sin creates a gravitational allure away from God toward self. Satan’s argument against God seems convincing and it is difficult for the man and woman to detect any flaws, because they have already begun thinking along those lines. Agreeing with Sin incarnate becomes well-nigh irresistible.
To return to the passage, at first we are told that the tree in the middle of the garden was good for food, pleasing to the eye, and desirable for gaining wisdom. This statement presents a fact and a mirage. The fact is that all creatures are good in themselves because they have been created by God. As St. Ignatius says in the First Principle and Foundation in the Spiritual Exercises, “Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his soul. The other things on the face of the earth are created for man to help him in attaining the end for which he is created. Hence, man is to make use of them in as far as they help him in the attainment of his end, and he must rid himself of them in as far as they prove a hindrance to him.” While all creatures are good in themselves, there is a tendency in humans to thwart the proper use of creatures, misusing them for self-aggrandizement rather than for God’s glory. The man and woman in stating the goodness of the tree in the middle of the garden are agreeing with God that “it is good (refer to the Creation story).” But judging from the context they are implying that this good and beautiful creature can be used for their own self-serving purposes to become like and compete with God! The woman then convinced herself that eating the fruit would further her own ambitions even when they violated God’s purposes. She ate of the fruit and gave it to her husband who also ate of it. And then they faced a painful reality – the consequences of sin.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN:
All along they were naked and felt no shame. However, after they had eaten of the fruit, they realized that they were naked! This time around they are experiencing their nakedness differently. Shame and confusion have entered the picture. Their identity has been affected. When God wants to visit them at the breezy time of day, “the man and his wife hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees of the garden (Genesis 3: 8).” In response to God’s question about their whereabouts, the man answers, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” Before sin, their nakedness was a blessing and joy as they were in harmony with God and themselves. Now their nakedness is a source of shame and fear as they feel alienated from God and themselves.
Their alienation manifests itself through signs that are foreign to truth and transparency. The Lord God draws the inevitable conclusion from their desire to hide from Him by saying, “You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat (Genesis 3:11)!” The man replies by excusing himself and blaming his wife for eating of the fruit. And when the Lord God asked the woman the same question, she passed the buck by blaming the serpent. Blaming others for one’s own misdeeds or not taking responsibility by making excuses is clearly one of the characteristics of sin. As the story reads, God does not ask the serpent the same question. Satan is the Father of Lies and relishes deceit and opposition to God. Satan will not make excuses about executing plots of evil.
The story continues to reveal the consequences of sin. Turning toward the serpent, God says, “Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; on your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life (Genesis 3:14).” Satan’s identification with evil causes a separation and alienation from all creatures. It is necessary to remember this equation: Satan= alienation. Anytime we listen to evil always masquerading under the guise of good, we will suffer isolation and alienation from God, ourselves, and others.
The Lord God goes on to say in Genesis 3:15: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” The theme of Satan being our enemy continues in this passage. But there is a more important theme. We will never be able to win our battle against Satan and sin without outside help. Satan’s eventual defeat seems implied in the contrast between head and heel. Because “the Son of God appeared that he might destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8),” the passage can be understood as the first promise of a Redeemer for fallen humankind. The woman’s offspring then is primarily Jesus Christ.
Another consequence of sin is that human life will have its fair share of travail and hardship. The woman is told that she will bear children in pain and “he (her husband) shall be your master (Genesis 3:16).” Until they sinned, the relationship between the man and woman had been harmonious. There had been no rivalry or need to lord it over each other. The two of them operated as one body. With sin this significant relationship has become disordered; from now on there will always be the need to work at improving relationships. And to the man God said that he would earn his living by the sweat of his brow. There would be no productivity without labor and hardship.
The last consequence of sin results in life seeming like an exile from God. While the Lord God will be still be very involved with us and solicitous about our welfare, we will always be pining for God, as “the deer pants for running waters Psalm 41).”
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HELPFUL ATTITUDES FOR PRAYER:
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It is necessary to understand that we are on a slippery slope when we make even the slightest move toward dabbling with sin. If you flirt with sin beyond five seconds, you run the risk of compromising yourself, according to the wisdom of Alcoholics Anonymous.
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Sin has a willful and defiant quality about it. It is the willful disregard of the welfare of others for the satisfaction of self.
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It is always helpful to have a very concrete sense of sin, understanding how it expresses itself in specific behaviors. Part of your spiritual formation is to think concretely about sin.
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Proverbs 6:17-19 tells us of the seven things God hates: “Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood; a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil, the false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.
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Paul tells us what proceeds from the flesh: “lewd conduct, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, bickering, jealousy, outbursts of rage, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like….those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21)!”
GUIDELINES FOR PRAYER:
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Be faithful to your time of prayer, and make it between 20 and 30 minutes daily.
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Begin every prayer session with an earnest prayer to the Holy Spirit like the one I have composed for you: Come, Holy Spirit, and overshadow me with your gentle wisdom and power as I endeavor to sit at the feet of Jesus during this period of prayer. Purify my mind and heart as I seek to make the teachings of Jesus my priority in life, thinking, speaking and doing as He desires. You are the keeper of my soul, leading me into God’s heart. May I be docile and submissive to your wisdom and guidance. And may my life be a pleasing offering in your sight. Amen.
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Take one of the passages suggested for the week for your prayer. During the week you might want to ponder the question, “Do I have an appreciation of the disorder of my actions and the ungodly spirit of the world that I encounter on a daily basis?”
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Lastly, during your prayer make sure that along with reflection you also address God directly and listen for answers that you need.
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You can end your prayer with the following: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I thank you for your gracious companionship. I praise you for being my Creator, Savior and Lord. May I take your blessings to my day, and may your presence envelop and permeate all my thoughts and actions. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
PASSAGES FOR PRAYER:
Genesis 3: 1-24: The Fall of Man
Genesis 4: 1-16: Cain and Abel
Genesis 32: 1-35: The Golden Calf
2 Samuel 11: 1-27: David’s Sin
1 Kings 11: 1-13: The Sins of Solomon
Psalm 32: Remission of Sin
Psalm 36: Human Wickedness and Divine Providence
Psalm 37: The Fate of Sinners and the Reward of the Just
Matthew 21: 12-17: Cleansing out the Temple
Romans 6: 12-23: Freedom from sin; life in God
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- It would be important for you to become very familiar with ‘The Imitation of Christ.’ After the Bible, this classic is the most widely read. During this year long retreat you can choose to read a few chapters on a daily basis, and/or the ones recommended during this week.
- It would be even more important for you to become familiar with the Bible, especially with the New Testament. Similarly, beginning with the New Testament you can choose to read a few chapters on a daily basis, and/or the ones recommended during this week.
- Try to do all your spiritual reading recommended for the week.
The Imitation of Christ:
Book Three: Of inner Comfort
Chapter 52: That we should not think of ourselves as worthy of comfort but deserving of Correction
Chapter 54: Of the differing movements of Grace and Nature
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| Old Testament:
Genesis 19: Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
Genesis 37: Joseph sold into Egypt
1 Samuel 2: 12-36: Wickedness of Eli’s sons
New Testament:
Matthew 4: The Temptations of Jesus
Matthew 5: The Old Law and the New
Matthew 7: Avoiding Judgment and the Golden Rule
John 15: The Vine and Branches; A disciple’s love; The World’s Hate
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Journal for a few minutes daily about your experience with God in prayer and during the day.
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Your journal will help you with your sharing in spiritual direction
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Gradually patterns of insights, themes, consolations, and resistance to God’s promptings will emerge.
- Your journal will help you appreciate the Holy Spirit’s action in your being.
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