as i was perusing the itunes podcast section, i came across erwin mcmanus’ sermons. i decided to download one to see what i thought. it was called “the lie” and he was circling in on the fall and the lie we believe about ourself.
then i got an email from my sister, whom i might visit this weekend, and she included a sermon from her pastor from last week so that if i go to church, i will not be lost amid the series. the title? “the lie.” hmmm… i think it’s time to revisit genesis 1-3?
so i did. and now i have questions. of course.
1. adam and eve were naked. life was good. they ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. still naked, but now life was bad. why? it obviously wasn’t the nakedness. they were naked in the beginning; God made it that way and life was good. and it’s not as if God was trying to pull one over on them, keeping the fact that they were naked a secret because it was bad… he wanted it to be that way. so why, praytell, does our knowledge of good and evil have an effect on our nakedness and our perception of its badness? it seems that the nakedness wasn’t the problem… the problem is what we thought of it all.
2. the youngest as favorite syndrome. as an oldest child, i relate. seems it began with adam and eve… abel, the baby, always did things better than cain. you know, in cain’s defense, he had to screw up so that others could learn from the mistakes of the eldest. it’s the way life works. but, nonetheless, it seems that the youngest is always God’s favorite, as well. isaac over ishmeal for Abraham; jacob over easu for Isaac; benjamin over all 11 of them for jacob. Christ over Adam. The second is always chosen over the first. Why?
3. what is the “knowledge of good and evil” really all about? how does knowing good and evil change the course of human history? why did it change our relationship with God? i think has something to do with self-relience, or in the words of Angie’s pastor, the beginnings of self-preservation (thus the plight of Cain…. if i’m not good enough, then destroy that which reveals that i’m not good enough). but why does knowing good and evil drive us to self-preservation? why does the choice between the two (good or evil) mean that we frequently choose to self-preserve?
Seriously, folks. Not being my usual antagonist self… i’d like to know how these things come together to form our understanding of God and ourselves.
This has spurred many thoughts, but would take WAY to long to address here…
One I will mention concerns your ideas on self-preservation. I think that I am all about preserving my myself and my family. I think I’d have to go rabid badger on anyone that tried to end my life or my family’s in an untimely, seemingly random way. However, I lack eternal perspective. All I know is that, although I have no memory of it, I was born and all I know will end when I die, and that feels like the end. If I’m really honest with myself, I’d like to put that whole ‘end’ thing off as long as possible.
Maybe I’d be more inclined to not be attached to my life now if I had a better understanding of things on an eternal time line. For instance, I’d be a lot more pissed that Christmas was over if I thought it would be the last one ever. One thing that gives some relief there is that I know that time marches on and inevitably there will be next Christmas. I can’t see past death like I can see next Christmas on the calendar. So, I’m inclined to hold onto this life more than if I knew true life on God’s plane rather than on mine.
Clear as mud?
Just some thoughts… 🙂