Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7

The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground
and blew into his nostrils the breath of life,
and so man became a living being.

Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east,
and placed there the man whom he had formed.
Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow
that were delightful to look at and good for food,
with the tree of life in the middle of the garden
and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals
that the LORD God had made.
The serpent asked the woman,
“Did God really tell you not to eat
from any of the trees in the garden?”
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 evil.”
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 loincloths for themselves.

BACKGROUNDER: THE DISTORTED IMAGE

This week we go back to the beginning. The literal beginning of the Bible, the first few chapters of the book of Genesis tell us so much of who we are today. Why do we see both good and evil?

We see the image of God in the goodness of each person. We live because God has breathed his Spirit into us. There is so much natural beauty in everyone and in everything. Even the most doubting of atheists can admire the stars in the darkness of the night sky, and the fragile elegance of the wildflowers that just grow in the fields. Even the most hardened of cynics can lovingly behold the innocence of a baby, or feel compassion when someone is in pain.

But we don’t live in a paradise. It’s obvious to all of us that sin, evil, pain and death have spoiled everything. Why? How can anyone account for this obvious distortion of the way it should have been? How can we keep from despair in the face of the intolerable burdens we carry, or which we see crushing others?

Adam and Eve, our ancestors, turned away from God. They did not accept God’s admonition, that they could eat of every tree but one. Tempted by the evil one, the serpent, they sought to become like God, to acquire his power. They wanted to define good and evil for themselves, instead of following God’s ways. Seeing themselves, they now felt shame for the first time, unable to look at each other with respect. And our inheritance, everything of who we are comes from them, and from their fateful decision to turn against God.

But that isn’t the last word about us. As we journey through the Bible, we can be reassured to know that despite the distortion, there is a true image of God in us. Who we truly are is not defined by our human sinfulness and limitations. God made us good, because we are truly made for him, and we live because his breath sustains us.

An honest look at humanity doesn’t paint a pretty picture. But we can trust our Creator, who made us, who loves us still, and who has a plan to restore the divine image in everyone.