Week 2 of Advent: Why were Adam and Eve so dumb?
- Jessamyn Anderson
- Dec 8, 2015
- 3 min read
Genesis 3: 11-13
“You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”
The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me—
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”
The LORD God then asked the woman,
“Why did you do such a thing?”
The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”
Whenever I read this passage, I always think, “Oh my GOSH. Why were Adam and Eve so dumb? God told them specifically not to eat from that tree, and they did! Why would they be so stupid?” This morning, however, I had to pause after that thought crossed my mind. Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, surrounded by what I imagine were some of the most exquisite trees and flowers. They had the opportunity to enjoy boundless joy and beauty that God was offering them, and they chose to eat from the one tree God told them not to. Sound familiar? Sounds like LIFE.
We are surrounded by God’s gifts and graces, and so frequently, just like Adam and Eve, we choose what we know is wrong and what we know God does not want for our lives. He offers us love (trees) and happiness (flowers), and we choose sin (the apple), which then forces us to feel burdened and exposed (their nakedness). I don’t know about you, but I don’t like the taste of the apple from that tree. It settles uncomfortably in my stomach, makes me feel uneasy, and I feel weighed down by my sin. Yes, sin feels terrible (usually after the fact), and we know this, so now the question is: what are we going to do about it?
“And lead us not into temptation.” We pray this so frequently in the “Our Father” that we are prone to recite it without truly praying it with honesty. I don’t want to mindlessly recite this line anymore; I want to mean it. In Genesis chapter 2, it says that “God planted a garden in Eden,” and because God made this garden, I’m going to assume it was a lush and grand garden, full of the most beautiful flowers and plants one could imagine. Adam and Eve had space to move around in, lots of trees to spend time around, and they, instead, went right to the tree that God told them to stay away from. That tree represents temptation--a very real and challenging thing that we deal with every day. To avoid falling into sin like Adam and Eve, we must stay away from that tree and enjoy the other beautiful trees, the ones that God offers us without heavy burdens. The best way to do this is to avoid the triggers that lead us towards the temptation to sin.
Here are some suggestions based on issues I know a lot of young Catholics struggle with:
Sin: porn | Trigger: alone with your computer in a dark room | Suggestion: avoid spending time alone with your computer. If you need alone time, read a book, say some extra prayers, learn how to knit, or bake some cookies. If you need to be on your computer, do it in a public place such as the library or even in a public room in your home. Check out Matt Fradd's website for more help with this particular issue.
Sin: fantasizing | Trigger: romance novels | Suggestion: broaden your literary horizons! I promise to write an entire post about this issue because it’s one that I’ve struggled with a lot. For months, I’ve made a conscious effort to avoid Christian historical fiction novels because they were negatively impacting my opinion of modern men in my life and my expectations for a relationship. There is still romance in the novels I read, but their stories focus on other topics, and I’ve noticed that I’m much less inclined to fantasize about men that are not real and never will be.
Sin: gossip | Trigger: being with others who are gossiping | Suggestion: move the conversation in a different direction or remove yourself from the situation entirely. Avoiding gossip is incredibly difficult because it has unfortunately become such a normal part of daily social interaction. Whether or not we continue to let that happen--that is our choice. Let’s make the right one.
I hope that nothing I’ve written today sounds preach-y because I can guarantee you that I struggle with sin just as much as the next person. But I don’t want to take another bite out of that apple; I would so much rather enjoy the beauty and goodness that God is offering me. I’m ready to stop and smell the flowers!
Comments