Create a peaceful space to pause, and allow yourself to feel God’s presence alongside you, as near to you as your own breath. In following the reflection below, as a church we will draw closer to God and to one another as we grow in faith and deepen our sense of belonging to God.
Genesis 3: 1-8 ‘The First Sin and Its Punishment’
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God say, “You shall not eat from any tree in the garden”?’ 2 The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 but God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.”’ 4 But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not die; 5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. 8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Eve and Adams’ simple disobedience of doing something that they were asked not to do, seems on the face of it very minor, eating some fruit hardly seems a life changing offence, however, this act of rebellion changed everything. The idyllic life walking with God soon became a distant memory; sin had entered the world and its cancerous effect on everything and everybody became a barrier between God and his creation. But how does this rebellion still exist and how is it evident in our lives?
A reasonable person walked into a public building and was asked, very politely, to follow the signs instruction and ‘Please sanitise your hands before proceeding using the sanitiser provided’. But whilst not actually saying ‘no’ they simply pretended to use the pump and carried on their way. Why do I mention this small act of noncompliance? After all it’s very minor, it’s not significant, it’s hardly worth a mention – you might say there must be better examples of our rebellion that demonstrate its dangers to us? Surely, however, it’s in this very minor act of rebellion, that we see the insidious effect of sin in our lives; this very small rebellion, like the eating of the forbidden fruit which is then added to the other minor and major acts of rebellion that litter our lives and slowly and almost imperceptibly a wall grows between us and God that separates us from his love.
God has from that famous eviction onwards chased after us to bring us back into a full relationship with him. He has sent prophets; he has wooed his people and ultimately, he sent Jesus his own dear son to die to win our rebellious hearts from death that we might have life and life in abundance. Jesus said ‘I am the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except my me.’ (John 14:6).
Prayer:
Oh Lord our God, help us remember that you are indeed Lord of our lives and that we are fully reliant on you. Forgive us Lord for our acts of rebellion when we disobey you and rebel against your commands, draw us back to your heart and guide us in your Kingdom ways. Amen.
Reflection & Prayer © 2020 Andy Melvin.
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