DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Finger Pointing
by Pr. Dave Mann
The responses of Adam and Eve in verses 12 and 13 reflect the common response of all humanity when our wrongdoing is exposed. When God asks Adam if he has eaten the forbidden fruit, does he own up to it? No, he shifts the blame elsewhere. The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it. When God asks Eve about the fruit, she follows suit and blames the serpent, one of God’s creatures. The serpent deceived me, and I ate. Both Adam and Eve point the finger at each other while also implicating God.
To this day, we have the same tendency to blame others and God. Any parent has stories to tell about how their young children instinctively know how to blame others when found with their “hand in the cookie jar.” But they must be taught how to accept responsibility, repent, and ask for forgiveness. Adults are no better. Whether young or old, we follow after our primal father and mother.
But that is not the end of the story. After the serpent (Satan) is cursed, God announces in part the Plan of Salvation. The Offspring of the woman – the One who will come generations later – the One born of sinful humans, yet without innate sin in Himself – that One will be wounded in His heel, but He will crush the head of Satan. God does not wipe His hands of humanity and try again in another creation. This fall into sin does not take God by surprise. He is fully ready for this supposed setback. He states clearly to the serpent in the hearing of Adam and Eve to give them hope of forgiveness springing from One of their descendants: I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.
Knowing that our sin is no surprise to God, the appropriate response is to agree with God, in two ways. “Yes, God, you are right. I disobeyed your commandment and did what you said not to do. I justly deserve your punishment. But I also agree with you that your Offspring, Jesus Christ the Righteous, took my place and bore my punishment. I agree with your incredibly gracious plan to forgive my sin by his obedience. I am forever grateful. Amen.”
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