Inspired by Genesis
3:8-15
“[God] said, ‘Who told
you that you were naked? Have you eaten
from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’ The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be
with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.’ Then the Lord
God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent tricked me, and
I ate.’” Genesis 3:11-13
When asked why we do the evil things we do, most of us can
point to reasons why the guilt isn’t actually ours, why it’s someone else’s
fault, or why there are extenuating circumstances. While it seems as though this excuse-making
is a new threat to our society, the truth is that human beings have been doing
this from the very beginning.
Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. When
confronted by God, Adam confessed to having eaten the forbidden fruit, but only
after casting blame on both God (for giving him Eve in the first place) and Eve
(for giving him the fruit). Eve also
confessed to having eaten the forbidden fruit, but only after putting the fault
squarely on the serpent who had tricked her.
Neither Eve nor Adam took responsibility for their own actions by simply
admitting, “I did it. I was wrong. I’m sorry.”
Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances, but ultimately
we’re all responsible for our own choices.
Sometimes we’ll make good choices; sometimes will make bad ones. But God’s love doesn’t depend on the choices
we make. He knows what we’re capable of,
and what we’re not capable of, and he
is prepared to forgive us all our sins.
But in order for that to happen, we must first be willing to admit that
we have sinned, by our fault, by our
fault, by our own most grievous fault, and are in need of his forgiveness.
Let us pray. Merciful
God, you are ready to forgive us all our sins.
Help us to recognize our own sin and culpability, that we may confess
our sins to you and be freed from their power over us. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
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