“And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Genesis 2:9
Notice that there were two trees in the garden of Eden. We think mostly about the one that was chosen; the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But there was also one we were allowed to eat from; the tree of life. Surely the tree of life would have more tempting fruit than the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Well maybe not.
The serpent didn’t have to work very hard to persuade the first man and woman to eat from the wrong tree. He didn’t force them. Like the commensurate salesman, he worked with what he had; the God-given attributes of human curiosity, imagination and free will. We know they went for it and that through their disobedience sin entered the world. When offered life and obedience they chose knowledge and disobedience.
How unfair you cry; why should their crummy choice impugn me! Consider this; how often, when faced with a good thing, have you chosen a bad thing. “For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Romans 7:15. Regretfully, I too have chosen on occasion the bad thing over the good thing. And I fail to see why walking around naked in a garden with a similarly naked woman would make any material difference (though it’s fun to think about). If you’re like me, you probably also would have chosen to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Perhaps it would be curiosity; to see as God sees. Or perhaps it would be that deep-seated drive to be master of your own destiny; not dependant on another. After all, you might rationalise, we’re just talking about the knowledge of good and evil – not evil itself, so how bad can it be? Well, not to put to finer point on it but disobedience to God is very bad indeed, no matter how you dice it! The bad choice is made by all of us on a daily basis.
So don’t blame the salesman. He just points out all the reasons why it made sense to take a bite. And don’t blame our progenitors for we have done exactly the same thing. We choose to disobey knowing full well there are mortal consequences. We choose the rod for our own back. Put us each in the garden and I figure we would eventually make exactly the same choice.
There are many bible examples which underscore this idea. Consider fledgling Israel living in a new land and surrounded by foreign enemies (1 Samuel 8). God had provided for them and protected them. To make sure the channels of communication stayed open he even gave them the prophet Samuel. But the people looked around and saw that their neighbours each had a king and scary armies. We also want a king they cried. Samuel explained to them that God was already their king. We want a human king the people cried. Samuel asked God who acceded to their demand but warned them through Samuel that a king really just meant death and taxes. We want a human king anyway the people cried. So Samuel appointed Saul as Israel’s first king and it mostly went downhill from there. When offered a perfect and infinitely capable God-king they chose instead a mere man. An astonishing compromise allowed by God as God allowed Adam and Eve to choose bad fruit.
Fast track to 33AD and we can see the same idea reflected in the Gospel story. The Jewish leaders saw the good in the teachings and miracles of Jesus but blinded by their own prejudice and love of power persuaded Piolet to crucify Jesus and release the terrorist Barabbas. The bad was consciously chosen over the good. Go figure.
Later in a letter to the Galatians Paul, from prison in Rome, comes down very heavily indeed on those Christian Jews who insisted to the Galatian churches that faith in Christ plus the trifling matter of obeying the law of Moses were both necessary prerequisites for salvation. Splitting hairs aren’t we Paul? Well, no not actually. Paul points out that if the Galatians were to buy into this dogma, “...Christ will be of no value to you at all.” Galatians 5:2. Instead, faith in Christ all by itself results in salvation and from this grows a desire to be obedient to the law; “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Galatians 5:16. Focusing on obedience, he points out in this letter (and others he wrote), has never actually worked because we can’t make ourselves good enough. It’s always been faith that leads to righteousness not obedience to law (which except in one rather obvious case has never been achieved anyway). We are entirely dependent on God’s mercy and the free gift of forgiveness that is transacted through faith in Christ. These well meaning but mislead early Christians have their followers today right through the Christian world. And they give Jesus a bad name.
Flee from anyone who would burden you with guilt and judge you according to their take on biblical law. These people may be eating from the tree of life (who’s to say) but they are also eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In their arrogance, they think that knowledge and self-discipline are required in addition to faith in Christ. They are wrong and they don’t understand the harm asserting this dogma does both to themselves and to others. Instead join with those who love God and love you. Those who are graceful and merciful are those who are only eating from the tree of life. This tree still produces fruit today. You can’t reach it on your own because a thumping big cherubim with flaming sword (Genesis 3:24) is blocking the garden entrance but through faith in Christ you can reach it unscathed. Oh, and by the way the fruit from the good tree actually tastes better anyway.
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