The text for our reflection today gives us a picture of the fall of our first parents into sin, and the consequences that came with it. It must be noted that even though the text is rich in imagery, the various images must not be given literal interpretation. The imagery conveys a spiritual meaning which is deeper and more enriching than the images in themselves.
REFLECTION
• The imagery of the snake immediately brings to mind the devil. Are we to deny the existence of the devil/evil one, as some people do? Well, we must realize that there is enough evidence from Scripture to support the existence of the devil/evil one, cf. Acts 13:10, Eph 6:11, James 4:7, 1Jn 3:8.
• In fact, from the text, we can deduce that the basic and greatest sin of humanity isn’t fornication as most of us think. Rather, it is pride; i.e. the uncontrollable desire to be independent apart from God. Are we always submissive to God’s guidance?
• With the sin of our first parents, concupiscence, i.e. the inclination to act against the will of God has become part and parcel of human existence. We’re tempted when God’s commandments appear false and unprofitable to us, whereas disobedience of God’s commandments seem appealing to us. Nevertheless, such an attraction to disobey God would not be considered as a sin until we have actually disobeyed and acted against God.
• If faithfulness to a loving and merciful God isn’t reason enough for us to obey God, at least, the fear of the consequences associated with sin must guide us to choose to obey rather than disobey God. Do we realize what sin does to us?
• Guilt/shame always accompanies the state of sin. As the text shows, after rejecting God’s love and guidance (after sinning), we realize our nakedness, i.e. our nothingness without God.
• The text assures us that even in our sinfulness God still continues to show us his loving care. No sin of ours is greater than God’s mercy. We must therefore always seek to be reconciled with God when we realize our sins. Let us never be comfortable with sin. It is deadly!
May the Lord bless and keep all of us, Amen.
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