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Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

By: Deacon Renée Beyea (MDiv)

“‘You will not certainly die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’” Genesis 3:4-5 

When was the last time we thought or said, “I would never fall for that?” Perhaps in response to the latest phishing scam or a comparatively innocuous prank on reality TV or some other circumstance that seems obvious from our perspective. Do we ever read Genesis’ account of the Fall and have the hubris to think, “I would never fall for that?” Why was Eve tempted to eat the fruit and disobey God’s command? “Your eyes will be opened,” the serpent said, and they were. Adam and Eve also lost their home in Eden and became subject to death, results Satan failed to mention. 

The Deceiver ever strives to deceive the children of Adam, and his tactics haven’t changed. He lies and conceals the consequences. Euthanasia in merciful. Abortion will bring freedom. Divorce offers a fresh start. Secret sins can be conquered in secret. Lie to protect loved ones. More possessions equal greater happiness. Go on and have another—overindulgence has no effect on spiritual health. So many deceptions, large and small, and we fall for them. But Jesus, who perfectly resisted temptation, comes to our aid. “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners,” Paul writes to the Romans, “so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” What grace! 

At the beginning of our Lenten journeys, several responses are possible. We pray for the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to deceptions we still believe and grant us repentance and the strength to reject them. We pray for family and friends, the church and the world, that Christ’s truth would burn away the scales of deceit. And we offer humble gratitude to our Savior for His inexhaustible forgiveness and the undeserved gift of His righteousness in which we stand.