Back When Snakes Had Legs And We Were Ignorant
Preaching
Shaking Wolves Out Of Cherry Trees
And 149 Other Sermon Ideas
Purpose Statement: A sermon to straighten out some inconsistencies and misleading thoughts perceived by Christians concerning knowledge, work, and eternal life.
Genesis 3 carries a fascinating story about man and woman falling into sin. The snake tempts Eve, who tempts Adam in turn, to eat from the tree of knowledge. The snake's punishment is to lose its legs and the people's punishment is now to have to work for a living. Finally, precaution is taken so that people will not win the "live forever" prize. Before trying to provide an answer to the mystery, one could ask three intriguing questions.
a. Did God really not want us to know right from wrong? Being able to distinguish right from wrong is a part of what makes us human. Innocence is only a virtue if we choose good over evil. Not to have the choice between right and wrong is to be a little automaton or robot. We would have no free will and never be able to grow and mature. Surely, God wants us to have discerning minds, capable of moral choices and solving problems.
b. Did God really not want us to work? The alternative to work is to lie around indolently, growing fat and lazy and useless. We need tasks to develop a sense of purpose, achievement, dignity, and usefulness. Work solves problems and causes us to mature. Everything we do involves work: learning to walk, read, and relate to others.
c. Did God really not want us to live forever? To live a brief lifetime and die without fulfilling our fondest dreams and potentials would be cruel and unjust. Some believe that Jesus bought eternal life for us. I prefer to think Jesus revealed it to us. Take your pick; either way, God wants us to experience salvation and eternal life.
d. What then is the purpose of this myth? In the light of these three mysteries, what do we make of this Genesis story? Of course, the story is a myth and not history. It seeks to explain God as the author of knowledge, work, eternal life, and all other good things. It is a parable and not intended to explain 100 percent of the elements of the story. After all, God should not be thought of as being anthropomorphic. God did not "walk in the garden," change his mind, and have trouble foreseeing the future. The religious truth of this parable is that God wants us to appreciate and use knowledge and work. Both are good and gifts from God.
Genesis 3 carries a fascinating story about man and woman falling into sin. The snake tempts Eve, who tempts Adam in turn, to eat from the tree of knowledge. The snake's punishment is to lose its legs and the people's punishment is now to have to work for a living. Finally, precaution is taken so that people will not win the "live forever" prize. Before trying to provide an answer to the mystery, one could ask three intriguing questions.
a. Did God really not want us to know right from wrong? Being able to distinguish right from wrong is a part of what makes us human. Innocence is only a virtue if we choose good over evil. Not to have the choice between right and wrong is to be a little automaton or robot. We would have no free will and never be able to grow and mature. Surely, God wants us to have discerning minds, capable of moral choices and solving problems.
b. Did God really not want us to work? The alternative to work is to lie around indolently, growing fat and lazy and useless. We need tasks to develop a sense of purpose, achievement, dignity, and usefulness. Work solves problems and causes us to mature. Everything we do involves work: learning to walk, read, and relate to others.
c. Did God really not want us to live forever? To live a brief lifetime and die without fulfilling our fondest dreams and potentials would be cruel and unjust. Some believe that Jesus bought eternal life for us. I prefer to think Jesus revealed it to us. Take your pick; either way, God wants us to experience salvation and eternal life.
d. What then is the purpose of this myth? In the light of these three mysteries, what do we make of this Genesis story? Of course, the story is a myth and not history. It seeks to explain God as the author of knowledge, work, eternal life, and all other good things. It is a parable and not intended to explain 100 percent of the elements of the story. After all, God should not be thought of as being anthropomorphic. God did not "walk in the garden," change his mind, and have trouble foreseeing the future. The religious truth of this parable is that God wants us to appreciate and use knowledge and work. Both are good and gifts from God.
