WHAT’S
THE MATTER WITH PEOPLE?
GENESIS
2.15-17; 3.1-7
FEBRUARY
10, 2008
WESLEY
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Douglas
Norris
What’s
the matter with people? Why is the world in such a mess? Do you
believe people can change? Do you believe you can change? I am
preaching three sermons on change. Today, the lectionary suggested
scripture lesson begins at the beginning and we ask, "What’s
the matter with people?” Why are we in such a state, and why is it
difficult to change, to change people, to change the world and make
it the kind of world God created it to be?
The
lesson today is from Genesis, the Adam and Eve story. Can you
visualize families throughout the centuries asking Grandpa, “What’s
the matter with people?” And Grandpa would lean back; the children
would get comfortable, and listen again, with rapt attention, to the
story of Adam and Eve. Don’t get all confused about the
historicity of the story. It’s not so much factual history as it
is the story of us all, for the Hebrew word “Adam” means “human
beings.” Adam and Eve are Everyman and Everywoman. In fact, the
New Revised Standard Version does not use the Hebrew words, but
translates them into English, calling them man and woman. We see
ourselves and all humankind in the story.
According
to emails that circle around, and you know how authentic they are, a
child wrote the following:
“In
the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but
God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, “The Lord thy God is
one,” but I think he must be a lot older than that. Anyway, God
said, “Give me a light!” and someone did. Then God made the
world.
He
split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they
weren’t embarrassed because mirrors hadn’t been invented yet.
Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were
driven from the Garden of Eden. Not sure what they were driven in
though, because they didn’t have cars.”
And
there you have it! The story of Everyman and Everywoman[ tells us
what is wrong with people. The story illustrates the broken
relationship between humankind and God. The bond between the Creator
and the created has been twisted, distorted and broken. We call the
broken relationship “sin.” Sin is not popular. It is laughed at
by movies and authors, ignored by psychology and self-help movements,
even downplayed by the church; but, nevertheless, sin is the
condition in which people find themselves.
What
is sin? The story of Everyman and Everywoman does not give us a neat
definition, but the story graphically illustrates sin. They
disobeyed God. Then, they hid from God. After they ate the forbidden
fruit, they hid from God. They were ashamed, embarrassed over what
they had done. They did not want God to see them so they hid in
trees and covered themselves with fig leaves. Nudity is a symbol of
purity, innocence, and virginity. They lost their innocence. They
no longer could be open before God. They did not want God to see
them as they now were. They covered up. Oh, we know all about
cover-up—trying to hide facts so others won’t know, which is a
popular Washington pastime.
When
you were a child, and you broke mother’s favorite vase, what did
you do? You probably hid—under the bed, or up in a tree. You were
hiding from her anger, but you were also hiding from yourself, for
you no longer were innocent. You had joined the ranks of
“vase-breakers”. You had hurt your mother, disappointed her and
broken something dear to her. You changed. Never again could you
recapture the innocent state of pre-vase-breaker. So, you hid, as
much from your new discovery about yourself as from your mother’s
wrath.
Sin
is cover-up. We try to hide behind masks of goodness, righteousness
and smiles. We play games—see how good I am, or see how I am a
failure—so don’t confront me, don’t count on me, don’t expect
much from me. The man called out, “Lord, I was afraid and hid from
you because I was naked. I lost my innocence.” Sin is cover-up.
What
is sin? Sin is the distorted, broken relationship with God. Sin is
disobeying God, cover-up and the refusal to take responsibility for
one’s actions. An interesting dialogue is reported between God and
the sinners: Genesis 3.11-13:
“Who
told you that you were naked?” God asked. “Did you eat the
fruit that I told you not to eat?”
The
man answered, “The woman you put here with me gave me the fruit,
and I ate it.”
The
Lord asked the woman, “Why did you do this?”
She
replied, “The snake tricked me into eating it.”
The
man was asked, “Did you eat the fruit?” All that was required
was a simple, “Yes” or “No.” But he evaded the question. He
refused to take responsibility. He said it was the woman’s fault.
The man blamed the woman, the woman blamed the snake, and the snake
got a curse! How we love to blame others, and say it is their fault.
How we try to avoid taking responsibility for our actions. Not
taking responsibility is sin.
What
is sin? Sin is the distorted, broken relationship with God. Sin is
disobeying God, cover-up, not taking responsibility, and perhaps the
underlying sin is what enticed the woman to eat the fruit. God told
them not to eat the fruit (Incidentally, apple is not mentioned in
the story) of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But the snake
said, “Oh, go ahead. God doesn’t want you to eat it and gain
wisdom because then you will be like God.” The woman and the man
thought how wonderful it would be to become wise, to be like God, and
so they ate.
The
relationship between the Creator and the created is distorted and
broken because humankind wants to be like God, wants God’s place,
God’s power. Sin is the banishment of God from the center, and
putting yourself there in place of God. Self-centeredness is sin,
the basic sin. The essence of sin is self-centeredness. It is the
desire to make our interests the point of reference for everything,
the setting up of ourselves as the center of life in the place of
God. Self-centeredness: all for me and none or little for you.
What
is sin? Sin is the distorted, broken relationship with God. Sin is
disobeying God, hiding from God; evading, refusing to take
responsibility, blaming others. Sin is self-centeredness. That is
what’s the matter with people.
The
story of Everyman and Everywoman, however, does not end with sin
having the final word. God has the final word and is very active,
both in the story and in your life. What is God doing? The story
continues.
1)
God searched for the man and the woman. God looked throughout the
garden until they were found. Like the shepherd who, though he had
99 sheep, looked diligently for the lost one, God hunts, searches for
you. Wherever you go, wherever you hide, however you hide, whatever
the masks you wear, whatever the games you play, whatever the
cover-up, God searches for you. God never gives up.
2)
God confronted the man and the woman. God asked, “Why did you eat
the fruit?” God confronts you, sometimes gently through your
conscience, and you feel guilty. Sometimes, God confronts you with a
blow between the eyes. Many a tragedy, many a crisis, have been used
by God to get through and confront persons with the realization of
what they are doing with their lives.
3)
God judged the man, the woman and the snake. They were banished
from the garden. There is judgment. You cannot sin without
judgment. Judgment is the consequence of actions. We assume that we
can do and live as we please. Yes, we can, but we will suffer
judgment, the consequence of our actions. You can eat sweets and
carbohydrates, and fat will be the judgment. You can drive wildly
through red lights, and either a traffic ticket or a bad accident
will be the judgment. God judges, and you cannot forever hide from
your responsibilities, evade blame, or put yourself first without
judgment.
4)
The story doesn’t end in Genesis. It continues through the Bible,
culminating in the ultimate expression of God’s love for you and
me. Banished from the garden, yes, but God has provided a means of
entry to the new garden, and a complete, restored relationship with
God. God has provided the means by which people change: the life,
teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Yes!
People can be changed. You can be changed. The world can be
changed. Sin is what’s the matter with people. But God searches,
confronts, judges, loves, saves and changes us! Continued next week.
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