Text: Genesis 3:9-15
But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"
He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"
The man said, "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."
Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"
The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

The Gospel lesson for today illustrates quite a few different images people had about Christ. Some thought he was worth missing a meal over, some said he was mad, some believed he had come from Satan himself, and others explained what they saw as the presence of an evil spirit.. There are still all sorts of strange images of God about in the world today. And people don't understand that these images, even the very best ones aren't God. God as Father is a wonderful image of God, but it's not 100% perfect. Like all images it needs challenging now and then. It fails because God is not male.

I've been wondering how our different images of God might effect our understanding of God's Word, and specifically our understanding of today's O.T. Lesson. Can you imagine how people who see God simply as the number one perfectionist would understand what's happening here.

GOD THE PERFECTIONIST

Aww now look what you've done. All that work. All that effort. It was perfect and now look at it. And look at the both of you, cringing there all because you aimed to become my equal but failed miserably. And of course because you've failed, I've failed. You've turned me into a loser. My whole wonderful, perfect creation is now a complete botch up. I'd make you fix it up, only I know you can't. You're the main problem. Unfortunately there's nothing left for me to do. I've got a reputation to protect. Just imagine what they'd say if I did nothing, "Ha, ha, look, there he goes, he takes six days to create a perfect world and comes up with a perfect failure." No, there's no way out. The words must be said ... "Let there be... chaos." Now I wonder if it would work this time if I gave those hairy animals a try.

GOD THE JUDGE.

Come on you two. Do you really think I can't see you cringing in those bushes? Get out here and stand up straight. Now how do you plead! ... No Adam I didn't ask you how Eve should plead. You may indeed think she's guilty. But the judgment is up to me not you. I'm interested in hearing only one thing how do YOU plead? ... Innocent hey! Innocent! There you stand with the apple core in your hand. Adam, don't try to give it to Eve. Look there's no use, both you and I know you're completely guilty. One simple rule. One law to remind you that I'm God and you're my creatures and you can't even keep it. I warned you that the consequence would be death, so you've given me no option but to declare you guilty and pass the death sentence. Out of the goodness of my heart I'll give you a couple of hours to say goodbye to all this. See you at dawn. Take them away!

GOD THE ALL POWERFUL.

I can't believe it. Wimps!. Just look at yourselves. Get out of that bush! Do you really think you can hide from me for heaven's sake? What's that Adam, "bashful", "shy", don't give me that, you miserably weak excuse for a creature of mine. All you had to say was "NO". "No thanks, I do not wish to eat. My God said not to, and that's enough for me." But no, you didn't even try to fight the temptation. You thought there might be something in it for yourselves and you ate. ...

O sure that's it, make it worse you wimp, blame Eve..... Ah, well that's better! A bit of spunk at last. But trying to implicate me because I gave you this woman won't work. I gave you to each other so that together you'd be stronger in testing times exactly like this.

And listen to Eve now winging like a little child, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." If I were you I'd keep it quiet that I was stupid enough to listen to a snake.

Unfortunately I have no option but to show you a little more of my power. Zap, sizzle! Perhaps I'll make the next two less able to make mistakes, but then again robots aren't much fun.

GOD THE KING

How dare you? You know what this is, of course. It's treason. Come out here you traitors. Ignoring my royal decree is one thing but actually acting as if you were my equal is quite another. How dare you undermine my complete authority! You really do believe you could do much better than me, don't you? Yes Adam, I hear what you're saying, you reckon if I hadn't created Eve for you, you would have been O.K. And Eve you believe my mistake was creating the serpent. Don't you see just how ingrained your rebellious nature has now become. This is treachery. I have no option but to show you and everyone else what happens to traitors in my kingdom.

GOD THE SUFFERING SERVANT.

Ow please come out! Where are the two of you? I can't see you. Why are you hiding, I don't understand. Please tell me what's happened here?

Oh I see, your bashful. But hang on a bit that seems to suggest you've somehow learnt about things like shame, humiliation, guilt and disgrace. But where did that come from. Could it be you've learnt what happens when you disobey my will for you lives? Don't tell me you've eaten that fruit?

Well thanks for that Adam. I hear you saying that it's partly my fault (perhaps it is) and partly Eve's. Is that how you see it Eve? Oh I see, it's the snake is it. It's all his fault.

Well let me see, sadly there are consequences for this serious rebellion. It will affect the whole of my creation and your future happiness, but I want you to know I'm still here for you. As you leave this paradise, as of course, you must, don't ever forget that I go with you. Here are some clothes, they'll make you a little more comfortable. Now let me think. Perhaps I could do something to help. Maybe come and die the death I warned you about... instead of you...for you. Yes indeed, it won't be easy but we'll win in the end. I won't abandon you. Leave it to me and I'll fix everything. It may take time, but more than anything else I want you to know you can totally depend on me and the depth of my love for you. We will defeat the evil that has been released today.

Isn't it amazing that such a powerful perfectionist King as our God could act like this suffering servant? But that's the image that seems to fit best in this account. The depth of his love is inconceivable.

© Copyright Rev. K.W. Stiller.