Eat From The Tree

Today is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  We read from Genesis: After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the LORD God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 

Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” The LORD God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.” 

Then the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; on your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.  (Genesis 3:9-15, 20)

Poor Eve. She was betrayed by Adam who acted innocent, according to this religious myth having so much power over our lives and our beliefs.  Even though Adam knew the fruit was forbidden, he still ate it when Eve offered it.  By eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, both Adam and Eve were banished, and, of course, the snake lost its legs, so the story goes.

Frankly, Eve seems to be a heroine, and the snake was our ally. We all must be able to recognize good from evil.  For those of us who cannot, we can be deceived and tricked into doing evil.  There are many tempters who would have us do their bidding such as lie, cheat, and steal.  Many of us are sheep-like and easily led away from green pastures.  We are easy pickins.

We are about to begin a new calendar year.  Let us eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  If we do not, we will not be prepared for those who will strike at our head with lies and propaganda and at our heel causing us to stay in place rather than follow Jesus’ way.  We must not crawl on our bellies; we must stand up and walk with Jesus, our Christ.  His mother, Mary, would approve and offer us a fig, fruit of the tree.

Deacon David Pierce