By David Ryser
Man
is driven to do good. He also has an
overwhelming sense that he ought not to do evil. Both, however, come from the same tree. (Gene Edwards)
Doing
good and not doing good is the very essence of religion and has nothing to do
with life. (Gene Edwards)
I’ve recently been attending a
weekly men’s fellowship group at a local church near my home. I’m enjoying
getting to know the guys, and our group has grown closer over the weeks we’ve
been together. I do not attend this church. I do not subscribe to many of its
foundational doctrines. But I’m having a great time studying the scriptures and
fellowshipping with my precious brothers in Christ.
Our latest study has been in the
first two chapters of Genesis. Of course, it wasn’t long before one in the
group asked the question about whether the biblical account of the creation
story and the events in the Garden of Eden should be interpreted literally or
figuratively. I was sorry to see the discussion take this turn because it
always ends the same way…no matter the conclusions drawn from the discussion.
Allow me to give an example.
A number of years ago, I was
visiting with a friend of mine. We were reminiscing about some of the religious
adventures…and misadventures…we had experienced along the path of our faith
journey. He related a story about attending a Bible college and how, in one of
the classes, the discussion turned to what fruit was borne by the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. As they considered this topic, the class decided
the fruit was not likely an apple; rather, it was more likely a pomegranate. He
laughed looking back at how he and his classmates, upon exiting the classroom,
felt so spiritual and biblically illuminated due to this newfound knowledge.
And none of them was brought any closer
to Jesus by this “knowledge”.
You see, both groups suffered from
the same problem. So many times, we Christians get lost in the weeds by
asking…and answering…questions about biblical interpretation that do not matter
while completely missing the lessons God is trying to teach us.
Was the fruit a pomegranate? Who
cares? Is the Genesis account of
creation and the events in the Garden of Eden literal or figurative? Would it
change the lessons taught in these opening chapters of Genesis if we knew the
answers to these questions?
So as our weekly men’s group continued
to consider the opening chapters of Genesis, my mind wandered to my friend’s
pomegranate tree story. I began to ponder about the lesson we would be
well-advised to learn from the account of the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil.
And there’s a lot to be learned.
In Genesis 2:8, 9, the Bible
records that God planted a garden in Eden in which He placed the man He had
created along with trees suitable for the man’s food. The tree of life was
placed in the midst of the garden along with the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil. Concerning the trees in the Garden of Eden, God commanded that the
man could eat of any of them (including the tree of life…another story for
another time) except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If the man
ate from the fruit of this latter tree, he would surely die (Gen 2:16, 17).
Sounds simple, doesn’t it?
Well, we know what happened. The
man and his wife ate from the fruit of the forbidden tree, and their eyes were
opened (Gen 3:7a).
Opened to what?
At this point, religion ignores
this obvious question…and its biblical answer…and instead dwells on the sin and
its consequences, focusing on the evil side of the knowledge gained by
consuming the fruit of the forbidden tree. But that’s only half of the story.
What about the other half? The
“good” side.
Yes, the knowledge of evil came
into the world when mankind partook of the forbidden fruit, but so did the
knowledge of good. And the knowledge of good may have done as much damage, if
not more so, as the knowledge of evil throughout history.
Want some examples?
How about all the murder and mayhem
caused by two groups contending for “good” in religious and other wars? What
about the hatred and contention surrounding the fight for “justice” in whatever
form? People on both sides of an issue claim to be contending for what is
good/right/humane/compassionate/loving. We can’t even agree on what “good” is.
My concept of “good” usually is anything that is pleasant, convenient, and
beneficial for me. What if my “good” conflicts with your “good”?
And it can get ugly.
Hatred doesn’t look good on anyone,
and Christians are right in the middle of it. It’s my experience that
Christians who hate look pretty much like anyone else who hates. And this
hatred brings no one closer to Jesus or advances the Kingdom of God in any way.
And it does not matter that we are
hating for a “good” cause.
In the Garden of Eden, the man and
his wife knew neither good nor evil. They knew only God, one another, and their
environment. And it appears that this state of affairs was exactly as God intended
it. Adam and Eve were none the better off by having their eyes opened to the
knowledge of good, and neither are we.
Our concepts of good and
evil both come from the same tree.
Does this mean that there is
nothing truly good? Certainly, and thankfully, not. Jesus answered this
question for us during His earthly ministry. He was traveling along one day
when a young man met Him, desiring to ask a question. The man prefaced his question by referring to
Jesus as “Good Teacher” (Mark 10:17). Jesus prefaced His response to the
question by asking why the young man had referred to Him as good and then
stated, “Nothing is good except God” (Mark 10:18, literal translation).
Only God is truly good. Everything else pertaining to what is known
about good or evil proceeds from the root and the fruit of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. So, it would behoove the seeker after what is good
to pursue God and to know Him alone as the source and substance of what is
good.
Just as in the Garden of Eden.
Responses to this article are
welcomed. You may contact the author at drdave1545@yahoo.com
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