Even Though It Was Perfect

The woman kept wiping the water from her eyes as it washed down her face. This was the second time the salty moisture had shown itself since that tragic moment when the Master had called out the man’s name midday in the garden. Before that encounter, the woman had only experienced smiles, joy, laughter, lightness and such a carefree spirit. She had not even known what crying was, but now she was growing familiar with the hot bitter tears that accompanied the wailing that came from deep within her. The sorrow had transcended over she and Adam in the moments following the encounter with the serpent and the partaking of the fruit of the forbidden tree. The silence and the distance between Adam and her that spontaneously replaced their intimacy and connection were foreign and frightening. Up until now, their thoughts had been in sync, and they had enjoyed such camaraderie but that had been replaced by doubt, suspicion and blame. But the most painful separation had been with the Master as He explained what death was and how the perfect forever had been shattered by the couple’s desire to have knowledge that would corrupt, not elevate. The Master had been so heartbroken and angry over their disobedience. He had been stoic and unusually quiet as He had slaughtered and skinned the animals and sewn the clothes they both wore now. Then came the pronouncement they would have to leave their home.

The paradise garden had been so sunny and fragrant, but as the Master was speaking, dark clouds rolled in. The cool calm inviting shade of the garden had been replaced by dark dampness and a dank odor. The animals that had gently nestled and nuzzled their fingers had scattered away and hid themselves in the trees and now growled and cried out from the foliage. The leisurely tending of the paradise was now replaced by the Lord’s edict that Adam would work as a punishment and she would bring children into the world with pain and struggle. Even now the thorns and weeds covered the entrance as she and Adam stood outside gazing bitterly at what was lost. She was filled with such a deep ache and emptiness as already her memories were fading of the perfect relationship with the Master, the perfect companionship with Adam and the perfect communion with nature and the garden. They had been replaced with fear of the future and of the imminent death that the Lord had promised as a result of their sin choice. Out of the Master’s great love, He also promised deliverance and rescue announcing that the serpent’s attempt to corrupt the perfect Eden would ultimately face defeat. Eve reached back for the garden’s edge and when she did, she pricked her finger on a thorn that drew blood. The red drops of blood from the painful cut fell onto the soil while Eve wondered how the wrong could ever be made right and who might ever be able to deliver them from the fate they had so willfully chosen that had once looked so promising. 

Obviously, no one knows for sure of all the personal details and emotions that surrounded the fall of man in Eden but the scripture reveals a truth that is so powerful that it is the foundation on which God’s redemption of us is built on. We know from scripture that God is perfect.Out of perfect love, He created a world that was perfect. The Word He imparted to us is perfect. The bible also says God is perfect in all of his ways, and He has a will that He is willing to reveal that is perfect. We also know that God’s intention was for man and woman to live in a perfect world and were created with that in mind. However, perfection was not enough for the two rebellious souls in the garden. Eve was enticed by the concept of more and Adam agreed more sounded better to him as well. Despite having an intimate relationship communing face to face with The Lord and enjoying perfect fellowship in a perfect place, they were driven by desire to secure their own pleasure instead of trusting in the transparent love the Father had so freely given them. They sacrificed eternal life and perfection for a mind expanding pursuit of knowledge that left them with the realization that they were better off not knowing. Satan, the Father of all lies still sells this idea to all of us. He tries to convince us that we are entitled to know all and that God is holding out on us. Satan assures us that we deserve to experience everything as long as we are not “hurting anyone,” and there is no harm in just examining the world’s offer to be it’s friend. 

Despite that it is Adam and Eve, 2 specific people in the history of the world that changed all of creation by choice, I am reminded I am made of the same flesh and blood as they and have the same make up of body, soul and spirit as they did. I realize I have the same innate desire deep down to dwell intimately with God and contained the void left in Eve by the separation of sin until I came to be a follower of Christ. I had this because I am made in the image of God and am designed by Him to be in a relationship with Him. I come into the world with this place already carved out for God alone to fill. Just like Adam and Eve, I can search to fill it with pleasure, position, people, even power but it will not

suffice. This God spot that calls me to a higher relationship is not a burden to be carried with resignation but rather a divine destiny that delivers me from my own inability to work my way into God’s favor. If good works did the trick, Adam and Eve would be sharecroppers in the garden working until the debt was paid. Instead, God had a far more superior plan for restoration to return us to that perfect place in fellowship with Him.

Even though it was perfect, for sinful humanity, it was not enough.The fallen couple could have never grasped that the promised deliverance and rescue from that awful fateful choice would arrive as a baby born in a barn to a virgin maiden.A drop of blood from the prick of a thorn from the cursed weeds of the garden would not compare to the crown of thorns that would draw far more precious atoning blood from the sacred head of our Savior. Blood that would pay the ransom for the human soul held hostage by sin. A new perfect would be revealed for all of us sinners where the Bible promises it has not entered into the hearts and minds of men what God has prepared for those who love him. Perfection is reality in heaven where it cannot be corrupted and evil cannot even cast a glance at it,let alone steal it from us. Despite that humanity abandoned God’s desire for a relationship the first time, God came down from heaven, gave up glory and power, lived among us, faced life as we do, sacrificed himself to a criminal’s death on the cross, put death on notice that it had been dethroned. It squashed religion and offered grace in its place and tore the veil in two. All this, out of His deep abiding love to call us to a restored relationship with Him and give us the perfect Christmas gift. How do you wrap forever?

Join me in the vineyard next time as we begin our advent season where the 5 o’clock worker takes a look at “The Invitation.”