The Rebellion Spreads

Last Friday the first reading, from Genesis, recounted the story of “original sin.” It is an event known by various monikers, among which are: “the fall of man,” “the fall from grace,” “paradise lost,” and “eating of the forbidden fruit.” In a post from that day I offered an alternative to our traditional monikers. I suggested that Adam and Eve’s action was  not merely a moral failing but an act of defiance against God’s command. They  consciously chose to disobey God’s explicit instruction not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It was no sinful mistake but an act of rebellion in which their desire to define good and evil for themselves was a rejection of God’s authority.

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The First Murder

The first reading today is from Genesis 4 and tells the well-known story of Cain and Abel. Did you notice that the whole idea of bringing an offering to God is Cain’s idea; Abel just follows along. Nonetheless, God’s reaction to Cain is unexpected, unexplained and negative: “The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not.” The most popular reason for God’s reaction is that Cain, even though he brought gifts first, brought just some of his harvest, whereas Abel “brought one of the best firstlings of his flock.” Given that other places in the Bible have expressions for bringing the best of the harvest, the assumption is that Cain held the best back for himself. Continue reading