Gen.3:1-7; II
Sam. 11:26-12:7a
After some pretty strenuous days of
carrying block and sand up mountain paths in the Guatemalan
Mountains, our mission group was
rewarded a respite along Lake
Atitlan. Sunday morning we took a boat across the lake
to a little village where we worshiped with a local congregation. It is impossible to describe the beauty of Lake Atitlan. We were more than 6,000 feet above sea
level. The lake is surrounded by ancient
volcanoes, many of them exceeding over 11,000 feet. The Mayans believe that Lake Atitlan
is where creation began. In theological
language this would make Lake
Atitlan the Garden of
Eden. As I rode in the bow of the boat
on our trip to Santiago
I could understand why they would make this claim. It was indeed the most beautiful lake I had
ever seen.
Of course this was not the first time I
had been to the Garden of Eden. My first
encounter with the mythical garden was on the corner of US 29 and McKnight Mill Road
in Greensboro, North Carolina. Many of you traveling south into North Carolina have
passed the spot to which I am referring.
It looks a lot different now.
There is a walk way over US 29 and the store I remember at the
intersection has long since disappeared.
But in 1957 that store not only existed, it was the center piece of our
little community. It was stocked with
bread, milk and everything essential including a rack exhibiting my favorite
candy bars.
I was seven at the time and was trying
to break in with a local group of guys that roamed that end of McKnight Mill Road. They were pretty cool. Each kid had a bike and together they would
ride to the end of our universe and back. I wanted to join and I think they
wanted me to join but there was an initiation that each new member had to
perform. To become a member of this
particular group it was required that I walk into the store on the corner of US 29 and
McKnight Mill Rd., take a bar of candy from the Tree of Knowledge, and slip out
without paying for the candy. I later
learned that was called shop lifting.
I remember the incident as if it were
yesterday. With my new friends waiting
outside the store, I ventured in. I
walked over near the magazines and comic books.
I waited until the clerk was busy with a customer and then quietly made
my way to the candy counter. Without
hesitation I grabbed a ZERO BAR and put it in my pocket. I returned to the comics, and waited until another
customer entered the store. Then I
slipped out the door, waved at my friends, and hopped on my bike. I showed my
friends proof of my bravery, and then headed home.
Once I got home I headed straight for my
room. I took the treasure from my
pocket, slowly peeled the wrapper from the contents and briefly admired my
acquisition of caramel covered white chocolate.
I ate the whole thing, merrily dreaming of the wonderful time I was
going to have with my new friends.
Totally satisfied, I lay down on my bed.
It was at that moment I heard the voice of God, thinly disguised as my mother. “Andy, wash up, it is time for dinner.” Not knowing why, I sat on the bed
petrified. My feet would not move. I thought if I was really quiet maybe she
would go away. But she didn’t. “Andy, did you hear me? It is time for dinner.” I pulled my pillar over my head, thinking
that I could somehow disappear. But
there was no place to hide. The door
swung open. My mother stepped into my
Garden of Eden. For what seemed like an eternity, she looked at me, then she
observed the empty wrapper of the Zero Bar, and the demanded, “What have you
done wrong?”
I
believe each of us has had a Garden of Eden moment. It comes the first time we realized we had
done something wrong and there was no excuse or circumstances that could hide
our guilt. For King David his revelation
came when he heard the words, “You are
the man.”
Do
you remember the story of David and Bathsheba? The winter winds were turning into April
showers bringing a time when warriors planned their conquest. But David was growing
old. He would now have to send younger
men into battle. David gazed out across
the field from his palace, longing to be among those in the hunt for new
conquest when he spied a young woman bathing.
His mind turned from war to lust as he was captivated by this young
woman. David inquired to find out who
the woman was only to discover she was the wife of Uriah the Hittite. Without hesitation David rationalized that a
king could have whatever a king desired.
He marched straight into the convenience store and snatched the Zero Bar
without any thought or hesitation. Soon
after the encounter David was informed that Bathsheba was pregnant.
Ever
notice how one sin leads to many? Such
was the case with David. His first plan
was to bring Urriah home from the battle hoping the husband would have sex with
his wife. No one would suspect David was
the real father. But Urriah refused to
go to his wife and camped outside the
door of his king.
The
second plan called for a more permanent solution. Urriah was placed at the front of the
battle. When the battle reached its
peak, David’s troops withdrew leaving Urriah alone to die. When the news of the death of her husband
reached Bathsheba, she went into mourning.
When the mourning time was complete, David married her. End of story?
Hardly!
David
had cleaned everything up into a nice package.
As King he had the right to as many wives as he desired. His first wife had been a marriage to appease
those who were loyal to Saul. Michal,
Saul’s daughter, never loved David and I suspect the feelings were mutual. Now the king could have a loving wife and
await a future heir unrelated to Saul.
Urriah might have been an inconvenience, but who was going to remember
the plight of a Hittite. No one, except
the prophet Nathan.
Nathan
had the difficult burden of following the prophet Samuel. Nathan was the one man who could go to the
king and offer counsel that might not be what the king desired to hear. Speaking the truth, especially to a king, is
always dangerous. So Nathan told his
story in a way that reminded the aging King of a time when life was not so
complicated.
Once
there was a poor family who lived on the edge of a great farm. The family survived by cultivating the
land. They had one sheep, but the family
loved the little lamb. The pet was
considered to be a member of the family.
One
day the owner of the great farm had a guest drop by for dinner. The landowner’s farm was filled with a
variety of crops and flocks. It would
have been nothing for him to take any sheep and have it prepared for the
meal. But instead the landowner sent men
to steal the lamb of the poor farmer.
The animal was killed and offered as the main course for dinner.
When
David heard the story he was outraged.
He rose to his feet and declared that no one in his kingdom had the
right to abuse others. He demanded the
name of the culprit in order that the king might bring him to justice. Nathan looked at David and responded, “You
are the man.”
Suddenly
David was in his personal Garden of Eden.
The King had everything and had chosen to eat of the fruit that was
forbidden. Once David finally realized
the enormity of his actions, David cried out, “I have sinned.”
Psalm
51 is the prayer that David wrote once the magnitude of his sin had been
revealed. Listen to parts of this great
poem.
“Have
mercy on me according to your steadfast love.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. I know my sin is ever before me. You desire truth therefore teach me your
wisdom. Purge me; wash me; create in me
a clean heart. The sacrifice acceptable
to God is a broken spirit and a contrite heart.
O God forgive me.”
As
a seven year old I quickly learned there were consequences for bad
behavior. As a king, David learned he
was not above the will of God. But our
Garden of Eden experience revealed something more than just the repercussions
for sinful behavior. The king and I both
experienced the incredible expansion of God’s grace.
In
the mythical story of Adam and Eve you might remember the couple was forced to
leave the garden and venture out into the world. But they did not venture alone. God made garments for them to wear. God showed them how to till the ground and
make a living. God allowed them to produce
children and populate the landscape. God
did not leave them alone.
This
is the wonder of God’s grace. When our
appetites overwhelm us or our desire to be like a god paralyzes our knowledge
of right and wrong, we might justify any action as being legitimate. But eventually the voice of Nathan …… or a
family member …… or even our inner consciousness rises up and says, “This time
you really blew it.”
The
question is will we acknowledge our sin? Will we take responsibility for our
actions? Will we admit our mistakes and
willingly suffer the consequences? That
is a huge step and can be a tremendous blow to our ego. But when we do, the release we feel is as
fresh as the breeze I felt on my face as I crossed Lake Atitlan. Forgiveness comes in the refreshing breath of
God saying, “Rise up and know my forgiveness. Rise up and begin your life anew.”
My
friends, this is the good news of God’s grace.
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