Thought for Today
Genesis 2:9 Out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. (KJV)
Luke 6:45 The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.
Romans 12:9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; . . . 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.
On September 17th I wrote, “Where did evil come from? Is evil inevitable? Is it necessary? We are told that the serpent “Genesis 3:1 . . . was more crafty.” Was that serpent evil?” This morning, I am once again wondering, where did evil come from? Is being more crafty synonymous with being evil?
I have used the word evil 135 times in sharing my Thoughts this year. Obviously, for me and I believe for many Christians, the subject of evil is an important topic. The dictionary to which I so often refer defines evil as, “That which opposes the will of God . . . It has been defined as ‘the absence of good’ (Augustine),” (Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms, pg. 97) That is a good definition, as far as it goes. But, it does not address the question of the source of evil in a reality created ex nihilo by our Creator God.
Genesis tells us that our reality, our universe, was created by God in a series of distinct, discrete actions, summarized by the 6 days of creation. Reread the story. Where any comment is made on the topic, the only reference to evil is in verse 2:9. We know that “Genesis 1:11 Then God said, ‘Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.’" That was on the third day. We are told, “1:12 . . . And God saw that it was good.” Obviously, somewhere between day one and day three the differentiation between good and evil was created. Either our ancestors-in-the-faith couldn’t figure out the when and where of that differentiation, or verses have been lost over the ages.
You may have heard the phrase, “Inquiring minds want to know.” My mind is inquiring; and, I do want to know. Where did evil originate? Do I really and truly need to know? Honestly, I do not. I do know the impossibility of reconciling my own belief in our omnipotent God, our loving God and the existence of evil. I cannot take credit for being the first to recognize that impossibility. I suspect God’s children have faced that issue since the time of Adam and Eve. I’m certain that Christians have faced that issue since there first were Christians. I learned in seminary about the scholar philosopher Gottfried Leibniz and his attempts to reconcile those issues.
This morning, 2 thoughts on the topic are prominent in my mind. First, I think we sometimes misread the stories we find in scripture. I believe the story of Adam, Eve and the exile from Eden is not as much a story of good and evil as it is the first conflict arising from our free will. A doctrine of free will is not explicitly stated as such in scripture. But, our having free will is implicit in God’s instructions to Adam and Eve. “Genesis 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.’" Adam and Eve could eat of every tree. They might freely eat of every tree save one. Can and may are different. They, and we could choose. All choices have consequences, some beneficent, some maleficent.
My second thought is even more significant for me. I know Paul’s words to the church in Ephesus, “2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—” The choices I make are significant and important. The choices we all make are significant and important. We must make our choices, however, being fully aware that all choices have consequences, some beneficent, some maleficent. We must live with the consequences of our choices, good or bad. But, our salvation, our place in eternity, is by the grace of God. God’s grace is gifted to all of God’s children. The significant choice we each must make is whether to accept or reject God’s gift. We have that free will. Either choice has consequences.
I do not need to know from where evil came. I do not even need to know the nature of evil. I only need to accept God’s gift, knowing that my acceptance will change my life here, now and in eternity.
Choose this day whom you will follow, let God transform your life, trust God,
Pastor Ray