Conas sé Gach Chuaigh Mícheart

An Buntionscadal Eden

Ar ais go dtí an Tús…

Chun tábhacht lárnach Íosa a thuiscint i ndáiríre’ teachtaireacht faoin aithrí agus faoin tsaoirse caithfimid dul siar go dtí tús chuntas an Bhíobla ar an gcaoi ar dhéileáil Dia leis an gcine daonna – a leabhar Genesis, go deimhin.

Tasc Ádhaimh

The early world was ‘very good’ (Gen 1:31): but it was wild and needed taming (Gen 1:26-28). Adam and Eve’s assignment was to rule it as God’s representatives. But they were not yet ready for this; so God put them in a safe place, Éadan, which Adam was made responsible for cultivating and protecting (Gen 2:15).

There were two very special trees. The tree of life gave Adam and Eve perfect health (Gen 3:22); and they could eat from it whenever they wished (Gen 2:17-18). But the tree of knowledge of good and evil, was not there to eat: but to teach Adam how to love – by caring for the interests of others. Adam had to be free to choose whether to do this; because love is only love when it is deonach.

Cuir isteach an nathair

Now we get a master-class on temptation from the most devious con-artist of all time – the serpent (a.k.a. Satan), an implacable enemy of God. Ní raibh aon rud fiúntach le tairiscint aige do Ádhamh agus Éabha. Ina áit sin mheall sé isteach i gceird iad chun an méid a bhí acu cheana féin a fháil! Once he had successfully undermined their confidence in God’s goodness, their own natural desires did the rest.

Gafa ag Ár bpeacaí Féin

Duais an tSathairn

What did the serpent gain from Adam’s sin?

• God had put Adam in charge of the earth. When Adam chose to follow Satan rather than God, he became Satan’s servant; and Satan became earth’s ruler.
• Satan was looking for an insurance policy and was aware of God’s affection for mankind. Anois, if God sought to judge Satan, he could claim that God would be unjust to spare humanity but not himself.
• Satan also knew that ‘death’ meant permanent separation from God. He thought that, dá mba mhian le Dia an pionós seo a chur ar ceal do Ádhamh, he could demand an equivalent payment – either his own pardon or some infinite penalty of his choosing. He thought he had outsmarted God.

Nádúr Titim

Humans have the same kinds of natural needs and instincts as other animals. But we were made with the capacity to know God, reason, roghanna morálta a thuar agus a dhéanamh, overruling our natural responses when necessary. We were designed to live in an ongoing relationship with God: so that we could draw on his wisdom and strength whenever we needed it. Without Him in our lives we revert to being just ‘clever animals’ – fós in ann rudaí iontacha a fhoghlaim agus a dhéanamh: ach ní féidir linn ár n-ainmhí nádúrtha féin-lárnach a bhainistiú i gceart.

Cut off from God’s presence, Adam was spiritually dead already and, go fisiciúil, we are all doomed. But what if evil tyrants had been immortal? Physical death was a way of limiting the damage until God’s master-plan was fulfilled.

Catalóg Teipeanna

Is féidir ceacht uileghabhálach na staire a achoimriú mar seo: Fear, through his ingenuity can control nature: ach ní féidir leis a féiniúlacht féin a shárú. Is féidir leis an domhan a rialú: ach tá sé féin á rialú ag a pheaca féin agus faoi dheireadh faoi réir ionramháil leanúnach an spioraid mheabhlóideach chéanna a chuir isteach sa phraiseach seo é ar dtús.

Ár bhFiachas Neamhíoctha

Is dóigh le go leor daoine go dtabharfaidh Dia breithiúnas ar dhaoine trína ‘maith’ a mheá’ gníomhais i gcoinne a n-olc’ ones. But the problem is that your ‘best’ is no more than God expected in the first place; mar sin, regardless of what you do, every failure is adding to a mounting debt that you can never repay.

Léigh ar aghaidh…