Sunday, October 3, 2021

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Genesis 2:18-25
Psalm 128
Hebrews 2:1-13 (14-18)
Mark 10:2-16

Behold, this is how the man who fears Yahweh is blessed.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? This is a question that many people have pondered from the beginning of time. Whether they are seeking philosophical, scientific or theological answers, the question is still the same. A deeper, perhaps more relevant question is related to the beginning of human existence. From a biblical standpoint, we assume that Adam and Eve were adults when they were created, mature enough to both marry and have children.

God created everything in Genesis 1, it is a chronological story of how the world came to be, from the creation of light and dark to the foundations of the heavens and earth to the birds, fish and animals. Finally, we see the creation of man and woman. Today’s lesson from Genesis 2 we see the story of the beginning from a different perspective.

There are some who have suggested that the appearance of two different, supposedly conflicting accounts mean that the texts were written by two different authors. However, the different accounts simply served a different purpose. The first account, which addresses God with the name “Elohim” (which means “strength”) is given so that we will see God as the Creator of all things. The second account calls Him “Yahweh” which denotes the spiritual, moral authority of God. It shows God in relationship with His creation. That is certainly true when we read this story.

The two accounts do not conflict even though Man was created last in the first and first in the last. In the second story, Man existed to name the animals as they were created to be his helpers. The second story is not meant to be chronological: it is a story about relationships. First we see the relationship between God and Man. Then we see the relationship between Man and Creation. Finally, we see the relationship between Man and Woman.

In today’s accounting there is no first egg. Instead, Man and Woman were created in the image of God, then they joined together as man and wife to bear offspring into the world. There is no parent/child relationship in the accounts of Creation, except the promise of fruitfulness. The relationship between Man and Woman was first, Adam and Eve were bonded together as one flesh, which was later manifest in the birth of children. This perspective is important as we consider the other relationships in our life. The marriage relationship is meant to be permanent, but the child is born to become their own person, marry their own spouse, begin their own family. The parent and child relationship is meant to be temporary. We can love our children forever, but we can only hold on to them for a brief moment in time. The marriage relationship was divinely ordained and meant to last forever.

There was a time when the world was perfect. It lasted about five minutes and then the serpent convinced Adam and Eve that they could be like God. Until that moment, God ruled their hearts, life was forever; Adam and Eve were innocent and happy. Then sin became part of their lives. Instead of being the people God created them to be, they were corrupted, changed in a way that would separate them from the Father who loved them. Adam and Eve were created good, but sin got in the way.

Have you ever thought about the names you hear and wonder, “How did someone come up with that?” There are certainly some strange choices in the world today. On an episode of “Seinfeld,” George announced that his first child would be named Seven. This is an odd name for a child, but at least it is a word that we recognize. We also know that it has symbolism in the Bible. Seven represents completeness or perfection. My name, Peggy, might seem odd to someone who speaks another language. It means “Pearl” or “child of Light.”

Those of us who name animals and people have a long history of names from which to choose. While we have to choose, we don’t have to come up with a name out of the blue. Many unusual names like George’s Seven are words that aren’t usually associated with people, like Apple, Pilot, Racer, and Sunday. Celebrities are famous for this. Who will ever forget Moon Unit Zappa? Other people like to use a familiar name but change the spelling, like Izobel, Jakkson, and Zakkery. These changes in spelling make the name unique, but often cause problems for the children when they have to repeatedly spell their name. Or they pick random letters from names or put together syllables in new ways. I have done data entry with lists of children’s names, and one very popular one recently as been Abcde, pronounced ‘Absidee.”

Adam had no names from which to choose. I’m not even sure where the creation of language falls chronologically in the history that underlies the biblical account, except that maybe naming the animals is a simplistic account of that aspect of human development. It doesn’t matter, really. What matters is that we look at this story from the point of view that this is an account of the way God calls His people to work with Him in the world. He called Adam to be a co-creator, just as He continues to call us to be like Him in this way.

We can’t make something out of nothing, of course. Here’s a joke, “One day a group of scientists got together and decided that humanity had come a long way and no longer needed God. So they picked one scientist to go and tell Him that they were done with Him. The scientist walked up to God and said, ‘God, we’ve decided that we no longer need you. We’re to the point where we can clone people, manipulate atoms, build molecules, fly through space, and do many other miraculous things. So why don’t you just go away and mind your own business from now on?’ God listened very patiently and kindly to the man. After the scientist was done talking, God said, ‘Very well. How about this? Before I go, let’s say we have a human-making contest.’ To which the scientist replied, ‘Okay, we can handle that!’ ‘But,” God added, ‘we’re going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam.’ The scientist nodded, ‘Sure, no problem” and bent down and picked up a handful of dirt. God wagged a finger at him and said, “Uh, uh, uh. Put that down. You go find your own dirt.’

We will never be able to make something out of nothing, but God has invited us to make many things from that which we have been given. This is part of the relationship we have with Him. He gifts us with everything we need and we join Him in making the world a wonderful place with our gifts. Adam didn’t create the animals, but he named them.

In the end, God realized that none of those creatures were truly compatible for Adam. He needed a helpmate, someone like him, a part of him, of the same flesh and blood. Science tells us to question this story because every human being has the same number of ribs, so we dismiss it as just a story because our human logic demands it. However, if we look at the language, we’ll see that there is more to the story. The word for “rib” can also be translated “side.” Perhaps it was not just a rib that was used to create Eve, but Adam’s whole side. This is strengthened by Adam’s statement that she was bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. Adam and Eve were created as one flesh, equal and complimentary, standing side by side together in God’s kingdom.

The relationship is more than just two people coming together. It is two flesh coming back together into one whole. This is why God used marriage as a parallel to His relationship with the Church. He marries us, binds us with Him in a way that is eternal, never to be separated. We are His bride and will be forever. Sadly, we try to define our relationship with God in other ways. We call Him friend, teacher, Father. And while we can use these words to define our relationship with Him, they are relationships that in life are temporary. Friends can be separated. Teachers go away and students often surpass the teacher's knowledge. Even the father/child relationship is temporary. Eventually every child must leave home to follow their own life. But the relationship as husband and wife has been defined from the beginning as one that will never end.

The book of Mark compares and contrasts the kingdom of God with the kingdom of the world. Mark begins to show the conflict between Jesus and the leaders very early, within the first couple chapters. They begin plotting in chapter three. In today’s less the Pharisees came to Jesus with a question. “What about divorce?” they asked. The recent beheading of John the Baptist was probably still on their minds. John was beheaded not because he preached, but because the wife of Herod was offended by his preaching. Herod actually liked John and listened to him. Herod, however, was living with his brother’s wife; he divorced his own wife and stole Herodias to be his own. There was so much wrong with this relationship that it is no wonder that John the Baptist accused Herod of doing wrong.

The question about divorce was not simply to understand Jesus’ theological stance on relationships, but to get Him to say something that would make Herod and his wife angry enough to demand another head.

Jesus answered with a question, “What does the law say?” They answered that Moses allowed them to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her. In the Torah, Moses gave the people a law that said it was ok for a man to divorce his wife if she became displeasing to him. Divorce was legal, but the theologians in Jesus’ day disagreed about what that meant. What did it mean to displease the husband, what was considered indecent? Some thought it meant only marital unfaithfulness. Others interpreted this passage to mean anything that displeased the man. To them, he could even divorce her if she burned the toast.

Jesus answered the question through the prism of the creation story. The laws defined women as being inferior, as having no power or control, but God created man and woman to stand with one another, two equal parts of a whole. Jesus said that both the man and the woman have a responsibility to uphold the covenantal relationship of marriage and if they don’t, then they cause the spouse to sin.

Adam and Eve were created and they lived in the garden with God. They were innocent and pure, loving the Father who loved them. Unfortunately, in the grand scheme of eternity, it took only a brief moment for Man and Woman to destroy the relationship they had with God. They fell for the lies of the adversary and turned from their God. Once the relationship with God was broken, all the others became vulnerable. As we look around the world today, we see so much suffering because sin builds walls and hardens hearts against those whom God has made for one another. Most of all, we suffer because we are not in fellowship with our Creator. The broken marriage mirrors the very consequence of the sin that became part of us, our broken relationship with God.

How it must have pained Jesus to see how broken His children had become, so broken that they needed laws to ensure that their brokenness would be handled in an orderly manner. But even the law could not restore relationships, particularly the one between God and His people. Jesus told the Pharisees that while they had the right, and perhaps even good reason, to divorce their wives, they were sinning against God by breaking the relationship that was meant to be permanent. Jesus made it even clearer for the disciples: anyone who divorces and remarries commits adultery because they have broken what God has put together.

Imagine what it must have been like for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, walking in the presence of God. Balmoral is Queen Elizabeth’s country estate in Scotland, one of several homes she visits throughout the year. It is a lovely estate far from the typical tourist paths like Edinburgh or London. It is even farther north than Loch Ness, where relatively few people tend to wander. We took a journey to Balmoral during a visit to Scotland. It was more than four hours from the hotel where we were staying. The drive was lovely, but desolate. The sheep ruled the hillsides, and in many places they ruled the roads.

When we visited Holyrood, the Queen’s palace in Edinburgh, one of the staff members told us that Queen Elizabeth was expecting to spend some time at Balmoral that week. We were disappointed that we could not tour Holyrood because she was in residence, and they close it off for they security and comfort of the queen. The staff member told us, however, that she is much more relaxed at Balmoral, often mingling with the crowds who are visiting while she is there. We planned our trip to Balmoral on the day she was expected to arrive. Unfortunately, she had not yet arrived when we had to leave.

At first we were amazed to discover that she would mingle with strangers, but we realized that it was a wonderful opportunity for her to be normal for a moment. She is constantly forced to be guarded because there is always someone watching and listening. She holds a unique position in the world which requires vigilance. She can’t just sit down and have a cup of tea with a neighbor. At Balmoral, she can let her hair down a bit and relax, perhaps because it is so far off the beaten path. Buckingham, Windsor or even Sandringham (her country estate in Suffolk, England) are too accessible, thus too dangerous for her to mingle. Those places are shut down when she’s in residence, access is severely limited for her protection.

Though God is Creator and they were creation, Adam and Eve with Him and enjoyed His presence.

Imagine what it must have been like to be with Jesus. Though He was holy, He became one of us. He was the Word of God incarnate, but He was also a man. He was the Son of God while being a son of man. In the passage from Hebrews, we see both the human and divine aspects of Jesus. We are encouraged by the fact that Jesus was so fully human that He shared our experiences with us, including death. Yet, we also see that He was so fully divine that He is the One through whom all things exist. He walked with His disciples as God walked with Adam and Eve, and He still walks with us today. It is a relationship created to last forever.

Jesus came to live amongst His people and to restore relationships by providing a means for forgiveness: first with God and then with each other. He came to make it possible for people to live in harmony with their Creator, with the creation, and with each other. We live in a broken world, and even after the cross we still have hard hearts against one another because we have not yet been made perfect. The sin that became part of our lives in Eden still plagues us today. We will still sin against God and one another. Divorce will still happen, and in some cases be a necessity. Jesus encourages us to do everything possible to maintain the relationships which God has given us; He has provided the forgiveness we need when we fail. He died on the cross to establish a new relationship with His people, a relationship based on faith rather than law.

God created us to be in relationship with Him, with His creation and with each other. Unfortunately, we will fail to maintain those relationships that God has given to us, breaking the connections that link us to others and to all of God’s creation. By doing so, we not only sin against our brothers and sisters, but we sin against God. There is nothing we can do to fix the brokenness of this world, but Jesus can and did. He restored our relationship with God through forgiveness of our sins on the cross.

The psalmist shows us what life is like when our relationships are strong. “For you will eat the labor of your hands. You will be happy, and it will be well with you. Your wife will be as a fruitful vine, in the innermost parts of your house; your children like olive plants, around your table.” This blessed life begins by loving God. “Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears Yahweh.” Life lived in faith in the kingdom of the world is meant to mirror the life God has planned for us in kingdom of heaven.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that God spoke first through the prophets and then through the Son. The Son was not simply a man; He was the One through whom all things were created. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being. Man is the image of God, but Jesus was more. He is the Word of God. This passage does not just define Jesus’ divinity; it also defines His humanity. Jesus was fully divine and He was fully human. He was not only the Son of God, but He came to be in relationship with us as the Son of Man. He came to form a bond that cannot be broken.

“What is man, that you think of him?” This is a great question. After all, when you consider the entire creation, human beings aren’t much. There are nearly eight billion people living on earth at this moment. Best estimates say that there are probably about two hundred billion stars just in our galaxy, the Milky Way; there isn’t even a word to describe the number of stars in the entire universe. Someone has guessed that there are probably about a hundred trillion mosquitoes living on the earth at any one moment. In other words, we are pretty rare in the whole scheme of creation. We are not the largest or the smallest. We aren’t the strongest, fastest or prettiest. We might even argue that we aren’t the smartest. But we were created uniquely in God’s image and charged with the care of all that God has made.

Though we have dominion over the rest of creation, we don’t have much to brag about, do we? Who are we that God would know us, not only as a species but as individuals? Who are we that God would care about each one of us personally? The answer is amazing: we are His, created in His image for a purpose. We are created to be part of a community, to be in relationship, not only with each other but also with the world and with our God. This is pretty amazing.

When the writer of Hebrews asked, “What is man, that you think of him?” he was quoting a psalm with one particular human in mind: the new Adam, through whom all things were made. Men and women were given dominion over all creation, but we haven’t done a very good job. We have not been the best caretakers of all that God has given us. This is not simply an environmental concern or a question over the care of the animals. We fail with our human relationships, too. We use our power and resources in the wrong ways. We take advantage of others. We don’t share what we have with our neighbors. We are sad and broken people, in need of someone to show us how it should be done. But we need more than just a good example. We need a Savior. Jesus is the new Adam; He is the Savior we need.

The world today is not Eden. We have not returned to the paradise that existed in that heartbeat before sin entered our lives. We continue to fail to be the people God created us to be. However, we have hope in Jesus Christ, who has promised that one day we will live in the world that God intended, where we dwell together in His Kingdom forever unashamed and without reason to fear. Until that day we have to live together as best we can in His grace.

Adam and Eve had what we long to have. They did not need the Gospel of Jesus Christ because they were created according to God’s good and perfect will. It took only a heartbeat for them to destroy not only their innocence and holiness, but also every relationship that would follow, especially the relationship between God and His people. The writer of Hebrews reminds us, however, that we have reason to hope. We hope in the Gospel, the promise that God has and will restore everything as it was meant to be. Let us never forget what God has done, Christ has done, and the Holy Spirit continues to do in our world. The Kingdom of God is a promise that exists today, now, here. Let us live in faith working with God in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, for blessing comes when we trust God and live according to His grace.