Prohibition

"Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" (Genesis 3:11)

When a traffic light at an intersection turns red, the driver knows that they must stop. A pedestrian knows that they must not step onto the roadway. If they do, they may endanger their own life and the lives of others. For us, the generations living after the Fall, it is entirely obvious that if we do something that is forbidden, it will have serious consequences. The first human couple living in the Garden of Eden did not know this. They ate the fruit of the forbidden tree. After Adam and Eve took and ate the fruit, they made coverings for themselves from fig leaves and hid among the trees of the Garden of Eden. Why did they hide? Because they were ashamed of what they had done. But it was already too late. When God questioned the man, he shifted the responsibility to the woman, and the woman shifted it to the serpent.
We too encounter countless prohibitions throughout our lives. From early childhood to old age, we are required to follow various rules. But do we truly strive to obey these commandments?
My Christian brother/sister! God drove the first human couple out of Paradise. Not because He was cruel, but because sin brings punishment. If we keep the Lord’s commandments, we will not later need to make excuses or suffer the consequences. Adam and Eve’s shifting of responsibility reminds me of the words of Kölcsey Ferenc, who wrote in Parainesis to Kölcsey Kálmán: “He who has not done what he ought and could have done shall not be happy. But he who has faithfully fulfilled his human and civic duties may find happiness in his own conscience.” Amen.

PRAYER: Father, I am grateful for Your providence. Always lead me on the straight path, where I can take responsibility for all my actions. Amen.