Who's to Blame?

Homily for Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

One of the most favorite past times of human beings is that of assigning blame. Whenever anything untoward happens, the first question that often pops out is: “Who is responsible?” Even when it is clearly evident that a crime or, in this case, a sin has been committed by more than one person, it seems that we are not satisfied until someone can be blamed for instigating the event. Throughout history, the woman Eve has been blamed for leading Adam into sin. The account from Genesis clearly states that it is the serpent who is really to blame for leading both Adam and Eve into sin. Not only has history unfairly branded Eve as the temptress, this approach or interpretation also denigrates Adam. If Eve is to blame, Adam comes off as being terribly weak, unable to resist temptation. Consequently, this approach damages both the male and female partners who fall prey to the serpent.

Adam and Eve both fail to keep the one commandment that God had given them. Thus, sin enters the world through their inability to remain obedient. Neither of them is satisfied with what God has given them, and they fall to the temptation of the serpent who promises them more.

God has given us everything we need. If in our weakness we think we need more, God has also provided us with the means to ask. However, before we ask for more, we must all answer the question whether our desire is something we want or something we need. A vast gulf exists between wants and needs. The description of the Garden of Eden clearly indicates that God had placed his human creation in Paradise. However, lest we blame Adam and Eve for the fact that we are all born into original sin, it would be wise to remember that all of us have at one time or another found ourselves unsatisfied with the many gifts that God has given us.

This is especially true for those of us who live after Jesus has reacquired the access that was lost through original sin. There are so many ways in which we can participate in the life, that is the grace, that God offers each of us through our relationship with God. Not only do we have the presence of God in our midst, we have the promise that our sins are forgiven if we simply express our sorrow for them.