On Seeking

A Reflection on the First Reading for Sunday, February 26th, 2023:
​The First Sunday of Lent

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​Genesis
2.7-9, 16-18, 25; 3.1-7
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The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 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.

And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 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.”

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.

Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

I love learning. I’m the kind of person who always has my nose in a book. I can’t help it – an intriguing title catches my eye and suddenly I’m learning more than anyone ever needed to know about Medieval-era Britain or opportunities for space travel to Mars. I share this because I completely and utterly sympathize with Eve. If the devil was trying to tempt me, “Eating the fruit of this tree will give you knowledge” is exactly what he’d say, and it would work like a charm. As this reflection is posted, Lent is a day away. It’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on the ways we might be vulnerable to temptation. 
 
Let’s be clear – knowledge is not a bad thing! God made all of us, from Adam and Eve down to modern times, with the ability to learn and grow. Many people come to believe in God because they first wrestle with big questions, ones like “Is there more to life than this?”, and can’t help but go seeking for answers that satisfy. God taught Eve about all the trees in the garden – she was surrounded by fruit trees that bore delicious food, and was warned that one was dangerous. Eve was tempted by the desire to know more. She had options – she could have chosen to believe God over the devil. She could have waited for that evening, when God would visit her and Adam as He always did, and asked Him whether the devil was right. But she was impatient, and she wanted answers right away. 
 
How often do I bring my questions and requests and doubts to God wanting answers right away? As I write this, I’m six weeks into recovering from COVID and increasingly frustrated with the lingering cough and fatigue that still hang around me. I’ve asked God for healing, and friends and colleagues have prayed for me. So far, I’m still sick. I’m impatient, and I want God to act now. Or at least I want Him to explain to me why I’m waiting so long to get better. 
 
Eve and I are kindred spirits – having so much and yet wanting the one thing God has told us not to want, desperate to know what God has told us we don’t need to know. There is a holy desire for knowledge, rooted in a hunger to draw closer to God. And then there is a disordered desire for knowledge, rooted in a hunger for control. This reading is a reminder that as I head into Lent, I should seek ways to remind myself that God is in control, and life is better when I let Him. From sharing my money with others even when it feels like I don’t have enough to giving more of my time over for prayer when it feels like I’m too busy, Lent is a blessing and an opportunity to rely on God more deeply than ever. 




Jenna Young

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