First Sunday in Lent

February 10, 2008
The Rev. David R. Hackett

“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…”
(Genesis 2:6-7a)

Do you remember how the children in C. S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia were referred to? “Daughters of Eve; Sons of Adam.” Let me suggest to you this morning that you might want to think of yourselves that way: Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve. That may help us remember that we share a common heritage with all the offspring of our first parents.

Part of that heritage is our sinfulness, our brokenness, our alienation from God. Most of the time when we think of Adam and Eve that’s what we think of: original sin; that rebellion in the Garden. But there is another inheritance that is ours and it is a glorious, though sometimes forgotten, heritage. And that is the fact that regardless of race, color, religion or culture, we are all human. And it is good to be human.

Sometimes we forget that truth: it is good to be human. Frequently, to be human is seen as an excuse for our mistakes. You’ve said it; I’ve said it, “I’m only human.” That is our defense when we do something foolish. It can be some little thing: you mess up the checkbook balance, misplace the car keys, forget an evening meeting, miss an exit on the Interstate, leave out part of the liturgy on Ash Wednesday; and we say, “I’m only human.” It’s a phrase that expresses our humility and our vulnerability. We use it like a confession when we make mistakes. And it is a kind of promise that you can expect other mistakes in the future because, after all, “I’m only human.”

Unfortunately, it can be an excuse for much worse things. Misconduct or criminal behavior is sometimes to be expected because, after all, he or she is only human. What about those times when we hurt others or ourselves? Are we suppose to expect sin and separation to be a part of life based on the knowledge that we are only human and that being human beings we always fall short of perfection?

Please consider this: the phrase “only human” is misleading and perhaps a misnomer. If we read the story of creation that precedes the account of Adam and Eve in today’s lesson from Genesis, we are told that humanity was created in the “image of God.” How can anyone say that he or she is only human when she or he is made imageo dei? That ‘s like saying one of the works of Beethoven is only another piece of music. Rather than say we are being only human when we foul up, it is better and more accurate to say we are being less than human when we mess up. The most fully human being ever was Jesus because the image of God in him was not hidden by sin. He wasn’t separated from God in the way we are.

Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent and ate of the knowledge of good and evil. They did so in order to become like God, not being satisfied with being created by God in his image and therefore fully human. In their desire to become more than human they separated themselves from the will of their Creator. And in their separation lost some of their identity. They lost some of their humanity in their decision to become more than human. Full, true humanity is found in relationship with God and with each other, and not by becoming our own gods and separating ourselves from our Creator. True humanity consists in our right relationship with God.

When we put ourselves first, when we fail to consider how our actions will impact on others, then we are being less than human. We are being less than human when we fail to use the gifts we have been given, not only for ourselves, but for others as well. We proclaim that we are less than human when we act in anger and refuse opportunities for reconciliation. When we are separated from God and from each other; when we mask the image of God that identifies us as his beloved children, then we are being less than human.

In today’s Gospel lesson from Matthew, Jesus proclaims his humanity in that he is tempted as we are. He is tempted to use whatever power he has to care for himself. Tempted to test God, to see if God really loved him. Tempted to seize power over other people. Tempted to trust in himself. Tempted to become like Adam and Eve.

But unlike Adam and Eve, and us Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve, unlike the first Adam, the second Adam, Jesus, faces his temptations and chooses to live in the fullness of his humanity by remaining one with the Father. By trusting that his hunger will be cared for by God, by choosing not to test his relationship with God, Jesus exalts the fullness of humanity that reaches its fullness by being in relationship with the Father. Jesus did not have to become his own God; rather, because he was fully human in relationship with the divine, be becomes divine.

In his wilderness, in his hunger, Jesus found himself being fed. In the loneliness of the desert, he found confidence, in his anxiety over the future, he found a trust. In the wilderness Jesus faced all the temptations that you and I face and found that his relationship with his God gave him strength and hope. He found he was truly and fully human.

This Lent I hope we will look to the true human being and learn from him to trust God and not ourselves. During this holy season of Lent I pray that we come to know that we, the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve, are Children of God himself. Amen.