On this first day of the year we read about the story of the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:1-13). The narrative begins with a talking serpent. This is often “explained” as being a symbol for Satan, but the text itself never actually says this. (The forbidden fruit is often identified as an apple, but the text never says that, either.)

This talking serpent spoke to Eve and cast doubt on what God had said (3:4-5), and thereby encouraged her to partake of the forbidden fruit. Which she did: “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” (3:6). Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he went right ahead and ate, too.

When God showed up a little later for their usual evening walk, Adam and Eve were hiding from God. Adam said, “The woman whom you gave me to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate” (3:12) – blaming his failure on Eve, and indeed on God. Meanwhile, Eve blamed the snake: “The serpent tricked me, and I ate” (3:13).

I could distance myself from the story by trying to analyze the history and theology behind it: but I’ll get the most out of it if I recognize that it is there for me to apply to my own experience. That is, the story can help me explore the question, “Why do I sin?” It helps me see that I sin because I’m like Eve: I see something, and I know that it’s wrong, but I want it, so I do it: and like Eve, it makes me ashamed when I get caught, and I want to blame it on someone else. And I sin because I’m like Adam: I see that someone else is doing it and apparently getting away with it, so I do it too: and like Adam it makes me ashamed when I get caught, and I want to blame it on someone else.

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Help us, Lord! Whoever else may be involved, we are the ones who have made our decisions, which so often have been bad for us and for others. Forgive us for the past, and teach us diligence in this new year, that we may learn to follow you in fullness of devotion.