Readings: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 and Matthew 4:1-11
Growing Up in God.

Let us pray.

God of the wilderness, As we enter the season of Lent, we gather to seek your guidance as we look anew at biblical stories, and think about our responsibilities as stewards of your creation. Amen.

In the 1500s a reformed theology emerged from the Roman Catholic tradition- a movement of change. Perceived doctrinal errors were abandoned and the written word became available to all people.

And in ancient times these were collected and written down for us in the Genesis scripture – then poetic stories of creation from ancient storytellers who embraced and lived with mystery, not fact. Creation as we now know it evolved over billions of years- not the symbolic 6 days. But the biblical creation poetic story touches us in a deep, unique spiritual way,
E.g. – “Adam & Eve heard ‘the sound of the Lord walking in the garden at the cool of the day” – Storytelling is an unrivalled way of conveying a message, a truth. God was there in the beginning of time.

Today’s readings speak to our human longing to understand, to grow, to be in a relationship with God. And they invite us into a different way of understanding what it means to be faithful, mature, and truly human.

In the Genesis passage, we see a beautiful, symbolic world. God creates a garden – a place of delight, paradise – and places the first human beings into it. The purpose? “To till it and keep it.” From the beginning, humanity is given responsibility, partnership, and purpose. This is not a story of unthinking servitude; it is one of stewardship and care. A responsibility even greater today than it was in ancient times.

But then comes the command; “You may freely eat of every tree… but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat.” And here, things get tricky.

The traditional interpretation suggests that Eve disobeys, drags Adam down with her, and then gets all of humanity in trouble for ever after! This reading blames women, shames bodies, and introduces this idea of “original sin” – a concept that’s not found in this text at all and only appears centuries later in Christian theology. It’s time we change that framing, not with anger or disdain, but with deeper faith and curiosity.

Look again at the story. What actually happens?

Kept in this narrative is the serpent- note the medical logo representing rejuvenation and healing, described as clever, not evil- raises a provocative idea: that knowing the difference between good and evil will make the humans more like God. And we are told God confirms with later in verse 22: “Now they have become like one of us, knowing good and evil.”

There’s no hint that God was caught off guard. No thunderous comdenation. What we see is a moment of change – of awakening. The humans gain knowledge. Their eyes are opened. They recognise their vulnerability, their bodies and their freedom. This is not a story about the origin of sin – it’s a story about what it means to be human.

God brings order out of chaos and we are stewards of this delicate evolving creation- we are participants in it.

The text tells us that Adam & Eve “were naked, and they were not ashamed.” Only after eating the fruit do they feel exposed.

As mature people of faith, we can embrace a spirituality that says the body is good; that sexuality is a gift, that human longing – even for knowledge and growth – is part of what it means to be made in God’s image.

In te ao Maori, the concept of tapu can help us here. Bodies are not shameful – they are sacred. Wairua and Tinana are not split apart; they are woven together. This holistic view invites us to remember that God’s blessing covers the whole of who we are – physical, emotional, spiritual.

God is a companion. God is a guide who walks with us as we move from innocence to wisdom.

Mature faith doesn’t mean blind obedience. It means frowning into discernment. It means wrestling with choices. It means learning from mistakes. It means becoming co-creators with God, not just passive followers.

This brings us to the Gospel reading; Jesus in the wilderness. If Genesis is the story of the first awakening, then Matthew is the story of mature discernment.

Jesus is tested – not for a moment, but over a long, gruelling period. “Forty” echoes the days Moses spent on the mountain, the years Israelites spent in the wilderness, and the days of flood endured by Noah. It’s a long time. A soul shaping time.

Forty days in Biblical terms denotes a long time – not the factual number 40- a long period of struggle leading to new understanding, a new life at times culminating in spiritual transformation.

And what is Jesus tested with?

Physical need for food: “Turn these stones to bread.”

Ego and magical thinking: “Throw yourself down; God will catch you.”

Power, domination and control: “Worship me, and all this can be yours.”

These are real temptations, subtle, persistent. And in facing them, Jesus shows us that temptation is not about moral failure- it’s about choice. It’s about relationship with God. It’s about knowing and doing what matters most.

Jesus refuses the shortcuts. He doesn’t say, “I can’t.” He says, “I won’t.” He chooses trust over control. Wisdom over spectacle. Service over domination.

Oh that we would do likewise!

Adam & Eve and Creation narrative, Jesus in the wilderness – These stories speak into our lives – here and now, in Aotearoa, in our families, churches, workplaces.

And as god walked with these people in ancient times, when they fell short, faced challenges, felt abandoned, so we too the people of today have that same God that walks with us. Growth involves risk- by risk in doing, trying or failing we can learn. In the spirit of our faith in community sharing, in studying and meditating we can discover positive ways to move on.

Adam & Eve were clothed, cared for and sent forth to continue the human story and we too can offer care, food, clothing to those often cast out by mistakes they have made. Jesus, after his wilderness experiences is ministered to by angels. Whatever our wilderness there is a path forward.

There is healing, there is Grace, God is with us.

We can take up the role of angels and minister to others in their wilderness times.

We are not called to be in Eden-like innocence, we are called to grow in our faith- to let go of troubles and old beliefs – to let go of what we thought we knew in order to appreciate truths we had never dreamed of.

God is not afraid of our challenges, our questioning.

Jesus shows the way, not by avoiding the struggles but by making a costly choice by choosing what is Good.

So, may we grow in wisdom

May we be more courageous, and more compassionate
as we embrace the sacred energy of God
who walks with us still – Amen.

 

Adapted from Worship at Hand – Philip Garside.