They understood that some things are good and others are evil, but their thinking was confused. So, very often, is ours. The creator can see into the hearts of the created.
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What is good? What is evil?
Jesus begins here by saying something extraordinary, he tells his followers that people are only guilty of sin because he has spoken to them. This is just how it was at the beginning; in Eden there was no possibility of guilt until the man and woman had eaten the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. We need to dig deep here to understand more clearly.
They were created naked, they walked in the garden with Yahweh naked, and he said that everything he had made was good (Genesis 1:26-31, specifically v 31). So we cannot claim it is bad, or wrong, or evil to be naked in the presence of others. That idea, which is very commonly held, perhaps especially by those who call themselves Christians, is simply wrong. There is no evidence to support it!
But when they gained the knowledge of good and evil, they were ashamed in his presence and hid themselves when he came to walk and talk with them. Yahweh didn’t come to look at their bodies, he came to look at their hearts! They understood that some things are good and others are evil, but their thinking was confused. So, very often, is ours. The creator can see into the hearts of the created. They wanted to hide their disobedient hearts from him, but that is impossible; instead the best they could manage was to hide their bodies and ignore their disobedience. It’s a form of ‘making an excuse’, hiding what Yahweh pronounced good, because of their feelings of shame. Let’s hide whatever we can in the hope that the things we can’t hide will be overlooked – sorry, it won’t work, it’s never worked.
If I’m not able to see the reality of good and evil in my heart, that does not permit me to pretend to fix it by cloaking the reality with a more comfortable and palatable alternative. The guiltiness of a sinful heart runs deep and cannot just be covered over. Because Jesus did things that no mere, guilty human being could do (healing a Jewish leper for example, or casting out a dumb demon, or healing a person born blind*), they turned against both Jesus and his Father. Even this fulfilled the law! And notice that Jesus says, ‘Their law’, he does not say ‘My law’ or ‘My Father’s Law’ (v 25). That too is significant!
A reminder
Jesus reminds them that a master is greater than his servants. We’ll be treated as he was if we are his followers. He’s reminded them of this before – more than once. John just mentioned it. But Jesus’ preference is to call us, not servants, but his friends (John 15:15).
The coming Spirit
The chapter ends with Jesus announcing that the Spirit will come. Jesus calls his Spirit ‘the Advocate’, someone who will argue the case for us, someone who will remind us of everything we need to know and remember and do and be. And we must do what the Spirit does – testify about Jesus. Remember what he says elsewhere, ‘Without me you can do … nothing.’ But if we have the Spirit of Christ living in us, we can do anything he calls us to!
See also:
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