Responsibility
Genesis 3:1- 13
The Temptation and the Fall
3:1 Now 1 the serpent 2 was more shrewd 3
than any of the wild animals 4 that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Is it really true that 5 God 6 said, ‘You must not eat from any tree of the orchard’?” 7 3:2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat 8 of the fruit from the trees of the orchard; 3:3 but concerning the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the orchard God said, ‘You must not eat from it, and you must not touch it, 9 or else you will die.’” 10 3:4 The serpent said to the woman, “Surely you will not die, 11 3:5 for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open 12 and you will be like divine beings who know 13 good and evil.” 14
3:6 When 15 the woman saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, 16 was attractive 17 to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise, 18 she took some of its fruit and ate it. 19 She also gave some of it to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. 20 3:7 Then the eyes of both of them opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
The Judgment Oracles of God at the Fall
3:8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God moving about 21 in the orchard at the breezy time 22 of the day, and they hid 23 from the Lord God among the trees of the orchard. 3:9 But the Lord God called to 24 the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 25 3:10 The man replied, 26 “I heard you moving about 27 in the orchard, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” 3:11 And the Lord God 28 said, “Who told you that you were naked? 29 Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 30 3:12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave me, she gave 31 me some fruit 32 from the tree and I ate it.” 3:13 So the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this 33 you have done?” And the woman replied, “The serpent 34 tricked 35 me, and I ate.”
Who’s fault is it that man is no longer in the garden? Men have often blamed women. In fact, that was the first response to the first sin ever- to say “It’s not my fault.” Adam blamed Eve- he also blamed God- “The woman whom you gave me…”. Eve blamed the snake. The snake didn’t have a leg to stand on.
It’s interesting that to this day, we still play the blame game. We don’t take ownership of our own sin. We need to learn to acknowledge our vices as being our own.
In the movie “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” the bad guy name is Frollo, a judge and cleric who wants to kill all the Gypsies. There is one seen where he is struggling with lust in front of his fireplace, and he feels guilty about it. And he says “It’s not my fault, if in (God’s) plan, he made the Devil so much stronger than a man!”
Some times it seems like this- like no matter what we do, we’re gonna sin. Se can’t help it. We’re week. Of course, no body is perfect- however, God commands us not to sin, and God makes it possible!
Gal 5:1
For freedom 1 Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke 2 of slavery.
Eph 6:11
Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes 1 of the devil.
God promises that there is no sin so great that we cannot stand under it. In other words, we will never be tempted so strongly that we have to give in. We are not victims of our sins!
This is a great compliment, if you think about it. We are told that sin makes us slaves. In a sense, this is true, since all sins- weather drugs or alcohol, or sexual sins, or even judgementalism, materialism, or gossip- all sins are addictive! But there is always hope, there is always freedom, and there is all ways a point where we give our consent to the sin and that is why we fall.
So we can’t blame other people for our vices. We need to be men of strength, character and integrity. This is what the virtue of responsibility looks like. It means taking control of our lives and acknowledging our ownership of them! It means not making up excuses! People who make up excuses all the time are week, pathetic men. I admire a man who will stand up and say “Yes, I did this thing, and yes it was wrong. Forgive me.”
This is why the sacrament of confession is so important- We go to another human being, and we go to God, and say “here is what sins I have committed”. Then we do an act of penance- something concrete which turns our path around. The word “repent” means to turn around. But how can we repent if we don’t even admit that we’re going the wrong direction in the first place?
Responsibility is what separates men from boys. A child sits there in his mothers arms, and goes wherever she takes him. It’s not his fault if they go somewhere stupid. But when a child grows up, he has to start making decisions for himself- he needs to learn to take control!
This is why I had to leave the seminary. A few years ago I decided to study to be a Catholic Priest. I spent two years in the seminary, but in that time, I didn’t have to make a lot of decisions on my own. My food was purchased and prepared, money was provided, I had no taxes to pay…. Etc. In other words, I continues to live as an adolescent. But adolescence is supposed to be a transition period from childhood to adulthood. It’s not supposed to drag on and on.
Do you remember when you were a little boy, and you would think “I can’t wait until I’m a grown up, because then I’ll be able to stay up as late as I want- go places when I want to, spend money how I want.” This is what it means to be an adult- but in order for it to happen, you have to take responsibility.
What happens if you don’t? The world will take it for you. If you don’t learn how to responsibly control your money, for example. If you go into debt, and can’t pay your bills, and can’t keep a job- you will be forced to declare bankruptcy. In other words, you will have to let the government take over your money, and they will choose how much of it goes to debt, etc.
My Uncle did not learn to take responsibility for his life. He got into drugs and alcohol. He had several children outside of marriage. He went to jail a few times for different crimes. He never learned how to be a man! He still lived with his parents when he was 40 years old- he had a curfew, and allowance, and if he went anywhere, he had to tell them where he was going, for how long, and with who! Now he’s in rehab program in Medjugorie, where he needs to ask permission to do anything whatsoever- he can’t write a postcard without permission! This is because he was so out of control, that he needs to be treated like a child until he learns how to be under control.
Responsibility is a virtue- so like other virtues, it is a habit of the will. You can choose to form this habit by making little choices to be responsible. When something goes wrong- say you don’t have your full uniform or your caught talking in class- instead of saying it’s someone elses fault, just acknowledge your guilt, and make a choice to be more responsible. If you know you have trouble getting your homework done, choose ahead of time to take the necessary steps, like recording what needs to be done in your day planner, so that you can get control over it.
A lot of times people don’t take responsibility because they are afraid of it. They actually feel fear when they think about what they need to do. You need to counter that fear with courage, and with knowing that God is in control, and you need to trust him and put yourself out there.
There is a popular theory in philosophy that humanity is divided into 2 groups- the herd and the supermen. The herd just goes around blindly doin what they do, while the supermen are smart enough to see what’s going on, and can make real decisions. If you want to be a superman, than it’s time you took ownership of your own lives and decisions. Decide for yourself whether you believe in God and want to get holy, decide for yourself whether you want to succeed in school, decide for yourself if you’re going to let your relationships with people fall apart, etc.
You know the story of David and Goliath. The two armies, the Israelites and the Philistines, had decided that whoever won a man on man battle, that army would win. But The philistines had a giant on their side- some massive guy, like Shaquille O’Neil, and the Israelites were all scared to face him. The Philistines we’re going to be able to make the Israelites into slaves! Finally one Israelites decided to have the courage to fight- a little scrawny kid named David. He faced the giant, slung his sling, and he won! How? By the grace of God. So don’t be afraid to take responsibility and be a hero- God has promised you victory!
The Temptation and the Fall
3:1 Now 1 the serpent 2 was more shrewd 3
than any of the wild animals 4 that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Is it really true that 5 God 6 said, ‘You must not eat from any tree of the orchard’?” 7 3:2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat 8 of the fruit from the trees of the orchard; 3:3 but concerning the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the orchard God said, ‘You must not eat from it, and you must not touch it, 9 or else you will die.’” 10 3:4 The serpent said to the woman, “Surely you will not die, 11 3:5 for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open 12 and you will be like divine beings who know 13 good and evil.” 14
3:6 When 15 the woman saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, 16 was attractive 17 to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise, 18 she took some of its fruit and ate it. 19 She also gave some of it to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. 20 3:7 Then the eyes of both of them opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
The Judgment Oracles of God at the Fall
3:8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God moving about 21 in the orchard at the breezy time 22 of the day, and they hid 23 from the Lord God among the trees of the orchard. 3:9 But the Lord God called to 24 the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 25 3:10 The man replied, 26 “I heard you moving about 27 in the orchard, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” 3:11 And the Lord God 28 said, “Who told you that you were naked? 29 Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 30 3:12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave me, she gave 31 me some fruit 32 from the tree and I ate it.” 3:13 So the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this 33 you have done?” And the woman replied, “The serpent 34 tricked 35 me, and I ate.”
Who’s fault is it that man is no longer in the garden? Men have often blamed women. In fact, that was the first response to the first sin ever- to say “It’s not my fault.” Adam blamed Eve- he also blamed God- “The woman whom you gave me…”. Eve blamed the snake. The snake didn’t have a leg to stand on.
It’s interesting that to this day, we still play the blame game. We don’t take ownership of our own sin. We need to learn to acknowledge our vices as being our own.
In the movie “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” the bad guy name is Frollo, a judge and cleric who wants to kill all the Gypsies. There is one seen where he is struggling with lust in front of his fireplace, and he feels guilty about it. And he says “It’s not my fault, if in (God’s) plan, he made the Devil so much stronger than a man!”
Some times it seems like this- like no matter what we do, we’re gonna sin. Se can’t help it. We’re week. Of course, no body is perfect- however, God commands us not to sin, and God makes it possible!
Gal 5:1
For freedom 1 Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke 2 of slavery.
Eph 6:11
Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes 1 of the devil.
God promises that there is no sin so great that we cannot stand under it. In other words, we will never be tempted so strongly that we have to give in. We are not victims of our sins!
This is a great compliment, if you think about it. We are told that sin makes us slaves. In a sense, this is true, since all sins- weather drugs or alcohol, or sexual sins, or even judgementalism, materialism, or gossip- all sins are addictive! But there is always hope, there is always freedom, and there is all ways a point where we give our consent to the sin and that is why we fall.
So we can’t blame other people for our vices. We need to be men of strength, character and integrity. This is what the virtue of responsibility looks like. It means taking control of our lives and acknowledging our ownership of them! It means not making up excuses! People who make up excuses all the time are week, pathetic men. I admire a man who will stand up and say “Yes, I did this thing, and yes it was wrong. Forgive me.”
This is why the sacrament of confession is so important- We go to another human being, and we go to God, and say “here is what sins I have committed”. Then we do an act of penance- something concrete which turns our path around. The word “repent” means to turn around. But how can we repent if we don’t even admit that we’re going the wrong direction in the first place?
Responsibility is what separates men from boys. A child sits there in his mothers arms, and goes wherever she takes him. It’s not his fault if they go somewhere stupid. But when a child grows up, he has to start making decisions for himself- he needs to learn to take control!
This is why I had to leave the seminary. A few years ago I decided to study to be a Catholic Priest. I spent two years in the seminary, but in that time, I didn’t have to make a lot of decisions on my own. My food was purchased and prepared, money was provided, I had no taxes to pay…. Etc. In other words, I continues to live as an adolescent. But adolescence is supposed to be a transition period from childhood to adulthood. It’s not supposed to drag on and on.
Do you remember when you were a little boy, and you would think “I can’t wait until I’m a grown up, because then I’ll be able to stay up as late as I want- go places when I want to, spend money how I want.” This is what it means to be an adult- but in order for it to happen, you have to take responsibility.
What happens if you don’t? The world will take it for you. If you don’t learn how to responsibly control your money, for example. If you go into debt, and can’t pay your bills, and can’t keep a job- you will be forced to declare bankruptcy. In other words, you will have to let the government take over your money, and they will choose how much of it goes to debt, etc.
My Uncle did not learn to take responsibility for his life. He got into drugs and alcohol. He had several children outside of marriage. He went to jail a few times for different crimes. He never learned how to be a man! He still lived with his parents when he was 40 years old- he had a curfew, and allowance, and if he went anywhere, he had to tell them where he was going, for how long, and with who! Now he’s in rehab program in Medjugorie, where he needs to ask permission to do anything whatsoever- he can’t write a postcard without permission! This is because he was so out of control, that he needs to be treated like a child until he learns how to be under control.
Responsibility is a virtue- so like other virtues, it is a habit of the will. You can choose to form this habit by making little choices to be responsible. When something goes wrong- say you don’t have your full uniform or your caught talking in class- instead of saying it’s someone elses fault, just acknowledge your guilt, and make a choice to be more responsible. If you know you have trouble getting your homework done, choose ahead of time to take the necessary steps, like recording what needs to be done in your day planner, so that you can get control over it.
A lot of times people don’t take responsibility because they are afraid of it. They actually feel fear when they think about what they need to do. You need to counter that fear with courage, and with knowing that God is in control, and you need to trust him and put yourself out there.
There is a popular theory in philosophy that humanity is divided into 2 groups- the herd and the supermen. The herd just goes around blindly doin what they do, while the supermen are smart enough to see what’s going on, and can make real decisions. If you want to be a superman, than it’s time you took ownership of your own lives and decisions. Decide for yourself whether you believe in God and want to get holy, decide for yourself whether you want to succeed in school, decide for yourself if you’re going to let your relationships with people fall apart, etc.
You know the story of David and Goliath. The two armies, the Israelites and the Philistines, had decided that whoever won a man on man battle, that army would win. But The philistines had a giant on their side- some massive guy, like Shaquille O’Neil, and the Israelites were all scared to face him. The Philistines we’re going to be able to make the Israelites into slaves! Finally one Israelites decided to have the courage to fight- a little scrawny kid named David. He faced the giant, slung his sling, and he won! How? By the grace of God. So don’t be afraid to take responsibility and be a hero- God has promised you victory!
posted by Peter van Kampen at 10:53 AM
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