The starting point is that...
God
created man to his own image: to the image of God he created him: male
and female he created them.[Gen. 1:27]
That is - whatever is good in man, whether it is a feeling like love, charity, compassion or an instinct like how to raise a child is a direct reflection from God.
Now - take an offspring of yours whom you deeply love and for whom you want the best. Logically, you will nurture his/her every step as he/she grows into adulthood. You will teach him/her what is good by example and what to avoid, because it has bad consequences, first by saying "No!" without further explanations. Then, "No, because I say so!" (the child has developed enough to comprehend now that "Mom and Dad know best"). Then, as the child becomes older and can understand more, the explanations become more elaborate "No, because of this or that".
Of course - for some humans there will be some instances where the reason will be No, because God tells us so, but, if the child has been brought up to respect the parent's practical (not whimsical) wisdom, the child will accept the parent's endorsement of God's instructions.
All Divine Laws are the ultimate parent's guidelines to raise His beloved children through their human parents.
Some Laws are Eternal - for example, the Ten Commandments. Others laws were given at a time when humans did not know any better but, as they "grew up" over the millennia, they no longer were necessary. Here is where you can see that, in some cases Jesus would say:
That is - whatever is good in man, whether it is a feeling like love, charity, compassion or an instinct like how to raise a child is a direct reflection from God.
Now - take an offspring of yours whom you deeply love and for whom you want the best. Logically, you will nurture his/her every step as he/she grows into adulthood. You will teach him/her what is good by example and what to avoid, because it has bad consequences, first by saying "No!" without further explanations. Then, "No, because I say so!" (the child has developed enough to comprehend now that "Mom and Dad know best"). Then, as the child becomes older and can understand more, the explanations become more elaborate "No, because of this or that".
Of course - for some humans there will be some instances where the reason will be No, because God tells us so, but, if the child has been brought up to respect the parent's practical (not whimsical) wisdom, the child will accept the parent's endorsement of God's instructions.
All Divine Laws are the ultimate parent's guidelines to raise His beloved children through their human parents.
Some Laws are Eternal - for example, the Ten Commandments. Others laws were given at a time when humans did not know any better but, as they "grew up" over the millennia, they no longer were necessary. Here is where you can see that, in some cases Jesus would say:
Do
not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have
not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and
earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a
pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is
accomplished. [Matthew
5:17-18]
While in other cases He
would say:
or...
Because
Moses, by reason of the hardness of
your heart, permitted you to put away your wives: but from the
beginning
it was not so. [Matt.
19:8]
or...
The
sabbath was made for man, and not man
for the sabbath. [Mark
2:27]
Now, about sin.... When an
offspring rejects its parents’ guidelines and, without a doubt, will
get
into trouble - he/she will have a price to pay for the consequences of
his/her obstinacy. When an offspring's way of life is such that there
is a
separation (lack of frequent interaction, or a complete stoppage of
contact) between him/her and the nurturing parents - the offspring's
problems and sufferings will multiply. The adult child will simply go
from bad to worse, possibly until he dies.
The parents suffer but, what can they do? Their child is an adult with a free will and the means to live it.
The situation is exactly the same with each one of us and for God. The more dissonant our way of life becomes from what our most loving Parent has shown us, the further away we drift from Him; the further away we drift, the chances for everything going from bad to worse increase exponentially. If we get far enough, the consequence may also be death - in this case - Eternal death.
That is what "sin" is all about. Do notice the parallel exhibited in the words of the prodigal son:
That is - the prodigal son rejected (sinned) the loving guidance of his earthly father ("thee") and the loving guidance of his Heavenly Father.
Brethren - that's it. Those are the great mysteries of God and His interaction with man.
The whole Mystery of human-Divine interaction is indeed that simple!
Don't we have more than enough reasons to celebrate today - and - for that matter, every day?
The parents suffer but, what can they do? Their child is an adult with a free will and the means to live it.
The situation is exactly the same with each one of us and for God. The more dissonant our way of life becomes from what our most loving Parent has shown us, the further away we drift from Him; the further away we drift, the chances for everything going from bad to worse increase exponentially. If we get far enough, the consequence may also be death - in this case - Eternal death.
That is what "sin" is all about. Do notice the parallel exhibited in the words of the prodigal son:
I
will arise, and will go to my father,
and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee:
[Luke
15:18]
That is - the prodigal son rejected (sinned) the loving guidance of his earthly father ("thee") and the loving guidance of his Heavenly Father.
Brethren - that's it. Those are the great mysteries of God and His interaction with man.
+ He gave us
religious texts - the Instruction
Book.
+ He sent prophets to explain what we just could not understand.
+ He sent His Son to give one more going over of the Divine Laws and to clarify any parts of the Instruction Book that were misunderstood or we had outgrown, to give us the opportunity to return to a Paradisiacal state, and to heal the contrite heart [Luke 4:18].
+ He also shared with us a Mother, to Whom God will grant whatever She asks on behalf of Her children [John 2:1-5], to remind us that we have recourse to Her prayers [Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee].
+ He sent prophets to explain what we just could not understand.
+ He sent His Son to give one more going over of the Divine Laws and to clarify any parts of the Instruction Book that were misunderstood or we had outgrown, to give us the opportunity to return to a Paradisiacal state, and to heal the contrite heart [Luke 4:18].
+ He also shared with us a Mother, to Whom God will grant whatever She asks on behalf of Her children [John 2:1-5], to remind us that we have recourse to Her prayers [Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee].
The whole Mystery of human-Divine interaction is indeed that simple!
Don't we have more than enough reasons to celebrate today - and - for that matter, every day?
Have
a truly Blessed Day!
Copyright 2010-2019 by The M+G+R Foundation. All rights reserved.
Originally Published as part of a post on September 14th, 2010
Issued as a single document on September 14, 2014
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