Innocence

“Too often, those seeking to “salvage” the Scriptures—motivated by our modern disapproval of violence, particularly when it affects children and other innocents—are in actuality explaining away the Scriptures rather than seeking to understand them. When the Scriptures or elements of the Church’s Tradition prove difficult, this is an invitation to delve into them more deeply, not to evade them. In this world, suffering, pain, and death—even of those who are ¬blameless—are realities. This was not less true in the ancient world, but likely more so.” (Fr. Stephen De Young)

“There is more to the story of Genesis. Paradoxically, a crafty serpent, working by deceit, appears in a perfect garden. Although innocent and pure, the first parents knowingly abuse their freedom and succumb to temptation. They persist in their self-deception and guilt, choosing to hide rather than to admit and correct their evil. Soon evil passes on and engulfs humanity as Cain murders his brother. These subtleties suggest that evil and suffering involve larger and mysterious aspects beyond human understanding. The Genesis story, which is the story of humanity throughout history, conveys a twofold message….men and women are universally culpable and suffer self-inflicted wounds… they are also caught up in an incomprehensible tragedy, helpless before the mystery of evil, which they perpetuate in spite of their lofty dignity and noble intentions. Nevertheless, God’s care toward his weak and wayward creatures does not cease. Even after the expulsion from Eden ‘the Lord God made garments of skin for the man and for his wife, and clothed them‘ (Genesis 3:21).” (Theodore Stylianopoulos)

“… we need only examine our own hearts to know that evil lurks within. That explains, for example, Germany in the 1930s: the Germans were not monsters, but people like us…That is why the Lord almost casually referred to the common man as “evil”…“If you, being evil…know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give what ais good to those who ask Him” (Matthew 7:11). He did..that everyone was a slavering sadist, killing innocent children and pulling the wings off of flies, but rather that given the right (or wrong) circumstances, anyone is capable of anything. In this human unworthiness and evil, we see the immense condescension of God.” (Fr. Lawrence Farley)

“…we often freely worship idols when we ground the meaning and purpose of our lives in some vision of success in the world, regardless of how noble it may seem. Even without being forced into exile, we easily become accustomed to hoping for nothing more than a better life in Babylon, however we may define that. We face the same temptations that our Lord’s ancestors did, and we regularly fall into some version of the sins they committed….it should be reassuring that the Savior’s genealogy included people whose lives were far from perfect. In addition to recalling David’s grave sins, Matthew lists Judah, who fathered children with his daughter-in-law Tamar. He also mentions Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute, and Ruth, a Gentile. The presence of these…women in the genealogy foreshadows the scandalous, but also perfectly innocent, conception of the Lord by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary… including their names among the ancestors of Christ, Matthew reminds us that He is born to bring healing to all the broken people of the world.” (Fr. Philip LeMasters)

“…it is possible to understand that we do not yet have true or complete knowledge of “who we are.” We are probably “closer” to that reality in the innocence of our early childhood. It becomes far more opaque and obscure to us as we move into adolescence and adulthood. Christ’s command that we should become like children seems to indicate this very thing.” (Father Stephen Freeman)

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