OLLIE, OLLIE, OXEN FREE!

“OLLIE, OLLIE, OXEN FREE” According to Scripture, the day came when the Lord God put the man he had formed in a garden in Eden. It was a beautiful setting because a river ran through it and because the trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam had meaningful work to do because God had instructed him to work in the garden and to take care of it. And Adam had also been blessed with a partner whom he called “Eve.” Adam was not alone. Eve was at his side and they were “free to eat from any tree in the garden, except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Yes, paradise included boundaries because blessings and freedoms always include limits and responsibilities. And as it turned out, the “Tempter” was also in the garden, looking for the opportune time to lure Adam and Eve into sin, So, he approached the woman with a leading and insincere question: “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” It’s hard to believe that God wouldn’t let you eat from any of these trees. Of course, this wasn’t true and Eve set the record straight, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but she went on to exaggerate what God did say, noting that God had warned them “not to touch or eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden.” She told the Tempter that she would die if she violated God’s commandment, but the Tempter disagreed. “You won’t die,” he said, “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was good and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to Adam, who was with her, and he ate it. Then their eyes were opened, but they weren’t like God. Not at all. They saw, instead, that they were naked, vulnerable, and sinful. They saw that they were no longer worthy of God’s presence and they ran and hid among the trees in the garden. They felt guilty and small, but then God called to the man, “Where are you?” And Adam replied, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” And so it was that God planted a garden and gave Adam the job of tending to it and watching over it. There were all sorts of trees in the garden (although not likely an apple tree) and many vegetable plants too. They provided color, shade, and food. There was a river running through it and the garden provided everything they needed for a full and blessed life. Adam and Eve had plenty of food… and permission to eat the fruit from more trees than they ever needed. They had one another. They weren’t alone, and they lived in a beautiful place. The greenery and the colors around them were pleasing, and they had work worth doing. Their lives were filled with blessings and the Bible notes that the Lord God visited them in the cool of the day. God’s presence, the beauty of nature, a vocation, companionship, food, drink, sun, shade, and joy. Who could ask for anything more? How could anyone want more? Well, they did! They wanted to be “like God.” They wanted to decide for themselves what is good and what is bad. They were created to live in “joyful dependence” before God, but that wasn’t good enough for them. Neither was the food, the comfort, and God’s presence. They wanted to be like God and free from any limits. So, they threw their home away for a bite of fruit that never had a chance of delivering what they wanted and needed. They disobeyed and then they ran for it. They hid… and they are still hiding to this day. Call still calls, “where are you”? and we still hide, wanting at times to enjoy the light, but too afraid to come out of the darkness. God still cries, where are you, and we still cry… we’re hiding, Lord. Hiding because our sin is too great, hiding because we like some of our sins, hiding because our heads are filled with doubts, hiding because our spirits are broken, hiding because we’re not able to completely trust, hiding because we are drunk on our own wine, hiding because we have let loved one, you Lord, and our own best self, down. Hide and seek. It’s a lifelong game for many people. It’s a sad story, but it doesn’t need to drag on because Christ calls from Calvary’s Hill: “Come on in. You’ve been in the dark long enough. You will never be like God, but you can be God’s. So come on in. Come to me and I will set you free. Come to me and discover the fullness and the joy of walking on the narrow road. Lay your sins down and come to me. Drop your guard and experience the power of being known and loved anyway”! In the midst of all the noise, we can hear Christ calling, “where are you?” and in when we are overwhelmed, isolated, and just want to get a little rest, Christ cries out, “You have been hiding way too long. Ollie, Ollie, Oxen Free!” Amen.