13 September 2026 2nd Sunday in the Season of Creation
Genesis 3:14–19; 4:8-16 Psalm 139:7-12 Romans 5:12-21 Matthew 12:38-40
This Genesis passage is difficult for us in many ways. It has been ‘shrouded’ in so many layers of story, they deflect its real story. But can we see it in a different light and discard our thoughts that the ‘fall’ is about sin and shame of the naked body. By eating of the forbidden fruit, the humans now have the ability to differentiate themselves from the rest of nature. And this self-image is necessary for them to ‘care for’ and ‘steward’ the rest of creation. It also provides the opportunity to know God’s goodness in clothing them. Now that they have crossed the boundaries God set out for them, nakedness now becomes frightening because the boundaries of their own bodies are no longer secure. Blame, rather than shame. is their response to the fear of vulnerability. And it is difficult for us to see the snake in a positive light, but really, all the snake did was ask a question. It asked what God had said, and that is not necessarily a wrong or evil thing. The snake did not cause disobedience, it just put an end to uncritical obeisance. Asking what God really said is not evidence of demonic powers, just evidence of using one’s intelligence.
The second part of this passage reveals the tragic turning point where, once sin had entered the world, violence was not far behind. Cain kills Abel out of jealousy because God accepted Abel’s offering but not his. When confronted by God, Cain tries to avoid responsibility, but God makes it clear that Abel’s blood can be heard crying from the ground. God curses Cain, yet also shows mercy in putting a ‘mark’ on him to protect him, thus ensuring no one would take vengeance on him. The story reveals both the seriousness of sin and God’s justice mixed with grace.
Both sections of this story set the stage for the vocation of the faithful. In the garden, when confronted with fear, the humans seek to place blame on someone other than themselves. When confronted in the field, Cain denies responsibility for his actions. This story depicts beautifully the human reaction to threats. And, we are still doing it., when threatened we hide and try to deflect responsibility onto someone or something else.
Jesus’ way is very different from that of the humans in Genesis 3 and 4. Jesus re-defines kinship in that he tells us his family are those who ‘do the will of God’. He challenges the expected structures of relationship and power and creates community out of relationship centered in God. In our gospel, Jesus draws a parallel to Jonah’s time in the belly of the fish with his looming death and resurrection. And in this parallel, he not only highlights the significance of his sacrifice, but also the certainty of resurrection. In the same way that Jonah’s ordeal ended with deliverance, so too Jesus’ death will bring new life and hope for all believers.
The Pharisees and teachers ask Jesus for a ‘sign’ to prove his authority. How often do we also demand signs before we do or believe something. Human nature, unfortunately, tells us to ‘remain sceptical’, don’t believe everything you hear or see. So how does our faith play in to that. We cannot ‘see’ God, we can only read about the life of Jesus, we can only read about the life of the prophets and others. But we do believe what we read in our Scriptures; we do believe Jesus died and rose from the dead; we do believe even when we cannot ‘prove’ any of it. Jesus’ warning to those asking for proof challenges us to reflect on our own spiritual integrity and the depth of our trust in God’s plan. Faith allows us to trust and believe even when there are no signs or empirical proof. When we ground our spiritual journey in faith and reliance on God’s word, we show our strong relationship with God. True faith does not rely on signs or evidence, but a deep-seated trust in God’s plan. The ‘sign of Jonah’ symbolises the profound truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection and offers us a beacon of hope and assurance in the face of all that life throws our way.
So what significance does Jesus’ death and resurrection have in our own lives, and how do we find hope in the promise of new beginnings and eternal life through him.