Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals
that the LORD God had made.
The serpent asked the woman,
"Did God really tell you not to eat
from any of the trees in the garden?"
The power of the spoken word can shake the world around us. How often do we let someone's words affect us every day? If we hear kind words of love and respect, we feel good. If we hear spiteful words of criticism and anger, our feelings will most likely be hurt. If we can simply direct our attention to God's word first in our lives, then we may see that others' opinions of us do not have the same effect. We see we are deeply loved, valued, and precious in God's eyes.
In this passage, I see Eve as the innocent one answering the cunning questions, being lured into temptation by the crafty serpent with evil intentions. Compare this exchange with yesterday's Gospel from Mark in chapter 7. The Syrophoenecian woman spoke to Jesus with such confidence that she said: "Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's scraps", when she asked Jesus to heal her daughter. Jesus, amazed at her faith, freed her daughter from a demon. Similarly, by testing us, Jesus can refine our intentions, and build up our faith as we learn to rely on Him in prayer. His words will always lead us experience a deeper love and a stronger faith.
