Readings for today: Genesis 3-5, Matthew 2
Shame. It’s the source of a lot of conversation today. Researchers like Brene Brown are writing best-selling books about it. Therapists across the country are spending hours and hours trying to help countless clients manage it. It’s the source of a lot of addiction. A lot of divorce. A lot of depression and suicidal ideation. Historically speaking, human society has built entire communal systems around it. Honor/shame systems still make up approximately 2/3 of the world’s cultures today especially in the Far East and the Global South. Within such systems, the greatest punishment is not death but exile. Shunning. Being removed from presence of those you love and those you live among. So where does this powerful emotion come from? What is it’s origin? Listen again to the words from Genesis 3:6-13 and see if you can spot what I’m talking about…
“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Adam and Eve break God’s command and what’s the first thing they experience? Hint: it’s not guilt over breaking God’s law. It’s shame over their nakedness. So what do they do? They literally try to “cover up.” Rather than confess their sin and come clean to God, they sew fig leaves together and cover their nakedness and I guess hope God won’t notice? When God shows up, He knows exactly what’s taken place. But He’s gracious and merciful and He gives Adam and Eve a chance to repent. “Where are you?” Not just physically but emotionally and spiritually. Where’s your heart Adam? Where’s your heart Eve? Why have you covered up? Why are you hiding from Me? Adam is at least honest. “I heard you. I was afraid of you. I hid from you.” Fear is the chief byproduct of shame. It’s what happens when we feel threatened. And it drives us to respond in all sorts of unhealthy ways. The conversation continues. God again gives them the chance to respond in repentance. “Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Rather than confess, Adam blames Eve. Eve blames the serpent. And the Fall of humanity commences with devastating consequences for all their descendants.
Cover up. Hiding. Avoiding. Blaming. This is how human beings typically react to shame. Out of fear of being “found out” or “discovered” to be something we aren’t, we resist taking any kind of responsibility for our actions. We play the victim. We claim to be powerless. We allow ourselves to be at the mercy of what we feel. Fear. Shame. Guilt. Without a doubt, these are powerful emotions. But they are not all-powerful. They only have as much power as we give them. This is where Brene Brown and others have done such great work. The key to combating these feelings is confession. Honesty. Transparency. Repentance. Owning how we might have contributed to the situation that brought these emotions on in the first place. Imagine how different the world would look today if Adam and Eve had simply gone to God as soon as they realized what they had done? Instead of them sewing fig leaves to cover up and then hiding when they heard God coming; imagine them standing before God naked and ashamed? Naked and afraid? Owning their sin. Confessing their transgression. Repenting for all they had done. How would have God responded? We don’t have to guess. We know. God is a God of grace and mercy and I have no doubt He would have forgiven them.
Friends, here’s the great news of the gospel…In Christ, God shames Himself by taking on a fully human nature. Humbling Himself to become a servant. Humiliating Himself on the cross. God enters our shame. God embraces our shame. God puts an end to our shame so that we can now stand before the throne of grace with confidence, trusting God to save to the uttermost those who draw near to Him. Stop running from God. Stop hiding from God. Stop the blame game. Stop playing the victim. In Christ, you are loved. In Christ, you are accepted. In Christ, you are saved.
Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 6-7, Matthew 3-4