Tragedy Reversed

The ancient Greeks developed theater in remarkable ways that have influenced Western civilization up to the present. One of the genres they are credited with creating is called “tragedy.” The three authors—Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles— lived four hundred years before Christ, yet they influenced such writers as Shakespeare, who drew upon their work in his tragedies. The plot of a tragedy characteristically describes a central figure who exhibits many virtues, but, due to one flaw, ends up in a horrible state. Usually these figures are fictional or drawn from ancient mythology.

Today’s text describes the greatest tragedy in all of human history! The movement from a blissful existence of unending life with God to the crushing reality of a fallen world and certain death is held before us.

And it is not fiction! This really happened. This is a real tragedy!

The Tragedy in Which You and I Participate

In this tragedy God’s gifts were turned into self-absorption, self-will, and self-assertion.

And it is not something that you and I can merely observe. This is not meant to entertain and educate as were the ancient Greek tragedies. No, this real tragedy is one in which you and I participate! It is about Adam and Eve, but it is also about us. Quite simply, our first parents, in their desire to be like God, lost his gifts of innocence and holiness.

Adam and Eve’s identity was wonderful beyond our capacity to comprehend. God personally breathed into Adam the breath of life (Gen 2:7). He formed Eve in a very personal manner (Gen 2:22).

Indeed, Adam and Eve were the apex of God’s creative work. Only they were created in his image and likeness (Gen 1:27). The portrait of God’s actions in Genesis 1 and 2 displays his benevolence, and all God’s gifts were for the benefit and support of Adam and Eve. God gives and gives and gives.

He is the giver of the heavens and the earth.

He is the giver of the sun, moon, stars, and seasons.

He is the giver of the seas and all the life in it.

He is the giver of the land creatures.

He is the giver of headship over other creatures.

He is the giver of language.

He is the giver of marriage and family.

And, in a remarkable act of giving, God gave them the capacity to turn from the One who had given them all things. And this is where the greatest tragedy occurs, for they turned away from God’s gifts in their desire to be “like God.” The turn to self-absorption, self-will, and self-assertion is the origin of sin.

This is where the tragedy becomes ours, for we all know our own will to self-absorption, self-will, and self-assertion at the expense of God and our neighbor.

We, too, have wanted to do our own thing, we even think we are entitled to an opinion to which God has repeatedly said “NO”. History and our present day current culture, exhibits the same preoccupation with self.

And what are the results of this tragedy? They are dire, threatening, like a pandemic. Preoccupation with self at the expense of God and neighbor is more than breaking a rule. Such prideful sin breaks down all that God so freely gave us.

It breaks our relationship with God. Now Adam, Eve and we must hide from God.

It breaks our relationship with our neighbor. Now Adam blames Eve, and we blame others by not taking responsibility for our actions.

It breaks our relationship with the world. Now labor and toil will be required to live.

It breaks our relationship with our own being. Now we are confused about our identity, constantly in search for our purpose in life.

But,

The Tragedy is Reversed!

But in the “seed of the woman,” Jesus Christ, the tragedy has been reversed.

But more wonderful than anything we could have imagined, God does not abandon Adam and Eve or us. Rather, he promises that the “seed of the woman” will reverse the curse that has now descended upon creation.

Genesis 3:15 NIV84

15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

And his promises continue through Genesis and through all the Old Testament. In the “seed of the woman,” our relationship with God is restored. As St. Paul so succinctly states in Rom 8:1

Romans 8:1 ESV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

In “the seed of the woman,” our relationship with our neighbor is restored. Jesus states: “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Lk 6:27–28).

In “the seed of the woman,” our relationship with the world will be renewed. As Isaiah looks into the future and promises: “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind” (Is 65:17).

In “the seed of the woman,” we are forgiven; our identity as God’s beloved children is returned; we now have a purpose! “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17).

So rejoice and be glad! In Jesus Christ, the tragedy of our sin and self-will has been reversed. Unlike the Greek tragedies that ended in despair and death, our tragic situation has been reversed by the one who took all our sin—all of our selfishness—into his holy body on the cross. God’s character as the giver of lavish love is clearly on display and is bestowed on us. Now he has given his very Son for our redemption and restoration.

The appointed Psalm for today beautifully states:

Psalm 130:7–8 NLT

7 O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows. 8 He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin.

And now, as new creatures in Christ, we have the privilege of living and sharing the reality of new life in Christ. “Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, ‘I believed, and so I spoke,’ we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence” (2 Cor 4:13–14).

And so,

Our Tragic Situation Has Been Reversed by God’s Gracious Will and the Gift of His Very Son.

The darkness and death that had confined us as children of Adam and Eve are now gone. The days and nights of our life are no longer limited by our self-absorption, self-will, and self-assertion.

Rather, the narrative of our lives—our identity and purpose—is defined by Jesus’ death and resurrection, to which we have been joined in the blessed Sacrament of Holy Baptism. “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:4).

So rejoice and live out the new life that is yours in Christ. From his throne at the Father’s right hand, he speaks to us: “I am making all things new” (Rev 21:5).

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.