Something I’ve been thinking about recently: in the garden of Eden, when tempted by the serpent, Eve saw good in the fruit.

It’s easy for us to look back on the Eden narrative with chronological snobbery, and judge Eve (and ultimately Adam) for her choice to take the fruit. We can overlay a wicked, almost witchy, selfish, greedy lens over the Eve character. Ruthlessly condemning her choice.

Every one of us has sinned. Eve isn’t unique in this sense. The Sunday school simplicity of the narrative makes her actions seem all the more brazen. God told them not to do it, and they did it anyway. We like to imagine we wouldn’t, given the opportunity. But we are given the opportunity. Every. Single. Day. In so many ways we are more brazen in our sin than Eve. Eve sinned without knowing of God’s plan for redemption. Not only do we shamelessly sin knowing that God desires to redeem us, but we know what it cost: Jesus sacrifice.

Because of this, it takes humility, above all else, to come to the cross.

Eve wasn’t necessarily being evil and malicious when she took the fruit. Eve saw good in the fruit. She saw wisdom, truth, independence, future prospects for her and Adam.

It is easy to see good in things that don’t align with the Bible. When we use Christian discernment, making daily judgments about how to live in this fallen world apart from it, we quickly realise why the Christian’s path is called ‘straight and narrow’. We can show compassion, without enabling sin. We can love our neighbour, without accepting their ideologies. When we, mere humans, are tempted to question God, when we struggle to understand what is so wrong with something that the Bible has condemned. Try to remember: Eve saw good in the fruit.