Fall: Deviation from the Purpose of Creation

Fall: Deviation from the Purpose of Creation

Matthew 7: 15-23

‘Fall’ is falling from the creator’s expectations

The Western Medieval Theology of ‘fall’ had fixed the ensuing missiological and ministerial understandings of the church around it's presumptions for so long. Those theologies focused more on the biologically transmissible effects of the ‘fall’ of first human couple at Eden on rest of the human generation. It emphasized the proposition that humanity is inherently sinful and fallen. In this premise the church’s mission got framed as the repairing of the fallen nature of humanity. It was more or less a defensive and negative approach to the human nature. Reading through Jesus’ teaching in this passage helps us to have a different take on this subject. Jesus affirms the inherent potential of every human being to bring out good fruits . A deliberate and careful nurture of those potentialities to take it to the fulfillment of creator's expectation of fruition is the call of every individual human creature. Therefore ‘fall’ and ‘sin’ are nothing but falling from the expectations of the creator God.

Mission is nurturing the potentials to bring forth goodness

Jesus compares father God with a benevolent gardener, who with utmost care and immense hope nourishes each and every plant in the garden (John 15:1, Mt 15:13). Human life is expected to reflect the glory of the creator and the mandate is to grow up as a good tree bearing good fruit (vv. 18-19). But very many times the human race fails the expectations of their creator by yielding to the destructive influences that pretend to be divine (v.15). Our rootedness in God makes our life authentic and fruitful. The Eastern Church traditions see mission as the equipping of the laity through worship and sacraments to stay connected to the lord of life and bear fruits in their daily lives to become agents of God’s blessings for the world around. Each and every individual is said to have the potential to manifest fruits reflecting the creator’s goodness. Do we, as the church, a people who realize this potential to become a blessing for the world? Let us not deviate from the purposes of God in us.

Prayer

Gracious God, help us to bear fruits for the stability of your kingdom and stay focused on your purposes for the creation. Amen