THE ANATOMY OF SIN—First Sunday of Lent

Homily given by Fr. Dennis Koliński, SJC

St. Peter’s Church, Volo

10 February 2008

There would have been no need for Lent if Adam and Eve hadn’t gotten kicked out of the Garden of Eden. Today’s passage from the Book of Genesis tells us how it all changed and why we now need Lent. “In no page of Scripture is the strategy of the devil as a tempter depicted so clearly as in [this] description of the temptation of Eve.”[1] It shows how we got into the mess that we’re in and why we have to fast and make sacrifices. He was the tempter, who duped Eve, who then dragged Adam into it, but we can’t blame it all on the devil. They were both willing partners that should have known better. So, let’s look at the anatomy of sin.[2]

The author of Genesis wrote that the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals. So, when the devil asked Eve, “Did God really tell you not to ear from any of the trees in the garden?”[3], he wasn’t just asking an innocent question. He posed his question to purposely entrap Eve. And this is how temptation works. It first poses a question in a person’s mind, perhaps even in general terms, or perhaps without yet provoking the person to evil. But the person needs to immediately recognize that the question represents a danger and refuse to engage the tempter in further conversation about it. His mind will gradually turn to other things, preventing the temptation from going further.

If, however, the person imprudently engages the tempter in further conversation on the topic, he is in danger of falling. This was Eve’s mistake. She answered the serpent. “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree, which is in the middle of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”[4] She recognized that God forbid it and didn’t yet wish to disobey God. She could have put an end to the temptation immediately without weighing the reasons why she should. Instead, by the very fact that she replied, Eve had yielded ground to the enemy, who could then prepare for a frontal attack.

“The devil presents an enchanting possibility” by telling the soul that doing this thing will make it happy. He may even add, “God is merciful and will readily forgive you.” He’ll stop at nothing to ensnare you—even by using truths of the faith. But if the person doesn’t end the conversation there, he will find himself at the edge of the cliff in danger of falling at any moment.

So, what happened next? “The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom.”[5] Eve still didn’t intend to offend God but the temptation became very alluring. It is at this point that an internal struggle ensues, which may even go on for a long time, but all too often the person, who wavers to this extent will take the fatal step and sin.

Once the person commits the sin, he realizes that he has been deceived. That’s what happens with us every time. And such was with Adam and Eve. “Then, the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.”[6] The soul is now aware that it has lost everything and immediately hears the terrible voice of its conscience.

Our popular culture has made the devil out to be just a dopey imp dressed in red tights, so we often forget how intelligent the devil really is. In fact, he is so cunning and clever, that if we don’t remain vigilant, he can ever so subtly entice us into sin without us even realizing it. He is the tempter and the ultimate source of all sin, however, more often than not, temptation originates not directly from him in a frontal attack, but from within ourselves because through our faults and weaknesses we are our own worst enemies. Still, the anatomy of sin remains the same. Let’s look at a concrete example—sins of the flesh, so very prevalent today.

Because of our fallen human nature, we have a natural tendency to desire the pleasures of the flesh and it doesn’t help that today’s world is over-saturated with sex wherever you look. It begins with a little knock at the mind’s door, which may come directly from the devil, but more often than not, it is just a result of one’s own thought processes corrupted by past sins. This knock at the door is an invitation to explore an enticing thought or to do a Google search—just out of curiosity to see what’s there. You ask yourself, “Is there really any harm in just seeing what’s out there? I don’t intend to explore any further.” You realize the potential danger but you do it anyway. You have engaged the temptation in conversation and realize that a sin lies ahead but you feel that you’re still in control. You don’t wish to disobey God and should turn away right now without rationalizing why it’s OK to do what you’re doing, but you have already lost ground to the temptation and if you don’t stop now, you’re going to fall—and quickly, because the thought is too attractive to the body’s natural inclination to pleasure.

A struggle ensues. Perhaps, you go further; spend a few more minutes relishing the thought or click that one link just to see what’s there, out of curiosity. “After all, I’m not going to go any further because I’m still in control.” But are you? Once you’re there, you can’t stop and you have given in with full consent of your will. It is no longer a temptation. It is a sin. And now you find that you can’t control yourself anymore. You begin to fantasize and all kinds of thoughts rush into your head. It feels good. You probe further into that Internet site and may even let the thought lead you do something else. The sin has been committed. “The soul hears the terrible voice of [its] conscience.”

Pleasure is so attractive to our vulnerable fallen human nature that once a person crosses a certain boundary, he is often no long able to control himself. And this doesn’t apply only to sexual matters. The same thing can happen with food, alcohol, gossip. It feels so good to tell that juicy tidbit of gossip and once you start, you just can’t stop. The devil will never give up and once the desires are aroused the will becomes weak. That’s why vigilance and prayer are absolutely necessary. That’s why we need Lent. We have a tendency to become complacent and lazy, and we have to shake ourselves out of our lethargy, so that we can confront temptation successfully—not succumb to it. Giving up deserts, or alcohol, or TV will be little more than an exercise in self-control if you don’t go any deeper than this. We have to get below the surface and mortify not only our body but also our soul because if we don’t, the disordered desires that lead to sin will still be there and no spiritual progress will truly be made. The object is not to just see how long you can do without something, because anyone can give up something for a few weeks if he knows that he can indulge in it again when it’s over. The object is to master oneself, so that you are in control, not your passions and desires.

Every day is a battle with temptation but Lent is a time of intensified warfare. It is more than just keeping the enemy at bay. It is about driving him far away. Use this Lent wisely. Come to grips with your personal inclinations to sin and decide to confront them head on. Be vigilant. Build your defenses. Strive to grow in your spiritual life, not just hold your ground.

Anatomy of Sin