A Little Project: Jesse Tree Week 1 Day 2

Jesse Tree, Week 1 Day 2
Monday

Scripture summary: The Lord who made all the heavens and the earth, all the stars in the sky and the trees and birds that we can see out our windows, also made the very first man and the very first woman. He carved them out and planned their souls and bodies the same way that he planned our own souls and bodies today.

Their names were Adam and Eve, and they were husband and wife. The Lord would walk with them every morning and evening in a beautiful garden, and Adam and Eve would eat whatever fruit they wanted. They would talk to the animals as if they were friends. The squirrels and bunnies wouldn't run away when they got close. Adam and Eve didn't even need to wear clothes because the weather took care of their needs. But the garden had one tree in it that the Lord had told them they should not eat from, or they would get sick and die.

One day Adam and Eve came upon a snake, and it told them that the Lord hadn't been honest with them, and that if they ate the fruit they would be like God Himself, who made the heavens and the earth. So they took the fruit and ate it,

Then, The Lord God then called to the man and asked him: Where are you? He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid.” Then God asked: Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat? The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate it.” The LORD God then asked the woman: What is this you have done? The woman answered, “The snake tricked me, so I ate it.”
Then the Lord told Eve that even though having children was a gift, that carrying them would be a huge burden and would hurt. And Adam, who used to be able to command the animals and the weather to do what he needed, would have to work hard and sweat in order to feed and clothe himself and his wife. And both the man and the woman would have a hard time getting along with each other.

But, the Lord also made them promises, that the bread that Adam sweated for would become an amazing gift one day, and that the children that the woman suffered for would one day give life to someone who could defeat the snake that tricked her.

Reflection & Connection: This part of our story we call "The Fall." We humans had written in our nature - in our genes and in our souls a beautiful harmony between us and the Lord. Our bodies and souls also worked together perfectly. When our first parents, Adam and Eve made a decision to turn away from God, it changed their very nature - their genes, their "what they are." And so when they had children, their "fallen" nature was passed on to us. And when our nature fell from the high status we had with the Lord, to something less, things changed about how we would live - those we call the "curses" but really they are just the natural consequences of a different, lower nature.


Q: Why do you think Adam and Eve decided to eat the fruit? What kinds of difficult things in your life do you see as similar?
Q: Adam now has to work the land to make food - and especially bread. Where do we see that bread has become a blessing directly from the Lord?
Q: Eve was promised that one of her childrens' children would be able to defeat the snake that tricked her - who do you think that person is?
Q: Even when the Lord is slowly losing us because we were disobedient, he makes us promises to help save us and bring us back to Him. Why do you think he does this?

Prayer: Father in heaven, we know that we have a difficult time seeing you in our daily lives and remembering you. We ask that you would help us to remember Jesus' birth in all the excitement of the Advent season. Help us to remember that you love us each individually and have made a plan for our lives.

Conclude with your favorite family prayer, or an Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory Be.

-RMVZ