Have you ever considered the situation of humanity in the brief moments when Eve has already eaten the forbidden fruit prior to Adam following her lead into disobedience? It is definitely a question worth pondering. I find it amazing that many people have never considered this situation.
After Eve eats the forbidden fruit, humanity finds itself in an interesting situation. Eve is in a state of sin, but Adam is not. It is at this point that we find a situation that is similar to that of Jesus Christ and the world. We also see a drastic difference. Whereas Jesus sacrifices himself for His Bride (the Church), we do not see the same action done by Adam.
But this raises another important question. Could Adam have saved the world from the stain of original sin? Or to put the question another way, could he have prevented the completion of the Fall?
Now there are a few things one needs to understand before this question can possibly be answered. First, the idea of gift should be briefly discussed. In light of Genesis 1:28-31, Adam does understand the idea of gift. God has bestowed upon him the gift of his creation hence the words “See I give you…”
Second, it is also implied that Adam understood the idea of self-sacrifice, since he would have to understand the consequences of God’s commandment: “You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; when you eat from it you shall die” (Genesis 2:16-17). It is at this point that the reader needs to understand that Adam would have understood what death meant. That is why it is interesting that Adam does not ask God to take his life instead of Eve’s, after she has eaten the fruit.
But Adam does eat the fruit. This says a few things about him as well. Adam is willing to accept his own death—a suicide of sorts; a self-murder. But in many ways, Adam’s eating of the fruit is much worse than even Eve’s since he is willing to accept her death and not sacrifice himself in her place. It is at this point Adam should have gotten on his knees and begged God to save his wife and offer up himself in her place. But what we see here is the very denial of the idea of “gift.”
Adam’s act is selfish because he is willing to sacrifice his own wife for the forbidden wisdom instead of willing to give up his own life to save his wife’s. While we will never truly know what Adam’s motivations are (whether it was purely for forbidden wisdom or if it was for some reason of trying to please his wife) there is a definite lack of love within Adam’s act. Selfishness is the root of the Culture of Death.
In this instance, we can see Adam refusing his responsibility — his failure of dominion so to speak (see Genesis 1: 26, 29-30). God has given the “lordship” or responsibility over creation to Adam and Eve. However, at the moment when Eve has fallen, true responsibility lies upon Adam’s shoulders to do what is right and just out of love. He has the duty to help his wife. His true lack of stewardship is disconcerting to say the least.
When a spouse is confronted with the reality that his/her spouse has a terminal illness, it is not uncommon to hear how that spouse would give their life to spare the other’s life. In other words, the spouse would rather suffer than see the other suffer and die.
Why is this? Simply put, the spouse inherently feels the responsibility within him or her to protect their loved one. It is astonishing that we do not see this response from Adam.
It is in this way Adam’s failure as a husband is even more horrifying than Eve’s pride. Not only does he suffer from pride that he wants to be a god, but he is willing to let his wife die so he can achieve this misguided goal.
This is made much clearer when St. Paul refers to Christ as the New Adam (see 1 Corinthians 15:45). Just as Adam disobeys and brings about the finality of the Fall allowing death into the world, through his perfect obedience Christ brings about everlasting life.
Adam destroys humanity’s full communion with God. Christ comes to restore it. Adam finalizes death’s entrance into the world by his hubris in the Garden of Eden. We see a humble Christ willing to accept his death in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is in this way we too can see why St. Paul says for him “life is Christ.” For to accept Christ, truly and wholly, is to truly accept the Culture of Life.
