Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
(Genesis 1:20-2:4; Mark 7:1-13)
Commentors often claim that God declares humans
“good” at creation. But a careful
reading of the text does not support this claim. Unlike the declaration after all other
creatures, with the exception of the heavens on day two, nothing is said of
humans being created as good. The text
does say that as God finished the work of creation, He said that what He had
made was “very good.” But this may mean
that it was very good that God created humans as not yet good.
Genesis does say that God created humans in
His image. This means that they are like
Him in some ways but in every way.
Humans can think, communicate talk, work, and create. But they cannot
perform any of these functions like God.
They fail terribly and even deliberately at times in their attempt. This is to say that they may be very unlike
God. It should be concluded then that
they may not be good at all.
We should strive to be good like God. It is an impossible task, but we can come
close to perfection. In any case, we do
not go forth blindly. God helps us to be
like Him. He establishes His laws in
nature. He gives us His word in
Scripture. And, most of all, He has sent
His Son, whom we know as Jesus Christ, to help us be like Him.
