The notion that all the evil and disorder of this world can be traced back to the partaking of a forbidden fruit seems both preposterous and petty. Modern man mocks it as a sort of fairytale reductionism, declaring, “The idea is simplistic and stupid – and so are those who believe it.”
However, all around us, we find examples of seemingly small things that, if disrupted from their rightful place, have exponentially large effects. Note, for example, an atom or a linchpin.
When the natural order of an atom is disrupted by a fission reaction, it starts a violent chain reaction that can result in a nuclear explosion with mass destruction.
A linchpin is a small object within the larger wheel and axle system. However, when the linchpin is removed, the working relationship between the wheel and the axle quickly breaks as separation ensues between the parts.
The forbidden fruit may be likened to a linchpin, that, if disrupted via disobedience, causes the system that God previously described as “very good” to fall apart. Like a small and seemingly insignificant atom, the fruit contained the potential for massive, exponential devastation.
Later, the Bible revisits this phenomenon – that specific small things contain potential negative impacts that are orders of magnitude larger than the original catalyst.
Paul, when referring to the nature of sin, reminds us that a tiny bit of leaven leavens an entire lump of dough (Galatians 5:9). James uses multiple illustrations to drive home the point – a small rudder that directs a large ship, a small spark that results in a great forest fire, our small tongue muscle that makes great boasts (James 3:4-5).
The belief, based on the Word of God, that a very simple object contained the potential to set in motion all the dysfunction, heartbreak, and chaos that saturates the world is not overly simplistic or stupid. Similar patterns, on a smaller scale, are all around us. We are instructed to learn this principle and refrain from making the same mistake.
Key Ideas, Principles, and Applications
References:
1) Original author unknown