What fancy clothes you have! Perhaps you recall the silly mind games employed in the classic tale of the Emperor’s New Clothes. In a way we are not so much different at times than the emperor, who was so vain in his appearance that he was convinced by the admiration of the masses that he was wearing the most majestic wardrobe when in the reality of the narrative, he had naught a single sock to his name. Talk about comfy digs. Looking back at Genesis, we see a sobering reminder of our own need for a wardrobe, be it majestic or plain. The scene was set amidst a perfect backdrop, Eve visited by the Serpent, wavering on truth, and buying in to the most diabolical plan for mutiny against the Creator. Then Adam, the disjointed leader followed his helpmate against the express word of God into the state of existence we the people of the world know as the only cognitive reality, sin. The initial reaction to sin, a departure from the authority and perfect provision of God, was a realization of none other than nakedness followed by a vain attempt to cover up their apparent shame. Don’t miss this aspect of the narrative in Genesis 3:7, we cover our bodies in shame due to the nakedness we have realized by departing from God’s authority. This is a bold claim, but no apologies are given from the Bible. In fact, while God does come to Adam and Eve in great patience and graciousness, He does not justify them or ease their self-confidence or even commend their attempt to correct their wrong. Instead He pronounces punishment and then makes a covering for them from the skins of an animal, thus through the death of a sacrifice.
Think back to the Emperor. He was convinced by his yes-men subjects of wearing a beautiful wardrobe through the deceitfulness of thieves who caused him to believe a lie. Do you see the moral of this story? We are like the Emperor, sorry. We live in a world full of people who are willingly acknowledging that we have beautiful clothing covering our own nakedness, when the reality is that we have no means, not any, to cover our sin. Only a sacrifice from God could accomplish such a great purpose. That sacrifice is Jesus Christ. Think about this the next time you window shop for the finest shoes, or the fanciest shirt, or perhaps the next time you see someone with the oldest and most worn out shirt and shoes with holes. While the richest of the rich seem enamored by their ability to provide, it’s the poorest of the poor that often times see their need for an adequate covering. This is true for clothing, and it’s true for sin. No wonder Jesus proclaimed in the Beattitudes, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” and “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Forget your fancy clothes, when you act in vanity you act as a fool. But don’t forget the reason you need clothed, not only physically but with the “robe of righteousness” that only the sacrifice of Jesus Christ can afford.
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