From The Beginning

Although Jesus consistently proved that he couldn't be trapped, the Pharisees barraged Him with carefully calculated questions throughout His ministry. On one occasion in Matthew 19, Jesus was asked whether a man could divorce his wife for any cause. Rather than chasing rabbit trails and diving into tangled arguments, Jesus simply went back to the original purpose and design of marriage. Twice in the text, in vss. 4 and 8, He instructed the Pharisees about what God wanted "from the beginning."

Among other things, Jesus teaches us in Matthew 19 that difficult and controversial issues (like marriage and divorce) can only be properly understood if we have a clear understanding of our Creator's original purposes. In the first chapters of Genesis, we also read about other subjects that can more easily be understood by going back to the beginning.

Consider, for example, the issue of modesty. Amongst Christians, there is a wide range of opinions concerning what kind of clothing is appropriate for public dress, and I've seen many articles and Facebook discussions about this issue. When I reflect on these Internet discussions, I worry that some Christians are becoming like the Pharisees in their approach to Biblical matters - arguing about side issues and missing the original focus of the Biblical text. Some will point their finger at the lustful eyes of men and highlight their need for selfcontrol. Others will argue that women really need to be sensitive to the Godgiven wiring of men's minds and dress themselves accordingly. While both points have their place in the discussion about appropriate dress, neither idea strikes at the heart of what God was primarily concerned about "from the beginning."

In Genesis 2-3, the original purpose of clothing was quite clear: to conceal the shame of nakedness caused by rebellion against God (Genesis 3.7). Prior to Eve's conversation with the serpent, both she and her husband had no need for clothing (Genesis 2.25). After their eyes were opened, however, they desperately scrambled to try to cover their sin with fig leaves (Genesis 3.7), which God considered woefully inadequate. Before banishing them forever from the garden, the Creator of life killed animals and covered both Adam and Eve with their skins (Genesis 3.21 ). By this action, God visually portrayed two fundamental Biblical principles: we cannot fix our own sinful problems and something (or someone) has to die to cover up our sins.

With this rich Biblical tapestry in our minds, how should we think about clothing our nakedness? The issue goes far beyond the importance of men keep their eyes to themselves or women making sure their skirt line isn't too short. "From the beginning," clothing was a gift from God to women and men to remind them of the sinfulness of their decisions and the incredible mercy of their Creator. Keeping God's original purposes in mind will go a long way towards helping us to resolve our thorny arguments. May He help us to base our Biblical discussions in passages that teach us what God wanted "from the beginning." Nathan