The story of the apple of Adam and Eve is one of the most emblematic stories. And allows us to understand the distinction between good and evil. It is not just a story for children; on the contrary, it is the basis of the Catholic religion. Original sin springs from this event. Representing the fall of man and the rupture of the implicit covenant between God and man, with effects that affect all humanity. This famous apple of Adam and Eve represents the forbidden fruit.

Before eating the forbidden fruit, the man was a perfect, happy, disease-free, immortal being. So what happened, and why did he give in to temptation?

Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden

The story of Adam and Eve is told in the Bible, in the book of Genesis. In the days of Creation, God decided to create the world and everything that populates it as we know it. In five days, he made the sky and the earth, the light and the stars, the fish, the birds, and the animals. On the sixth day, He created man in his image and likeness.

There is a beautiful passage in the Bible where Creation is described in detail. We know that Adam and Eve lived blissfully in the beautiful garden of Eden and had everything a man could wish for. They had only one rule to respect: do not eat the forbidden fruits of a specific tree. Unfortunately, however, they have not been able to rely on God’s infinite wisdom and unconditional love. They have followed the will to decide for themselves what is good and evil.

The story of temptation

This is a story of temptation on the part of the serpent who lived on the tree, of original sin, and of Eve’s gesture of plucking the apple and offering it to Adam. In this story, there are many references to numerous sacred tales. We can focus on particular aspects to understand and interpret what happened in those moments. And what caused the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.

A few words uttered by the tempting serpent were enough to place in Eve. The first woman, the seed of doubt: “Why did God forbid us to eat the apple? Is it a right decision? ”. The snake also convinced Eve by promising her that they would have absolute knowledge of good and evil once they ate the forbidden fruit. They were becoming like God. A proposal that the man and the woman could not resist.

The expulsion from paradise

After eating the apple, Adam and Eve felt a sense of fear and shame, the first negative feelings experienced by the human being. After discovering the disobedience, God summoned the three guilty, who began to accuse each other, trying to forgive themselves. The punishment for the three was severe and definite: the snake was cursed, the woman was condemned to the sufferings of childbirth and to be subjected to the man, and the man was condemned to toil and sweat to reap the fruits of the earth that until that moment she had been generous to him. Finally, the condemnation of both and all their descendants, physical death, and the loss of the privilege of immortality.

Only with the advent of Jesus was a man able to mend the break with God and was able to hope for a reconciliation. With Jesus, the children of Adam can redeem themselves and rediscover the promise of eternal life at physical death, granted only to those who know how to deserve it.

Representation of the apple of Adam and Eve

Source: dicover.hubpages.com

How to tell a child about the apple of Adam and Eve?

Indeed, we have said that this event is crucial for the Christian religion and the whole of humanity. Therefore, this story allows us to understand the profound meaning of faith, provides us with the keys to understanding many other episodes of the Bible, and guides us in understanding good and evil. So, this is why it is essential to tell the story of Adam and Eve’s apple to the children who are about to complete the catechesis process. But how do you think I could find the right words?

The children will understand from this story the great love of God for man. The One created an extraordinary world to give to men and women. This is essential for the little ones to understand so that they respect the things surrounding us and appreciate their value. God has given us a precious gift that must be protected. And that is why we must never take it for granted.

Another crucial point concerns the disobedience of the first men who, despite the order not to eat the forbidden fruit. And also, despite having access to all the other beautiful and tasty fruits, they decided to go against the only rule they had to follow. At this point, we can compare the children’s disobedience, going against the parents’ recommendations. And escape their duties. We must convey to the little ones that these recommendations have their sound as their sole purpose.

The history of the original sin

Also, through this story, we can explain free will to children. God left Adam and Eve free to do what they wanted. They could choose whether to love him or not, whether to listen to his words or disobey, and despite everything they had received from God, they decided to disappoint him with their ingratitude. There are different interpretations of it, but we can say that original sin represents disobedience to God on the part of a man who would like to have the ability to decide for himself what is good and what is evil.

Would you like to know more about Adam and Eve’s apple and the origin of sin? Visit the section of Amazon dedicated to books, and let yourself go to the reading of Genesis!