Have you ever noticed how similar God’s commission to Adam and Eve, and Jesus’ commission to his disciples are?
Genesis 1.28 records God’s first words to Adam and Eve: “Be
fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the
fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that
moves on the ground.”
Matthew 28.19-20 records Jesus’ final words to his
disciples: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing then in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you.”
Here are six similarities between these two commissions. My
guess is that Jesus did this on purpose, that is, he intended there to be close
parallels between these two.
1. Genesis: “Fill”, Matthew: “Go”
For Adam and Eve and their descendants to “Fill the earth”
they had to go. As the disciples and their successors obeyed the command to “Go”
they filled the earth.
2. Genesis: “Be fruitful and increase in number”, Matthew: “Make disciples”
When God created oak trees he made oak trees that would
produce more oak trees that would produce more oak trees… Likewise humans. “Go
and have babies,” was God’s first command. Humans produce more humans which produce
more humans. That is, God created each species to be self-replicating. What do
we find in Matthew? Jesus sends disciples out to go and make disciples who
would make more disciples who would make more disciples… Same pattern: self-replicating.
3. Genesis: “The earth”, Matthew: “All nations”
In both commissions the scope is global.
4. Genesis: “Subdue it”, Matthew: “Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”
We “subdue” the earth with agriculture, gardening, ploughing
the fields and scattering the good seed on the land. We bring a level of order
to the earth and enable it to fulfil its potential. As we baptize new disciples
(itself a symbol of new birth, new creation), bringing them into the faith
community, they are becoming more fully human, sorted, better able to fulfil
their potential as people made in the image of God.
5. Genesis: “Rule over”, Matthew: “Teaching them to obey”
God made Adam, Eve and their descendants his stewards, caring
for the earth in his stead. At least that was the idea: oh how we’re failing. “Ruling
over” does not mean abusing, raping and pillaging like a tyrant or dictator.
God has put us in charge of his creation to rule over it in the same love as he
displayed when he created it. Likewise the obedience that Jesus asks for. Like
the word “rule”, the word “obey” indicates a hierarchy – but not one based on
fear and domination, but on love and having the best interests of the other at
heart.
6. Genesis: “Every living creature”, Matthew: “Everything”
Nothing and no one is exempt.
The Genesis commission is a blessing: “God blessed them and
said…” The Matthew commission concludes with an assurance which is also a
blessing: “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
3 comments:
A very interesting and convincing six-fold connection. Teija
Is the blessing a seventh similarity?
It's not such a direct parallel. On the 7th day I guess we enter into his rest, in both creation and new creation.
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