Two trees

 

Mark 2:5-12 

When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? (A)Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit (DIANOIA) that they reasoned thus within themselves, (DIALOGIZNOIA) He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 (B)Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has [a]power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and (C)glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Today i learnt of two Greek new testament words. 

*Dianoia (die-ya-no-ya) spiritual discernment, perceive from within  Received when we eat  from Tree of Life  (Jesus) 

*Dialogiznoia ( logic, reasoning), our intellect. From the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 

There were two trees in the Garden of Eden. One was the 'Tree of life' , the other the 'Tree of knowledge of good and evil' (NOT just evil only ). Eve (and Adam) were deceived to eat from the 2nd tree, as they felt it most desirable. The moment they ate it, their eyes were opened, and they became like God ( who is the rightful arbiter of truth) 

Was it for selfish reasons (as suggested by the devil serpent) that God didn't want them to have this knowledge (of good n evil) . No, God knew it will be a burden to them and to their future offsprings (us). Furthermore, bcos of their disobedience, it brought sin (and death into this world). 

Even as one gets older, the perennial tasks of juggling the array of good and evil choices are adversely seen in our bodies (resulting in poor health bcos of stress ). Of course, the ramifications of sin are much more than just our physical health. It brought on a spiritual death, a separation from God the source of life itself. 

Inevitably, now  humans are tasked deciding what is 'good' and what is 'evil'. In some 'advance' societies ( ie. US), the 'woke culture' refuse to call the gender of a baby (it's a boy / it's a girl / oh it hasn't made its mind up yet.. duh? ), ... are we then to judge between what is good and evil? 

The fact is "truth" needs a moral compass 

We are not designed to handle this "knowledge of good and evil " (for what may seem right to us today, may not be so in future.) 

We are designed to eat from the tree of Life ( Jesus) where our trust and confidence lies, ie. in the One who loves us, and gave his life for us (that we may be raised to live w Him when our earth journey ends).