Paradise Lost - Or Not?

Was Paradise actually lost? Or is that just saying it figuratively? And what does it mean “Paradise”? Like, is that just meaning Heaven or like, our imagined paradise?

Yes, it was lost to mankind. And yes, it is just meaning Heaven.

Is it still lost, then?

No.

How come it was lost—and isn't anymore?

It was lost when Adam and Eve fell, a long, long time ago, when the devil tempted Eve to eat the fruit of the Forbidden Tree, and she, in turn, gave it to Adam.

The Forbidden Tree? Sounds interesting—sounds like something in a fantasy novel or movie or something.

You don't know what the Forbidden Tree is? Or, probably, was?

Enlighten me.

The Forbidden Tree's fruit gave the knowledge of good and evil to whoever ate of it. Satan told Eve that she could become like God if she ate its fruit—well, hopefully you know all of that already. And that was a lie, of course, because what does Satan do better than lying?

Uh, tempting, maybe?

That was meant to be a rhetorical question.

Oh. So how come eating the fruit lost Paradise?

Eve ate the fruit that God had told her and Adam not to, right? She disobeyed him directly and gave the fruit to Adam to eat as well, so they both sinned terribly. God punished them because of it, casting them out of the Garden of Eden. Suffering came into the world because of their sin and they were forced to work hard for their food. Although now a lot of us don't—we just run to the supermarket. Or Walmart.

Yikes. Seems harsh, throwing Adam and Eve out of the Garden just because they ate a piece of fruit.

Well, there was another tree—the Tree of Immortality, I believe. God made them leave the Garden because he didn't want them to live eternally in their fallen state of sin. Of course it was also punishment for sinning, but there was that fact, too. Anyway, because Adam and Eve disobeyed God it separated them, and thus Paradise was lost to all mankind.

Did Adam and Eve lose Eden? As in, they could never find where it was?

No, I meant that because they became separated from God they lost their rights to the Kingdom of Heaven. When they died they weren't able to reach Heaven.

So, you said it isn't lost anymore? How come it isn't, then?

Because of Jesus Christ. Jesu Christe.

Hmm? Come again?

Jesu Christe. It's Latin for Jesus Christ.

Oh. Right. Continue.

Yes. Anyway, Jesus Christ died—remember, He had no sin and had done nothing wrong at all—but He died for us, so he could open the gates of Heaven and reunite God and man. So now Paradise isn't lost, because of his Perfect Sacrifice.

Powerful.

It certainly is.

So, just because Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the Forbidden Tree, Jesus died, like, hundreds of years later. Or thousands of years. However long it was.

In a nutshell, yes, sort of. Technically, Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the fruit, and, a long, long, long, long time later, souls who didn't deserve to go to hell were piling up in Abraham's Bosom—just kidding, that makes it sound like Abraham's Bosom was a physical place—and then Jesus was born, grew up, worked his ministries and his amazing miracles, and then suffered agonies in a garden, scourging, beating, ridicule, a crown of thorns, and then finally a horrible death nailed to the cross. When you just think of a long, thick metal nail being driven through your wrists and your feet… I shudder at such thoughts and wonder how in the world people could do that to somebody. Bleh. You ever seen the Passion movie?

No. What's it about?

It's really good, except it's also extremely graphic. Rated R, of course, so probably don't show it to your kids. It does a good job portraying what our Lord went through, though.

Hm. I'll have to check it out sometime.

Yeah. You should. Just be prepared to see some horrific sights…

Ouch. *grimace*

Yeah. Really ouch.

I don't know if I could withstand so much pain. Actually, I know I couldn't withstand so much pain.

Well, a normal human couldn't. Jesus had over five thousand wounds. That—the loss of so much blood—would have killed any person, but Jesus was—is, sorry, He's still alive—God and man, letting him live until His time, His death on the cross. He suffered that way in order to free all of us, and to bring back the hope of a paradise with God in Heaven for us.

Amazing. I never realized all of that. I just thought that Jesus died and came back to life. Poof! The world was saved.

Yeah. There's so much more than anyone ever realizes, isn't there? It really is a shame that so many people go through life without ever realizing it. Maybe for some people Paradise is still lost, I wonder.

I'll say… I could think of a few people right now… for example, B—

Ahem. We don't need to trash talk anyone right now.

Yeah, yeah, I know… it's just… I could list so many people on the spot. Mainly D—

Aheh-heh-heh-hem. *clears throat loudly* Still trying to trash talk.

*sigh* You're right. Maybe there's still hope for some of them.

With our Lord, there is always hope. You just have to believe. And listen to his Word and do what he directs us to. And follow the Ten Commandments. And spread the Word and Faith. And—

I get it, I get it.

Right. Yes. Sorry.

It's good to hear such optimism, though, that there's always hope.

It's not just optimism—it's faith.

I'd like to have your faith.

Well, you can't take mine. But you can build your own. Just pray, for now. Talk to a priest, too. And to other Christians, too. Like me! Just kidding. But for now, just start by praying to Our Lord. He never fails you.

Just pray. Hmm. I'll do that…