Genesis 3:7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. [NIV]
I got a speeding ticket the other day. I knew the minute the police car pulled up behind me and those blue lights started flashing, that I was guilty. The officer treated me kindly, almost apologetically. He even told me where to register a complaint if I wanted to dispute the ticket. But nothing I might say could cover “twenty mph over the speed limit.” And nothing could resolve my guilt but a hefty fine. I got what I deserved.
Not all of my wrongdoings are that cut and dry. Sometimes I don’t even realize how much effort I put into covering my guilt. My shame.
Tim Keller traces attempts to cover our deep sense of inadequacy back to our first parents. When Adam and Eve fell, they tried to hide their nakedness with sown-together fig leaves. The kind of fig leaves we use today prove to be far more sophisticated than foliage, but our efforts turn out to be just as futile. Keller describes how some people “work themselves to death to be successful.” Some become “perpetual victims,” others perpetual rescuers. Any myriad of things can become fig leaves that keep us from recognizing how naked we really are. Although they may offer temporary relief, no amount of success, relationships, addictions or good causes can eradicate the sense of shame.
Only Jesus can eradicate our shame. Because he paid the fine. I was able to pay my speeding ticket, but all the resources in the world couldn’t account for the sin caused by my rebellious heart.
The source of our shame stems, as it did for Adam and Eve, from trying to be God…and inevitably failing. He created us, not to take his place, but to let him be God through us. Maybe it’s time to let go of those tattered fig leaves.
Whatever fig leaf you might be hiding behind, it will never be enough. Don’t be afraid to expose your nakedness before Jesus. He’s got you covered.