Genesis 1:26-31
Created in God’s Image: Understanding Our Complex Human Nature – Genesis 1:26-31
Genesis 1:26-31 (NIVUK)
Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, '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.' Then God said, 'I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food.' And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning – the sixth day.
Commentary
Now, our reading was from the creation story in the book of Genesis and you heard the story of God creating the heavens and the earth and then creating man and woman in his image. And then verse 31, God saw all that he had made and it was very good. And so it’s interesting that in the account of creation as he creates all of the different parts of the physical world, God looks at them and says, it is good. But when human beings are in place, when they are in their right role and relationship with creation, with each other and with God, God looks at it and says, it’s very good. Now, of course, you know how the story unfolds. Human beings rebel against God. That image of God that they carry is marred. The goodness of creation is scarred by their actions. Evil comes into the world, greed and lies and violence seem to take precedent, but in actual fact, that image of God remains. You and I remain image bearers of the creator. And so that is the biblical picture of the human condition, and I think it’s so important. This is who we are. Made in God’s image capable of amazing things. But that image is distorted, like if you imagine a broken mirror, which still reflects but does so in a distorted fashion. As image bearers, we are capable of great kindness, great creativity, great compassion and great love, but we are also inherently flawed.