When God Says “Eat”, the Devil Says “Don’t”

And suddenly, staying away from Christ begins to look like an act of “reverence”.

Fr. Joseph Gleason | October 12, 2026

 

 

In the Garden of Eden, God told Adam and Eve, “Do not eat from that tree.” And what did the devil say? “Go ahead. Eat.” They listened to the devil, ate the forbidden fruit, and brought death into the world.

Now, 2000 years after Christ, something rather strange is happening. At every divine liturgy, Christ offers us His own body and blood. He says, “Take, eat. This is my body.”

And what does the devil say? “Don’t eat.”

Interesting, isn’t it?

In Paradise, God said, “Don’t eat.” And the devil encouraged people to eat.

In church, God says, “Eat.” And the devil tries to persuade people to stay away.

Of course, the devil has become a little more sophisticated. He doesn’t usually say, “Disobey Jesus Christ.” Instead, he whispers something that sounds remarkably pious.

“You’re not worthy.”

“You haven’t prayed enough.”

“You’ve committed too many sins.”

“Communion is something very serious. Better not receive it too often. Once or twice a year should be plenty.”

And suddenly, staying away from Christ begins to look like an act of “reverence”.

Now, of course, the church teaches us to prepare for Holy Communion with repentance, prayer, and a proper examination of our lives. Saint Paul warns us against receiving unworthily.

But there is an important distinction here.

We should never approach the chalice carelessly. Yet neither should we imagine that we can somehow become “worthy” of Christ through our own accomplishments. If absolute personal worthiness were required, the priest could put the chalice away and we’d all go home.

Christ came to heal sinners. And when we’re spiritually sick, avoiding the physician isn’t necessarily a sign of humility.

This is part of a much larger problem.

Have you ever noticed how often we seem to want precisely the opposite of what God wants? When God calls us to act, we suddenly discover a thousand excellent reasons to wait.

You should apologize to your wife. (But perhaps tomorrow would be better.)

You should forgive that person. (But first he really ought to understand how badly he hurt you.)

You should begin praying regularly. (But your schedule is terribly busy right now.)

Then when God calls us to be patient, we can’t sit still for five minutes. We demand an immediate answer. We insist on fixing a problem that God may be asking us to endure. We rush ahead, make a mess, and then ask God to bless our decisions.

Sometimes obedience requires us to get up and move. Sometimes it requires us to remain exactly where we are. And the devil is quite happy to encourage whichever response happens to be wrong.

So, the next time you find yourself resisting something God has clearly commanded, pay attention to the excuses forming in your mind, especially when those excuses sound unusually wise, cautious, or religious.

After all, the devil has been giving dietary advice ever since the Garden of Eden, and his recommendations haven’t improved much.

 

Transcribed from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5Ec7oRn8ds