Martin Luther says in his commentary on Genesis that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was not an evil tree in itself. In fact it was a good tree, for certainly knowledge is good; how else then can God be called good? The evil was clearly in defying the prohibition concerning the tree.

This concept of the object, that truly brings blessings or curses based on how it is used, not having any power in itself, has ramifications for all of scripture. The idea is one of sacrament. A Sacrament is defined as a physical act, instituted by Christ, in which he enjoins his word as a promise and seal of salvation earned by Christ. Although the improper use of a sacrament can brings curses. There are two Sacraments, namely the Lord’s supper and baptism. But aside from these Sacraments, capital S, all of Christian life can be seen as sacramental in a way.

Take the tree in the garden. God certainly could have used any number of means of testing Adam to see if he truly would rest in faith in God’s command. God chose to place his word in a physical object and work his will through it. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were both good trees; in fact the fruit was ‘pleasing to the eye’ and certainly this was not a deception. Certainly the fruit was very good. But it is Adam’s relationship to the Word, the Communication of God, the Son of God, that determined the benefits or curses of his actions with the tree. The essence of the blessings or curses we receive from God is certainly a spiritual thing, and yet God made his creation both as a means of expressing himself to man and also for man to respond to God. This is the created order. As God’s tool of relationship building, physical things are truly spiritually efficacious if they have been invested with the Word. These are certainly sacraments.