Same Lie,
Different Tree
By Glen Schultz, Ed.D.
S
ATAN HAS BEEN UP TO HIS OLD WAYS ever
since that dreadful day we find recorded in Genesis
3. If you recall, Satan made a false claim that Eve “bit”
into. The lie he presented to her was that if she ate of the
Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, she would become
perfect. She would be like God and, therefore, wouldn’t
need Him any longer.
More than 6,000 years later, we find Satan making the
same false claim to us today. In fact, he has been making this
claim for centuries. Many have taken the bait and fallen for
this dangerous lie. In fact, many Christians have succumbed
to Satan’s deception—even in Christian schools.
Even though it is the same lie that he pitched to Eve, there
is one small difference in Satan’s attempt to deceive us today:
he is using a different tree. You might be thinking what tree
are you referring to? I haven’t heard Satan tempt me to eat
forbidden fruit from any tree.
42
Well, the tree I am talking about is the Tree of Education.
It is interesting that a well-known symbol of education, the
apple, is also used to depict fruit from the Tree of Knowl-
edge in the Garden of Eden. If you listen closely, you will
hear Satan quietly telling you that if you eat of this fruit, you
will become perfect. You will be like God, and He won’t be
necessary any longer. The Tree of Education will solve all of
your problems, and not only your problems but also all of
society’s problems. Consider the following examples.
When everyone became concerned over a rising teen
pregnancy crisis in our country, the solution that was thrust
upon us was this. We need “sex education.” What was soci-
ety’s answer to a growing alcohol and drug epidemic ravag-
ing our young people? It was the need for “drug education.”
A pastor friend of mine tweeted a quote made by President
George H. Bush. He said, “Think about every problem, every
challenge we face. The solution to each starts with educa-