There is a clear contrast between the dialogue Eve has with the Serpent and that which Our Lady has with the angel Gabriel. The serpent places doubts in Eve's mind about God's motivations for forbidding the first humans to eat "of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." (Gen 1: 17) He says: "You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Gen 3: 4-5) He makes out God to be jealous of his power; afraid that humans will become like him. This is in fact a projection of the serpent's own jealousy of God's omnipotence and holiness. The angel Gabriel, by contrast, greets Mary and is open about God's plan for her. Mary is perplexed but not afraid. She wonders how such a marvelous things can be done: "... since I am a virgin." (Lk 1: 34) The angel responds and Mary, acknowledging herself to be "the servant of the Lord" agrees to bear the Son of God in her womb. The openness, courtesy and humility of the exchange is totally opposed the to the sneaky, furtive and deceitful dialogue between the serpent and Eve. The plan of God to overthrow this sneakiness and broken trust started from the beginning. A big part in that was God's plan for Mary so that she had none of the obstacles to his grace common to the rest of the children of Eve.
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