The Reality of Evil and Our Proposed Response

“Do not quench the Spirit…examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.” (rf. 1 Thess. 5:18–22 NASB)

“And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” (rf. Matt. 6:13 NASB)

            As I pen this article, the mass shooting at the Country music concert in Las Vegas, Nevada has just occurred, killing over 50 people and injuring over 500. The terrorist attacks on London are still very fresh on our memories. Those in the Western world with a secular worldview have a difficult time reconciling what they perceive as the taking of innocent human life for the sake of pure anger or extremist ideology. They believe that it is just a matter of finding the correct political solution, that those who desire such deaths can be helped ahead of time with proper counseling or broad scale gun control or those with ideological or religious “axes to grind” can simply be brought to the bargaining table and “peace in our time” can be reached for all concerned. Not only is this view a pipe-dream, it is overlooking the principle feature found in the scenario. As much as we do not want to face up to this reality, we are dealing with evil in one of its many forms, an evil that is wreaking havoc, largely because of our own willful ignorance of its deceptive ways and actions. We fail to see evil in all of its manifestations.

            Jesus says in John 10:10 that “the thief comes to steal, to kill and to destroy”. He, on the other hand, gives life and provides blessing to those who are His sheep, to those who believe and trust in Him unto salvation. In sharing this information, Jesus is stating details regarding the very nature of evil that emanates from its source, the Evil One or Satan. Those who serve him take from others their lives, their property, the things that mean much to them and seek to bring about their destruction, both physically and spiritually. In whatever form they take, these servants of Satan will leave ruined lives and devastation in their wake, pain and suffering as their calling cards.

            Here we are in the month of October, quickly approaching a day of celebration of what is typically thought to be an innocent celebration for children (and adults as well), namely Halloween. Yet, how many of us have considered how this day brings out characters in stark contrast to the life-giving qualities of Christ. Witches, warlocks, mediums and other examples of partakers of magic, witchcraft, divining, and necromancy are all strongly condemned as abominations by the Lord (rf. Dt. 18:9-14; II Kgs. 21:1-6). Vampires, monsters, werewolves, zombies and many other examples of creatures whose existence is predicated upon devouring people and terrorizing the living are simply extensions of “the thief” in Jesus’ description (rf. Jn. 10:10). They have come to take life, not to give it. When we find ourselves caught up in the “fun” of this particular “holiday”, especially as Christians, we unwittingly are exalting the merits of evil, instead of the benefits of our Savior and Lord. There truly is “joy” that we can have “in the Lord” (rf. Ps. 33:1) and enjoyment in things that He blesses; therefore, we do not have to participate in worldly exploits that both implicitly and explicitly promote dark and evil messages in order to have a good time as believers in Christ.

            Honestly, I believe the rise of evil in our time is designed to be a “wake-up call” to God’s people, in particular, because we have been slumbering too long in a blanket of a self-made reality that seeks to dismiss suffering and is devoid of an appreciation for the Biblical doctrine of evil. As God has done a number of times in the past, I sense that He is doing once again in our present. He is using a growing evil entity to get the attention of His people to draw them back into His embrace. He used Nebuchadnezzar to put Jerusalem under siege and to draw the kingdom of Judah back to Him (rf. Jer. 39:1ff). He used the same tactic to chastise the Jews for refusing to accept their long-awaited Messiah by sending the Romans to overthrow Jerusalem and to destroy their prized Temple (rf. Matt. 24:1ff). The rise of ISIS, Iran or North Korea could be one more instrument that God is using to shake His people from their stupor, to help them to see clearly that evil is real, that their Enemy is desiring their overthrow, but, more importantly, that the Lord is and will always be their Protector, Provider and Sustainer as He has promised in His Word. He wants only for His flock to trust completely in Him as their God and King. Are we willing to do this now and to see evil in its true light, clearing away the deception, participating no longer in its schemes? These are questions only a heart trusting in Jesus can truthfully answer.

Being vs. Doing

“Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.’” (rf. Lk. 10:38–42)

            In continuing the train of thought from last month’s entry on legacies, have you ever considered the difference in importance between personal relationships and accomplishments, who we are vs. what we do?

            Often when we view the story here of Martha and Mary, we typically think of it solely in the light of their different personalities or that Mary was more “spiritual” than Martha. It is easy to get caught up in superficialities. However, I believe that there were deeper things at work, things that Jesus was pointing out to these women who were both close to His heart.

            In their culture, it must be understood that hospitality to guests in one’s home was an expectation of the highest order. To be invited in was to be treated with great dignity and respect, not to mention, to be feted with the best that the host and/or hostesses could afford, even to their own economic detriment. This kind of treatment usually required the effort of everyone in the household to participate in order that the comfort of the guest would be guaranteed.

            Thus, we can better understand Martha’s chagrin when she finds Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to His teaching, rather than being in the kitchen, helping Martha to prepare the meal for their honored guest! Not only was it a personal offense to Martha (“you are not helping me with this responsibility”), but it was a cultural affront (“you are not doing your part to make our guest feel welcome and honored here!”). Though they knew Jesus and that He loved them dearly, still the cultural dynamics were very much in play. How could Martha get past them and make her Master feel respected in her home—with little or no help from her sister?

            Enter Jesus’ admonition to Martha. It was not so much a chastisement as it was a “wake-up call” to reprioritize. Like so many of us, Martha was so caught up in the moment that she failed to see the blessing literally sitting in front of her. She believed that circumstances required busyness, action and organization to the ultimate end of positive results. Mary, on the other hand, perceived the setting well and made the correct decision to take advantage of the situation. Jesus then brought the difference to everyone’s attention. The conflict had nothing to do with their culture. It had everything to do with the basic priorities of “doing” vs. “being”.

                  If you have read enough of Jesus’ teachings (indeed, all of God’s Word), you will find Him dwelling on the subject of “being”. It is a matter of who we “are” in relationship to Him. The Apostle Paul terms it being “in Christ”: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (rf. II Cor. 5:17 NASB). This form of “being” is founded and expressed in terms of relationships. We are based in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We are connected with others who are likewise founded through His Church, His Body, through the ministry of His Holy Spirit. Even as Jesus invited Mary to sit at His feet, so He invites His followers to do the same, to hear from Him and to commune with Him, relishing in His Presence while being blessed in the mutual companionship of those who share in this experience.

            It is not that in pursuing “being” that we do not “do” anything. Jesus has given His followers plenty to do to fulfill His will on earth. However, the concentration of our efforts should be on our relationship with Him and with others, rather than on an ever-growing, never-ceasing checklist of “do’s” that we concoct to keep ourselves busy so as not to be perceived to be lazy or complacent.

            Besides, when this life is over and we look back over the seventy to eighty years plus that we have occupied on this earth, God willing (rf. Ps. 90:10), what will all our “doing” have accomplished for us? Will we look at our kitchen floors, pots and pans, dishes, etc. and say, “You know, I kept my kitchen and all of its implements so clean and shiny.” Will we be proud that we never spared a moment to rest, but made sure that each one was occupied with activity? Or will we, like Mary, have correctly prioritized our lives so that spending time with people meant more to us than spending time doing chores and that “being” was seen as greater than “doing”.

            One final thought. Martha must have gotten the message that Jesus conveyed to her that day. How do we know that there was a change? When Jesus arrived after her brother, Lazarus, had died, it was Martha who ran to meet Jesus. It was to Martha that Jesus gave some of the most important words of Jesus’ life and ministry: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world” (rf. Jn. 11:25–27 NASB). Her response to His question showed that she knew who He was, but also that she was devoted to Him and would follow Him regardless. She had become like her sister, Mary, more centered on “being” than “doing”. Will our relationship with Jesus lead us to do the same?