October 5, 2008
By Jack Price

The question for today is this: "who or what is the devil?" Now, belief in the devil is not what it used to be. Even many people who are very clear about the reality of evil in the world just don't believe in the devil. Halloween gives the devil a humorous bent with red skin, little horns, a forked tail, and carrying a pitch fork. But Halloween devils are not generally too scary. It is frightening to look into the eyes of a person and see evil there. The cold eyes of murderous bigotry, hatred, or cold-blooded contempt reflect the depth of evil incarnate. It is absolutely frightening.

Do you believe in the devil? Who is the devil to you? Satan? Lucifer? What is the devil? What do you think? This may sound odd, but we need to be careful not to demonize the devil -- not to project the evil that flows from our actions and the collective action of humanity somewhere else onto a cosmic being who then becomes responsible for bringing the evil -- and for ending the evil. The problem with such projection is that we excuse ourselves not only from blame, but also from responsibility for making things right. A great example of this is in political campaigns in which the other party is responsible for all the problems and all the evil. My side is not to blame!

Jesus taught that we are in partnership with God. This partnership is not to foster dependency on God. The Spirit empowers us to take initiative and responsibility, and to act for the good. Demonizing the devil by projecting evil onto a satanic figure outside ourselves tempts us to deny the evil that results from our attitudes and actions. To do so actually encourages each of us, and all of us, to relinquish our responsibility to resist evil.

We watched with almost morbid curiosity the congressional hearings this past week on an economic rescue plan. One of the phrases heard over and over was, "The devil is in the details." In other words, the fine print will reveal the true intent of the bill. We've also heard that God is also in the details. The capacity in our lives for good and evil is lived out in the nitty-gritty of everyday life. We start with good intentions. We mean well, but in all our choices and decisions each day, we can find ourselves distracted. We find ourselves going in directions that don't actually reflect the values we think we hold. In the fine print, our elected leaders are confronted with the hard truth that their real values have more to do with re-election, personal wealth, power, and maybe fear than with representing us. In the fine print, you and I are confronted with the hard truth that our real values that often have more to do with protecting ourselves than with following Jesus. The devil is in those details.

In today's Gospel lesson, Jesus calls his disciple Peter "Satan." He confronts the tempter's seductive devil message with the command, "Get behind me, Satan! Get out of my way!" The presidential campaign is taking place amid an unfolding economic crisis of epic proportion. During the debates, all four candidates were asked how the reality of a huge deficit – an additional trillion dollars – would affect their economic proposals if elected. All four essentially denied the need to make any significant adjustments to their spending promises. None of them could afford to stand up and be really honest with the voting public. Not one of them felt they afford to speak an unpopular truth.

Jesus never seemed afraid to speak a difficult or unpopular truth to anybody. He "made it clear to his disciples that it was time to go to Jerusalem and submit to an ordeal of suffering at the hands of the religious leaders [and] be killed." (The Message) Even the promise of resurrection was not enough to save Jesus from Peter's criticism. "Don't say that stuff, Jesus! Who do you think you are? Think positive. We want success here, Jesus."

"Get out of my way, Satan. You're a stumbling block to me! My road is hard enough without your help and support." Just what was Peter's crime? What led Jesus to demonize him – literally? Peter's crime was good intention combined with limited imagination. We're told that the failure leading up to 9/11 was not a failure of intelligence or information, but a failure of imagination. The failure of our current economic crisis was more than greed. It was a failure of vision. Global warming and awareness of the reality of a global climate crisis, is not failure of research or understanding, but a failure of imagination. It is a failure to move past the stage of denial.

Peter only saw Jesus from the perspective of his own world view. He could not conceive of a Messiah who would suffer and die. That's just not what he believed would happen. By trying to get Jesus to play it smart, to protect himself, Peter was effectively trying to block Jesus' true path. Like the tempter in the wilderness, Jesus faced this seductive invitation to a lesser path, to bring God's kingdom without actually challenging the authority of the Temple and the kingdom of Caesar. I am reminded of a scene from the musical 1776. John Adams was so exasperated by his colleagues' attempts to water down the language of the Declaration of Independence that he blurted out, and I quote, "This is a revolution dammit! We're going to have to offend someone!"

Most of the time, it seems the devil we have to challenge is the one who lives in us, constantly diverted, distracting, and offering an easier way. Jesus did battle with that devil during his wilderness temptation. Jesus put that devil Peter in his place and got back on track with his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. Don't run from suffering. Embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how."

The temptation that faces all of us who seek to follow Jesus and walk the road faithful service is to settle for a lesser way, a lighter Christianity, a way that does not require such a fundamental commitment. But this teaching of Jesus is fundamental. This message is vital to our journeys of faith. "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." This is the way to abundant life. Author Francis Dewar offers a contemporary insight to this teaching.

The old lie about self-denial still keeps spooking around [our] psyches ... that Christianity is about squashing your feelings, doing your duty, and soldiering on regardless. It leads eventually to chronic exhaustion, cynicism, depression, or drink – burnout! [This] will not convey good news to anyone. ...God calls you to discover your true self, that greater self you could become, and to let it flower generously....

To deny yourself does not mean nipping this process in the bud. But allowing the flowering may mean foregoing popularity or status or your good name or money or power or security, the kind of things that advertisers try to persuade us are essential. In other words, it will mean denying that self that runs after or clings to these things -- a painful process, very painful, but not a destructive one. It is the [seed buried in the] ground and dying that it may [produce] a rich harvest.

(Francis Dewar, Invitations, 29)

Evil is real with or without a devil. The power of evil is present in our land and in our world. Jesus invited us to resist evil in the world and in own lives because evil can never be destroyed. God's Spirit works through us and in us to transform evil into good.. The invitation of this congregation, as you live and work in the world, is to follow the Spirit. Shine the light of love in the darkest places of injustice and inequity, and replace the pain of despair with the passion of hope. The promise is that we can discover the opportunity and challenge to grow into that "greater self [you] can become," in Jesus' name.