Email on Evil and Me

This is an email that I sent to my brother who had written about some concerns he had for me. This was originally written in July 2020. 

Glenn,

Here’s your question. Am I happy? And you are asking me that because what you sense in me is telling you that I’m not. So, how shall I answer? 

I think that it would be helpful for me to explain two essential qualities about me. First, I am someone who is given to deep thinking. This is not just a personality trait but also something that I enjoy doing. So, I work at understanding the roots of ideas (where they come from theologically/philosophically) and the fruits of ideas (how they will affect people, especially those who are unaware of those ideas). Second, I am also someone who is emotionally tuned to the evil around me. By that I mean that I will notice what is wrong before I notice what is right. And while there certainly are some pitfalls to avoid here, being aware of the evil can be a strength. A group needs those who are uplifting and encouraging, people who quickly notice the good. But it also needs those who point out the evil and warn about it. That’s me. 

The Evil of Evil

If you spend enough time with the right people you will come to see that evil is not just a little something. I was raised in a middle class family with two parents who were trying to do a good job raising my siblings and me. They taught us some basics about how to live well and to get along with others. That is not the experience of so many others. The evil that they have experienced is, at times, more than what one can fathom. 

Now, I'm saying this to make a point about the Gospel. We cannot just blithely say that the Gospel will change the world. To say that honestly, one needs to appreciate what it actually is that opposes the Gospel. Evil is not just some little bump in the road. It is a powerful force that ruins people's lives. Change for them will require more than an altar call and an exhortation to pray and read the Bible. Evil does not relinquish is prey so very easily. It will take something with more power than hell contains. It will take more than touting Gospel words like a simple jingle. The fact of the matter is that the Gospel of Jesus really does have more power than evil. But those who will be able to apply that Gospel in a way that will actually change lives will need to understand what they are up against.

Evil Understood

I once read something about suffering that included the thought that, maybe, evil needs to be experienced to be understood. That does not make sense. To experience evil does not inform that person that it is evil. By itself, evil is just one more thing you experience if experienced alone. One may conclude that what was experienced is normal. If experienced by itself, one cannot place any moral judgment on evil. Evil is known as wicked only in context with good. Further, the greater one's experience of good the clearer that person's understanding of evil. Thus, it was not necessary for humanity to fall and thus experience evil. Knowing God in His goodness would give a much better understanding of evil than any experience of evil. And that is what the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was about. Adam and Eve would have had a clear understanding of evil by rejecting the temptation and clinging to the good God.

Hope in the Age to Come and in Jesus as Conquering Lord

The world is filled with evil. Some of it is obvious to all: mass murders, epidemics, suicide, etc. But much of it exists unnoticed. And that is because good is not well understood. It is as good is seen and understood more clearly that evil is seen and understood more clearly. Thus it is the maturing Christian - someone who is growing in understanding good because he or she is growing in understanding God - who sees evil most clearly. Experiencing this deeper awareness of evil is part of the suffering that is necessarily a part of being a growing Christian. 

There are two things that help this maturing Christian to deal with the pain of seeing evil more and more clearly. The first is the knowledge that Jesus, as Lord over this world and its evil, is pursuing His plan to conquer that evil and ultimately obliterate it. The second is the promise of the age to come. That is when all evil in its every possible expression will be gone. So, Christians are to rejoice in what Jesus is doing and to wait until the promise of the age to come is fully kept. This takes faith in Jesus.

Reflections on God: Deliver Us From Evil

We return to consider more aspects of who our God is and what He’s up to. This time we’ll use this petition of the Lord’s Prayer: ‘Deliver us from evil’. Let’s see what Jesus has to teach us from this.

It’s an obvious fact that there is evil all around us. Even just a quick look, especially these days, will confirm that. And there are plenty of places in the Scriptures that will also confirm that. Here are just a couple.

[Jesus] gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, Galatians 1:4

[Make] the most of your time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:16

Our world is filled with evil. That, of course, isn’t the whole story, but it is an important part of it.

The Days Are Evil

The last request of the Lord’s Prayer is, ‘And deliver us from evil’. That seems an especially appropriate prayer these days as we look around us. There is so much that is evil, and it seems that it is becoming even more evil. Just to take one area, consider how much change there has been when it comes to some basic notions like marriage and gender. There has been much change in these things and not for the better.

This morning we’re going to take a look at evil. It’s just a fact that we are going to be confronted more and more by evil. And while that will make life more difficult, it will also give us opportunities to win some over from the evil that has captured them. But in order to do that we need to understand this evil. My goal this morning is to make a little progress in that task.

Cursed

There are parts of the Bible that we all enjoy so much. They are full of good things like hope and love and joy. But then, there are other parts of the Bible. These other parts are full of sadness and can be very distressing. This morning we’re going to be looking at one of those other parts of the Bible. It’s good for you to be reminded that they are there. After all, God included them for a reason. They have something to teach us about the Gospel. It is unwise to try to avoid them. So, we’ll take a look at something sad and distressing in the hope of seeing the Gospel more clearly.

Listen to what Moses wrote.

When Life Gets Too Hard

What do you tell yourself when life gets hard, too hard? Some evil has landed in your lap, and you hurt. What do you say then? This is when Gospel truths become really practical. Truths like Immanuel, God with us. You do not face these hard times alone. God is with you and has promised never to abandon you. His presence is a sure thing. And with that presence comes His compassion. You have a Savior who knows - by experience! - that life can be very hard. He understands and is very sympathetic toward you in your plight. That sense of Immanuel is so important in times like these. There is great promise in holding these Gospel truths when life gets hard.

Except that it isn't enough.

You need more than just knowing God is near. And I fear that there are too many Christians who have only this. Knowing that God is near isn't nearly enough so that you can deal well with the hard parts of life. That alone doesn't tell you what to do when evil strikes. And you need to do something.

What you need to do is tied to what you need to know. Why did evil land in your lap? Isn't that one of the big questions: 'Why is this happening to me?' You can have an answer to that question, not a complete answer, but one that is good enough so that you can deal with the evil and live well.

And the answer to that question is tied to the answer to this one. Who sends the evil? Who is it that causes me to hurt in the way that I do? And here's the answer: God. It's God who sends the evil. He's the one who makes us hurt. I realize that there are many who have a very hard time with that idea. God sending evil? But I find it a very comforting one. It gives me hope.

So, why do I think it is God who sends us the evil that we experience? I think that because it's in the Bible. Here's a little question and answer on the topic.

Who creates evil?

I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things. Isaiah 45:6-7

       

The word 'calamity' is literally 'evil'. Either way, the bad stuff that happens is created by the Lord.

Who was the one who sent evil to Job?

And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him.  Job 42:11

       

Satan had a role to play but only as a tool in God's hand, a means to bring about the evil.

Whose plan was it for Jesus to suffer on the Cross?

… this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. Acts 2:23

       

And if this verse isn't clear enough that the Cross was God's idea try John 3.16.

       

Who was it that caused the psalmist all those severe troubles?

The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death. Psalms 118:18

When you suffer some evil you can know where it's coming from. Whatever the immediate source, ultimately it comes from God. He is the one who sends it your way.

And there is a reason why God sends you the evil that He does. The first part of Hebrews 12 explains the suffering, the evil, that the recipients of this letter were dealing with. It was from God as His training. The last verse of this section explains the goal.

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11

God's intention in sending you evil is your good. He wants you to enjoy things like 'the peaceful fruit of righteousness'. Let's go back and consider Job again. After all his suffering, this is what he said to God.

I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; Job 42:5

The intended good of Job's suffering was coming to know his God better with all the joys associated with that. 

Now, none of this means that you are supposed to like the evil that comes your way. Jesus didn't. Listen in on His prayer in the garden of Gethsemane. But seeing evil in this way helps you to understand, to some extent, what is going on. Our loving Father is doing something that will result in your good. The evil is an expression of His love for His children. Isn't there a better, less painful way for Him to do this? Well, if there were, wouldn't He do it that way?

Seeing life, including the hard parts, (especially the hard parts!) in this way gives hope. The evil coming at me hurts, but there is a purpose for the pain, a good purpose. My Father's purpose. 

Now, knowing these things, you can act. You can do something. And what you do is work with God in His plan to do you good by that evil. And at the heart of that is this: trust. 'Father, I trust You as You send this evil for my good.' You may have to say that with loud cries and tears, like Jesus did (Hebrews 5.7). Suffering evil isn't fun. But it is one of God's ways of making you into a mature disciple of Jesus, someone who is useful to Him. And that, it seems to me, is worth the pain.

Five Theses on Evil

I have been struck especially lately by the evil that is around me and within me. That has gotten me thinking. Out of that I offer these:

1. Evil will be a part of our experience for as long as we live. And then, we will suffer the greatest evil, death.

2. Any change that we make in one lifetime in defeating evil, in turning a world filled with evil into something good, will be incredibly small, especially when compared to the evil that will remain.

3. Though the change that we might bring about in one lifetime will be tiny we still need to work hard to defeat evil. Jesus calls us to do that.

4. The key to defeating evil is the Gospel, the message that Jesus has come to change this world from the ugliness that it is to something beautiful. At the heart of the Gospel is Jesus' atonement as Savior and His ascension as Lord. It is by our living out and declaring this Gospel that evil will be defeated.

5. Pursuing the work of defeating evil will be emotionally and spiritually unsustainable unless we believe two things. 

First, that the Father is using our tiny victories over evil so that over a very long time - generations - there will be substantial change in turning evil into good. 

Second, there will be a time when evil will be completely vanquished. But that will not happen any time before Jesus returns. The complete defeat of evil is something reserved for the age to come. 

Believing these things will give us hope. It is only as we are armed with this hope that we will be able to continue the hard work of fighting evil.

Appendix: Sermon on Evil

The sermon this week was about evil. There are two things that are important to me when it comes to this topic. On the one hand, we must never minimize evil. It is wicked, and it really hurts. When someone is suffering some evil, the first response we are to offer is not to say some frothy something, even if (or especially if!) that comes in the form of a verse. ('All things work together…') Oftentimes, the right response is something more like weeping with the person.

It is only after extending that kind of comfort - and 'after' may mean days or even weeks - that the other important thing comes into play. The suffering person needs to know that (be reminded that/be helped to cling to the idea that) God intends that evil for good. This is, first, simply the truth, a fact. But in addition, it is the basis for hope. And I'm not talking about some 'wishing in the darkness' kind of hope. I mean a robust, Gospel hope that has nothing to do with mere wishing. It's all about embracing a promise of God and then simply waiting until He keeps that promise. He intends that evil for good. That is a promise that God will keep. And knowing that gives hope.

But having a robust, Gospel hope depends on some basic facts about God. For one thing, He runs this universe - completely, down to every last atom. And that means He sent the evil. But that must always be connected to this: God's love for His people is greater than what we can imagine. He has a deep affection for us, and He is determined to see us thrive. So, sending the evil is part of His plan of love.

It is only this kind of solid, biblical understanding of God that can give real hope in a world filled with evil. Failing to know the real God and what He is about will result in fear in the face of evil and not hope. So, among other things, the way to prepare for the evil that will certainly touch your life is to get to know your God really well. And that is something that Jesus makes possible.

Embracing Evil

Every day of your life you deal with evil. Most of the time, the evil you experience isn't some great crisis. In fact, most of the time you don't think about it in terms of evil. You usually think about them as some sort of annoyance. You didn't sleep especially well. There’s something going on at work. You have a bit of a cold. There are, of course, those times when it's more than just an annoyance. You get a flat on the way to an important appointment. One of your kids is suddenly sick, makes quite the mess, and all just as you're on your way out the door, already five minutes late. Having faced these sorts of things over a lifetime, we all have developed coping mechanisms to deal with them. Often, it's some variation of, 'Well, what are you going to do?', as we then try to fix the situation, at least well enough to get on with the day. There are those times, though, when the evil that shows up is much larger. Here, think about the massacre of those children in Connecticut. Simply horrible. You feel the darkness a bit and actually label it 'evil'. But it's still evil "over there". There are, however, those awful occasions when the evil isn't somewhere "over there". No, it shows up right in front of you. Something really bad has happened, and it has happened to you, and it has shaken you. I am sure that you all can remember something that qualifies. Evil hit home, and it hurt. In this kind of situation it just doesn't work to tell yourself, 'Well, what are you going to do?', and then continue on. It will take more. But, of course, you need to know what that 'more' is. How should you deal with that evil, the evil that has confronted you?

Does God Know What He's Doing?

I have been thinking about the slaughter of those school kids in Connecticut. Right now, there is wailing in so many homes where a child did the everyday sort of thing, he left for school, but didn't come home. And even in those homes where the children returned safely, what horrors. Consider the fears of parents who once thought that sending their kids to school was just a normal part of life. Will it ever be that again? The reality of the what ifs ('What if it was my child who would never return?') will oppress many. And then, think about some seven or eight year old who saw his best friend explode into a mass of blood and guts. How does a little kid deal with that? What happened in Connecticut is just evil, completely and horribly evil.

So, how do we respond to this? A person can try to ignore it or allow himself to be overwhelmed by it, or lots of options in between. It seems to me that one key element to how we deal with evil, this evil as well as all its other expressions, is to face this question squarely and then answer it: Does God know what He is doing? Whatever happens, good or bad, hits our world because God sends it. He is the Sovereign over everything. This slaughter of the innocents was sent by Him. And so, it is good and right to ask, Does God know what He is doing? Because of what He has taught me and what He has sent my way, I am able to look at the evil around me, and in me, and respond with, 'I trust You, Father.' I actually do think that He knows what He is doing. That does not mean that I know what He is doing. I don't. And that does not mean that I offer my response to Him and then let the evil just roll off my back as if nothing happened. Something has happened! Evil has once again done its ugly work. That is something that calls for tears. But I am rescued from despair because I trust the Father. In response, He gives me the ability to cling to hope. He knows what He is doing, and in the age to come I will be able to see what was going on in this horrific situation. And seeing that, I will be moved to praise Him for His wisdom, His love and His justice. How else can anyone deal with such ugliness?

Evil

Evil is a problem. For most of us it's one kind of problem when it's evil over there but a very different kind of problem when it's evil that confronts us right here. The evil that's 'over there' can be ignored - and often is - but not the kind that is 'right here', the kind that invades our lives. What too many miss is that being able to deal with evil up close and personal is tied to being able to understand it when it is a distant issue. 

How should we understand some tsunami or earthquake or the like? People are killed. The lives of the survivors are changed forever. What happened?  Or more important, how did it happen? The basic answer is clear. God did it.

I am the LORD, and there is no other,

     besides me there is no God;

     I equip you, though you do not know me, 

that people may know, from the rising of the sun

     and from the west, that there is none besides me;

     I am the LORD, and there is no other.

I form light and create darkness,

     I make well-being and create calamity (literally: 'evil'),

     I am the LORD, who does all these things. 

Isaiah 45

Where do these calamities that dramatically affect so many come from? God does it. He doesn't just 'allow' it. He does it. He creates 'evil'. And that makes sense. 'There is no other, besides me there is no God.' So, there is no mystery about where some evil came from. God did it, and he has his reasons, good reasons, holy, just and loving reasons.

Now that is more than an orthodox doctrine that we're supposed to believe. It helps to make sense of life. It leads to this.

I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous, ​​​​​​​

and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. ​​​

Psalms 119:75

Here, the psalmist was afflicted. Something bad happened. He experienced evil. But he knows where that evil came from. God did it. And he did it for good reasons. He did it in faithfulness. That is, he was keeping his promises to the psalmist. And he used evil to do that.

So, the next time you are confronted with some evil - you lose your job, serious sickness hits your family, someone you love dies - how will you respond? Panic? Fretting? Doubt? The best response is faith, believing God's explanation of life. The evil confronting you - the 'affliction' - is from your heavenly Father. He didn't just allow it. He did it. And remember that he has sent you that evil 'in faithfulness' to all his promises to you. Life will still hurt, there will be tears, but there will also be a cord of hope that you can cling to. '... in faithfulness you have afflicted me.' God sends evil, and he has his reasons. He wants you to flourish - just as he promised.

Permission?

God is not required to seek the sinner’s permission for doing with the sinner what he pleases.

R.C. Sproul

I bumped into this quote during my morning blog reading, and I found it quite striking. And it's quite striking because it's just wrong -  at least according to the prevailing attitude of our culture. Now, no one is going to come out and say, 'Hey, God! Did I say you could do that to me?!?' But how else shall we understand all the accusations against God these days? There's a tornado here and an earthquake there. Terrible things, evil things, to be sure. But does God have to run these things past us to make sure they're okay with us? 

Those who are still in their rebellion have no rights with God. They're rebels against the King! And those who have been reconciled through Jesus know that they can trust their Father when he uses evil. After all, they know that his goal in using that evil is ultimately for good. And the best example of that is the Cross. 

Bearing the Cross

Our text is from Luke 14. We’ve been here before, and that rather recently. It’s here that Jesus explains what is required if someone is going to be one of His disciples. We’re here again because there was something Jesus included that I didn’t deal with last time. Today, we’re going to take a look at that.

Please listen as I read Luke 14.25-33.

Evil

Genesis 50.15-21

Today, I'm going to talk about evil. Understanding evil is more important that what you might think. To get at this I'm going to use what happened to Joseph. First, a quick review. Joseph was one of twelve brothers. His claim to fame was that he was Dad's favorite. As evidence of that Jacob had given him a fancy coat. Joseph's older brothers were not exactly happy about this. In fact, they were jealous of him and hated him. And so, they hatched a plan to deal with their pesky brother. They sold him as a slave. Actually, that was Plan B. Plan A was to kill him, but this way they made money on the deal. So, Joseph is now a seventeen year old who is taken far from home to become some Egyptian's property. Fast forward. God acts. He acts dramatically, if not quickly. After thirteen years of suffering, Joseph suddenly goes from jailed prisoner to the second most powerful man in all of Egypt. There follows a famine. People all over that part of the world are going to die. Enter again Joseph's brothers. They are among the many who are in danger of death. But they and their families are rescued – and that by Joseph. A few more years pass and as it happens to all, Jacob, Joseph's father, dies. And that brings us to our text which, as you may remember, began, 'When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead...' They are afraid. Dad's gone and so, they think, is their protection. Joseph is going to get even. And so, they lie. 'Before he died Dad said that you should forgive us.' They know what they did. It's here that Joseph shines. His response is great. 'As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.' So much for the quick review.

But before we consider Joseph's words, let me pose a question. Why is it important for us to look at this? Why study evil?For one thing, you have experienced evil, and you will experience more. So, how are you to deal with that? There are wrong ways to respond to the evil that comes your way. Paul anticipated one when he wrote, 'Repay no one evil for evil...' Revenge is an obviously wrong response. What's a right one? Also, in time, we will have people join us here whose lives have been dominated by evil. Some will have been freed by Jesus from the various addictions. Others will have been treated horribly by their families and so-called friends. And there will be others who have been beat up by the world. The Spirit will use the Gospel we live and declare to convert people like this. And they will have issues. They will need to deal with the leftover affects of the evil that they have experienced. You will need to help them in this. You will need to teach them how to deal with the evil of their pasts. But you can't teach what you haven't learned. So, we're going to look at evil, and we're going to do this for your sakes as well as for the sake of those whom God will send our way.

Let's start with this. Evil is personal. There is this attitude that thinks that evil just happens. So, we have tsunamis and cancer and slander and death. Evil. And it just happens. And, of course, the next thing to say is, 'Oh well, what are you going to do? That's life.' And then you move on to the next thing, trying to ignore evil instead of confronting it. Evil doesn't just happen. It is personal. It is personal in its object. Evil happens to people. It happened to Joseph. It happens to you. Evil happens to people as it tries to destroy them. This is more telling as you consider that evil is also personal in its source. The evil that happened to Joseph, where did it come from? Joseph tells us. Speaking to his brothers he says, '... you meant evil against me...' I really appreciate his candor. There's no anger here, but Joseph is just straightforward: '... you meant evil against me...' The evil that attacked him and tried to undo him came from his brothers. And so much of the evil that attacks you also comes from other people. But there is more to this point. Think back to Job. What happened to him? Evil happened to him. His children? A storm comes and collapses the house they were in. They're all dead. His wealth? Raiders come and steal it all away. His health? It is completely broken. Is evil personal in its source here? Absolutely! Behind the scenes, behind the dead children, the raiders, the broken health is Satan. And his goal is simple. He is going to attack Job with as much evil as he can until he gets Job to curse God to His face. Evil doesn't just happen. Evil is personal in its object and in its source.

It's at this point during my preparations for the sermon that I had to pause. I had to ask myself if I can say that Satan is directly behind every instance of evil that you experience. While that feels right, I couldn't point to some verses that prove the point. So, I won't say that. But there were two verses that came close. The first is from Revelation. 'Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.' The point? Satan has declared war on you. This other verse fills out what that means. From 1 Peter: 'Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.' Devour: a powerful word. Based on these two verses and others like them there is something that I can say. Satan hates you, and he is out to get you. Beware! And remember what happened to Job. Satan can use the weather, other people and even your own body against you – not to mention the multitude of temptations that he throws at your soul. You need to be aware of his schemes and the possibility that he is behind the evil that confronts you.

That is not the only way that evil is personal in its source. We always need to lift our eyes from looking at Satan and see Who is behind him. Evil comes at you from your God. And believe it or not that's really good news. Listen again to what Joseph told his brothers. 'As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.' Please note that Joseph didn't say, 'God saw the mess that you were making of my life, and He rushed in to somehow fix it all.' His God didn't show up after the fact to try to undo things. Joseph understood the situation well and explained it to his brothers. 'What you intended for evil, the slavery and all the rest, God, from the start, intended for good.' Joseph's God was involved from the very beginning, using evil [!] for much good. God used that evil for the sake of so many others, including the families of Joseph's brothers who would have died. That's what Joseph meant when he said, '...God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.' And, incidentally, if Joseph's brothers had died in the famine, then Jesus could never had been born. So, you see, this isn't just about family relationships. But it wasn't just for the benefit of others that God sent this evil into Joseph's life. It's not an overstatement to say that Joseph was a bratty kid when he was Dad's favorite at home. He was a changed man after those years of suffering evil. His God meant that evil for Joseph's good also.

Evil is personal. Since that's true, when evil happens to you, consider what's going on. Don't adopt the attitude that says, 'Oh well, what are you going to do?' or even the attitude of defeat: 'Life is too hard. I give up.' Instead, stop and consider. Ask yourself some questions. 'Is Satan up to something? Is this another of his ploys to turn me from Jesus?' Remember: 'devour'. And Jesus is involved in this also. 'What good – for me and for others – might He be aiming at?' All I'm doing here is urging you to reflect on your life. Relate biblical themes to what's going on. View what's going on in light of what the Bible has to say about things like evil. Don't be swept along by events. Stand and consider and then make wise choices.

So much for seeing evil as personal. Now, let's consider how to deal with it. The best example of pure evil is Jesus' experience on the Cross. Joseph's life is, in many ways, a living prophecy of Jesus' life. What we see in the one life is reflected in the other: betrayal, suffering in the depths, being raised to authority, becoming the savior of nations. That's Joseph's life. As such it prepares us for Jesus' life which has lessons for us.

There are three qualities that you will need if you are going to deal well with evil. The first is a lively faith. On the Cross Jesus quoted from a Psalm. Listen. You'll recognize the part that He quoted. Hearing it in context will help you understand better what Jesus was saying. 'In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me; you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.' Do you hear what Jesus was saying? 'I trust You, Father. I know that You will bring me through this.' These are words of faith. Even as He was suffering so, Jesus entrusted Himself to His Father, and cried out for rescue from Him. As you wrestle with evil, evil Jesus sends your way, this is one question from Him that you will need to answer. 'Do you trust Me now?' As you face evil and feel its ugliness, you can give into it and allow it to do its destructive work, or you can trust Jesus. He has sent this evil into your life just as He sent it into Joseph's life. Your response, if you would deal with it well, has to be, 'Jesus, I trust You. I don't know what You're doing with my life but I am confident that You know what You're doing. You will bring me through this.' Isn't that the kind of faith that lies behind Joseph's words, 'As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good...'? If you would deal with evil well, you will need a lively faith.

That leads to this. A lively faith brings hope with it, not wishful thinking but confidence about the future because of Jesus. Do you remember the thief who was crucified with Jesus? Do you remember what he said? 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' And Jesus' response? 'Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.' We can miss what's going on here because we neglect the reality of Jesus' humanity. We assume that it was no big deal for Jesus to handle the evil that the Father had called Him to. The Son of God can handle anything without breaking a sweat, right? If you think that way you need to remember Gethsemane. The Cross was no slam-dunk for Jesus. The suffering He wrestled with was real. The choices He had were real. The danger He faced was real. So, here is Jesus, dying an agonizing death, forsaken by the Father. But what does He talk about to the thief? Heaven. 'Listen friend, I'm going to make it and I'm going to make sure that you make it with Me.' Jesus' lively faith in the Father brought with it hope. If you are going to overcome evil, you will need a hope that just won't quit, so that you can say, 'I am going to make it. Jesus will get me through this.'

Then there's this last quality that you also need: love. Love is important for two reasons. For one thing, you will need to forgive the people who have committed evil against you. In some cases that will be extraordinarily difficult. Consider what happened to Joseph, the evil that his brothers caused, years and years and years of suffering. He could have had his revenge on them – easily. But he forgave them and that with tears. It was a heartfelt forgiveness. In this Joseph is only, once again, picturing Jesus. 'Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.' But understand that real forgiveness is a fruit of love. If there is no love for the offender there can be no thorough-going forgiveness of his sin.

But there is another reason love is needed when Jesus sends evil your way. The evil Joseph suffered resulted in much good for the Church and the world of his day. Remember, people were saved from the famine. Jesus' forbears stayed alive. That moved God's plan forward. The suffering Jesus sends your way also moves the plan forward and is for the good of others, especially the Church. But dealing with evil is hard. Enduring all that suffering is difficult. What makes the difference is love. You endure the suffering because you love Jesus and because you love others, especially His Church.

Faith. Hope. Love. Three qualities that you will need if you are going to do well in dealing with evil. But these will not magically appear in your soul at the moment evil shows its face. These need to be nurtured and developed beforehand. You need to prepare yourself for the day of battle. And doing that will take much effort. You can't do this without the Spirit, but remember that the Spirit uses means. You'll need to work hard at giving Him the tools that He uses to work these three into your soul. And dealing with evil is so important. If you don't work at responding well to evil, how will you be helpful to Jesus and the spread of His kingdom? Instead of beating back the darkness, conquering evil with good and being a weapon in the Spirit's hand to free others from evil and its effects you will be overcome by evil, responding in all sorts of wrong ways whether that's anger, self-pity, focusing on symptoms instead of root problems or just trying to ignore the whole mess. And what good is that? There is much work to be done out in the world, much evil to defeat, and we are the ones who need to do it. The place to start is your own soul. How are you doing when it comes to dealing with evil?

The Benefit of Suffering Evil

I was reading Exodus 5 the other day. This is after Moses is called by God at the burning bush and he goes to Egypt to deliver God's message to Pharaoh, 'Let My people go.' But delivering God's message makes things worse for Israel, not better. Now they have to gather their own straw and yet maintain the same quota of bricks as before. As a result, the response of Israel to Moses was not good. "Jehovah look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us."

Moses responded by asking the question that popped into my head as I read. "O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all." Why did God do it this way? Why the suffering? Why not just free them immediately?

Then I cheated and looked at the beginning of the next chapter. (There really shouldn't be a chapter division here.) 'But Jehovah said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land."' Which impresses more, highlights God's power more, gives the most hope for the future, is more encouraging even to today: Moses saying, 'Let My people go' and Pharaoh responding, 'Oh, okay', or Pharaoh refusing and God sending plague after plague, taking a world power and utterly destroying it until it is thouroughly humiliated, and its leader begs Israel to leave?

What set Israel up to better appreciate the astonishing power of their God was the suffering they endured when Moses first proclaimed his message to Pharaoh. Things getting worse helped them to really 'get it' when things got better. Suffering evil, sent from God, is always for our ultimate benefit. We get to know Him better (And what's better than that?) when He causes us to drink more deeply of the cup of evil. Remembering this when in the midst of the evil makes all the difference. Something to pray about.

Enduring to the End

Matthew 24.1-14

It was my plan to preach on another aspect of our relationship with the Spirit. I was doing some thinking on Ephesians 4:30 where the Apostle talks about grieving the Holy Spirit. But somewhere around Wednesday the Spirit made it clear to me that I needed to change my topic. It's not that the topic of grieving the Spirit is unimportant. It's very important. And I expect that we'll get to back to it soon. But some things happened recently that got me to thinking. One was the cyclone that hit Myanmar and the other was the earthquake that shook China. Between these two events tens of thousands of people were killed. And that means that millions will have their lives dramatically changed forever. Something big happened in our world. And then, you can add to that the fighting that has broken out again in Lebanon, the shortage of rice - the basic food for billions - around the world, the political unrest in places like Zimbabwe and Nigeria, the struggle for the future of the worldwide Anglican church, the price of oil and its implications, and so much more. These are things that are happening now in our world. Is there a word from Jesus to guide us in how to understand and respond to these things? There is and our text is a part of what He has to say. The disciples ask Jesus for signs of His coming again. Jesus responds with more than just that. He tells them about life between the advents, life until His return. It is here that we can find some help. And, by the grace of God, we will.

The first thing I want to do is to break down what Jesus has to say into categories, and there are four: the religious, the political, the natural, the social. We'll look at each in turn. The first is Jesus' description of what will be going on in the religious realm. He tells us that there will be false messiahs, people who will be making great claims for themselves as God's leaders. And He tells us that they will have some success. There will be those who will be led astray. Do I really need to spend time talking about Charles Taze Russell and the Jehovah's Witnesses or Joseph Smith and the Mormons or Mary Baker Eddy and Christian Science? And I've limited myself just to the modern American religious scene. Jesus also talks about the inevitability of the persecution of the saints. And again, He warns that there will be some success here. There will be those who will fall away and betray the saints and hate them. Life in the religious realm will face great difficulties. Then, there is the political realm. Jesus prophesies that there will be conflict between nations. He mentions the worst kind of conflict: war. But in this category are included all those things that lead up to war, or might lead to war. There will be continual conflict in this area. Then, there is the realm of nature. Jesus speaks about what we call 'natural disasters', things like famines - think Africa - and earthquakes - think China. We could include here things like the drought in Australia or the cyclone in Myanmar that I mentioned. Go back a few years and we'd be talking about the tsunami that hit in the Indian Ocean or a little further back and it would be the tornado that went through Albion. Nature is in upheaval and will continue to be. And that leaves the social area. Jesus predicts that lawlessness will increase and that the love of many will grow cold. A glance at any newspaper will show the results of the first of these and a visit to an abortion clinic will provide an example of the second. And Jesus is clear that these things are not a signs that His return is near. Oh, no. As He said, 'All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.'

Jesus has just laid out, in broad strokes, what life on this world will be like until He returns. He could have said anything He wanted. He could have talked about birthday parties and wedding celebrations, great achievements and blessed lives. He could have, but He didn't. He could have skipped over the entire topic and jumped to the one sign that would let everyone know that His return is just around the corner. But He didn't do that either. He answered the disciples' question by talking about these things. Now, this doesn't mean that everything is bleak. It isn't. There are lots of things that are quite enjoyable and pleasant. There are many achievements and successes, many times of happiness. It isn't all bleak, not by a long shot. There are many times of smiles and hugs and lots of really good things. And yet, that's not how Jesus decided to describe the time between His first and second advents. Why? There is a reason, and it is important that we discern what it is.

Let me offer one reason why Jesus described life between the advents in this way. He did it because it's the truth. Life here is filled with evil. Paul echoes Jesus' perspective when he talks about 'this present evil age'. That was his summary statement. Jesus is just being accurate. We live in evil times. And these evil times are not just limited to our era, as if there were some perfect time, way back when. Life here has been evil since Jesus left and before that, and these evil times will continue until Jesus returns. We believe this because that's what Jesus taught. But He wasn't just interested in being accurate. There's another reason why He spoke in this way. He wanted to help His disciples, not just those few who asked the question, but all His disciples throughout history, including us. He wanted us to see reality clearly. There is a tremendous temptation to ignore, as best we can, all the evil that surrounds us, a temptation to build a moat around our lives to keep out any sense of evil. But how can we serve others in this present evil age if we think that way? Our understanding of the real state of things will affect our ability to serve while we are here.

I remember this doctor, who attended the same church that we did. She specialized in caring for children with very serious problems in their immune system. Because of the seriousness of their illnesses, many of her patients, these little children, died. Linda asked her once how she dealt with that. She said that she mourned each death. And if you think about it for just a minute, you'll agree that she had to do that. If she hadn't grieved for these little children, what kind of doctor would she have become? Her patients would no longer be people but merely cases. And that would have changed everything. But she did not hide from reality. She acknowledged the evil that confronted her. And doing that cost her. Allowing your heart to grieve costs. But how else could she really care for these children? That's what Jesus is getting at. If we are going to follow Jesus faithfully and do a good job serving those around us, we need to see this life for what it is. We need to see the evil. Jesus wants us to see the evil. After all, He did.

Now all of that is background to Jesus' real point. Jesus lays out all that background so that He can state clearly His expectation of those first disciples and us. That expectation is the heart of His comments and of this morning's sermon. And that expectation is tied up in this: 'But the one who endures to the end will be saved.' Do you see what Jesus expects of you? Having laid out something of the evil nature of this age, He then calls you to a patient persistence toward the goal. 'But the one who endures to the end will be saved.' I have been reading in 2 Corinthians recently. And I came upon Paul's description of his life. 'Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?' Paul understood the evil of life between the advents. But you never hear him talk of giving up. You never hear complaints. He simply continues to press on in the face of the evil. His life is one example of patient persistence toward the goal. You may never face the things that Paul did, but you will face evil. Jesus calls you to endure to the end.

To be sure, this is a daunting task. But you can approach it boldly, optimistically and with great joy. There is something implied in Matthew's account of Jesus' words that Luke makes explicit. In Luke's account, right before Jesus' words about endurance, we read this, 'But not a hair of your head will perish.' As you deal with all the issues tied up in enduring to the end, you can be assured that you are safe. That is Jesus' promise to you. It is because of this that you can face the evil of this world boldly. Questions about your safety, question that can be so very distracting, have already been dealt with. You can put all that aside and focus on what's important: serving others who are sometimes overwhelmed by the evil. And that sense of safety is renewed each time you deal with Jesus' simple question. 'Do you trust Me now?' 'Yes, Lord, I do trust You. Not as well as I'd like, but I do.' And that's good enough for Jesus. Knowing that you are eternally safe because of Jesus frees you to boldly confront the evil before you. This is very important. Such questions are a distraction. Set them aside and get to work. Remember, Jesus has promised.

You can also be optimistic because you know that your efforts toward the goal will most certainly succeed. And you know because of what Jesus said. 'And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.' The goal is the spread of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We're back to our mission. And we know that this Gospel will spread until it is proclaimed everywhere. We know that we will succeed. We know this because Jesus promised it. There will be times when your efforts at enduring, your efforts at pushing back the evil that you find before you, your efforts at spreading the Gospel, will seem to be worthless. They will seem to be fruitless. They will seem to be in vain. But that cannot be so. You have a role to play in this battle. You have something to contribute. By your patient persistence, the Church will achieve the goal. We will win. And we can be sure of that. Remember, Jesus has promised.

That leaves this. We endure with great joy. If you try to endure merely out of a sense of duty, something will go wrong somewhere. A necessary ingredient in endurance is joy. But 'joy' is another of those church words that we need to translate into real English. For one thing, joy is an emotional response. It's not an emotion, but it is emotional. It's an up feeling, but it's not happiness since happiness is tied to the circumstances of the moment. And it's not just something intellectual because the affections of the heart are involved. So, when you boil it all down, joy is the inner person uttering a heart-felt, 'Yes!' The heart desires the goal, and that 'Yes!' comes out whenever there is progress toward the goal. Joy is a response of the heart that says, 'It's really good that this is happening.' Because of this joy - joy that only the Spirit can give - we do not consider enduring to the end as a chore. It will be hard - sometimes very hard. It will cost you, maybe even that which is precious to you. But it won't be a mere duty that degenerates into some burdensome obligation. Paul, again, illustrates what I mean. He wrote, 'I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake.' Paul wasn't happy to get beaten up and all the rest. But he did rejoice that, through those sufferings, the Gospel was spreading and people's lives were being changed. Enduring to the end wasn't a chore for Paul but a joy. And it can be that for us as well. The fruit of the Spirit is joy.

Let me close with some questions for you to ponder. Are your expectations of this life in keeping with Jesus' words? Is the spread of the Gospel a goal of your heart? Are you boldly optimistic and rejoicing because of Jesus as you endure?