Evil One

Today’s Gospel Text:  And they went into Caper'na-um; and immediately on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; 24 and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching! With authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee. Mark 1:21-28

Reflection: So many teachers of scripture in our day and if only they knew how to handle the greatest and  real enemy of men, the evil spirits.

It would be still better if the world recognized the presence of evil spirits and knew how they act and work in this world and through living creatures.

Still more better if they knew how it defrauds us of God’s saving message in Christ Jesus and how Jesus is the only savior who can save us from the clutches of the evil one.

One proof of it is that he is the only one who elaborately exposes the working of the evil one and how he acts and what is his job.

Jesus was the only one whom he hated the most knowing that the sinless lamb along with all who would believe him will vanquish him in battle. (cfr. 1 Jn. 5:5) Jesus did the conquering by offering himself as a perfect sacrifice for the salvation of humanity.

The many wars and misunderstandings and the evil that we see around us is all on account of the evil one, with his minions, at work in the hearts and mind of people who have not totally surrendered their will to God in Christ Jesus.

They work in ways to bring about sicknesses pain and diseases, misunderstandings and bitterness, keep us thriving in the darkness, prevent us from knowing the truth about the one true God revealed by Christ Jesus and ultimately defraud us of salvation. 

    

“For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Eph 6:12

Not that these evil spirits trouble only the others but they also trouble the ones who are faithful to Christ but the difference is this: those who are faithful to Christ know of his scheming and even if not, with their faithfulness to Christ they ultimately shall conquer him:

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:4-5

Prayer: “Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.  Thou hatest those who pay regard to vain idols; but I trust in the Lord.  I will rejoice and be glad for thy steadfast love, because thou hast seen my affliction, thou hast taken heed of my adversities, and hast not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; thou hast set my feet in a broad place.” Ps 31:5-8

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Tempt Not

Today’s Gospel Text:  And he said to his disciples, "Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Take heed to yourselves; if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him; 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, and says, 'I repent,' you must forgive him."

5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" 6 And the Lord said, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine tree, 'Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. Luke 17:1-6

Reflection: How often we make attempts to be free from the daily temptations of sin. Likewise those who are serious about their eternal salvation pray often that they be free from all temptations and that they be even delivered from it.

They not only pray for themselves but also for others too so that the others too may not enter into the eternal fires of hell as mentioned by Jesus and his disciples concerning deliberate offenders.  

Yet we are never free from the many temptations of sin. They keep assailing us in different ways, exerting all kinds of pressures on us to sin and to be involved in wrongdoing.

Some of the sinful temptations are more subtle and we may not be aware of the deviousness of our sinful actions without the explicit help of the Holy Spirit, who has also been given us to convict us of our sins.

Jesus never assures us a cozy life free from the temptations of sin:

Every moment we could be assailed with temptation to the sin of pride, to run away from God, to dabble in occult, hurt, unforgiveness, to hold on to bitterness, all sorts of lustful desires,  to be stuck in the guilt of our own sins, etc.,  etc.

As long as the evil one exists so too the enticement and the deception to sin will exist.  It is his job to deceive us and rob us of the eternal reward of eternal crown assured to all who follow Christ faithfully.

Hence all who choose to tempt others are either consciously or inadvertently being instruments of the evil one,

The worst form of deception would come from those who will be in positions of authority in the Church and dishing out a teaching that is contrary to the faith:

“Woe to him by whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.” (vss. 1c – 2)

Prayer: Lord, may I always remain your instrument of grace and life for others and may I always have the help of your Holy Spirit to move away from every deception of sin and wrongdoing.

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