Naming evil
The conviction of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has been received with jubilant celebration by many of his former subjects this week. At the same time, there has been a mixed reaction to the sentence handed down, death by hanging. No-one appears to question that his rule was cruel and unjust. But some individuals and agencies have expressed concern as to whether his trial has been fair and unbiased. Those who suffered or lost relatives during his reign were seeking to expose what had been hidden. The heart of the trial has been an attempt to uncover the truth and name the evils which took place under his leadership.
Naming evil is a first step to overcoming it. Jesus Christ confronted evil wherever he met it. Some times it was in the political and religious structures of his society. The scribes and Pharisees (religious leaders), and King Herod and Pontius Pilate (political leaders) were challenged by Jesus. He not only spoke the truth, he lived it out and embodied it. To those seeking the freedom that truth brings he offered hope. To those who refused to change he was a threat.
On one occasion, he encountered a man whose life was controlled by evil spirits. The local people didn’t know how to help him. So, they had chained him up in a cemetery on the edge of their village. They tried to deny or ignore the evil in their midst. But when Jesus came to their village this is what happened:
"Then Jesus demanded, ‘What is your name?’ And he replied, ‘My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.’ Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.” (Mark 5:9-10)
He named the evil present in the man and then dealt with it. The man was set free by the words and works of Jesus. The locals couldn’t cope with what he’d done. They asked him to leave town because he challenged them to look at the evil in their lives as well.
In contrast, high profile American evangelical pastor Ted Haggard has resigned this week amidst charges of sexual immorality. He is reported to have thanked God for the person who exposed his sin and urged his church to pray for him. He sees the naming of the evil in his life as the first step towards healing and restoration.
Who helps you to be honest about the sins with which you struggle? Are you open to Jesus “naming the evil” in your life and in our society so that it loses its power?
Naming evil is a first step to overcoming it. Jesus Christ confronted evil wherever he met it. Some times it was in the political and religious structures of his society. The scribes and Pharisees (religious leaders), and King Herod and Pontius Pilate (political leaders) were challenged by Jesus. He not only spoke the truth, he lived it out and embodied it. To those seeking the freedom that truth brings he offered hope. To those who refused to change he was a threat.
On one occasion, he encountered a man whose life was controlled by evil spirits. The local people didn’t know how to help him. So, they had chained him up in a cemetery on the edge of their village. They tried to deny or ignore the evil in their midst. But when Jesus came to their village this is what happened:
"Then Jesus demanded, ‘What is your name?’ And he replied, ‘My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.’ Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.” (Mark 5:9-10)
He named the evil present in the man and then dealt with it. The man was set free by the words and works of Jesus. The locals couldn’t cope with what he’d done. They asked him to leave town because he challenged them to look at the evil in their lives as well.
In contrast, high profile American evangelical pastor Ted Haggard has resigned this week amidst charges of sexual immorality. He is reported to have thanked God for the person who exposed his sin and urged his church to pray for him. He sees the naming of the evil in his life as the first step towards healing and restoration.
Who helps you to be honest about the sins with which you struggle? Are you open to Jesus “naming the evil” in your life and in our society so that it loses its power?
posted by Peter Wilson at 1:40 PM
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