Article: Jesus and Faust

Faust playing chess with the devil
Faust playing chess with the devil

Back when I had cable TV, I would often watch movies that I would never ever pay money to see in the theater. For example, there was a terrible movie that came out in 2000 called “Bedazzled.” If the name doesn’t ring a bell, be thankful. It was awful.

The plot of this movie is as old as time. Someone doesn’t have something they want. Satan offers it to them but with strings attached. Usually it has something to do with “selling your soul” or some other unknown consequence hidden in the fine print.

In Bedazzled, the main character just wants to be with the woman he secretly longs for. Satan gives him what he wants (for a price) and it never goes the way he hoped it would.  Do not rent, buy or borrow this movie. You will never get that 90 minutes back.

Like I said this story is as old as time. In Genesis, the serpent offers Adam and Eve the “forbidden fruit” and essentially tells them that eating it was no big deal… it was a big deal.

One of the most famous stories about making a deal with the devil comes from Germany all the way back in the 1400’s. The story is about a man named Faust who wants more knowledge. As the story goes, he sells his soul to Lucifer to gain this knowledge.

Even Jesus faced this very real temptation during his forty days in the wilderness. When Satan came to tempt Jesus the second time this is what happened:

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.  And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.” 

Hey Jesus, I’ll give you everything! You’ll be in charge! You will be the greatest leader of all time! Power is good! Just worship me, you know…sell your soul.

As you know, Jesus said, “No thanks” and then reminded Satan that only God the Father is worthy of praise.

This isn’t a battle only for Jesus. At the end of 2 Timothy, Paul is giving his final instructions to Timothy when he writes this:

Do your best to come to me quickly (Timothy), for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.

A lot of things compete for our attention like poor Demas. Not only do they compete, but they consume us. Not unlike Golem’s unhealthy obsession with a certain powerful ring in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.” Eventually you will be let down by the things that you hold too tightly. We may never sell our souls or make a deal with the devil that is so dramatically portrayed in the movies and literature- but in some ways, we don’t need to.

We willingly let money and power get in the way of God’s intentions for us.

The biblical word for this is idolatry. We elevate things above God and make them sacred.

For example, many Lutheran pastors I know around the country have been told recently by their congregations that their sermons are “too political”. Why is that? I suppose it could be that these pastors are being too partisan which is incompatible with Biblical preaching. However, my guess is that the clear majority of people have elevated politics and political parties above God. Politics can be a religion to some.  Seeing the unbridled passion of people in this election cycle tells me this might be the case. I would love to see that same white hot devotion directed at Jesus and the priorities he told us are important.

Believe it or not I am still the same person I was a year ago. I have been called to preach the word and speak on behalf of “the least of these.” That is more uncomfortable today than it was six months ago.

This coming Sunday is Christ the King Sunday. Come and hear about what it means to follow the King of Kings and Lord of Lords today.

Won’t it be nice in heaven when we will be able to laugh and say, “I am so glad there will never be an election again because Jesus is the King of eternity.”

God bless,
Pr. Ben

 

 

 

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