“Is God the Monster?” Part II

 Is God the monster, or are we the monster? Jesus said to his disciples: “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves.”

Please allow me to translate what Jesus just said here, “Look, I am sending you, my children, out into a world of monsters. Be careful, they will eat you alive. You are sheep, but they are wolves.” (Be careful of what goes bump in the night.)

We spoke of the Garden of Eden and how there was a monster in the garden, and the monster was not God. But man chose the monster over God, he embraced his destroyer over his Creator. And now we have this self-destructive nature within us.

We have also spoke of how Jesus shifted things from the “Temple” to “His Table”, a Table of Fellowship through His shed blood, the Lord’s Supper, but do you remember there was also a monster at that table? Jesus was not unaware of the monster sitting at the table. In Matthew 26:21, we read this: “While they were eating, he said, ‘I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”

(verse 22) “Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?”

I find it very interesting that each disciple realized their own potential to be the monster. That under the right circumstances, the sin nature in them might take over. “Am I the one, Lord?” Each of these in all sincerity asked honestly. But the real monster knew he was the one! And yet, still asked the question as if he did not know! This is the evil in the world God will judge! How do you plan a good man’s murder and act as if you are innocent? Who are these people? (Except for the grace of God, there go I.)

(Verse 25) “Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, ‘Rabbi, am I the one?’ “

(Verse 26) “And Jesus told him, ‘You have said it.’ “

This question of who is the monster has been taking me some very interesting places. I have found myself waking in the morning, and laying in bed for an hour pondering how to show in scripture why there is a place called hell, and the evil it is created for is so monstrous, that God is totally just in his judgement. It was not those asking sincerely that day, admitting there own human frailty, that Jesus pointed out as the monster. It was the one trying to hide it, trying to deceive and still carry out his plan to murder an innocent man for 30 pieces of silver. And of that man, Jesus said it would have been better for him had he never been born!

Who is this monster known as Satan, the devil, the serpent, so full of death, hate, and destruction, and yet we would love him? We would love darkness in which we cannot even see, and we stumble over things, even walking to our own death, over a world of light in which all can be seen clearly? We are all infected with this self-destructive virus and have become spiritual paupers! (First Beatitude.) But are we one who recognizes our own condition, or are we one who continues to embrace our sickness? Are we one who comes to God asking him to save us from our own evil heart, or are we full of darkness, self-righteous, like the Pharisees?

I think the last two chapters of Revelation sheds a great deal of light on this subject, but before we go to the end of the book, lets look at the beginning again. God creates a beautiful garden and gives it to Adam and Eve as a free gift! And then he warns Adam, you can enjoy all this garden, and have dominion over it, but only do not eat of that one tree. For if you do, there is a monster called death. God is always aware of the monsters. He points them out to us, just like he pointed out Judas, but do we listen?

The monster attacks Adam and Eve and all mankind suffers a great loss. But notice the difference between Adam and Eve, and the future actions of their son, Cain. We know Adam and Eve were ashamed, and sorry for what they had done. They also submitted to God’s judgement that came upon them. They may not have liked it, but they knew they were guilty, and they fessed up to it, even if they did try to pass the buck so to speak, still…in the end they fessed up.

However, fast forward a couple decades or so later, a son of Adam and Eve, CAIN, commits the first murder! The taking of a life! His own brother! Not only is it premeditated, but he never shows any remorse over his actions! He only shows regret for getting caught! Who are these people?! Is CAIN the father of them? Are they nothing but wolves? They have no heart of flesh and blood, but only of stone?

Assuming you know the basic story of Cain, and how he wanted to present his own works to God, (vegetables), and did not want to consider God’s reasons of why that was not acceptable. God makes this offer to him: “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” (Gen. 4:6-7)

Notice God offers Cain the path of acceptance, just like the father offered to the older brother, in the story of the Prodigal Son, he begged (it says), for the older brother to come in and join the celebration, but he did not! (I wonder if he later murdered his younger brother? Hhmmm.)

Notice the description of sin: crouching at the door, eager to control you. It sounds like a ravenous beast ready to devour Cain, and Cain chose the beast! He literally invites his brother out into the fields, knowing full well his plan is to murder him! He commits the murder, hides the body, and then tries to avoid admitting to the crime when God shows up! (Adam and Eve did not deny their actions.)

Once God passes judgement on Cain, “Cain replied to the Lord, ‘My punishment is too great for me to bear!” (Notice who he is still thinking about? Himself!) You have made me homeless, and anyone who finds me will kill me! (My paraphrase.) (Oh, you mean they will try to do to you what you intentionally did to your brother?) Who are these monsters whose mind works in these ways?! What kind of evil is this?

These are the people who need to fear God, for there is a real hell waiting for them, and with great regret (Ezek. 33:11), God will cast them there! But surely you are not such a person as this? (I hope.) I mean, if you are, then this is real darkness, and you are a monster! There are no plans for you in God’s future, except a place called hell. If God were such a monster, he would cast himself there too. (I sincerely believe this.) But God is not the monster. Satan is, and all those who love his ways.

Now we could speak of the condition of mankind when God flooded the earth, stating that a fresh start was the only hope. We could look at Esau, or possibly Sodom and Gomorrah, and we might eventually, but I mentioned the last two chapters of Revelation. I really like the light these two chapters shine on this subject. That is where we will take up in Part III. I hope you’re enjoying this.