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This is one of the few passages where Jesus speaks directly about Satan. Perhaps a word, then, on the nature of evil and how the devil works.
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Imagine you’re in a refugee camp. People are injured, hungry, stressed, and homeless. You’re just a volunteer aid worker, handing out food and supplies.
Like the refugees, you’re tired, hungry, and sweaty, but you don’t give up because there’s still work to be done.
You’re not trying to save the world; you know by now you can’t. You’re just trying to serve your neighbor as Jesus has commanded you to do.
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Suddenly, you receive word that Satan himself has entered the camp. He’s roaming around somewhere, hiding in someone.
So how do you spot him?
Saint Paul says that Satan, “masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14), meaning he tries to blend in with the crowds as much as possible.
So how do you find him?
He’s hiding in the one person who doesn’t have dirt underneath his fingernails, sweat dripping from his face, or the look of an empty stomach.
He may be wearing a volunteer uniform, but he’s doing nothing to help his neighbor. He just stands back and watches.
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That’s the timeless temptation of Christians – not to get our hands dirty; to just blend in; to stand back and watch.
We know that Jesus tells us to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to visit the sick and imprisoned, but there’s a world of difference between knowing what Jesus tells us to do and actually doing it.
The worst thing someone can say about us is that they cannot tell the difference between a Christian and a person without faith.
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You and I are meant to be the light of the world, the salt of the earth.
We may not be able to put an end to suffering, but we must work alleviate it. It’s what the Lord commands us to do.
How, then, will I get my hands dirty – so to speak – by loving and serving others today?