The difference is redemption.
There is a
series that originated on network television before migrating to Netflix called
“Lucifer”. And the title character is
the devil, Lucifer Morningstar, king of hell, who came to earth and helps an
LAPD detective solve murders. Of course
he does.
I understand
the interest. The devil, what an
interesting character study. He has a
therapist, he’s trying to ‘grow’. It was
always a show for a mature audience. Once
it hit Netflix, it was even more so.
From a humanist cultural perspective, Lucifer makes for a fascinating
figure. The embodiment of evil, the
rebellious angel, the waylayer of the goodness of humanity, among other
things. Media has come to this character
on several occasions, not just in this show but as a recurring character in “Supernatural”
as well.
But what this
humanist approach to Lucifer accomplishes is a reflection of their
consideration of humanity. Can the evil
be redeemed? Even outside of Christian
thought and theology, this question weighs heavily. Can the evil be redeemed?
In Christian
theology, Lucifer, Satan, is the embodiment of all against God. Satan is not a sinful being but, to look at
Genesis, the author of sin. And in
Genesis, Satan was not trying to turn Adam and Eve against God, but rather to subvert
their obedience to God. It was a
malicious determination to destroy what God created.
Lucifer is
beyond redemption. He is destroyed in
the Last Day, according to the Book of Revelation. So, for the sake of this post, Lucifer is
evil. For the sake of this post, Lucifer
is beyond redemption, from a Biblical perspective.
It is for
humanity that God has created a plan of redemption. We are sinful, as a species, taken there through
an appeal to human self-interest and deception.
Lucifer should be held responsible for that, as Satan, and Lucifer will
be. But as we created as beings with
free will, we hold responsibility for our own actions.
But the promises
of God are universal. The assurance of
our salvation is guaranteed by the power of Providence. God acts in, what to we humans, is a
paradox. We have the freedom of choice,
which includes the freedom to turn away from the promises of God and follow the
path of evil (which Lucifer takes us along) or the choice to give ourselves
into the mercy of God for the forgiveness won for us in Jesus, but still within
the plan and perfection of God.
But that
drifts us into discussion of foreknowledge and predestination, which is a whole
other place.
So, when I
contrast “sin” and “evil”, in this context, it is to assign these terms
absolutes (over and against their more general meanings) to contrast those who
can be redeemed versus those who cannot be redeemed.
Why, in the Biblical witness, can
Lucifer not be redeemed? Because Lucifer
has turned irrevocably against God and seeks to subvert God’s plan and
purpose.
In the popular media, why is there
an obsession with redeeming Lucifer? I
believe it is because there is a hunger in humanity to find redemption. It is a question in the human heart and mind
which our faith gives us an answer to.
To be so hungry for redemption strikes me that there is a fear that
redemption is ultimately lacking, because we, as humanity, know our sin and
know our capacity to commit evil acts.
While the truth is that, in the
promises of God, redemption is promised to all humanity.
Peter Hofstra
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