Sin always comes through what we consider good. No one does anything for the evil it will bring. He always does it for the “good” it will bring him.

Take an extreme example. When Hitler invaded Europe and killed the Jews, he was doing it for the good it will bring him. He wanted a stronger economy for his nation, Germany, and they needed more territory. He also thought that the Jews were the cause of their economic downturn and thus needed to be eliminated for the “good” of his nation. Hitler wasn’t doing evil for the sake of evil. No one does! He was doing evil for the sake of doing good.

When a thief steals, he does so to get something quick (quick is good).

When a man sleeps with a mistress, he does so for pleasure (pleasure is good).

When a woman cheats on her taxes, she does so for gain (gain is good).

Then, why are some things called evil? If no one does anything for the sake of evil, why is anything evil at all?

Evil is when the good takes priority over the best. In other words, evil is a mixed up order of important things in life. St. Augustine said, “sin is disordered love.”

What he meant was, for example, family is good. But if our love for it becomes greater than our love for God, it becomes an idol and becomes evil. Jesus said as much, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26

What’s wrong with loving our father and mother? Nothing. Unless we love them MORE than God. Then, it become evil. Evil is disordered love. Evil is loving something good instead of loving the best.

In case you think this is nitpicking and unimportant, Jesus didn’t think so. You saw it in Luke 14:26, and you see it in the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. What Jesus was tempted by were not evil things. They were good things (food, security, world), but Satan wanted Jesus to have them disregarding what would honor God. (Disordered love).

This has very scary implications. More on this on Wednesday….

PH