Darkness is the absence of light. Cold is the absence of heat. Please note darkness and cold are nothing. The logic here wants me to then say evil is the absence of good. To a degree that is correct. It is evil for good people to stand by and do nothing when they see horrible things being done to others. But that is only a partial definition because evil is also the ignored acts being done.
Apparently the right kind of anger is not evil for Scripture makes record of Jesus being angry. Mark 3 reads, “Then he spoke to the people: ‘What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?’ No one said a word. He looked them in the eye, one after another, angry now, furious at their hard-nosed religion. He said to the man, ‘Hold out your hand.’ He held it out-it was as good as new! The Pharisees got out as fast as they could, sputtering about how they would join forces with Herod’s followers and ruin him.”
I doubt any of us would classify ourselves as being evil. We might admit to being naughty or at best bad, but never evil. That descriptor belongs to the Hitlers of the world. It is a difficult thing to admit but how often have we turned away from doing good because it was not convenient or particularly useful for us? We rationalize our actions lest we feel guilty and so we excuse ourselves. But James does say, “To him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin. Ouch. At some point we have to be honest with ourselves and realize the only way we can be saved is by grace.
Written by Roger Bothwell on June 16, 2009
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574