Wandering Crusader #280 Villainy

Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Luke 13:4-5

Every story needs a villain. The story of the Gospel is no different. But just who is the villain of the Gospel? The ready answer might be the Devil, but he plays such a small role that seems unlikely. Judas Iscariot tends to be mentioned more as an aside than the story’s driving force of evil. Considering the prevalent trend in preaching, it must be the Sadducees and the Pharisees.

Nevertheless, I am given to wonder if they were really sinners above everyone who dwelt in Jerusalem. There is no question that they opposed the preaching of Jesus and were behind the crucifixion. The “why” to their opposition is generally misrepresented as a selfish desire for prominence and an unyielding insistence on rituals, coupled with ignorance of the prophets. Those charges certainly find their marks among both groups.

But…were those things truer of them than everyone else? Was their love of the spotlight more or less than that of the publicans who used wealth as self-promotion? Was their demand for ritual a greater error than the complete lack of it among the poorer class? Was their attendance at Jesus’ preaching to “catch Him in His words” a greater sin than that of the throngs who heard and walked away unchanged?

In truth of fact, they were just men. That is where the whole problem lies. Among men, there is none righteous, not the religious leader, not the rich nor the poor, not the man who performs for fame nor the shirker of duty. We are all villains. People talk of standing before God as if they actually believed themselves capable of it. The only people who will stand before God are those who have fallen before Him, begging for mercy and whom He has received and lifted up.

A comic strip once warned, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” To find the true villain of the Gospel is simple enough—go look in the mirror. There you will find the one who shouted, “Crucify Him!”

“Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

Maranatha