Wow, it's quiet around here.

So I remember Jon mentioning that I had hung him out to dry on this blog... seeing as he was the only one posting.. So I'm back.. Got some time over the next few weeks and thought I'd throw down a few words.

I'm currently reading a few books and today I happen to be reading Death by Love. So far it's an interesting read. A blend of some hard core theological mixed with the occasional "dude" reference. You'll find words like "Cristus Victor" and "Expiation" well laid out and defined using whole chapters.

However, I just wanted to write something that came to mind as I was reading today. Driscoll writes of Jesus' death on the cross, "...on the cross Jesus hid his victory in defeat, hid his glory in shame and hid our life in his death. Satan and the demons did not see this because they lacked the sight of faith and did not understand the humility of Jesus" (44).

As I stopped to think about this text, I started to question why Satan would miss such a thing? I was having a conversation the other day about the devil and whether or not he could repent. It's interesting because of all creatures, you would think that having lived and communed with The Holy God, having witnessed the creation of man, the playing out of the Old and New Testaments, if anyone had enough "proof" it would be Satan. But then I remembered a conversation I had with a good friend a while back. He was struggling in a relationship and wanted the opportunity to be able to explain himself to his ex. The challenge is that she believed that she "understood" everything and her decision was final. In our conversation he kept reiterating that she COULD NOT have understood what he was trying to say, for if she did, then she would see it his way.

I wonder how many times we don't see or understand things simply because we believe that we are right and that everyone who is right would see exactly what we see and respond the same way? And if they don't see it "our way," then THEY must be the ones that are wrong.. because everyone must be like us, or at least aspire to be like us.

I have to admit that I've felt this way many times and on occasion joked how the would be a better place if there were just more of me around. I wonder if Satan feels the same way? How much better would things be if everyone were just a bit more like him? A little more prideful, a little more deceiving, a little less gracious, a little more angry, a little more scornful, a little less forgiving... why? because then he would be god.

I wonder if Satan didn't see, and continues not to see his future because he believes that everyone, including God, is like him. When he saw Jesus broken and torn on the cross, he assumed that he was really defeated, not that he was simply masking his victory in defeat and his glory in humility...