The Sunday Sermonette – The Evil of Beauty.
Tis the season for ghosties and ghoulies and things that go bump in the night. One of my many fond memories of my college days was the Haunted House in the creepy, cobweb-infested attic of Ross Hall on the campus of William Carey College, now a University. It was created via the Theater Department and featured the usual suspects: ghosts, vampires, a werewolf or two, and cadavers in caskets. A good time was had by all!
One October afternoon in my Humanities Class, a class that delved into the human experience through art, literature, and philosophy, taught by Dr. Jack Rodgers, I was introduced to a painting that has “haunted” me ever since. Once the classroom window shades were drawn, he clicked on the overhead projector. It purred with delight. Then he slid a picture on the glass cover, and instantly, the image of a naked angel filled one wall. There were a few gasps, a few giggles, and many young minds thinking, “Where is the good Doctor going with this?” He then gave a lecture on the beauty of evil and its dangers.
The painting, “The Fallen Angel” by Alexandre Cabanel, was one of the first paintings to portray the Devil. It caused quite a sensation in Paris when it was first unveiled in 1847. Heretofore, Christian art usually included saints, angels, and heroic figures as subject matter, but not the Devil, and certainly not one so beautiful.
Cabanel’s painting was inspired by John Milton’s famous poem, “Paradise Lost,” which tells the story of Adam and Eve’s fall due to their disobedience regarding the apple, and the Devil’s rebellion stemming from his jealousy of Father God’s high regard for His son, Jesus Christ. The Devil also convinced a third of Heaven’s angels to rebel with him. And for that, he and the other angels were cast out of Heaven.
Can you imagine the Devil falling in a downward flurry from the glories of Heaven, only to land amongst earth’s crags, banished, outcast, and fuming with a silent rage that tensed every muscle in his body? This is what the Cabanel’s painting conveys. The artist paid special attention to the Devil’s eyes. As he seemingly hides his face behind his right arm, one eye comes into view. A large teardrop is about to fall from it. Look closely, it appears there is another teardrop in the other eye.
The Devil’s scowling expression speaks a thousand words without saying a thing. He is angry, defiant, and wrathful, smoldering over what just happened to him. This, and the fact that his eyes are red-rimmed with hate, makes it appear that he is ready to strike back at God. But since he had been expelled from Heaven, he was now doomed to roam the earth. His new victims would not be God’s angels but His children. And that is where the Devil’s beauty came in handy. When he was created, he was described as the most beautiful angel. But when he was expelled from Heaven, the most beautiful angel became the evil prince of the world. He became the embodiment of evil, using his beauty to deceive.
When I think of the Devil, I don’t think of a cartoonish creature with red flesh, crowned with horns, and sporting a tail. No! I think of a beautiful creature, beguiling, seductive, and cunning. He wears the finest designer clothes. He drives a Porsche, has impeccable manners, and tempts you with everything you desire or admire. He wears seduction as a crown and can morph into your heart’s desire.
Take heart, though, my friends! There is hope, and it is found in God’s Holy Word. St. Matthew tells us to beware of false prophets (and we can assume the Devil, as well), which “come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” St. Peter tells us to “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh around, seeking whom he may devour?” The Book of Ephesians tells us to “put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil.”
These verses highlight the deceptive nature of the Devil and the importance of being vigilant as you walk this treacherous path called Life. Remember that the Devil (Or Satan, Lucifer, Beelzebub, or Mephistopheles, whichever name you wish to call him) also knows your Achilles heel, so to speak. He will tempt you repeatedly, never giving up. The Bible also tells us, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.” A humble heart helps pave the way for God’s power to work in us.
When the Devil tempts, remember: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
God always provides an escape route if we look for it. Pause. Pray. And ask Him to show you the path away from that which tempts you, be it a lust for money, power, or sex; the lure of love in all the wrong places; or the evils of gambling, liquor, or divorce, and relationships that distress and pull you down.
These blueprints can transform your everyday life, providing strength and hope. Each day. Each step. Lean on God’s promises. The more His truth encapsulates your mind and heart, the less room there is for the beguiling Devil’s temptation to take hold.
Ponder this and go forth.
