He was slick and I was young. He was offering me a “great deal,” and it was only a twelve-month contract. I was young and naïve, and I signed the contract. Well, it turns out it was too expensive, it was a lousy deal, and it was an annual contract that automatically renewed—and I was snookered! It took me months to finally extricate myself from this “great deal,” but that’s the nature of deception. Deception hides all the down side and exaggerates all the benefits. Deception is inherently selfish, self-serving, and malicious. Deception treats the other as a thing to be exploited for one’s own benefit. Deception by its very nature is evil.

Now, no wonder the first deceiver was found in the garden with two very young creatures who weren’t ready for what their Creator had always intended to give them. And no wonder, when confronted with their deceiver, they failed to trust him who had never done them anything but good. They were young and naïve, and the deceiver, instead of how he presented himself to them as someone who was both slandering and accusing their Creator and only trying to “help” them, was actually intent on their destruction as a way to hurt his and their Creator. Evil! Pure evil.

One quick rabbit trail—please forgive me. Evil is not a thing. It’s the absence of a thing, just like darkness is the absence of light and cold is the absence of heat. But make no mistake: Nothing is a very powerful force. You see, it was always the intent of the Creator to give his creatures all he possessed. He always intended to give Adam and Eve the very thing the deceiver was lying to them and telling them that God was withholding from them and that thing was something very important for them. Of course, he was withholding this from them at this time. They weren’t ready for it; they were too young. They had not developed the kind of relationship with him and with each other to be able to handle this gift, and they proved as much after their falling in the deceiver’s trap by blaming each other and even blaming the God who made them. They weren’t ready! God had always intended to tell them everything, but as a good and loving parent, he knew that they needed to develop, grow in relationship, experience and love, before they would be able to embrace this growing relationship well and grow up into the original intent of their Creator: to join him in his loving community of himself, the life of the Holy Trinity.

Just look at our gospel lesson. In fact, it’s going to sound familiar from yesterday. Luke 12:32-40:

Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give alms. Provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, and be like men who are awaiting for their master to come home from the marriage-feast, so that they may open to him at once when he comes and knocks.

Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch or in the third and finds them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of man is coming at an unexpected hour.

Look at this: “It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” With this, the Lord Jesus reveals an amazing gift and lays down an equally terrifying opportunity. The gift is plain: the Father wishes and has always—notice this consistent emphasis—intended to give you everything he has. His humility, generosity, and love know no bounds. He always intended to share with you everything he is and has. He has never wished to withhold anything from you. The lie told to our first parents is the same tired lie we fall prey to today. That lie says, “God is not good. God is holding something back. God just wants you to be subservient to him,” or, “God doesn’t exist.” Lies. All lies. And the lie is with one intent: steal from you and wage war against God by destroying the objects of his love.

God has been slandered and lied about. It is God’s good pleasure to give you all he has. Of course, there is one exception. “Ha ha!” you say, “The catch!” He is uncreated, and we are created. That’s the gulf that’s never going to be crossed, and yet God’s eternal life will work backwards and forwards in our life, filling all your past with his grace and love and extending your life forever by filling you up with himself.

And this is where the terrible opportunity shows up. God’s love for you is so profound and complete that he will not violate your free participation, or lack of participation, in his life. You can, foolishly, continue to be deceived. You can continue to be enslaved to a lie. You don’t have to participate in his life if you choose not to, but you will also never escape the reality of his continual love and life, and rejecting his love and, out of your freedom, choosing to make yourself a slave to the lie, you will be forever tormented by your own foolishness. That’s why they call it hell.

Today, are you free from the subtle lie of the deceiver? Does your life reflect your growing maturity in your growing relationship with God and those around you? It can! All the spiritual medicine meant to heal every aspect of your life is here and available for you for the taking in the divine mysteries of the holy Orthodox Church. All you have to do is exercise your will to embrace your Father’s good pleasure and all he has is yours. This means that not one tear is wasted, not one challenge or hardship is ever empty of joy or potential to shape you as his disciple. Your life is full of wonder and joy, and all it takes is a willingness to be Orthodox on purpose.