He makes Faustian deals with many people in exchange for favors, and displays impressive powers, such as superhuman strength, super metabolism for prodigious drinking, super speed, reflexes, and reactions, shape-shifting from his human body to a terrifying devil with blazing red eyes, a brilliant command of knowledge and languages, musical talents in singing and piano, and most importantly, invulnerability and immortality. The actor playing him, Tom Ellis, is devilishly handsome, charismatic, beautifully articulate and witty. So..what’s not to like?
Originally the most beautiful and perfect of angels, Lucifer, the Biblical story tells us, rebelled against his father, God, and was cast out of Heaven to become ruler of Hell. He reigned there for eons as well as roamed the Earth to stir up temptation and evil.
In “Lucifer,” he angrily feels victimized and rejected by Dad, i.e.,God, and determines to enjoy his human form on Earth. Misunderstood by humans who see him as the incarnation of evil, he rants that he is not at fault for the worst things humanity does, as God created humans with free will. We choose what we do. Lucifer’s job is to punish, that’s all.
He becomes a police consultant to LAPD Deterctive Chloe Decker, solves crimes and learns about punishment the law and order way. As it turns out, he is only vulnerable in the presence of this Detective, who he comes to care about. He works with a therapist on his issues and the process of self-actualization. As one character says to him, “You know what your weakness is? You want to be good.”
The series drew a number of condemnations when it first appeared, with a Christian group calling the show as a mockery of the Bible and their religion, as well as spiritually dangerous for glorifying Satan as a caring, likable person. One critic responded that the fictional show is a metaphor; “Lucifer’s journey is all about self-sacrifice, selflessness, justice, consent, free will, agency, redemption and forgiveness,” topics which Christians can recognize and discuss.
It’s also about difficult choices, and love.
So is there a Science of Mind message in all this? Ernest Holmes has 11 references to “Devil” and 55 references to “evil” in the Science of Mind. “Evil is not an entity, but an experience on the pathway of self-unfoldment,” he says. “It is not a thing of itself but simply a misuse of power. It will disappear when we stop looking at, or indulging, in it. We cannot stop believing in it as long as we indulge in it, so the mystic has always taught the (human) race to turn from evil, and do good.”
Holmes reinforces the idea that we have free will. “The cosmic engine is started but man guides it in his own life.” Sin means making mistakes. These mistakes are punished by the Law of Cause and Effect.
Even in the “Lucifer” fictional Hell, punishment is being stuck in a loop of guilt, ever-repeating one’s Earthly sins. There is a way out, through forgiveness and redemption, but Lucifer says no one takes it.
The devil is a myth, says Holmes, and evil an illusion, which we can cast out from our thoughts; we can cease doing evil and do good. And we can, like “Lucifer,” engage in the gradual unfoldment of our inner self.
Apparently Season Five is coming, so more “Lucifer” adventures, whether on Earth or in Hell, are on the way.
And so it is.
Service 7/28/19 on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhzrNFeaQHo
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