Sympathy? Sure, why not...

John 1:29

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

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Just as every cop is a criminal
And all the sinners saints
As heads is tails
Just call me Lucifer
'Cause I'm in need of some restraint

So if you meet me
Have some courtesy
Have some sympathy, have some taste
Use all your well-learned politesse
Or I'll lay your soul to waste

"Sympathy for the Devil" recorded by The Rolling Stones written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards from the album "Beggars Banquet"

The Devil doesn't need a press agent. He sings his own praises pretty well on his own. Throughout this song the Devil takes credit for some of the greatest travesties and miscarriages of justice known.

Lucifer takes credit for Jesus losing faith in his father and Pilate washing his hands. He takes credit for the Russian Revolution, the Blitz, and even the deaths of John and Bobby Kennedy. The devil dances with his fiddle while the world burns. There is joy and there is glee as the work of the opponent (the literal translation of "satan" from Hebrew) marches merrily along.

Lucifer loves himself and proclaims his victories. Cops are criminals, sinners are saints, heads are tails--Lucifer is in control and is in need of restraint. So show him some sympathy, show some courtesy, show some restraint, or else... or else sin incarnate, the embodiment of sin in this world will lay your soul to waste.

What the Stones play in ten minutes in this video John the Baptist negates in fifteen words. “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" That's it. John doesn't deny that there is sin, or that sin is a horrible thing. He doesn't even say when or how the Lamb of God will take away the sin of the world. But when he sees Jesus he proclaims  “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

Our hope? Lucifer doesn't stand a chance.

Matthew 5:44 says love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Does this include Lucifer? Why not? Does this mean we should have sympathy for the devil? Knowing that, as John says, the Lamb of God will take away Lucifer, take away the sin of the world; we can afford to have sympathy. But we can't afford to fall for his tricks. The devil's gonna get his due, Lucifer will be defeated. The Lamb of God will take away the sin of the world.

Let Mick sing. Let him boast today. Tomorrow's gonna be a whole new ball game.