In the werewolf, as with other classic fictional monsters, we see a kind of “negative image” of the Gospel, what we might become apart from God, apart from salvation in Christ. And we are therefore put in mind of the great gift that we’ve been given by the grace of Christ. Christ has come to restore us to God, so that we might no longer howl at the moon, in frustration or anger, but instead shout praise in love and gratitude to our Maker and Redeemer.

When I think about what is the greatest challenge we Christians face today, it is not the coarseness of mass media, or the infringement of our First Amendment rights, or even Sunday morning soccer games. No, the greatest threat we face in our life with God is not any of these usual suspects; rather it’s our refusal to wrestle with God’s Word.

Jesus asks his disciples, if a slave should be rewarded for just doing what they are told to do. No, of course not. Just so, Jesus says, when believers have done what is expected of us, what God commanded, no matter how difficult or how impactful, we should say, “We are worthless slaves. We have only done what we ought to have done.” You can’t find a more explicitly demeaning and denigrating statement of humanity’s state than that.