Praise the Lord!
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty doings of the Lord
or declare all his praise?
Happy are those who observe justice,
who do righteousness at all times.
Remember us, O Lord, when you show favor to your people;
help us when you deliver them,
that we may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that we may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,
that we may glory in your heritage.
Both we and our ancestors have sinned;
we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly…
They made a calf at Horeb
and worshiped a cast image.
They exchanged the glory of God
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
They forgot God, their Savior,
who had done great things in Egypt,
wondrous works in the land of Ham,
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
Therefore he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him,
to turn away his wrath from destroying them. (New Revised Standard Version)
When it comes to sin, especially the sin of idolatry, it’s imperative that we name it for what it is. It will do no good to fudge on it by saying that so-and-so struggles with it more than me, or that it’s not as bad as assault or murder.
No, we must call sinful idolatry just that, because the problem of idolatry is at the heart of humanity’s spiritual struggle. The first of the Ten Commandments frames it and names it squarely:
“I am the Lord your God who brought you out of slavery; do not worship other gods.” (Exodus 20:2-3, NRSV)
And the second commandment straight up prohibits any manufacturing or worshiping of idols:
“You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them….” (Exodus 20:4-5, NRSV)
In the New Testament Gospels, Jesus also drew sharp lines between God and idolatry:
“No one can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Matthew 6:24, NRSV)
The early church fathers (and mothers) forsook dependence on anything or anyone other than the one true God. Idolatry is an obsessive and fruitless search to satisfy a legitimate need in an illegitimate manner by giving oneself to someone or something other than the true object of the heart’s longing.
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”
St. Augustine
None of this means that the material and physical world is somehow bad – that money, possessions, food, books, nature, and other people are objects to avoid – because they are most certainly not! The problem arises whenever we seek to replace God with the things God made, God’s own creation.
By seeking to save our souls and fill the emptiness in our spirits with more and more wealth, or more and better jobs, or more time and expense for reading, or just about any other activity or possession there is, those things which were given for our use and enjoyment and to be stewarded well by us, end up becoming the users and our masters.
Inanimate objects, ideas, and activities begin calling the shots and giving the commands about what we should do and not do. What we own, now owns us. Even the poor can succumb to idolatry through the sin of covetousness by wanting things they do not have in the belief that wealth and possessions will make their lives whole and worthy. But this breaks the tenth commandment:
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female slave, ox, donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:17, NRSV)
Nature and all the earth were formed by the Creator. And, as such, they too, give glory to God and recognize they themselves are not to be worshiped.
The heavens are telling the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge. (Psalm 19:1-2, NRSV)
Genuine wealth, prosperity, happiness and peace are found in the Creator of all good things. It is God who will:
- wipe every tear from our eyes (Isaiah 25:1-9)
- provide protection and guidance through the hard times of life (Isaiah 54:17)
- be present with us as we walk through the valley of despair and ascend the mountain of celebration and joy (Psalm 23)
The reason idolatry is so insidious and difficult to name is that our affections are typically on a good thing which God has created and given for us. It’s just that, over time and through an extended process, the tail begins to wag the dog. For example:
- Humanity serves the Sabbath instead of the Sabbath serving humanity
- Parishioners venerate a church building instead of the church building being a tool for ministry
- People are slaves to their hobbies instead of the hobby serving the person
- Spouses worship one another instead of worshiping the God who brought them together
- Groups let their traditions hold them with an iron grip, instead of traditions being held loosely by groups
It could (and does) happen to each one of us. And when it does, we need the wisdom and humility to see it for what it has become. Then, confess it as idolatry, and accept the forgiveness which is freely available from the Divine.
Almighty and everlasting God: Not to us, but to your name we give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! Yet because of the idolatry in our hearts, we have strayed far from you. We have disobeyed your commandments; we have trusted our own judgement; and we wonder why we feel distant from you. We have worshipped idols of silver and gold—and idols of self and comfort. Forgive us for not loving you as we ought, not obeying you as we were taught, and not trusting that our forgiveness has been bought. Amen.
Rev. Tim Ehrhardt 