11 August 2016 - idol thoughts

[ Today's Readings ]

Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house;
they have eyes to see but do not see,
and ears to hear but do not hear,
for they are a rebellious house.

This is what happens when we worship idols. We become like them.

Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
They have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them (see Psalm 115:4-8).

The LORD invites us to repent before these consequences run their course. Idols make us less than what we are. We become like the things we worship. If those things are less than human we begin to lose some of our humanity in pursuing them. The LORD warns us that he is willing to go as far as exiling us from our idols. He sends Ezekial through a hole in the wall to make this point. Seeing it in advance, he hopes, will convict the people and change their hearts.

And he surrendered his strength into captivity,
his glory in the hands of the foe.
He abandoned his people to the sword
and was enraged against his inheritance.

We are all scheduled for exile far from any possibility of idolatry. This is the final exile of death. Like Ezekiel, Jesus takes this path first to show us how we need to let go of our idols. We go and the idols cannot come with us. The only things we can bring are faith, hope, and love.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love (see First Corinthians 13:13).

We can't bring any unforgiveness with us. 

Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,
as I had pity on you?’
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.

We are called to let go of our selfish pursuits and embrace love and mercy. We can do so because God first has mercy on us. We can no longer act based on what we think anyone deserves because God in his mercy does not consider what we truly deserve.

Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan.

Let us not cling to temporary things. Let us instead rise on the wings of love. If we do, exile is not our final destination. Heaven is. We hear the Father say "Enter into the joy of your master" (see Matthew 25:23).