Idolize me [Trinity 25; St. Matthew 24:15-28]

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO HERE.

On this antepenultimate Sunday, our Lord speaks directly to us saying:

“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”

Every time “abomination” is used in the Bible, it refers to idols and that which is offered to them. Which means that one of the key ways to recognize the abomination is to understand what an idol is and what an idol is not.

It is popularly taught, even in churches, that idols are only physical things. They are statues or pictures that people buy in tourist traps and use to decorate their house. It is taught that the buddha statues are a part of this category because it all falls under the heading of “graven image”.

This of course from our first Commandment from God which tells us not to have any other gods before Him. Some churches mistakenly split this commandment into 2 where one says “no other gods” and the other is “no graven image”, which causes the confusion. If we separate other gods and images, then we get a list of commands that are doable.

This way of teaching allows us to love an invisible God over other invisible gods and call it a day. That’s easy. We can put away the physical things that seem to represent other gods or heaven things. That’s easy, too. And there’s 2 commandments checked off our to-do list. Won’t God be pleased?

God forbid! The true teaching of the first command is one: that the worship of other gods is the worship of idols, for there is only one, living God. All others are fakes who cannot hear or see or talk (Ps. 135:16). Which means that simply throwing out your buddha statue or favorite painting is not enough to rid you of crimes against the first commandment.

This is because an idol demands much more than mere presence. It demands worship. It demands obedience. It demands a church. The Lord goes on in describing the first command, saying: “You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Ex. 20:5)

Repent. You think statues and other works of art fool God. You believe that if you just keep these things out of your life that you will be free from idols and demons harassing you and tempting you away from Christ. And you are wrong.

It is the idols and demons that we keep secret, that are the real danger. The Lord sees the idols and graven images in our hearts (Jer. 17:9). Our heart is deceitful above all things when the truth is we should be loving God above all things. Anything can take our fear, love, and trust away from God. Your own reason or thinking, wealth, your belly or emotions, even our own families. There is nothing in all Creation resistant to being made into an idol by you.

Since we are not safe and since we have secret idols we keep hidden, what is going to rescue us from our idolatry? The idols are abominations. They are abominations, because they remove people from the true Church and place them into the Devil’s chapel. And it works, because the devil’s chapel does things and sounds exactly like Christ’s Church complete with its own word and sacraments.

What may surprise you is that security is found in Confession and Absolution. Yes, of course the answer is Jesus, but there are so many Jesus’ out there, which one is the right one? It is the one that is confessed correctly according to His Word.

And it is only the Word confessed in His Church that saves and prevents false idols in your hearts, because it is only in the place where Christ creates His salvation that will hold any sort of protection for you. By this I mean, the place where Jesus says something is what it is, regardless of what we see.

We confess that all we see are a gathered, rag-tag group of sinners who are probably worse people than myself, sitting next to me. Yet, Jesus says that they are faithful and forgiven and worthy to receive the gifts of the most-high God. In that we believe Jesus’ words over our own understanding, we are absolved.

We confess that all we see is water from the tap, filled with fluoride and other chemicals designed for our good, not worth a second thought when spilled or stepped in. Yet, Jesus says this is the River of Life. A worthy vessel to be used in washing the heart for one’s salvation. A water that tears open the heavens gains favor from God. In that we believe Jesus instead of our eyes, we are absolved.

We confess that all we see are bread and wine, found on any table in the world, made from the same grapes that children eat and from the same grains that animals eat. Yet, the Lord declares, “This is my Body” and “This is my Blood”. The same body and blood that rule the heavens and all the powers therein. Believing these words, we have what the promise declares: the forgiveness of sins.

This is the priceless gift purchased with the Blood of Christ on the cross. A Confessing Church; a place in time and space that you can get to, where no idolatry is present. Where Jesus makes a stronghold against the Abomination that is the anti-Church. In confessing your sin of unbelief, idols, and graven images you freely receive the absolution of Christ and His Faith which does not fail.

In the Holy Ark of Christ’s Word, the Abomination of Desolation does not have a foothold. In Christ’s Church, we always hear the words, “Here is the Christ” and “there He is”, because they are the words of Jesus, not of men. He is not in the secret places where the devil will try to lure you to remove your faith.

Jesus is in the public places. As the lightning comes from the east and shines in the west, so is the Church of Christ. It is all over the world, yet it is one body of Christ. And it is obvious, just as the lightning is. She is decorated as one who is loved. With art, with care, and with purpose. She houses the gifts of God that bring salvation and all her décor is only to direct people to them.

She calls pastors, she cries out with the wisdom of God, and she treasures and administers the Word and Sacraments to a dying and idolatrous world, because her gifts are only for idolaters. They are only for those who are lost sinners, destroyed by the sin and corruption of unbelief.

Jesus has not left us uninformed or defenseless or without hope. We have been given the Word. It guides and informs as to where Christ is saving His people from sin, death, and the power of the devil. We have been given the Sacraments. They heal, nourish, and keep us in the true faith which repels even the very gates of hell.

We have also been given the Resurrection and by it hope. Hope that this life of idols and demons is not all there is. Hope that though the forces of darkness gather stronger and stronger, they do not win. They have been judged. The deed is done. They lie. Jesus does not. The true Church gathers where the crucified and risen corpse, or Body of Jesus is.

Thus the new command is for you to bring your idols and your sin as offering. They are the only things truly owned by you. You are to cast them down at the feet of this Altar, not in obedience but in Faith that they will be exchanged for righteousness and the true image of God: Christ the Crucified.