Idols

The heart is an idol factory, so says John Calvin. From Adam and Eve’s bite, the golden calf at the foot of Mt. Sinai, the bronze serpent later worshiped, Gideon’s ephod, Jeroboam’s calves, the syncretism of later Israel, the apostle John’s last line to flee from idols, and Revelation’s recalcitrant beast-worshipers all testify to John Calvin’s statement.

The heart is an idol factory. And I have bemoaned that. Oh, my heart. Oh, my Lord. Forgive.

But while our heart is at work; so is the Lord. While our heart makes; our Lord is a greater Maker. The gospel is not just against idols, but it defeats the idols. The gospel is not just repulsed by idols; it meets them and diffuses them.

Lift up our shame-faced finds of our heart: Listen to the gospel of grace. We cannot remove our idols ourselves. God himself will remove our idols. He promises, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness, and from all your idols I will cleanse you” (Ezek. 36:25). In this day, in the day of Jesus our Lord. Our maker remakes our idol-making heart.

Lift up our soiled hearts to Jesus: Listen to the gospel of our Savior. Jesus faced all the trials of this world, he waited, he faced the temptations of power, comfort, security. Yet he never made an idol of stone or ideology or self or anything, but he loved the Lord his God with all his heart. So when we find our fleeting hearts looking to an idol, we turn our eyes to Jesus and find mercy instead of shame, life instead of death, fruit instead of a desert. It is not just "turn away" but "turn to," turn to our Lord.

Instead of the idol-heart-hunts I used to go on, I have a Spirit who will convict, but convict of more than guilt, but convict of the righteousness of our Lord. Does my heart wander? It stands on Jesus’ own steadfastness and unwillingness to bow. Does my heart wander? It is being remade. Instead of running; rest. Instead of hunting idols, open to the Master. Instead of penance, turn to. Instead of beating self, receive. Instead of gazing inside, gaze on Jesus. Instead of shame, mercy.