Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent : Exodus 32:7-14; John 5:31-47
“There are those like Norfolk who follow me because I wear the crown; and those like Master Cromwell who follow me because they are jackals with sharp teeth and I’m their tiger; there’s a mass that follows me because it follows anything that moves. And then there’s you.” King Henry VIII to Sir Thomas More, A Man For All Seasons
We Westerners like to think of ourselves as mature people who can think and choose for ourselves. We may bristle at the thought of someone else interfering in our lives. We believe that being a leader is better than being a follower. If you can’t be a leader, then at least be a rebel or a misfit. See how often the rebel becomes the hero in action movies.
A nice, appealing fantasy. However, it doesn’t explain why we so quickly and easily line up behind whoever wears the “crown”; how easily we just follow “anything that moves”. We set some people up as objects of our fantasies or as role models who embody something we wish we could be. We follow all the ups and downs of the lives of celebrities – people who are “famous for being famous”. We have followed “matinée idols”, “teen idols”, rock stars, billionaires, sex symbols, and star athletes. We emulate their dress and speech and style.
Politicians, too, have sometimes been seen in this way. In 2007, Oprah Winfrey famously named Barack Obama “The One”. Last year, some supporters portrayed Donald Trump in similar terms. Presidential candidates, in particular, can’t help but present themselves as secular messiahs who have the solutions to all our national problems. They are like Harold Hill from the old musical “The Music Man”, warning us that we have trouble, right here in River City, and promising us that they, and they alone, have the answers that will save us.
There is no doubt that at least some of these people we admire and hold up as personal “idols” have some admirable qualities that are worth imitating. However, they are only human, as we are. Our admiration of them can easily stray into a kind of worship. That is not meant as a criticism. It simply reminds us that all human beings – even Westerners – are “hard-wired” mentally and spiritually for worship. As Bob Dylan once sang, “gotta serve somebody”. Indeed we do serve one another, even if in limited ways. But who – or what – gets our ultimate worship? How would someone else who knows us answer that question on our behalf, based on our words, actions and priorities?
The people of Israel had that challenge. They had been living in Egypt as slaves for four centuries. Then, Moses comes along and announces that their God has come to save them from slavery and to lead them into a new land flowing with milk and honey. The people witness signs and wonders. They finally are able to leave Egypt, seemingly convinced that their God is truly the Almighty.
But then they arrive at Mount Sinai. Moses goes up the mountain and is not seen again for forty days. The people respond by making their own “god”, their own “idol” that they can worship – a golden calf. This is not far different from how every generation in our own era makes its own “idols” by buying their music, seeing their movies, and making them the objects of their fantasies. The God of Moses seems too far beyond their control. They want to worship, yes, but they want a god of their own making. A god they can control. A god who will be what they wish it to be.
In the Gospel reading for today, Jesus presents himself to the “Jews” as the true “One”, the One sent by the Father to bring salvation to the world. (As an aside, note that when the Gospel of John refers to “Jews”, it usually means those Jews who oppose or reject Jesus in some way. After all, almost everyone in this Gospel is a Jew, including Jesus!) Jesus announces that both John the Baptist and the Father himself have given testimony to him. Moreover, the words and works of Jesus also testify to who he truly is. And yet, Jesus is opposed and rejected by many. Some, then as now, prefer a God who can be completely described by laws and customs. Jesus has already shown himself to be more than this, as much as he respects law and custom. Some, then as now, prefer a God who will promise them wealth and power and pleasure and honor in this life. Jesus speaks of a cross that he and those who follow him must carry. He warns his followers that though some people will welcome them, others will reject them. Nevertheless, Jesus promises that he will never abandon anyone who puts their faith in him. He points to the example of his life among his people as proof of his love for them and for us.
So, who is “The One” for you? For me? We may trust one another with this or that task, but do we truly entrust the core of our hearts to the Lord? Like the Israelites, we often find that we have divided hearts. We want to worship God, but we also want to worship something of our own making. May the Holy Spirit enlighten our hearts so that we can worship the Lord, and the Lord alone.