Says Who?

Acts 12:18-25
Herod is a king. But when he appears in public to address the people of Tyre and Sidon they flatter him with the words, “The voice of a god, and not of a mortal!” (Acts 12:22) As a result Herod is struck down with a deadly illness—a fact attested to by other sources (Oxford Annotated Study Bible, John 12:20-23n). In human terms, of course, Herod would probably would have done just fine as a god. His whereabouts are readily known, he has the power to kill (as with the prison guards [v. 19]) and to sustain (as with the food for the people of Tyre and Sidon [v. 20]), but most of all he is susceptible to flattery, which can come in very handy if you need to manipulate your deity. But these are not the factors that define God. Indeed it is impossible for us to define God, especially in human terms. Try as we might, God is beyond our ability to set limits or to draw up images. And, as in the case with Herod, the minute we think we have a picture of God (or of a god) we have committed a form of idolatry. Who says that Herod is a god? The people do. But before we condemn them for their shortsightedness we had best make sure we aren’t committing idolatry ourselves.

John 8:47-59
“Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). Jesus is speaking to a group whom John refers to as “the Jews” (vv. 52, 57). And thought they are about to stone Jesus for blasphemy he leaves them and goes on his way. Unlike Herod, of course, Jesus does not fit the model of gods in human terms, so when he claims the sacred name of God (I am) for himself he causes great consternation. Jesus is God, but he gives glory to the Father and takes none for himself. He knows where all of this will lead him, but he does it anyway—again, not very “god-like”. Who says Jesus is God? The Father does, and so do we who would be Jesus’ disciples. But we must constantly struggle to embrace Jesus’ message of self-sacrifice and faithful obedience, even if the world says we’ve picked a lousy “god”.

Prayer: Almighty God, help us to live in obedience to you and your Son and to resist the claim worthless idols on our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.