Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Yeah, Right

Exodus 32:21-34 1
Thessalonians 1:1-10
Aaron got caught red-handed. He had aided the people in their revolt against God but then he made excuses to his brother, Moses. “And Aaron said, ‘Do not let the anger of my lord burn hot; you know the people, that they are bent on evil. They said to me, 'Make us gods, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. 'So I said to them, 'Whoever has gold, take it off'; so they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!’" (Exodus 32:22-24). Blame it on the people, he says, and the fire. They put in the gold and out came the calf, honest! Aaron comes off sounding like a child who broke a widow: “Don’t blame me. The ball did it.” But the truth is at the fist hint of trouble Aaron joined with those who rejected God in favor of something of their own creation.

The epistle lesson for today offers an interesting contrast to the Exodus passage. “For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God…” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Here we find the gospel taking root among those who had previously worshiped false deities. The members of the Thessalonian church could have held onto their previous habits, could have hedged their bets by keeping an idol or two stashed nearby for emergencies. But they chose to serve a “living and true God.” Where we see Aaron all too quickly turning away from the Lord, these men and women have turned toward God – even in the face of persecution.

There is a challenge here for us. Do we remain faithful to the God by whose grace we live? Or do we turn away at the first opportunity, creating false realities for ourselves? Are we willing to face the hardships that come with steadfast faith? Or are we determined to follow Aaron down the path of idolatry? The choice is ours.

Prayer: Lord, help us to be faithful in all we do. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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