Thursday: Idolatry in Education
Ancient Israel had been surrounded by very religious people, people so dedicated to worshiping and placating their gods that they would sacrifice even their own children to them. That’s dedication, is it not?
Hence, worship, true worship of the true God, was an important part of protecting the Hebrews from getting caught up in the idolatry and false worship surrounding them.
Image © Elfred Lee at Goodsalt.com
And yet, despite all the warnings, they still fell into the idolatrous practices that they had been specifically warned against.
What about us today? Why would worship of the true God, recounting all that He has done for us, be so important, as well – especially in the face of the dangers of modern idolatry?
Read Mark 7:1-13. What principle do we find in verses 7-9 that could apply today in the context of Christian education and the danger of false teaching, taken from the world, that could negatively impact the practice of our faith?
Many of the great intellectual ideas in the world today are based on a naturalistic view of reality. Many disciplines studied in school today are studied from that perspective, which often means that what is taught will be contradictory to Scripture. We can be tempted to worship ideas that have been postulated, theorized, and put into practice. We can also deify the brilliant minds of the philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians who trademarked these ideas. The problem is that often these ideas can clash with Scripture, yet because they are now currently taught and believed to be true, people try to incorporate them into Christian education. However, the only way that can be done is to compromise the faith, which often means twisting and distorting the Scriptures in order to try to make Scripture fit with current ideas.
| What are some of the current popular beliefs that clash with Scripture, and how can we as a church protect ourselves from incorporating them into our own educational system? |
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The lesson jumps around from topic to topic today a bit like a drunken grasshopper, so I will stick to the issue found in the story in Mark 7.
To those of us who are familiar with the changes of behaviour that COVID-19 has initiated, it seems somewhat strange that Jesus was arguing with the Pharisees and Scribes about the washing of hands before eating. One would have thought that clean hands before eating were requisite. So here is a little bit of background.
When I was teaching high school in Melbourne a good few years ago. A number of the private schools formed a series of moderating committees to monitor the high school certificate level assessment in the subjects we taught. Our Seventh-day Adventist School combined with a number of Christian and Jewish Schools and we would meet together about twice a year. One of the schools in our group was a Hasidim (Jewish ultraorthodox) school. It was interesting because there were quite a few points of comparison between the issues facing both Hasidim and Adventist students. The Hasidim found it difficult to interact with other schools because of their cultural requirements. If they went to another school for say a debating competition, one of the very big concerns was that they would be able to perform their hand purification before partaking of any refreshments. Their physics teacher who wasn't Hasidim outlined all the issues about water and basins and pouring vessels that were required before they were considered purified enough to eat. Obviously a simple scrub up under a running tap wasn't good enough.
This is the issue that came up in Mark 7. Jesus saw through their question and took the opportunity to show them how they manipulated the law to their own good. He gave an example of how they got around the commandment to honour their father and mother and not look after them appropriately.
This was not heathen idolatry with all its fertility rites and child sacrifices. This was pure hypocritical manipulation; the abuse of religion to ignore the plight of others.
Jesus was scathing in his condemnation of the hypocrisy:
His disciples did not seem to understand either, so Jesus explained more:
Why do Seventh-day Adventists need this message?
Perhaps it is time to have more in depth conversations about what it means to 'let us all bow our heads" or 'this do in remembrance of Me', for example, concerning the Communion service. Cov19 has answered some of our standard questions like: Does foot washing require bare feet? Must the bread always take the same size and shape and always made by the Deaconate?
Today, in some places, Parking Lot and Virtual/Zoom/Phone Communion have replaced the pomp of our services, (My favorite was to watch the Deaconesses fold and unfold the cloth covering the table) but the deeper meaning remains. Now is an opportunity to search out those meanings. Is it really about obediently carrying out the rituals?
Thank you both Maurice and Priscilla, I think it would be useful to consider our rituals in worship and what are the benefits and what are the dangers.
I think in our everyday life we all have ways that we always do certain things, like our morning routine, and there are many more. I think routines give us a sense of order and control in our lives.
When the LORD set up the sanctuary system there were definitely ways that it had to be done.
So what is the danger? It is the big issue - is it done out of habit or is it heartfelt.
What are your thoughts or suggestions to ensure our rituals are heartfelt?
I would not call our worship a ritual, it is much better as Seventh-day- Adventist to call it our order of worship. Ritural just sounds more like we are worshiping our worship rather than worshiping our God. The order of service today is found in your bulletin, is much better. Even ordinance is derived from the word order.
I remember a few years ago on Sabbath School Net, discussing the issue of the ordinance of humility. At the time I had issues with my feet and was not taking part in foot washing, simply because I did not want to expose other worshipers to the rather unsightliness of the disease. Some commenters took issue with me for missing out on the ordinance. But the point that I was trying to make was the difference between the ceremony and the heart. It is fairly easy to "fake it" by taking part in the ordinance of humility, while still carrying pride and selfishness in your heart. It is the heart that needs to learn the lesson of humility.
I am not saying that the ordinance of humility is not important, but as Jesus points out so often, its the heart stuff that really matters. That is "bowing our heads".
As I was growing up pastors/ elders always reminded the congregation that wrongs should be made right before partaking of the bread and wine. I no longer hear that said . Further in many churches couples are separated from others during footwashing. This seems to defeat the true meaning of the ceremony and the fellowship it offers.
I've attended only one congregation where married couples were allowed to wash each other's feet. I was one of those who questioned this practice since they are "one flesh", yet most of the couples took this option every time, while only a few felt this was not in the spirit of what Jesus was demonstrating for us to follow.
Thoughts?
What other ritual/s does our community of faith perform?
Oh, there are so many. I'll offer a few.
Growing up it was such a comfort to see all the men walking to their elevated seats. Black suited and Bible carrying they would kneel for a moment in front of their chairs to pray. We knew who would preach because he sat in the tallest chair. Each 'elder' would announce something in his turn and never leave the rostrum until the service ended with the Benediction. Then they would all walk off together. This ritual has changed in the ensuing years. Today we witness the exit of the elders before the sermon and females are included, causing other changes in the ritual of the entrance. Learning and practicing this ritual was very important.
A related ritual would be the introduction of the speaker. A long list of earthly credentials like a report card would be announced, usually ending with his being a 'child of God'.
Prayer time has also been a sort of ritual. The music plays, the congregation stands, kneels or sits, the pastor stands or kneels and prays with the background of soft music. The congregation may stay in place for a moment after the 'Amen' and then resume their seats.
I once visited a service where there was no music, but when the person announced 'let's pray' there was a united 'THUMP!' as every single person in the congregation's knees made contact with the floor at the same time. No one stood or sat! including the children. I was taken by surprise, but quickly and quietly slid from my chair to the floor. As the churches slowly re-open and in some places a shorter service is encouraged, it might be a good time to review the rituals associated with the service.
I have heard it expressed that the Ordinance of Humility was a congregational ritual, not a domestic one. Meaning, if a couple has aught against each other, for example, they should work it out at home. However, if the couple never interacts in this way with the congregation, it defeats another purpose. I have, however, visited a church with separate rooms. One for women, one for men, one for families,and one for couples. It can also cause pain and suffering. For example, a woman/man becomes widowed. During the following communion service, however soon, they are relegated to their separate rooms. There was a woman whose husband never attended and it was a source of pain for her to see other wives going in to room for couples. She felt the 'women's room' was for single women, which she was not. It would not be strange for this service to become divisive. This subject has been bandied about for a while. Each church might have to decide the goal for the ordinance.
Depending on which books one chooses to read, in answer to the question "What about us today", some will say we are far off the mark. Through God's appointed messenger we read that we are following the path that Israel took, which led them into captivity. Do we consider the implications of these testimonies of the Spirit, or do we dismiss them as not applying to us today? The two extremes have been that the church is now Babylon, or that we are right on course and all is well.
Depends on what we read and who we choose to believe.
Individually we must pray the prayer of Ps 139:23,24, while studying to show ourselves approved to God if we would know our own true condition. The people of God are required to afflict their souls and do no "servile work" on the day of atonement. If we fail of this, we place ourselves in great peril don't we?
While the grasshopper may appear to be "hopping under the influence", there is a theme here isn't there? Are we holding fast to accepted ideas that distract us from searching our own heart and inquiring to know "what the will of the Lord is"(Eph 5:17)? Does the counsel of the True Witness to Laodicea apply here? Many will agree that "WE are Laodicea!", but how many say "I am Laodicea!"? Jesus isn't simply tossing a blanket over the church, but rather, stands at MY door, knocking, with the remedies for me to "buy of Him".
I think one needs to make a distinction between practiced, religious idolatry and dangers inherent in a misplaced focus of what one thinks is important in life or the espousing of ideas representing a certain worldview.
Vigorous study of biblical Scriptures, open discussion, Scripture based, none-judgmental interaction with those who believe differently, careful scrutiny of any lesson material used in religious schools to prevent indoctrination and strong emphasis on living that which one believes would be very helpful to maintain the principle of Faith as the operating aspect of our Believe.
Postulating or theorizing as part of a person’s ability to use their mind and think freely should not be looked upon as evidence of ‘worship’ in and of itself, even if ideas establish a following.
I am sure there are some groups practicing pagan, ‘modern’ idolatry as it pertains to religion; ‘worship’ of Gaya, the goddess of nature, and secret societies organized to practice idolatrous ‘worship’ of their false gods are still around. In addition, today’s young people are inundated with images and trends to entice them to follow their ‘inspiration’ - some are overt, some covert, very subtle and all dangerous to the wellbeing of the soul.
I find any type of coercion through force or manipulation onto the heart and conscience by any influencing 'authority' abhorent and avoid it at all cost.
I can see Matt.15:7-9 – speaking to the age old problem of man’s disposition to control and influence others through implementing rules, regulations, doctrine, standards, creeds etc., which are then used as a measuring device to declare judgement of compliance or non-compliance.
When this type of control is held by worldly or religious institutions of power using their 'judgment powers' to assess/judge man's moral conscience, it becomes dangerous to the wellbeing of the soul.
In my opinion, people are free to believe what they want to believe as long as it does not infringe on the other person’s right to believe what they believe.
All large organizations and small, organized groups are formed and established based on some type of 'belief', and one should be free to join or not to join usually based on persuasion through a cost and benefit 'analysis'.
The great problem arrises, when a 'group', large or small, uses its power to administer punishment to those inside and outside the group who's believes differ from their own and do not want to 'comply' with this particular group's/organization's established and promoted norms.
One can clearly see the difference between compliance based on coercion because of fear of punishment(exclusion) and the persuasive power inherent in Truth(inclusion).
As Christ Jesus taught God’s spiritually based but practically exercised and experienced Truth, the attractiveness of His Way of Truth and Light became clear to all who longed for inclusion and equality in the eyes of God and so joined to follow this Way by Faith.
Mark 7 example is a follow up of Sunday discussion. Worship of God or self(which could be something or someone) Christ was pointing out the falicy of the latter. Now the washing of hands I do believe was a act of self exaltation. The Pharisees had multiple problems that were examples of their self righteousness. Except our righteousness is above the Pharisees we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. We must allow ourselves to be permeated with Christ righteousness. Or if you prefer, lay hold upon Christ, appropriate His Merits,the remedy for sin.
Ahh, traditions. In the church I normally attend, there are so many time-consuming traditions (including collecting money from attendees four times) that a subsequent sermon longer than a 20 minutes causes some people to look at their watches, murmur about the length of the sermon and grumble about being hungry.
Same goes for some Sabbath School study hours when there is so much tradition that there are often only 10 - 15 minutes to "study" the lesson.
Here is the Conclusion of the whole matter:1 Corinthians 10:23-33."..Whatsoever ye do , DO it to the Glory of GOD"!