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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion
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Frontline Devotion for Friday, March 6, 2009 by Mike Martine
Galatians 4:8-11 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.
Ever wonder why Christmas is celebrated at the Winter Solistice—i.e., the shortest day of the year? When many cultures celebrated the fact that the sun was about to “turn around,” and the days were going to start getting longer? (Or, to put it simply, the time when those cultures would have already had a “festival of lights”?)
Look at Galatians—and there you go.
Old habits die hard. And the temptation for the new Christians to observe their old holidays, honor their old gods, had to be immense.
Perhaps they felt some closeness to “god” when they observed these days. Perhaps they were simply afraid that they had made a mistake in turning from the old gods and worried that they would “anger” them.
But Paul’s point is clear. They are being foolish. The God they are worshiping IS God. There is no need to be enslaved to their former practices.
But Christianity, and Christian missionaries, realized over the years that some of the traditions of the people they were evangelizing should be incorporated, even welcomed into the realm of the church. People who came to Christ out of “goddess” religions found great comfort in the honoring of Mary. Likewise comfort was taken in the fact that churches were built on the holy sites (or simply placed in the same buildings) used to honor other gods. And yes, holidays were largely placed on dates corresponding with pagan holy days.
Was all of this wrong? Would this have made Paul seethe?
Probably, but Paul could be a pretty hard nut.
The truth is, Christianity made a realization, fairly early on, that most cultures had some sense of God, even though their knowledge was incomplete without Christ. By making allowances to the traditions and practices of those cultures, missionaries accomplished two things. First, they stopped short of calling the religious history of the culture “worthless,” and, second, they affirmed some of the “rhythm of life” that the culture already had in place. They affirmed that the times those cultures previously saw as “god time” could still be “God time.”
In the end, the sea refuses no river.
But Paul’s words are still important—and important to us today.
There are many false gods after us. Money. Jealousy. Lust. Drugs. Alcohol.
And others, not so easy to spot. Insecurity. Loneliness. Apathy.
The list goes on and on. The point is that Paul would say to us, “Why do you concern yourselves with these when the true God of the world loves you?”
“Loves you so much, that the Son was given for YOU.”
Remember this thought today. Remember that the false gods chasing us are, indeed, false.
Remember instead, what REALLY matters.
Peace. m
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All are welcome to join and share in our Devotional Ministry on the "Frontlines" of the world. Frontline Devotions are sent via email daily. Sign up by clicking on the box to the left. Pastor Dave welcomes feedback. Contact him at pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org. |
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