06-15-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
June 15, 2024  
In 2 Kings 23, we read:

“Josiah sent some men to Hinnom Valley just outside Jerusalem with orders to make the altar there unfit for worship. That way, people could no longer use it for sacrificing their children to the god Molech” (vs.10).

This goes along with Leviticus 18:21, where we find this admonition: 

“Don’t sacrifice your children on the altar fires to the god Molech. I am the Lord your God, and that would disgrace me.”

There is a part of me that wonders why they needed to include this among their rules. I think about the movie, “Guardians of the Galaxy,” when Yondu says to Peter, “When I picked you up as a kid, these boys wanted to eat you. They ain’t never tasted Terran before. I saved your life.” To which Peter responded, “Normal people don’t even think about eating someone else, much less, that person having to be grateful for it!” 

I sort of feel the same as Peter in regard to the sacrifice of children. I just don’t feel it necessary to include it in a list of rules, yet I also didn’t think we would need to tell teenagers not to eat Tide Pods, or I wouldn’t think it necessary to include in a commercial for a new medication the caution to not take the medication if you were allergic to the medication. Yet, these are things we’ve had to do. 

In ancient Israel, it was common for their Canaanite neighbor’s to sacrifice children, so peer pressure required for the reminder to be written down. Sometimes we are left scratching our heads, yet maybe it is better to be safe than sorry. As I look around our country right now, I feel it is necessary to write it down: Love your neighbor; show some compassion; listen to one another; practice humility; be kind; protect the most vulnerable; seek peace; work toward justice. 

There should be some common sense, especially for those who seek to walk in the ways of Jesus. Holy God, Incarnate Word of Love, continue to encourage us to live and model the values we see in Jesus. And where necessary, even when we can’t fathom why it would be necessary, provide us with a persistent spirit to teach the ways of grace, kindness, and mercy. Amen.

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