I was thinking about the veneration of saints as practiced by Catholics and Orthodox believers. To most Protestants, this is a strange custom and practice, but I think I understand its beginnings.
Let’s say my pastor is arrested for the sermon he gave this week. A rather uncompromising exposition on Deuteronomy 22:5: “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God.” As you can imagine, not a favored verse by the ‘transgender community.” Reverend Spratt explained that anything that messes with God’s image or human sexuality (which is made in God’s image) is called an abomination by the Lord. Of course the thought police think that anyone who calls transgenders or homosexuals an abomination are themselves abominable. Which puts us into a difficult dilemma - Do we believe God’s word or current cultural beliefs and practices?
Let’s say the thought police have taken over all government offices (or have they done that already?). My pastor is found guilty of hate speech and (after refusing “reeducation”) “accidentally” dies in prison. The rest of the church is put on notice. We would certainly have the greatest respect and reverence for our martyred pastor who basically died for preaching God's Word. We might even put a photograph of him on a wall in our church. We might even have a yearly remembrance of his bravery and sacrifice.
I am sure this is how the veneration of the saints began. Early Christians remembered their leaders who stood firm and loved not their life unto death. Some of my former Soviet Union students - adults and mostly Baptists - have told me that in their churches in Ukraine and Russia, they fasted on Fridays for all of their loved ones who had been sent to Siberia and were never heard from again. Remembering our brothers and sisters in the faith who have sacrificed much is a good thing. It puts our lives in proper perspective. It reminds our children that at many times in history, being a Christian has required great sacrifice. It gives us courage to stand for difficult and unpopular positions. There is one potential problem with this kind of veneration however.
Synonyms of venerate include regard highly, reverence, worship, hold sacred, exalt, adore, honor, respect, and esteem. The multi-faceted definitions of this word are part of the problem. To regard highly, respect, and honor a Christian (and fellow saint) who has lived and died for the Lord is good. To worship, hold sacred, or exalt this person is not. We are to only worship our God and creator. We are to only pray to him. Praying to a fellow servant of Christ is idolatry. Jesus told us and showed us how to pray - we are to pray to our father in heaven, not to our brother who died before we were born. Worshipful veneration of a human being does not happen in a person's life time. It takes time - at least a generation or two after a person has lived when most of his/her friends and family are dead - before one would consider praying to this person to ask for assistance. Because our acquaintances are well acquainted with their friends and families' many shortcomings. Even though I think my Pastor Spratt is a very nice man, if you actually knew him, it would probably not occur to you to pray to him. Human beings only get that kind of reverence if no one actually knows them.
This extends to all the saints who have passed before me. Even the Lord’s mother - who perhaps I would be tempted to kneel before if I ever met her - but I am most certain she would refuse this kind of attention as do the angels from heaven (Revelation 22:9). “Look to my son,” she would say. “Pray to our father in heaven.”
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