A thought on idolatry

The other day I was praying, and Jesus exposed some idolatry in me. I'd been dragging myself along, complaining to him about how tired I was when he very gently reminded me that in Matthew's Gospel, he had invited all those who were weary and heavy laden to himself, so that he might give them rest.

He reminded me of his very words: "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."


Then he pointed out to me that if the Jesus I've been serving has given me a tough yoke to carry and a heavy burden to bear-- if the Jesus I've come to can only offer more weight for the load-- if there's no rest for the weary in this Jesus-- then it's not the real Jesus.


And if it's not the real Jesus then it's an idol.


We sometimes sing that song in church with the line: "O Lord we cast down our idols." I've never stopped all that much to wonder what that really means; but, like I say, the other day I was praying and Jesus gave me a glimpse of it. Because when I'm bruttally honest, I know that the "Jesus of the tough yoke and heavy burden" is a Jesus of my own making, an idol that needs casting down, so that the real Jesus--the Jesus who is full of grace and mercy and truth, who loved me before I ever loved him, who loves me regardless of what religious good deed I have or haven't yet done for him-- so that he might give me real rest.