You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Exodus 20:4
I knew this announcement would make Ashlea happy. After all, she's the one that abducted the baby Jesus figurine from our nativity set at Christmas. This Sunday, our church elders announced that, in keeping with Scripture and the Heidelberg Catechism (that we in no wise represent God by images, nor worship him in any other way than he has commanded in his word), the two large stained glass windows of Jesus in the sanctuary ought to be covered. I told Ashlea my only concern is that drapes would block so much natural light, to which she replied, "Well, you could just put masks over the faces of Jesus."
She takes after her dad. ;)
"Well, you could just put masks over the faces of Jesus."
ReplyDeleteWe considered that option too :^)
But probably not Zoro masks. :)
ReplyDeleteHmmm... yet, there is especially no command against drawing a picture of the very-human God-man. Except of course, if you kiss His feet and pray to the actual picture. Quite the contrary, the early church (As soon as it spread to Gentile populations) greatly utilized visuals to communicate robust Christian doctrine to a largely illiterate congregation. That included pictures of Jesus, along with all sorts of types of Him. The Image of a Crowned Lamb or a Vine is just as much a representation of Christ as a mosaic of Him. Yet those holding to these interpretations see nothing wrong with them. God Himself instituted such images in temple worship, after all. When the text says we shouldn't make a likeness, does that mean that we are to abstain from all non-abstract art? Of course not! It's clearly tied with the next verse-- "you shall not bow down thyself to them or worship them." Just thoughts...
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