10 October | Youth
«Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”» Acts 14:11
Idolatry has always been present in human history. In biblical times, it was linked to the cult of pagan deities, who generally took human forms and were materialized in objects made of stone, wood, or clay. In several civilizations, the elements of nature themselves had the status of gods. The Incas, for example, worshiped the Sun god. The Egyptians, in turn, included frogs and crocodiles in their pantheon.
In today's text, we read about the idolatry practiced by the inhabitants of Lystra, a region close to Galatia. After witnessing Paul and Barnabas heal a paralytic, the men of the city deified the apostles to the point of offering sacrifices to them. The Bible says: “They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Jupiter, and that Paul, because he was the chief speaker, was Mercury!” (Acts 14:12, TLB).
This identification of Paul and Barnabas with the names of two planets is interesting. Jupiter and Mercury, in Roman culture, corresponded to Zeus (the head of all the gods) and Hermes (the messenger of the gods). Upon seeing the healing of the man born paralyzed, those people imagined that the power came from Paul and Barnabas, not from the Creator of the planets, the only One who deserves our worship.
As I read this story, I kept thinking about the trap you and I might fall into. A few years ago, those who were in the world's showcase were Hollywood actors. Nowadays, anyone with beauty or certain skills can become a successful YouTuber or Instagrammer, capable of attracting crowds on digital platforms. This is how modern gods emerge: true consumers of likes and the time of their worshipers.
Everything that occupies the first place in your heart can be considered a god. Have personalities from music, cinema, the internet and even sports occupied the space of the true God in your life? Do you spend more time with them than with your Bible open? I suggest you do something different today. Allow God –the Sun of Justice– to be at the center of your life. If this happens, your world will rotate safely.