Thursday, March 18, 2010

What I’m Reading Today: Luke 4

In seminary I was exposed to a concept that was totally new to me called bibliolatry.

“What is bibliolatry?” you might ask.

Well, in its broadest sense bibliolatry is the worship of a particular book. Within the context of the discussion in which it was first introduced to me, the professor said that bibliolatry is when Christians put the worship of the Bible above the worship of God.

“That’s absurd,” you might think. “Isn’t the Bible intimately connected with God? How can you separate the two?”

I can certainly understand why you might wonder that. However, over the years I have run into more than one person that has fallen prey to the temptation of which my professor spoke. When you engage bibliolators, for instance, they talk about God only in relation to scriptural references. Every matter of concern is also considered settled once references to scripture have been made. It’s almost as if bibliolators have become so focused on the written word that they no longer have need for God. Kind of ironic, isn’t it?

Today’s passage from Luke 4 shows the dangers of relying solely on scripture – for in the passage it’ not just a holy person like Jesus who uses scripture to make his point: the devil is also quite adept at using scripture to his advantage. The devil’s use of scripture in the story is a great wake up call for us for it reminds us that simply quoting a text is not enough. What’s most important is having a vital relationship with/connection to a God toward whom the text points. That’s what matters most!

Today, I would ask you to think about what role the sacred writings of our faith play in your faith. Do those writings inform you relationship with/connection to God, or have those writings become a substitute for it?

Til next time…