May 12 | Jeremiah 51:15-19
- Pam Mann
- May 12
- 3 min read
DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Compare and Contrast
By Pam Mann
How many times in school did I have an assignment that started out: “Compare and contrast the following...”? A gazillion, if my memory serves. As a result, when I read this passage in Jeremiah 51 about what the Lord Almighty can do compared to what idols can’t, my many teachers come to mind, saying: “Compare and contrast...”
Let's compare and contrast!
The Lord Almighty gets a check in the power category while the idols get a goose egg.
The Lord Almighty, in the Alive and Active category: check. The idols? No breath in them.
The Lord Almighty, in the Maker category: super check. (Maker of all things! He made the earth, stretched out the heavens, and continues to this day to sustain all that He has created!) The idols in the Maker category? Nada. An idol makes nothing. In fact, it is itself made by the goldsmith! Double negative for the idols.
The contrast couldn’t be more extreme. So how are they alike? Here's the single disturbing commonality. People put their trust in them and build their lives around them.
Jeremiah writes of the goldsmith: The images he makes are a fraud. The goldsmith knows he’s making a false god. It’s his means of income. Surely there are other ways to employ his skills, but, in our fallen world, there’s always a market for idols. The appeal of an idol is that you control it. You play god.
An Indian ESL student, whose family honored Hindu gods, asked my husband about how prayer to Jesus works. (Many Hindus would happily add Jesus to their innumerable god list for a prayer or two. You make food offerings to the idols.) So, Dave explained that when we pray to Jesus, we acknowledge that He is Lord Almighty. We explain our need and then trust in His goodness to do what is best for us. He loves us. He will do what’s right for us.
The student struggled to wrap her brain around this approach. “You offer no food to Jesus?” she asked. Dave assured her, “No, in fact, Jesus offers to us His body and His blood.” She commented that this is a different way to connect to a god than she knew. Dave explained that we do make an offering. We offer ourselves. Jesus wants a personal connection with us. He wants to be Lord, not another god on the list, to be manipulated by offerings. She rightly observed that praying to Jesus is very different from appeasing Hindu gods. People serve idols to get what they want, while believers serve God to get what God wants.
Jeremiah reminds us that, unlike idols, our God is the Lord Almighty. Whatever idol or passion that might
tempt us away from full devotion to Jesus is unworthy. They (the idols) are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish. The next time, you hear thunder crack or see lightning flash, remember Jeremiah's compare and contrast... and praise the Almighty!
PRAYER
Lord Almighty, we worship You as our God. Just as You made and sustain all creation, You are our Maker and Source of life. No molecule of our existence escapes Your notice. All our hopes are in Your mighty hands.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
PAM MANN
I first joined UALC when my husband (then my fiancé) and I were college students involved in youth ministry. God has used UALC to nurture our family’s faith, even in our years outside the U.S. I’ve participated in UALC ministries with kids, art, prayer, exercise, ESL, and Bible teaching. I do all the fun church things.
Wonderful analogy and love the contrast with another religion. Thank you Pam.
Pam, this “compare & contrast” was truly edifying. I used to hate to have to do that in school, but it is so helpful here! Great writing! Thank you!
Pam thank you for sharing the Indian woman's question about prayer and Pastor Dave's illuminating answer.
Pam, thank you! I love the compare and contrast!