The public demonstration was caused by a sensational collusion of business, corrupt morality, and politics, or “money, sex and power” as a Richard Foster book title has it. And it was all overlaid with a spiritual veneer that gave religious justification to it all.
No, I’m not talking about a contemporary American event or American people of power, although I certainly could be. No, I’m talking about what happened a couple thousand years ago in Ephesus in what is now Turkey. Money, sex and power came together with idolatrous religion in a civic action which threatened true Christian faith with eradication from that city. The story is in Acts 19:21-41.
At the heart of it all was the worship of Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt who became Diana in Roman mythology (sidelight for fellow nerds, the character of Wonder Woman has a confused relationship with her ancient mythological roots because she is given given Greek background and parentage, but called by the Roman name Diana). In Ephesus the figure of Artemis, a virgin goddess, becomes a many-breasted idol by apparently blending the name of the Greek goddess with a pre-existing cult which worshiped a fertility goddess. The resulting distinctive image of Artemis of Ephesus was very popular and led to the construction of a beautiful temple there along with an apparently quite profitable trade in reproductions of her image.
Like people at all times and places, the silversmiths and other artisans of Ephesus responded with fear and anger when their livelihood was threatened. In the words of one Demetrius in verse 26, the Christian notion that idols made my human hands are not real gods endangered their brisk business in selling such images. The result is a vociferous rally which threatens to turn into a riot. In verse 34, the tradesman manage to shout down a city official trying to respond to their concerns by chanting their slogan, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” One is reminded of recent American politics which focus on economic fear and a reclaiming of greatness.
Money, sex and power are at the heart of much idolatry, much false religion. As a recent Doonesbury cartoon reminded us all too painfully, that unholy trinity can falsify our own faith, make it less than credible and turn it into its own kind of idolatry.
The escape from idolatry is in the person of Jesus Christ. In Him, the one God who is truly material, truly human flesh and blood, we worship One who calls us away our own greatness and power and into His sacrificial and humble way of life. In Jesus, as the Eastern church, the Orthodox way which began in Greece, understands, all images of the divine become icons. They are not images to be venerated in themselves, but “windows” to view through in order to see the one true God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
May God once again turn us away from the many-faceted idols of this world, away from the money, sex and power which they represent, and bring us to true faith and holy living once again.