Worshipping the golden casket

I was a Michael Jackson fan in the 1980s. Who wasn’t? His talent and music was everywhere. It was on the new cable station called “MTV,” displayed on posters, climbing the record charts, and entertaining moon-walking fans in packed concert halls. But Jackson’s story is a sad one, because as time went on he just got weirder, greedier, and more lost.

In Romans 1, Paul talks about unbelief and its consequences. “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools …They exchanged the truth of God for a lie…”

I chose not to watch any of the Jackson funeral coverage. But one photograph did catch my eye. I saw a raised dais in front of adoring multitudes who were singing, dancing, and mourning while celebrating a weird man inside a golden casket. It reminded me of the golden calf, and the Truth the sons of Israel exchanged for a lie. Remember when Moses went up the mountain to talk with God, and he was gone for 40 days and 40 nights? The sons of Israel were told by the LORD “You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves.” (Ex 20:23). But they got impatient. Thinking that Moses was never coming back, they took matters into their own hands. They made a golden calf, an idol, before which, they sang, danced, sacrificed, and celebrated. (Ex 32:1-6)

The multitudes who revered a singer who spent millions on himself as fast as he could get it, who dangled his baby out a high-rise window, who injected drugs daily, starved his body, and underwent face-changing operations because of self hatred, have made a poor exchange of Truth for idol worship.

I read that the nation’s business came to a complete stop during the funeral as the House staffers were all watching it on the internet, which almost crashed under the load. I wonder how many people felt let-down after the Jackson hoopla vanished. Maybe the casket-worshippers are wondering, “Hmmm, what next? I feel empty.” If you feel empty that is because you are. You have traded the Truth for an idol. The fact is, you can worship a golden casket now, or you can walk a golden street later.

If you want to find out how to make that empty, let-down feeling disappear, you can. Just call or visit any good bible believing preacher in your town and he will tell you about perfect truth and joy. A few years ago, I exchanged the lie for Truth. In return for abandoning the golden casket I will walk on the golden street in New Jerusalem. I hope to see YOU on the golden street someday. And you can be sure, we will not be moon-walking.