St. Matthew 24:15-28
In this morning’s Old Testament reading, we hear the story of the Golden Calf again, and we must ask: why would a people create something like this?
Well, because the people had begun to feel lonely; they were doubting God’s love and care for them as they journeyed through the wilderness, so in their impatience, they attempted to create a god, an idol to worship.
However, the calf they poured all their efforts into creating couldn’t help them at all. Their idol couldn’t care for them; it couldn’t speak to them; it couldn’t save them.
Thankfully, we aren’t them. Nope, no golden calves here.
Or are there?
What if the idols we create just aren’t made of gold or take the form of a common farm animal?
Every generation creates its own idols, its own gods.
C.F.W. Walther, the first president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, raised the issue of how, before the Reformation, the Church had elevated, created, and idolized Mary and the saints to such an extent that they had practically displaced Jesus and silenced people from even uttering his name.
Mary and the worship of saints became their golden calf.
God used Martin Luther to redirect the Church back to Christ, to see Him as the Savior of the world, and for this we give thanks and praise. However, we still live in a time when we must be on guard against false Christs.
In the Greek, a false Christ is a ψευδόχριστος (Pseudo-Christ).
Pseudo means something false, untrue, a sham, or artificial.
As you look around today, in what ways are you led to trust in that which is not real? How are you led to place your trust in idols and false saviors created by man?
Reflecting on the rapid emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), it’s interesting that it’s not only been pushed on us as a simpler way of living, but, like a lot of technology, AI has been presented as something that won’t just do your work for you and save you time; it may even save your life one day.
But can it? Can it save your life? Can it keep you from dying?
Medical advancements can help you be healthier, of course, if you listen to them or give them unfettered access to your body. But could it give you eternal life?
The answer is no.
Like any technology or advancement in this life, you must treat AI with care and discernment. Some aspects of AI may be true gifts to humanity, such as synthesizing information into reports and taking notes in meetings. But even in its name, AI is not a real person; it cannot take the place of a human being, it cannot express the same emotions and feelings of love and care as you can, and it cannot replace the embrace of a spouse.
AI can only give you the information you or others put into it and what it learns by processing that information over time.
And this is why trusting AI without caution is so dangerous: like any algorithm, it can take control of your life and your heart, and like any golden calf, it will receive your faith and trust but will not offer you the care, compassion, or love you desire in return.
Because it cannot, it’s not human. It has never put on the flesh of man in a mother’s womb; it has not experienced the sadness of death, nor the comfort of a friend.
It can’t; it’s a computer.
And yet, how many children are being taught to rely on AI for schoolwork? There are sporadic stories about adults forming relationships with AI spouses. Supercomputers work hard to predict elections, as they did this past week, and our leaders are placing enormous trust in these technologies to win our nation’s future wars.
Still, what’s interesting today is that some of the tech giants that created and pushed AI are now pumping the brakes, warning of the dangers these advanced technologies can bring, including threats to international security and the inability to control them. Some are beginning to see how AI use adds risks for ordinary people, whether it’s robbing them of relationships or keeping them from being present with other human beings.
And yet, how does AI affect the Church, and why is it a danger?
Because the Church today is just as impatient as the people of Israel, and we do not always know or understand God’s ways. We live in a time of instant gratification, hearing society announce that the next savior of the world has arrived, and chasing after it like a dog after a whistle.
Why? Because when we’re traveling through wildernesses, when we are lonely, feel isolated, or believe we have been forgotten by God, or when we now enter the season of the Church year that focuses on the end of time and believe the end of this life is near, we feel an urgency to grab hold of anything that presents itself as a savior. We trust it, we worship it, and cling to it with all our might.
Okay, so why all that talk about AI today, when Jesus said, “Beware of false Christs?”
Because in a world that consumes more information online than from other humans, the Christian must be on guard in this new era of the Church, trust nothing, and verify everything.
This matters because, with all the advancements in technology and the rise of AI, Satan has a powerful medium not only to tempt you into false beliefs, such as believing that all those AI-generated memes on the internet with catchy sayings only appear to contain God’s Word, but also to make it easy for you to enter your theological question into a search bar with the touch of a button and receive an unverified answer in seconds, rather than putting in the hard work of prayer, the study of the Scriptures, going to your pastor with questions, and faithfully holding onto God’s Word.
And while none of this is new (we’re just really slow to learn), mankind has fallen for false Christs and the idea of easy solutions since the beginning of time, when Adam and Eve succumbed to the temptation and the idea that they could be like God. Israel sought its own god by melting gold and jewelry into a golden calf, which ultimately became a symbol of disobedience. In today’s Gospel, Jesus warns His very own disciples that people will likewise prop up false Christs in their time; He says,
See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. (Matthew 24:25-26)
Look, I know many of you are lonely. You often feel isolated and seek companionship, redemption, salvation, and deliverance from life’s troubles. But Jesus’ words are clear: don’t look for Him in the wildernesses of this world. Don’t look for Him online or through any new invention. Instead, let the Holy Spirit lead you out of the wilderness to where He has promised to be for you. Come to the Divine Service, where Jesus speaks to you through His Word and feeds you with the supper of His flesh and blood for the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus is present for you here.
Here He gives you brothers and sisters to comfort, embrace, and love you. Here you receive the gift not only of companionship, but also of everlasting life, won for you upon His cross.
And you can believe this, because you have His unfailing Word. +INJ+
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
The Sermons of Pastor Rogness can we found at www.RognessOnTap.com
Learn more about Good Shepherd Lutheran Church at www.goodsheptomah.org
