The movie, “The Odyssey” is huge, both in scope and in box office receipts.  It’s taken from Homer’s epic Greek poem.

In Greek mythology Eris, goddess of discord, wasn’t invited to a wedding.  So, she threw a golden apple into the celebration on which was written, “To the Fairest.” 

The goddesses Hera (the mother goddess), Athena (goddess of wisdom) and Aphrodite (goddess of love) fought over the apple.  Prince Paris of Troy was chosen to decide who was the fairest.  Aphrodite promised that if Paris chose her, she’d give him the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen.  He chose her!

Paris took Helen from Menelaus, king of Sparta, to his Trojan home.  Menelaus’ brother, Agameemnon, then led the Greeks to war against Troy to recapture his brother’s wife.  The war lasted 10 years!

Different gods favored different sides, leading to the slaughter of both Greeks and Trojans.

Jealous Athena and Hera and Poseidon (god of the seas) favored the Greeks.

Haughty Aphrodite, Apollos (god of truth), Artemis (goddess of the hunt), and Ares (god of war) favored Troy,

The problem was that no mortal knew whom to worship and obey.  Each god and goddess was jealous of the other and could punish a mortal who chose the wrong deity to favor.

How different is the truth of the Bible!  We have one God (something no ancient man could’ve invented), who loves the world so much that he had his son crucify our sins and sinful nature so that we could receive his resurrected life into our lives and let him live through us forever!  But in order to do this, we must worship and obey him, because he knows that it’s the only way that we can be happy and effective eternally.

Sunday I’m preaching on “Worship and Obey” from Matthew 28:16-20.  We’ll talk about “Worship Jesus,” verses 16-17; and “Obey Jesus,” verses 18-20.  Please come and help us fulfill our purpose of creation, to worship and obey the one true God whose story is older and fresher than the oldest myth.

Love,

Jim Meek