Today is what I call freestyle Saturday. The day in which I get off the common, word for word, line by line, reading and devotional writing commentary I do daily through the Bible. Monday through Friday I follow the linear progression but today I get to examine any scripture that comes to mind. Usually something that relates to some current events or thing I've witnessed that speaks to me.
And this Saturday this scripture came to mind:
1 Kings 18:27 (KJV):"And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked."
This came to me while watching a reel that a well-known Catholic priest "influencer" posted. It's a video explaining why they pray to Mary the mother of Jesus. And it basically says that Jesus gets overwhelmed by all that he has going on. So we need to rely upon intermediaries like her and others to get on his list. Or maybe to get on his nerves. I don't know, it's really unclear how he and millions of others imagine him in this way. It's almost as if they believe there's this heavenly bureaucracy that manages all the many prayers and confessions of the faithful here on earth. And I have to be honest I struggle with how they come to this conclusion. It's certainly not biblical. There's nowhere in scripture that even suggests in any way that this kind of thing is going on according to God's will.
In the 1 Kings passage, Elijah’s taunting of the prophets of Baal (a pagan god) is dripping with sarcasm. He’s pointing out the absurdity of a god who’s too distracted or possibly preoccupied to respond. Maybe he's on vacation or in the bathroom. The subtext is clear. A true God doesn’t need to be pestered, shouted at, or woken up; He’s present and powerful. Elijah’s words and actions proves this and reveals his confidence in the immediacy and sovereignty of the Lord (the One true God), who answers dramatically later on in the chapter (1 Kings 18:38) when the fire falls from heaven upon the Baal priests and their sacrifices. Burning them all up and sending them to hell where they belong.
Pivot now to the priest’s argument that Jesus is somehow too busy or overwhelmed to handle prayers directly, so we need intermediaries like Mary. This does feel like it echoes the kind of powerless deity Elijah was mocking. It’s an odd framing, especially when you consider the biblical portrayal of Jesus as fully God, omnipotent and omniscient. Scripture doesn’t depict Him as bogged down by any cosmic to-do list. It's such a human thing to imagine. So it's either that it's built upon this human frailty or it's absolute nonsense being conjured up because they have no real basis anywhere for this belief. And no real relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Take Hebrews 7:25 (KJV), for instance:"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."
Doesn't it seem obvious? It's as if the scripture is telling us that Jesus is the one to whom we go for intercession? Oh wait...it is saying that, exactly that. In fact, it's very clearly saying that. Here, Jesus is actively interceding for us. He’s not too busy wrestling with managing the cosmos; it’s His ongoing role.
And scripture understands that one verse isn't going to convince our skeptical ears and eyes, not when we're hell bent on believing the Marian propaganda.
So, we've got more...
1 Timothy 2:5 (KJV):"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
One mediator. Not a team of bureaucratic assistants. Jesus is apparently a small government kind of guy which makes me love him even more.
So, does this mean that the Catholic Church has no basis whatsoever for praying to the departed Saints?
No, of course not. The Catholic tradition of praying to Mary or the saints often leans on the concept of intercession, rooted in texts like Revelation 5:8, where the elders in heaven present the prayers of the saints (meaning believers) before God. Catholics might argue it’s like asking a friend to pray for you, except these "friends" are in heaven. What comes to my mind immediately is...well these people aren't my friends. They're long departed Saints. People I've never met and have never known in my life. I've read about them and their acts of devotion and piety, but I'm not on direct speaking terms with them. So, what confidence do I have that they too aren't too busy or on vacation or in the bathroom or in some capacity, unable to hear my prayers. Why are they capable of hearing my prayers, but Jesus isn't?
Their leap to "Jesus is overwhelmed, so we need Mary to manage His inbox" isn’t supported by scripture. It’s more of a theological extrapolation, possibly influenced by human analogies of kings with courtiers or bureaucrats handling the overflow of petitions.
What strikes me most about their ideology is the inherent lack of trust which is a foundation of our faith. Elijah’s example is this contrast in trust. Elijah didn’t need a middleman; he called upon God directly and got an answer. The New Testament reinforces this with promises like...
John 14:13-14 (KJV):"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."
No mention of a waitlist or a saintly secretary.
What really puzzles me is the need. Where does that need come from? I wonder if scripture speaks to this desire for mankind to seek the help of other gods and other saintly intermediaries.
The Pull of Idolatry and Tangibility
One clear pattern in scripture is humanity’s recurring desire to make God, or the divine, more tangible and manageable. Think of Exodus 32, when the Israelites, fresh out of Egypt, demand a golden calf. Moses was their link to God, and when he seemed unavailable, possibly destroyed up on the mountain top, they panicked. They didn’t trust God’s direct presence was with them or for them; they wanted something they could see and control. This impulse might tie into the need for intermediaries. God can feel too vast, too holy, or too distant, so people craft something (or someone) closer to their level.
This echoes in 1 Kings 18 with the prophets of Baal. Baal was a localized god, tied to specific needs like rain or fertility. He's more approachable than the infinite God of Israel, or so they thought. People crave a go-between they can relate to. Someone or some thing that reflects their own personality. Not so perfect and sinless as a Messiah. Someone who has worked it all out the hard way, from sinner to saint. It’s like we’re drawn to a spiritual companion who’s "one of us" in a way that feels less intimidating, and more human.
Take David, for instance, a murderer, adulterer, and yet "a man after God’s own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22).
In Psalm 51:17 (KJV), he cries:"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."
David’s not sinless; he’s a sinner who’s wrestled his way to repentance. People relate to that struggle, it’s gritty, real, and reflects their own battles.
Or consider Paul, who calls himself the "chief" of sinners in 1 Timothy 1:15 (KJV):
"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptations, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief."
He’s a former persecutor of Christians turned apostle, someone who didn’t start out perfect, far from it, but was transformed. That arc from sinner to saint resonates deeply; it’s a story we can see ourselves in.
But where I can't join them in this track of spiritual identity is imagining a not so human Jesus. I see Jesus as VERY human and the scriptures back me up.
Hebrews 4:15 (KJV) says:"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."
He’s fully human, tempted as we are, but sinless. That perfection can feel unrelatable to some, almost too distant and lofty. We get His compassion, and love him for his sacrifice, but we don’t see Him stumble like we do. So maybe that’s where the craving for a go-between kicks in. A sinless Messiah is the ideal, but a flawed, redeemed figure feels like a friend who’s been in the trenches with us.
Well I see Jesus in the trenches. I see him exhibiting many of the same human qualities and traits I do.
And again the scriptures back that up.
Take Matthew 26:36-39."My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me."
Here’s Jesus, overwhelmed with sorrow, wrestling with what’s ahead, even asking if there’s another way. That’s raw, human vulnerability.
Or look at John 11:35.
Lazarus is dead, and Jesus, knowing He’ll raise him, still cries. That’s empathy, and grief, the kind of thing we do when we lose someone we love. He’s not above it; He’s in it. And he's even weeping for the mourners because they just don't seem to get it, that he is God WITH THEM! Boy if that doesn't speak to this whole intermediary mess.
Jesus gets tired, John 4:6 (KJV) says He sat by the well of Jacob.
"being wearied with his journey."
He gets hungry (Matthew 4:2, fasting 40 days).
He even snaps in anger and frustration.
Mark 11:15-17 (KJV) has Him flipping tables in the temple, fed up with all corruption and ironically the religious bureaucracy.
That’s not a distant deity; that’s someone who feels the weight of the world like we do.
Take a look at Matthew 9:36 (KJV):
"But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd."
That's human compassion, exhaustion, righteous anger, all those emotions and opinions are us. Jesus reflects them, not as flaws, but as part of His humanity.
So why the hell isn't he enough?
Hebrews 4:15 shows Him tempted like us, yet without sin. That’s the kicker, isn't it? He’s been in the trenches, felt the pull, but never caved in like we do.
Friends, he’s not too busy or too perfect to get us.
Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV) seals it:"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."
That’s a direct invite from the trenches, no middleman required. Elijah mocked the idea of a distracted god; Jesus proves He’s anything but that. I mean seriously, how much more personable does he need to be. He lowered himself to become a human servant, even unto death. Why isn't that enough for you? He is both God and man. He's the Son of Man. That's a divine human. And he gave his life for you. And you show him respect by talking to others?
Jesus lowered Himself to the absolute depths of humanity, became the Son of Man, both divine and human, and gave His life. How could that not be enough?
Philippians 2:7-8 (KJV) says He..."made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
That's not some cheap toe-dipping into the human family. He took it to its extreme. He dove headfirst into the muck and mire of sinful men. They mocked him, raped his body, and murdered him on a tree. And we're going to what? Leave a message for him at the office?
Isaiah 53:5 (KJV) lays it out:"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
Wounded, bruised, beaten. He didn’t just skim the surface. He was made a curse for us, (Galatians 3:13). And they abused him to no end.
Psalm 22:16-18 (KJV)"For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture."
He was exposed, pierced, stared at in humiliation. His body was ravaged, physically and emotionally. It’s a total surrender to our filth. And we're going to what? Whisper a prayer through the grape vine? It’s absurd, almost insulting.
He’s not some overbooked CEO dodging calls. He’s the living Lord who tore the veil (Matthew 27:51) so we could barge into his presence and rest in his lap. He's our Papa God, Abba, he's Jesus, he's available and aware of us.
Revelation 1:18 (KJV):"I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."
Q: Who has the keys?
A: Jesus has them.
Q: Where should we go for entry?
A: The Key Master.
Bypassing Him for a saint or Mary feels like saying, "Thanks for dying for me and all, but I’ll just talk to the receptionist if you don't mind."
I think he might mind.
Going anywhere else is like ignoring the guy with the keys to the gate and chatting up the greeter instead. It's like people imagine a heavenly gate club bouncer who needs to be paid off to gain entry. But this is spiritual fantasy, idolatry really. There is only one mediator.
That’s not a delegated job; it’s His victory lap and should not be taken up by any others.
John 10:9 (KJV) backs it up:"I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."
He’s the door, the keyholder, no saint or intermediary has that claim.
Acts 4:12 (KJV) doubles down:"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
Jesus. His is a Solo act. So, why knock on a side window?
That's the acts of the apostles themselves. That's what they understood about it. They weren't praying to each other or Mary mother of Jesus.
Going around Jesus isn't just a matter of preference, it's an insult. It's dishonoring Jesus Christ.
John 5:22-23 (KJV):"For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him."
He’s not a middle manager; He’s the King. Preeminence. First place. Not second to Mary or any saint no matter how relatable or relevant they may seem.
Does He Mind? Do you think Jesus is concerned about our idols?
Look at Matthew 7:21-23 (KJV):"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?... And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
You willing to bet your soul on it?
He wants relationship, direct, personal. Going through others might not just be inefficient; it risks missing Him entirely. He’s knocking at your door. He's not sending a proxy. Ignoring that for a "receptionist" feels like leaving Him out in the cold after He bled for the invite.
Just food for thought on a Saturday morning.
