Icons of Jesus Christ: idols or shrines

Many people who are not too versed in theology will confidently say that the Orthodox Church differs from other Christian churches in that there are many icons. In part this is correct, only the Orthodox Church has preserved the tradition of icon-worshiping, while other faiths have lost it. The fact that the tradition originally existed is confirmed by the oldest legends.

For example, the origin of the icon of Jesus Christ is known , which is now called "The Savior Not Made by Hands". The not-made image means not made by the hands of a person. It is believed that this image appeared when Jesus wiped himself away with a towel, which he then handed over to the king of the Agarya land. This king believed in Christ in absentia and asked to heal him. Christ did not go on such a journey, but gave a towel, which he wiped (in Church Slavonic - "Ubrus"), who came to the servants and ordered to be taken to the king for healing. On this towel quite clearly the image came through. The peculiarity of this image is that only the face is visible: shoulders and hands, which, as a rule, depict on icons, are absent here.

The second icon was the image of the Mother of God, made by one of the evangelists.

Disputes about the necessity and justification of icons have been going on for many centuries. What is an icon? Why do they pray to them, worship them? Is it appropriate? Or is this another modern form of idolatry? Are the icons of Jesus Christ and the Mother of God important, or can we do without them?

Strange as it may seem, you can manage without any difficulties. You can pray without icons, without the image of a cross and anywhere. The absence of icons does not prevent us from invoking God. Icons are only images dear to the heart, reminders. As if his mother left or died a son, and she put his photo on the shelf. No one would find it strange? And if my mother talked with her boy, it would not have seemed surprising. No one would suspect this woman in attachment to a piece of paper. So the icon of the Lord Jesus Christ is not at all an object of worship. No one prays for the icon, all prayers are addressed only to God, and icons are just reminders of Him. If someone is praying for the icon, it is only their personal errors, the Orthodox Church does not teach this.

Why then are the icons of Jesus Christ so revered? The answer is simple: reverence for God himself is expressed in reverence for His images. All people store photos of their loved ones in the album or frame them in a frame and hang them on the wall. While a newspaper with photos of strangers, we can easily throw it away. Veneration of icons is of a similar nature.

The icons of Jesus Christ are usually placed on the main place of the iconic family corner and any church iconostasis. In any case, it is so by the rules. In some churches there is a special icon of Jesus Christ, the meaning of which is even higher than the usual icons. It is a miraculous image. Of course, God does a miracle. But people remember how they prayed about the solution of the problem before which they pray again here. Canonically, this is meaningless, but it can be considered a good folk tradition.

Icons are revered in Orthodoxy, but they are not idols, but a reminder of heaven and its saints.