ONE of their writers, Sydney Herbert Mellone, says, " The worship of Jesus ' is a difficult subject to handle, because ' worship ' may mean various and very different things. It may mean liturgical adoration of Christ, and petitionary prayer addressed to him. Unitarians believe that such worship in relation to Jesus is as much IDOLATRY as it would be in relation to Socrates or Isaiah." (Freedom and Truth, p. 61).
How did our Lord respond to those, who are recorded as having worshipped Him? Did He accept their worship, or did He rebuke this as " idolatry "? A leper came to Him, worshipping Him, saying, " If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean " (Matt. 8:1-4). Did our Lord rebuke him? Nay, He answered His petition by cleansing him from the foul leprosy that afflicted him. When the disciples saw our Lord walking on the boisterous waters of the Sea of Galilee, and were afraid; and our Lord calmed their fears, and joined them in their ship, we read that " the wind ceased." Thereupon the astonished disciples worshipped Him, saying, " Of a truth Thou art the Son of God " (Matt. 14:33). Did our Lord rebuke them? Was it idolatry, which should have been sternly rebuked? No, He accepted their worship.
When the Lord told doubting Thomas to reach hither his finger, and behold His hands with the marks of the nail-prints, and to reach hither his hand, and thrust it into His side, and be not faithless but believing, Thomas at last convinced that the Lord was indeed risen from the dead, replied, " My Lord and my GOD " (John 20:28). That surely was the moment to have rebuked Thomas, if his worship had been "idolatry." The rebuke was not forthcoming The worship was accepted. And when our Lord rose from the Mount of Olives to heaven we read that the disciples worshipped Him with great joy (Luke 24:52). What do the Unitarians say to this, except to denounce it?