Sunday, April 12, 2009
'Rome closed the Jesus File. God reopened it.'
Prayer of Confession today, Easter Sunday, at church:
Lord of Life, we gather as people removed by centuries from that audacious claim, made by those who dared to break silence and speak with their hearts. Rome had tried to do in another troublemaker, and all seemed well. Except for one thing. Our best-laid plans do not include a force stronger than our love of violence and wealth. Our attempts to control the universe must compete with a universe we do not control. Our short-term solutions neglect the staying power of the Long View. Rome closed the Jesus File. God reopened it. Thanks be to God. Amen!
--ER
Lord of Life, we gather as people removed by centuries from that audacious claim, made by those who dared to break silence and speak with their hearts. Rome had tried to do in another troublemaker, and all seemed well. Except for one thing. Our best-laid plans do not include a force stronger than our love of violence and wealth. Our attempts to control the universe must compete with a universe we do not control. Our short-term solutions neglect the staying power of the Long View. Rome closed the Jesus File. God reopened it. Thanks be to God. Amen!
--ER
Comments:
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Messing with the money changers was messing with the revenue flow from the Jewish diaspora into Herod's pocket, as well as those of the Priest. Yep, the Roman Gov. was probably getting a cut as well.
Yes. But the Jews did not have the authority, on their own, to execute the man, did they? That took an act of the state: capital punishment. Or am I mistaken?
Who is most likely to have put the joke on a sign atop the cross, "King of the Jews"?
The Jews, who would not have appreciated the joke? Or the Romans, who, as Frederick Buechner puts it, would have meant by the sign, essentially, "Head Jew"? Over the soon-to-be-dead body of a hick?
The Jews, who would not have appreciated the joke? Or the Romans, who, as Frederick Buechner puts it, would have meant by the sign, essentially, "Head Jew"? Over the soon-to-be-dead body of a hick?
If there were a Jesus and if he was crucified it would have been done under Roman law at the insistance of the local government. It would have to have been a crime that required death, such as insurrection. He could have been tried and sentenced under local law, but only Rome could kill.
Of course there are several fantanstic versions of Jesus' crucifiction.
One that was fantastic 20 years ago but seems to attracting more and more scholarship is the one based on Jesus as a memeber of the Essenes at Qumram. So maybe the Essenes crucified him.
Some day you might want to read Barbara Thiering's "Jesus the Man: Decoding the Real Story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene" and how the pesher technique led her to this version of jesus' life. It is interesting on so many levels.
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Of course there are several fantanstic versions of Jesus' crucifiction.
One that was fantastic 20 years ago but seems to attracting more and more scholarship is the one based on Jesus as a memeber of the Essenes at Qumram. So maybe the Essenes crucified him.
Some day you might want to read Barbara Thiering's "Jesus the Man: Decoding the Real Story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene" and how the pesher technique led her to this version of jesus' life. It is interesting on so many levels.
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