Songs of a Soul Journey

Saturday, April 11, 2020

This is It - Episode 13: On the Realm of the Holy One

They were now on the road going to Jerusalem. Yeshua was telling them what was going to happen, and the students were overwhelmed with concern.

James and John asked if they could be sit at the right and left of Yeshua when he achieved his glory.

He said to them, You don’t know what you ask. Can you drink from my cup?

They said, We can.

The others were outraged.

Yeshua gathered them together and said, Perhaps you are able to drink from my cup, but as to the proximity of anyone’s seat to mine, that is not up to me to decide.

Look, you know how rulers lord it over their subjects and how strongmen abuse their power. It will not be like that among you. Whoever wants to be great is going to be a servant; everybody who wants to be number one will be everyone’s slave. I did not come to be served, but to serve.

If any of you are confident enough to feel moral superiority to others, hear this: Two men went to the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a toll collector. The Pharisee prayed: ‘I thank you, holy one, that I am not like everyone else, that I am not thieving, unjust or adulterous, like that toll collector. I fast and give tithes.’ The toll collector stood off where he could not be seen. Looking down at the ground, he beat his breast and prayed: ‘O holy one, forgive me, sinner that I am.’

I tell you the second man was forgiven, not the first.

Those who promote themselves as better than others will be demoted; those who demote themselves will be elevated.

One among those gathered asked when and where the realm of the holy one would appear.

Yeshua said, The holy one does not approach with visible signs. People might say, ‘Look, here it is,’ or ‘Look, there it is.’ But do not believe them. There is no map to the holy realm. The truth of the matter is that the realm of the holy one is all around you and within you. This is it!

A brief note about my literary exploration of the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth: I have undertaken this exercise having read, sung (in several languages), meditated and prayed on the contents of the Synoptic Gospels (as well as the Non-Synoptic Gospels) for at least 45 years. In that time, I’ve accumulated a bit of a library (which comes as no surprise to those who know me), and I try to follow modern scholarship. Here is a partial list of the authors and books that come to mind as I write these episodes:

Ballentine, Debra Scoggins, The Conflict Myth & the Biblical Tradition; Oxford University Press 2015

Erdman, Bart, various titles

Gaus, Andy, The Unvarnished New Testament; Phanes Press, 1991

Herzog, William R., Parables as Subversive Speech; Westminster John Knox Press, 1991

Louden, Bruce, Greek Myth and the Bible; Routledge, 2019

Tatian, Diatesseron; www.earlychristianwritings.com/diatessaron.html

Wajdenbaum, Philippe, Argonauts of the Desert, Routledge, 2011

Ward, Keith, The Philosopher and the Gospels, Lion Hudson, 2011

Yosef ben Maityahu (Titus Flavius Josephus), various writings

I do this writing with a goal in mind. I want to reclaim, for myself, the personof Jesus, a human exemplar. Jesus is one among a pantheon of what Joseph Campbell called “The Hero with a Thousand Faces.” So many people call themselves Christian without embracing the actual moral code Jesus taught, a moral code taught in the Torah and brought forth in new context to a new generation through the parables and ministry of Jesus. Once Jesus died, a political and religious martyr, he was translated into a God-figure. Since that time, much of lived Christian theology puts the work of creating a just world on the Godhead, rather than on the people. This misreading turns the Bible on its head. What is the point of the Bible, if not to encourage and insist that people do God’s work, not make God do all the work and then also forgive people for continuing to sin! “Thought, word and deed” is not and can never be replaced by the “thoughts and prayers” that abdicate from the active service of justice—we were made to serve.

This is It - Episode 12: On Virtue

One of the students asked him to define virtue.

He thought for a moment. After all, this is everything he had spoken of, in different ways, for weeks. Some heard and understood; he had seen that this was true. Some people were new to the group of followers. Patience, he realized, was a primary virtue that he must continue to practice.

But this is what he told the students:

I’ll repeat: Woe to this world filled with stumbling blocks and snares. It is enough that they exist in the natural world, but cursed is the person who creates them to harm or limit another person from doing what they perceive to be the right thing, in any given moment.

If you fall out with a friend or relative, do whatever it takes to make up. Pay all debts you owe and cancel the debts owed to you.

One student pressed him, What good must I do to have eternal life?

And he said, Why do you ask about what is ‘good’? Why is the word ‘must’ in your question? There is only one sense of good, that done without question or obligation. If you want to fully enter life, observe the commandments.

One young man asked, Which ones?

And Yeshua said, Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not give false testimony; honor your father and mother; care for your neighbor as you care for yourself.

The young man said, I have done all these things. What am I missing?

And Yeshua answered, To be perfect, sell all you have, leave everything behind, and come with me. You cannot enter into life encumbered by obligation to things. Those obliged to love things are beholden neither to other people nor to the holy one.

The young man turned and walked away, for he was encumbered by wealth.

Yeshua was saddened, but did not stop him. As the young man walked away, Yeshua said, It is difficult for the rich to enter into life. Easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to carry their wealth and reputation with them through the narrow door that leads to life.

Whatever is bound in life is bound everywhere. Whatever is freed in life is freed everywhere.

Ballentine, Debra Scoggins, The Conflict Myth & the Biblical Tradition; Oxford University Press 2015

Erdman, Bart, various titles

Gaus, Andy, The Unvarnished New Testament; Phanes Press, 1991

Herzog, William R., Parables as Subversive Speech; Westminster John Knox Press, 1991

Louden, Bruce, Greek Myth and the Bible; Routledge, 2019

Tatian, Diatesseron; www.earlychristianwritings.com/diatessaron.html

Wajdenbaum, Philippe, Argonauts of the Desert, Routledge, 2011

Ward, Keith, The Philosopher and the Gospels, Lion Hudson, 2011

Yosef ben Maityahu (Titus Flavius Josephus), various writings

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

This is It - Episode 11: On Children

They were on their way to Capernaum when the toll takers said to Peter, Hey, your teacher didn’t pay the toll.

Peter replied, That’s right, he didn’t.

He rushed to catch him up, but Yeshua had arrived at the house ahead of him.

What do you think, Simon? On whom do leaders impose taxes and tolls, on their children or on the children of others?

Peter responded, The children of others.

And Yeshua said, While their own children go free. Not to make trouble here, go down to the water, throw in a hook and line. Take the first fish that comes up, and you’ll find a coin in its mouth. Take the coin to the toll collector, to pay for us.

Then the students came. They asked him, Who is the greatest in the realm of the holy one?

He called out to a child, placed the child in front of them and said, If you don’t turn your thinking around and become find the realm of the holy one in the manner of the generously playful child, you’ll never enter in. Whoever meets a child without pretence—open, humble and with compassion—meets me also.

Whoever returns to the unguarded perceptiveness of a child, that’s who is the greatest in the realm.

In short, don’t be contemptuous of these little ones—learn from them, receive them, do not turn them away—vulnerable as they are, they always before the face of the holy one.

Whoever trips up a child would be better off sunk in the sea with a millstone.

Woe to the stumbling blocks of this world.

Woe to any who lays a stumbling block with intent to marginalize another.

Ballentine, Debra Scoggins, The Conflict Myth & the Biblical Tradition; Oxford University Press 2015

Erdman, Bart, various titles

Gaus, Andy, The Unvarnished New Testament; Phanes Press, 1991

Herzog, William R., Parables as Subversive Speech; Westminster John Knox Press, 1991

Louden, Bruce, Greek Myth and the Bible; Routledge, 2019

Tatian, Diatesseron; www.earlychristianwritings.com/diatessaron.html

Wajdenbaum, Philippe, Argonauts of the Desert, Routledge, 2011

Ward, Keith, The Philosopher and the Gospels, Lion Hudson, 2011

Yosef ben Maityahu (Titus Flavius Josephus), various writings

Sunday, April 5, 2020

This is It - Episode 10: Feeding the Hungry

Word came to Yeshua of John’s murder in prison. He was shaken, and needed to get away by himself to fully experience the sorrow of this loss.

He headed out in the boat to a deserted shore. The throngs eventually caught up to where he was. Though he wanted to be alone, he felt compassion for their need, and cured those who were ill.

When it was getting late, the students came and said, This place is in the middle of nowhere, and it’s late. Send the crowds away, so they can find food for themselves in the villages.

But Yeshua said, Don’t send them away. Feed them yourselves.

They answered, But we only have five loaves of bread and two fish.

Here, bring them to me.

They asked everyone to sit. Yeshua took the food and blessed it. He divided it among his students and they passed it around, either breaking off bits for each person or passing some down a line of people.

Yeshua watched the crowd and saw that they understood what he had been teaching.

The more food was eaten, the more food appeared. All ate, and all were satisfied.

At the end of the meal, twelve baskets of scraps were leftover.

Ballentine, Debra Scoggins, The Conflict Myth & the Biblical Tradition; Oxford University Press 2015

Erdman, Bart, various titles

Gaus, Andy, The Unvarnished New Testament; Phanes Press, 1991

Herzog, William R., Parables as Subversive Speech; Westminster John Knox Press, 1991

Louden, Bruce, Greek Myth and the Bible; Routledge, 2019

Tatian, Diatesseron; www.earlychristianwritings.com/diatessaron.html

Wajdenbaum, Philippe, Argonauts of the Desert, Routledge, 2011

Ward, Keith, The Philosopher and the Gospels, Lion Hudson, 2011

Yosef ben Maityahu (Titus Flavius Josephus), various writings

This is It - Episode 9: Mysteries and Metaphors

Next day, Yeshua withdrew toward the lake. Followed by throngs as he was, he went out onto the water in a small boat, and from there answered questions and taught them in metaphors.

Once, a man went out to sow seed in his field. Some seed fell in the road, and the birds came and at it up. Some seed fell in a rocky ground, where there was little soil; the seeds germinated and the plants came up quickly, but had no roots, so they were scorched by the sun and withered away. Some seed fell into a patch of thorns, where the plants were choked off. Some fell in good soil, grew to maturity and yielded a good crop. Hear what I say!

A student asked, Why do you speak in metaphors?

Some people hear and understand; others do not. I want you to hear and understand.

Another student asked: So what does this metaphor mean?

And he said, The seed that fell in the road is the word about the realm the holy one that was heard but the person was robbed of the opportunity to understand. The seed that fell in the rocky ground, whose plants have no deep roots, that represents to person who hears and understands the word, but cannot stand up to the challenge of other people’s persuasion, and so they abandon their understanding. The seed that fell in the patch of thorns hears and understands the word, but then tries to scheme how to have one foot in the realm and the other in this world; the plants from that seed can never bear fruit. The seeds that fell in good soil represent the person who hears and understands the word; that person has deep roots and bears good fruit.

Before another question could be asked, he went on.

The realm of the holy one is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but in the night, someone sowed weeds where the good seed was. The good and bad seeds sprouted and grew together. The man’s servants asked, ‘Do you want us to pull out the weeds?’ But he said, ‘No, because the good plants might also be uprooted. Let all grow together, then at harvest time, we’ll pull the weeds and bundle them into the fire, then collect the wheat into silo.’

He went on, so as not to be interrupted, The realm of the holy one is like the seed of the mustard plant. Though the smallest of all seeds, it grows into a bush large enough for birds to nest in.

And he said, further, The realm is like the yeast that a woman mixed in with three bags of flour, until it all doubled.

After that, he to dismissed them, returned to the shore, and headed back to his house. But they wanted to hear more.

Here are some short ones about the realm of the holy one. It is like a treasure hidden in a field, is found and by a person and reburied. That person then joyfully sells all he has to buy the field.

The realm is like the merchant in search of quality pearls. He finds the single most precious one, and sells all that he has in order to purchase it.

Or this one, the realm is like the fishermen who throw out their net and drag it in when it’s full. They sort the good fish into their creels, and the bad fish they throw back. This is how it will be at the end, the just will be culled and the unjust will be cast away. Do you understand?

They said, Yes.

Ballentine, Debra Scoggins, The Conflict Myth & the Biblical Tradition; Oxford University Press 2015

Erdman, Bart, various titles

Gaus, Andy, The Unvarnished New Testament; Phanes Press, 1991

Herzog, William R., Parables as Subversive Speech; Westminster John Knox Press, 1991

Louden, Bruce, Greek Myth and the Bible; Routledge, 2019

Tatian, Diatesseron; www.earlychristianwritings.com/diatessaron.html

Wajdenbaum, Philippe, Argonauts of the Desert, Routledge, 2011

Ward, Keith, The Philosopher and the Gospels, Lion Hudson, 2011

Yosef ben Maityahu (Titus Flavius Josephus), various writings

This is It - Episode 8: Sabbath Rest

Sunset on the Sabbath day was approaching. As they went along through a grain field, and the hungry disciples picked heads of grain and ate them.

Pharisees, observing this, said, Look, your students are doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath!

And Yeshua replied, Remember what David did, when he and his companions were hungry and in need: He entered the house of the holy one and took the consecrated bread, meant only for the priests, and he and his companions ate the bread. If you knew what it means, ‘I seek mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not condemn the innocent.

Further, It has been said, the Sabbath was made to serve people, rather than people to serve the Sabbath.

Continuing on, they entered the synagogue, where he was to teach.

A man with a wasted hand was brought forward.

The canon-lawyers and Pharisees watched closely, hoping to catch him in wrongdoing with which he could be charged.

Sensing that this had been set as a trap, he asked the man to stand where all could see him.

Looking around, Yeshua looked into the face of each person, saying, What is permissible on the Sabbath, doing good or doing bad, or worse, doing nothing? What is permissible on the Sabbath, saving a life or destroying a life, or worse, ignoring the needs of life?

Who of you, if you had but one sheep and it feel into a pit on the Sabbath, would not reach in and pull it out? How much more important than a sheep is a person? Enough that it is right to do a good deed on the Sabbath.

He bade the man stretch out his hand to the congregation. He stretched it out, and all saw that it had been restored to health.

The Pharisees met afterward. Yeshua had challenged their authority. He challenged way things had always been understood, the way things had always been done.

Ballentine, Debra Scoggins, The Conflict Myth & the Biblical Tradition; Oxford University Press 2015

Erdman, Bart, various titles

Gaus, Andy, The Unvarnished New Testament; Phanes Press, 1991

Herzog, William R., Parables as Subversive Speech; Westminster John Knox Press, 1991

Louden, Bruce, Greek Myth and the Bible; Routledge, 2019

Tatian, Diatesseron; www.earlychristianwritings.com/diatessaron.html

Wajdenbaum, Philippe, Argonauts of the Desert, Routledge, 2011

Ward, Keith, The Philosopher and the Gospels, Lion Hudson, 2011

Yosef ben Maityahu (Titus Flavius Josephus), various writings

This is It - Episode 7: Healing

He ventured to return to his own town. The followers came along.

The next thing, they brought him a paralyzed man lying on a stretcher.

He saw their faith in him.

To the paralytic, he said, Take heart: your errors are forgiven.

Some of the canon-lawyers said to each other, That’s blasphemy!

But he said, Which is easier to say:‘Your errors are forgiven’ or ‘Get up and walk away’? So you’ll know that this son of humanity, child of the earth, has earthly authority—he said to the paralytic—Get up, take your stretcher and go home.

The man, paralyzed no longer, got up, took up the stretcher and went into his home.

Onlookers were either terrified or praising the holy one that a mortal had been granted such ability.

Yeshua saw one of the onlookers at a toll station, Matthew by name, and said, Join me.

And they went to the house of Matthew, who was a tax collector; they and the students were joined at table with other tax collectors and other marginal people.

Pharisees addressed the question to Yeshua’s students: Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ungodly people?

Yeshua heard and said, The healthy don’t need a doctor. Go, find what it means ‘I seek mercy and not sacrifice.’ I’m here to call the godless, not saints.

John’s students asked, We fast, as the Pharisees do. Why don’t your students fast?

And he said, The wedding party does not mourn while the newlyweds rejoice. When the groom is taken way, they will have reason to fast.

An official of the town came to summon him. My daughter has just died, but if you put your hand on her, she’ll live.

They got up to go, and a woman came from behind and touched the hem of his cloak.

Yeshua paused, Courage, your trust has saved you, and she was healed of her excessive bleeding.

They passed on the official’s house. Yeshua said to the crowd gathered there, Be on your way. The girl is just sleeping. They laughed at him. He pushed through the crowd and took the child’s hand.

She woke up.

They left, and were followed by two blind men. Have mercy on us, son of David, they called out.

Yeshua touched their eyes and said, Let it be for you according to your trust.

Their eyes were opened.

Then a mute person was brought; it was presumed a demon had silenced him.

Yeshua whispered in his ear.

The man spoke.

Even though he told them not to divulge what had been done, word got out.

Yeshua and the students went out to the towns and villages, where he taught, proclaimed the good word, and healed.

The crowds needing healing grew and grew, and he felt sorry for them.

He said to his students: Ample the harvest, too few the workers. The harvest master must send workers into the fields.And he deputized them to heal.

Go out, with only the clothes on your back. I send you like sheep into packs of wolves. But, it’s enough for the student to be like his teacher. Don’t fear those who kill the body; they cannot kill the soul.

I did not come to case peace over the land. I came to wield a sword to separate people from wrong thinking.

Whoever receives a prophet by the name of prophet will receive a prophet’s pay. Whoever receives a just person by the name of a just person will receive a just person’s pay. Whoever gives a lowly person even but a drink of water by their name, as my student, you will not forfeit your pay.

John, in jail, had heard of the work. He sent the question through his students: Are you the one who’s coming, or should we expect another?

Yeshua said to them: Go back. Tell John what you hear and see. Blind people see; lame people walk. The dead rise, and the poor are given good news.

And as they went away, Yeshua spoke to the crowd about John.

You went to the desert to see what? A prophet? A prophet, yes, and much more. About him was it written, ‘Look, I send my messenger to prepare your road ahead of you.’ He is the Elijah to come. Those with ears to hear, hear!

Ballentine, Debra Scoggins, The Conflict Myth & the Biblical Tradition; Oxford University Press 2015

Erdman, Bart, various titles

Gaus, Andy, The Unvarnished New Testament; Phanes Press, 1991

Herzog, William R., Parables as Subversive Speech; Westminster John Knox Press, 1991

Louden, Bruce, Greek Myth and the Bible; Routledge, 2019

Tatian, Diatesseron; www.earlychristianwritings.com/diatessaron.html

Wajdenbaum, Philippe, Argonauts of the Desert, Routledge, 2011

Ward, Keith, The Philosopher and the Gospels, Lion Hudson, 2011

Yosef ben Maityahu (Titus Flavius Josephus), various writings