Jun 5
RIDDLES OF JESUS
Mente quolibet ire licet. (Thought is free)
I received this text from my friend Asséde Paiva; I find it interesting and thought-provoking; with his consent, I publish it.
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I believe that Jesus Christ implicitly refused to be considered God. In Matthew 24:34–36, it reads: “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things happen. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only my Father.” Omniscience is an attribute of God and therefore has absolute value. Now omniscience is absolute knowledge about all things. If the Son does not know something that only the Father knows, then the Son is not omniscient and therefore not God. (Jose Augusto Carvalho)
Lk 12: 51–53 — “Do you think that I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I say to you, but separation: for from now on there will be in the same house five people divided, three against two, and two against three. They will be divided: the father against the son, and the son against his father, the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against her mother, the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” I think there is a contradiction with what HE said: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, but I don’t give it like the world. Do not let your heart be troubled or intimidated.” Jn 14,27. My paragraph: surely, Jesus did not say what was written above. If he spoke, he was wrong, for we have seen nothing as catastrophic as predicted. If he didn’t err, he spoke symbolically, metaphorically. Of course, one or another mother-in-law doesn’t get along with her daughter-in-law; one or two children are not good people, but statistically, the family disagreement is not significant: the rule is harmony.
I really don’t quite understand certain statements that Jesus made during his pilgrimage in our world. Starting from the premise that He was God the Son, he knew what he was saying, I am the one who is ‘stupid’, almost ignorant in religious matters. From time to time I read the Bible, however, I am far from fully digesting it, and I can say that I am not alone in my foolishness. Even today, after 2018 years, half of humanity does not know or is not interested in Jesus, or even ignores the existence of the Master, and even rejects Him as an incontestable truth. Another half thinks they know everything about Jesus and are often fanatically sure that they understand Him, but opinions are wildly divergent and wise men have been quarrelling happily for centuries. Considering the religious denominations, called Christian (there are thousands), and each one more convinced that they hold the final truth.
Riddles of Jesus:
Riddle 1
He argues that we shouldn’t worry about tomorrow. Certainly, the Father will provide and Jesus invites us: “Look at the lilies of the field… how they grow; they neither work nor spin; and I say to you that not even Solomon, in all his glory, was arrayed like one of these. Mt 6, 28, 29. It takes an enormous exercise in hermeneutics to reconcile the saying of Jesus with that of St. Paul: If anyone does not want to work, let him not eat II Thes 13:10. It is also written in the Bible that “By the sweat of your face you shall eat your bread Gn 3:19”. A billion beings are dying of hunger and they have no work, no money, no food, and how can they not worry?
Riddle 2
And that statement by Jesus to the apostles that even in his generation the end of the world would happen… and hundreds of generations have passed. Jesus predicted that the times had come and that some of his disciples would not taste death until they saw the kingdom of God come, and that the final judgment would take place in their generation. Jesus’ conviction of the speedy arrival of the Last Judgment was firm. “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things are fulfilled in Matthew 24:34 and in Luke 9:27 But truly I say to you, there is those present who will not experience death until they have seen the kingdom of God. Elohim’s”. (God).
Riddle 3
It is the question of swords; Now Jesus said that he did not come to bring a sword, but sends to buy swords; well, he says that his kingdom is not of this world (John 18, 36), but then why the swords?
…he who has no sword, sell his tunic and buy it Lk 22:36.
…here are two swords… Enough says Jesus to him Lk 22, 38.
…Sir, shall we smite with the sword? Luke 22, 49.
…and one of them smote the high priest’s servant, cutting off his ear Lk 22:50.
…leave them! Enough! Jesus said to them, and touching her ear, he healed her Lk 22:51.
…sheath your sword again, for everyone who takes the sword to the sword will die. (Mt 26, 52). Here the apostle contradicts Luke 22, 36, 38 and 50.
…do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring you peace, but the sword Mt 10:34.
…and one of those present drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear Mk 14:47.
…put your sword in its scabbard. Shall I not drink the cup that my Father gave me? John 18, 10.
Riddle 4
It’s about that phrase that says let the dead bury their dead. Did he mean that the non-followers of his magisterium were dead (spiritual?). However, hundreds of thousands did not follow Him (as dead…). Billions don’t follow Him… are they dead? “And another of his disciples said to him: Lord, let me go first to bury my father. But Jesus answered him, “Follow me and let the dead bury their dead.” Mt 21, 22.
Riddle 5
Mark the teaching by parables. His followers were ignorant, poor and semi-illiterate, how could they, so simple-minded, understand such teachings? The parables are so mysterious that even today exegetes/hermeneutics struggle among themselves for the correct interpretation. “If Jesus preached the kingdom of heaven, it is not understandable that he spoke to the people in parables, which were then explained to the disciples, who, moreover, did not even understand them.” Mk 4, 10, 11, 33 and 34. Apud Jesus and His Doctrine, p. 174, by A. Leterre. “And when he was found, only the twelve who were with him asked him what the meaning of the parable was. And he said to them, To you it is granted to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but those who are from outside everything is proposed to them in parables.” André Chouraqui, stupendous connoisseur of the Bible, on page 258 of the Gospel according to St Luke, comments on Luke 34 as follows: It is understandable that the adepts do not penetrate any of this hermetic language. What they understand can only make them very confused. Question: Why couldn’t the people/followers/apostles know? The enigmatic parables left room for extravagant interpretations and the people in ignorance.
Riddle 6
Jesus tells the good thief that this night (the night of the crucifixion) they would be together in heaven, but he descended to hell and was only resurrected on the 3rd day. “I will rise again after three days” Mt 27, 62. “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” Lk 23,43.
Riddle 7
The parable of the talents is extremely hermetic in terms of the punishment for the cautious, the careful. Indeed, the literal interpretation of his words leads us to admit an injustice, but this is what is said: “To everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance; and to what he doesn’t have, even what he seems to have will be taken away from him”. Mt 25, 29. In Mt 25, 14–28, varied amounts are given “to each according to his ability”; in Luke 19:12–26 they receive the same amount. Which is right? Assuming that the amount of talent is irrelevant, then what is the teaching? And the terrible phrases 28 — So take away his talent and give it to him who has ten. 29 — For to everyone who has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 — And cast out the useless servant into the darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. How to take something from someone who has nothing? I cannot help but feel sorry for the poor, humiliated and offended — those who have nothing — who suffer all kinds of degradation and even Mother Nature is their stepmother. Floods, earthquakes, exclusion, unemployment, wars, etc., affect them directly. Literally, they have nothing and yet what little they have they take away from them. Words from the Bible. In Luke 1: 53 it is written: “He has filled those who were hungry with good things; and sent away those who were rich empty.” It seems to contradict Mt 25, 29 above.
Here are the doubts and I beg your pardon for my answer, I humbly accept the most convincing explanations. I await the revelations you will give me. With the word theologians, exegetes, philosophers and hermeneutics and they will have a lot of work, because the New Testament brings things only for the enlightened. I confess my perplexity and say: I don’t want controversy, I just want to understand. But don’t give me another riddle-like, “If anyone has an ear to hear, let him hear.” Mk 4.9 and 23; 7.16; Mt 13.9; Luke 8.8 and 14.35. Also this affirmation: “That is why I speak to them in parables: because they see, they do not see, and they hear, they do not hear nor understand” Mt 13,13.
Whoever comes to me without hating his father, his mother, his wife, his children, his brothers and sisters, and his own being too, cannot be my adept. Luke 14:26.
Now, this is not an enigma, but an emphatic, very clear, peremptory statement by Jesus in John 14:6:
I’m the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.
Now, the world currently has more than seven billion inhabitants, with Christians being just over 1,000,000,000 (one billion). Thus, the rest are condemned to eternal damnation, because they do not know Jesus. Woe to the Brahmans, Buddhists, Sufis, Jains, Taoists, Atheists, Shintoists, Confucians, Hindus, Jews, Islamists, suicides, Masons (excommunicated) and other heretics.
And we would have to exclude those who, although Christians, committed mortal sins: pride, avarice, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, laziness, as well as those who practised abortion. The number of those rescued would decrease more and more…
There is a book in the Bible that sets out, twice, the exact number of those who will attain salvation. It is the Apocalypse of John:
In chapter 7,4 John describes a vision, in which he was allowed to behold all those marked on their foreheads with the saving seal and their number was 144,000. And in chapter 14, confirming this fact, he presents, again, the 144,000, now joined to Jesus Christ, who redeemed them from among all men (14,1).
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Compare the similarity of Jesus’ teaching on human interrelationships with other non-Christian denominations:
Christianity: Love one another with brotherly love. Go ahead in honouring one another. (Rom 12:10).
A new commandment I give you: Love one another, as I have loved you. (John 13:34).
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you… (Mt 5:44)
Confucianism (551 B.C. — 479 B.C.) Do not do to another what you do not want to be done to you.
Buddhism (563–483 B.C.) In five ways a true leader should treat his friends and dependents: with generosity, courtesy, benevolence, giving what he expects from them, and being true to his own word.
Islam (580–630 AD). No one can be a believer until he loves his brother as himself.
Hinduism (600 BC). Do not do to another what, if done to you, would cause you pain.
Sikhism (1470 AD). Judge others as you judge yourself. Then thou shalt partake of heaven.
Jainism (600 BC). In happiness and unhappiness, in joy and in pain, we need to look at all creatures as we look at ourselves.
Zoroastrianism: (700 BC). Nature is a friend only when we do nothing to others that is not good for ourselves.
Taoism (600 BC). Consider your neighbour’s gain as your own and his loss as your own.
Judaism (4600 BC). Do not do to your fellow man what is painful for you.
Well, my brothers! Who was not an inhabitant of this Blue Planet and arrived here, could understand the reason why the brothers, faithful of these world religions, kill each other in each religion's name in holy wars? If not even we understand, what would they say?
There is a universal consciousness where everyone draws from the same source. (Jung)
Finally: Jesus never said, “I am GOD”.
My addendum:
Just as Asséde asks for help and comments to resolve the doubts and certainties that he exposes, I additionally ask you to clarify:
If all Christian religions pray that Jesus died on the cross to save us from sin (us who, pale face?) what do I understand to be the Original Sin, presumably committed by a possible couple Adam and Eve, millions or billions of past generations, and all “our” sins, why in all their prayers they ask G’d, Jesus, Holy Mary, all the saints, etc., “forgive us our sins”?
What baneful refrain for those who love life, mainly Christian believers who shall thank G’d who has given it to “us”.
