Posted on 12/23/2007 6:30:10 AM PST by Liz
He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant.
He grew up in another village, where he worked in a carpenter shop until he was 30.
Then, for three years, he was an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book.
He never held an office.
He never had a family or owned a home. He didn't go to college.
He never lived in a big city.
He never traveled 200 miles from the place where he was born.
He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness.
He had no credentials but himself.
He was only 33 when the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied him.
He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves.
While he was dying, his executioners gambled for his garments, the only property he had on earth.
When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed grave, through the pity of a friend.
Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of the human race.
.........all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned--put together--have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that one, solitary life.........
Neither Mary nor Joseph were peasants.
He was a highly skilled artisan. She had family connections to the highest Jewish aristocracy.
A carpenter is not a peasant....
Taking the Jewish out of Jesus is like taking the salt off the pretzel...
thank you. I just printed it out for my family to share again. Merry Christmas.
He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant.
Neither Mary nor Joseph were peasants.
He was a highly skilled artisan. She had family connections to the highest Jewish aristocracy.
ME; i must have missed their names in the social registry....
That is one of my favorite Christmas “songs”...Ed McMahon says the poem and it;s just beautiful!
You were saying..., “He was a highly skilled artisan. She had family connections to the highest Jewish aristocracy.”
There’s no indication of the skill-level of Joseph. He could have had barely the necessary skills to survive in his trade. You don’t know one way or another. From all indications, if he was highly skilled, it did not translate into any significant monetary benefit for him or his family. Thank goodness for the magi and their gifts, which enabled the family to travel (in the years to come).
So, he apparently didn’t have a lot of money, and neither property, that would have kept him bound to a certain area (with the duties and responsibilities of property). He left his home area to go on the trip for the census and did not return for a while. And then he left for Egypt. No property responsibilities were keeping him tied down. He sounds more like those who come across the border from the south (illegally), than anyone who has the benefits from being a highly skilled artisan.
We also see nothing that indicates Mary had any connections to aristocracy. I mean I’m in a “four degrees of separation” relation with the Pope (supposedly the Vicar of Christ on this earth), from my immediate family (someone being an immediate and personal advisor) — and that conveys absolutely nothing of any importance to me (relationally, theologically, religiously, monetarily or otherwise).
Although Mary was in a blood line of inheritance to the throne of David, it had no practical and/or everyday consequence for Mary. That’s plain to see from the accounts we are given. Any “Jewish aristocracy” seen here is a remnant of some figment of your imagination.
For all the accounts and for all intents and purposes, it’s very true that Jesus comes from the lowliest of the low in His station in life. And as Jesus, Himself, said —
And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” [Matthew 8:20]
There was nothing from any successful and skillful trade from Joseph that ever carried over to Jesus and nothing from any supposed “Jewish aristocracy” that carried over from Mary. Jesus had basically — nothing — from either parent (of worldly goods and/or benefits). In fact, his mother needed to be taken care of, when Jesus left this world, and He put one of His friends in charge of caring for her in her retiring years (also more evidence of the lack of anything or of any material benefit from any supposed and/or imaginary “aristocracy” that she came from).
The Bible account is clear and plain and there is nothing of what you either imply, indicate or imagine...
Regards,
Star Traveler
You said — “An authentic Jesus would go a long way towards making it real for so many christians...”
Well, an “authentic Jesus” after the crucifixion is a barely recognizable Jesus from what He was before. So, His appearance was dramatically and very negatively altered at that time. I would say that many, instead of appreciating the “authentic Jesus” would be more “shocked” instead...
Regards,
Star Traveler
Taking the Jewish out of Jesus is like taking the salt off the pretzel...
Well said!
Early Christians were seen as an illegal Jewish cult. The first question of the Church was the issue of allowing gentiles. Later one of the first heretics rewrote scripture to redact things Jewish.
He had to have had at least a theology degree.
You said — “Later one of the first heretics rewrote scripture to redact things Jewish.”
The Bible we have, which consists of those 66 books from those 40 authors, written over several centuries (and more) are the unchanged and not-rewritten Word of God, as He intended it to be given to us and is as the originals were made.
While there may have been many others who attempted to change what was originally written by God, under the guiding of the Holy Spirit with the human authors chosen by God, those others did not succeed in changing any of God’s writings to mankind and they remain as they were from the beginning, given to us for the full understanding that God intended for us to have.
We have the full and complete and unchanged Word of God to mankind, despite many attempts of others to change it.
Regards,
Star Traveler
You said — “He had to have had at least a theology degree.”
Jesus had the full knowledge and understanding of the triune Godhead and had no need for any kind of theology degree. He exhibited this, already, at the age of 12, when He was left behind during one of the family’s pilgrimages to Jerusalem.
As the Apostle John said —
John 1:1-18
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ “
16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
—
He had no need for a theology degree, as He had the fullness of the Godhead in Him.
Regards,
Star Traveler
I sure would say so. God the father created heaven and earth.
Good work, but unnecessary, since I was speaking strictly tongue-in-cheek—a little satirical observation regarding the current “cult of expertise” under which our society presently labors.
“He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.”-Isaiah 53:2
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”-2 Corinthians 8:9
Glory to THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS! Revelation 19:16
Thanks for the posts.
‘’
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Yeah, Jesus caused those who did have those degrees (back in His day) to marvel at His knowledge and wisdom...
:-)
.........all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned—put together—have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that one, solitary life.........
***Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for him. ~Napoleon Bonaparte
Deserves a repeat.
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