The Rebels ....from the imagination of a badger

[badger]

The Journey South

Yeshu knew by now that he was being hunted throughout Galilee, and even across the lake in the Gadarenes, Gergesenes and to the north. It was time to get out of Galilee, and Yeshu no longer believed that we could turn the Galilean population into a unified body to support the Lord's true ways. If John the Immerser could have been taken so easily, Yeshu didn't believe that he would last another month. The next day he said his goodbyes to neighbours and friends, and set off with his disciples and a few others (like me) walking around the Lake for Judea. We stopped on the way at Magdala, to Mary and Salome's home, and both of them packed up a few belongings and told him that they were coming with us, no matter what.

As usual we went south around the Lake to walk along the east bank of the Jordan, through the region of the ten cities, and then crossed over near Jericho. We were going to Jerusalem in one last attempt to rouse the people. Soon, at Passover, there would be hundreds of thousands of working folks, all coming to one point in the whole World...... the Temple. That was Yeshu's last opportunity to win the people over in one grand effort. An 'all or nothing' venture.

As we walked south, a huge crowd of travellers slowly grew, making its way towards Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and sacrifice at the temple, the only place where they were allowed to celebrate. If any Jew attempted to celebrate a feast anywhere else they would be set upon and killed out of hand, their blood soaking in the ground with their spilled wine. As people discovered who Yeshua was so they followed our procession more closely. He had, after all, become famous beyond Galilee. This notoriety attracted all kinds of people; hateful Pharisees and officials called out 'catch' questions, hoping to hear any treacherous reply which could lead to an arrest. Other people reached out to touch him in hope for a release from pain or sickness. Parents held their children out for Yeshua to touch as he passed by. Several disciples were pushing people away from Yeshu, fearing for his safety, but Yesh insisted that they allow parents with children to come closer.

'This land belongs to these!', Yesh exclaimed, 'It is the simple faith of children like these which wins true contentment and happiness in our Kingdom!'

One rich young man, desperate to secure a place for himself in the new Israel-to-be, asked Yeshu what he must do for this. Yeshu told him to rid himself of the chains of material possessions, property, other luxuries of wealth, and become like himself, a stoic, with nothing but his clothes and needing nothing more. The youth turned away, lost in despair. Yesh turned to us all and called out that it was easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a person trapped by riches, luxury and status to be a part of the new world to come, following the old laws.

Cephas, walking with me, called out that he and all of us Galilean followers had left everything to follow him, and Yeshu replied that anybody who discarded everything, including wealth, luxury, security and family could be sure of of a place in the new Israel, with freedom from suffering, sadness and need. I could see from their reactions to this that some of them did not understand how this could be. Judah made ugly faces to the others when he thought that Yeshu was not watching.

Something had come over Yesh during this journey. It was as if he had become resigned to the fate that he had been warning us about for several weeks. It seemed to me that he was resigned to either success or death. As we approached Jerusalem Yeshu moved to the very front of our group, stepping out with his long striding lope. Some of us had to trot short distances to keep up with him. It was frightening to watch how he was striding towards the risks that he had feared for so long. Some of us began to worry for ourselves as well. I saw shifty eyed Judah looking to either side of our path as if seeking an escape route, and Thomas looked nervous as well.

At one point Yeshu stopped dead, and turned back to face us all. 'You all know that we are going to Jerusalem, friends,' he placed his hands on his chest as he said, 'and this son of Man,..' he thumped his chest, '...could well be betrayed to the priesthood, arrested, convicted, condemned and then given up for execution. Just be sure that you want to be there with me!'

I was close enough to Yeshua because I stood with Cephas, and then James and John, the 'sons of thunder', both piped up together, saying that before they would undertake such a dreadful risk they wanted Yeshu to promote them both to be his immediate successors, should anything happen to him, and they certainly wanted high positions in any new order of control.

Yeshu couldn't make that promise.

'To have a chance of those positions you not only have to stand with us, and take the risks that we do, but you also have to surrender to the Lord's will..... such promises are not for me to make.'

The other disciples were snarling and posturing at the two brothers before Yesh had even finished speaking. Yeshu called all of us into a cluster and spoke seriously to us, 'Look! You know how the outsiders govern.... how they have positions of authority and can dictate to all those beneath them! They are tyrants! Not so with us.... for your any new society your leaders will only be leader if they are devoted to all the people, committed to their service, not tyrants and villainous masters like now. Do you understand?'

And at that moment, one of the people who was walking close to our group pointed forward and said, 'Look! Jericho!' and we all looked up and saw, in the distance, the great walls.

 

[badger]

You've never met anybody who believes that the Bible is centred around divine intervention?

Straight answer? Yes, I've known folks who believed in Divine Intervention.....but none who ever was certain about it.
I answer thus because I have never met anybody who lives the life of one who is certain about and trusting in their God/s.

Badgers believe in the Power and Rules of Mother Nature......... a really scary kind of belief when all is considered.

 

[RJM]

In the case of Jesus, the growth of the earliest church is against him being regarded as just an unsuccessful revolutionary. From earliest times -- the stoning of Stephen -- Jesus was regarded as more than just a good man and a faith healer, imo

Again, it's not about whether a person believes that to be the case -- but the attempt to somehow prove that others at the time also did not?

The scriptures say what they say. It's not about whether someone believes what (scriptures) they say, but the need to expend so much research and energy to show the scriptures do not say what they clearly do say, lol

Why bother about it all?

 

[badger]

Jericho and on to Bethany (with apologies for various divergences from Bible accounts)

We managed to enter Jericho before dusk, and because the spring nights were chill we huddled together for warmth and managed to sleep until early morning when the gates opened and we could leave to continue our journey. Cephas and others had been keen for Yeshu to walk through the city, offering healing and encouraging the travellers to join our mission, but Yeshu had told him that it would only lead to an early arrest, before he had had the opportunity to really make a scene that would be remembered and talked about.

As we walked away from Jericho I noticed an old man sitting on the ground, with his cloak wrapped tight around to keep him warm, and holding out a begging bowl for offerings. He stared at the sky as if blind, but I noticed that he looked away from the rising sun in the east and closed his eyelids if he glanced in its direction. Somebody laughed and called out that he should beseech Yeshu for salvation and a cure from his ills; it was a following group of Pharisees having fun with one of their usual challenges. The old man asked who Yeshu was, and where he was, and when Magdalene pointed to Yeshu he jumped up in a great show of need, threw his cloak off himself and ran straight to fall at Yeshu's feet. Although he held his hands out as he ran, I thought it was strange that he had known who to fall down in front of.

Yeshu was smiling as I had not seen him do for several days, and I am laughing even now as I recall that scene, so many years ago. Yeshu asked him what he wanted, and the man pleaded about wanting his sight back.
Yeshu took him by the shoulders and forced him down, so that his head was low to the ground. He then picked up some dirt, spat into it and by stirring it with a forefinger he turned the mess into a slurry of mud. He held the man's head in a strong grip whilst he pushed the mud gently into the man's eyes.

The man shouted and struggled, but Yeshu had a wiry strength that could not be resisted. When he had finished he forced the man's head up and pointed it towards the passing crowds, and spitting into each eye in turn he slowly and carefully wiped the mud away with the hem of his shawl.

And then, staring hard into the shocked and frightened man's eyes, Yeshu asked him...

'Well...? Can you see?'

The old man, shocked and shivering, nodded his head.

'Err..... Yes, a bit. The people look a bit like trunks and branches of trees!

Yeshua laughed out loud and pushed the old man back towards the dirt for a second treatment of mud slurry, but the old man called out for him to stop.

'Yes! Yes! I see people clearly now....... that's wonderful. A miracle!'

Yeshua laughed loudly again and told him that he was healed and that he could go home and would never ever need to hang out on that street corner again, begging for money from stupid visitors. Those who knew how he obtained his living laughed, and the old man, son of Timaeus, could only run back, pick up his belongings and then follow on behind the large crowd which had now gathered, probably deciding to relocate if he wanted to contrinue in his profession.

Some officials were with the Pharisees, sent to watch Yeshu leave their city, and they had seen the whole episode, and I doubted whether it was wise for that old cheat to return there. Yeshu looked at me and smiled. I laughed back and enjoyed that moment of mirth. Let me tell you..... Yesh loved life, justice, truth and integrity, but he surely had the most enjoyable sense of humour as well. Yeshu loved the sound of laughter, especially amongst the young.

We walked along within a vast tide of humanity which filled the road as far as we could see, all making for Jerusalem. Family groups that had travelled from the most distant parts, some carrying what they needed, others pushing little carts, and the more wealthy walking beside their large wagons. Some groups had a lamb for sacrifice to the Lord, foolish because the Temple priests would certainly find fault with them and make the pilgrims buy a Temple lamb anyway. Others might buy a dove at the temple for a smaller donation, but everybody knew that if they wanted a successful summer and autumn, then they needed to please the Lord with as large an offering as they could afford.

Having stayed at home and worked all my life to support myself and Imma, I had never seen such sights as these..... so many people travelling together. This was the very first time that I had ever come so far south, and the time since the late spring of the year before, to that early spring of that year was the most extraordinary time in my entire life. I had seen the impossible, travelled further and sailed across the Lake so many times. And now this mass of people..... and the hubbub of their excited chatter, which increased as we approached the greatest city in the World.

We could have walked the whole journey in a morning, but the crowds on the road slowed everybody to a shuffle at times. Although nearly everybody was walking in one direction, a cart could lose a wheel, or people might suddenly decide to stop and trade with each other in the middle of the road. The delays, so frustrating!

Eventually we reached Bethany, just outside and east of the city, by early afternoon. Yeshu sat upon the ground with a great sigh of relief and most of us did the same. About an hour later Judah and some followers who had gone on into the village came back to us with a colt in tow. They were joking, laughing and pushing each other. Judah led the little donkey up to Yeshu and offered him it's reins.

When asked, Judah explained that he had noticed how tired Yeshu was and so he had 'borrowed' the colt for him to ride upon. Yeshu snorted and said he could walk all the way back to Galilee there and then!, 'What do you mean, borrowed?' asked Yeshu, 'exactly how did you get it?'

'Well, we saw it tied beside it's mother with no one in attendance and so just untied it. Some locals asked us what we thought we were doing and we told them that our Lord and master had sent us for it. It works every time! Just mention anybody in extreme power and everybody just shuts up and caves in!'

'But what about it's owner?' pursued Yeshu, 'This is wrong!'

'Look', reasoned Judah,'If people see you riding into the city they may remember you and your words better. It might help our mission. Look.... I will return the donkey and it's young one later! Alright?'

Yeshu reluctantly agreed. And so, we eventually got up and joined the crowds on the road for the last mile into what must have been the most crowded city in the world. Yeshu sat upon the little donkey, which carried his weight quite well. The Bethany villagers were welcoming the travellers as they passed through. Vendors were passing in and out of the crowds, selling bread, wine and sweet foods. As we left Bethany I noticed that Judah and some others kept looking back to the village. I know now why they did that.

 

[badger]

In the case of Jesus, the growth of the earliest church is against him being regarded as just an unsuccessful revolutionary. From earliest times -- the stoning of Stephen -- Jesus was regarded as more than just a good man and a faith healer, imo

Again, it's not about whether or not a person believes that to be the case -- but the attempt to somehow prove that others at the time also did not?

The scriptures say what they say. It's not about whether someone believes what they say, but the need to expend so much research and energy to show the scriptures do not say what they clearly do say, lol

Why bother about it all?

A good investigator does not set out to prove anything. That is what prejudice is, imo.
For example, no Deist would want to prove that there is nothing but dust after death, that belief is simply what any Deist comes upon .....

And the scriptures are not clear, they need impartial investigation...that doesn't mean that I am right, it just means that I think I might be.

 

[RJM]

And the scriptures are not clear, they need impartial investigation...that doesn't mean that I am right, it just means that I think I

But the scriptures are clear. That's the point. It's one thing to reject the scriptures -- lots of people reject them -- but it's another thing to try to make them say what they clearly do not say?

To be ridiculous: let's say I reject the idea of relativistic time dilation -- that's my opinion which I'm entitled to -- but it's another thing to try to prove that Einstein's theory of relativity doesn't actually support and propose the idea of time dilation?

Well, I can try, but that involves disregarding the parts of the theory that do support time dilation?

 

[RJM]

I mean, I'm not going to to be able to get Relativity to say what it clearly does not say, in order to support my own theory, lol?

I'm looking in the wrong place?

No personal offence intended

 

[badger]

See it's not whether a person believes it really happened that way -- God met Moses on the mountain -- but the effort to prove somehow that the Bible does not say it happens that way? That the Bible really intends exactly the opposite of what it says?

Ah.... But no...... No effort was made (by me) to prove anything. This story is all about how I imagine it might have been. I'm not trying to prove anything, I will leave all the attempts at provenance to the prejudiced fanatics out there, and oh boy are they legion.

 

[RJM]

Ah.... But no...... No effort was made (by me) to prove anything. This story is all about how I imagine it might have been. I'm not trying to prove anything, I will leave all the attempts at provenance to the prejudiced fanatics out there, and oh boy are they legion.

It's well written

 

[badger]

But the scriptures are clear. That's the point. It's one thing to reject the scriptures -- lots of people reject them -- but it's another thing to try to make them say what they clearly do not say?

To be ridiculous: let's say I reject the idea of relativistic time dilation -- that's my opinion which I'm entitled to -- but it's another thing to try to prove that Einstein's theory of relativity doesn't actually support and propose the idea of time dilation?

Well, I can try, but that involves disregarding the parts of the theory that do support time dilation?

Sadly I cannot agree about the scriptures being clear, but I guess that is a whole debate on its own.

For instance, (and this is not a challenge) I have never met with any Christian who could tell me what Jesus and disciples did on that Palm Sunday, once they had entered Jerusalem . It's not clear, it seems.
This isn't intended to make you laugh so loud that you give yourself a hernia but I think they went sightseeing during that time. Honestly. But I can show why I think this.

 

[badger]

It's well written

Thank you for that ...
I used to write, but not as a writer, more as a specialist. I wrote for professional security mag for 15 years, and during the last three years 09-11 they let me have all of page 4, less the ads spaces.

 

[Ella S.]

Hello, and thank you for your comments.
I do believe that parts of the story of Jesus really happened, but I'm a Deist, don't believe in divine intervention and have always wondered how the accounts came to be. It's just '...from the imagination of a badger'.

When I see and hear about what has been happening throughout history (and in Ukraine) I feel sure that there is no kind of divine intervention.

I have a lot of respect for Deists and Christians, and so I have plenty of respect for Christian Deists. Thomas Jefferson was one and I think he was a brilliant man. I do agree that there is probably some truth to the legends given to us in the gospels.

The miracle of feeding the multitude is one of the few things that all of the gospels seem to agree on which makes it particularly noteworthy when trying to figure out if they share some seed of truth.

 

[RJM]

I have never met with any Christian who could tell me what Jesus and disciples did on that Palm Sunday, once they had entered Jerusalem . It's not clear ...

But it's not recorded what they did? There are countless details not recorded in the gospels. It's fair enough to speculate to try to fill in details, but it would be unreasonable to try to fill in the gaps with speculation that goes exactly against the obvious and overall intention of the gospel narratives?

I mean there are very many theories about Jesus -- but the gospels say and intend what they say and intend? Not something else. Overall they present a figure of Jesus.

Ok, the speculation will never end -- but looking to the gospels to find a different or opposite Jesus is like shopping for groceries in a hardware shop?

The gospel Jesus remains the gospel Jesus, imo

 

[Ella S.]

But it's not recorded what they did? There are countless details not recorded in the gospels. It's fair enough to speculate to try to fill in details, but it would be unreasonable to try to fill in the gaps with speculation that goes exactly against the obvious and overall intention of the gospel narratives?

I mean there are very many theories about Jesus -- but the gospels say and intend what they say and intend? Not something else. Overall they present a figure of Jesus.

Ok, the speculation will never end -- but looking to the gospels to find a different or opposite Jesus is like shopping for groceries in a hardware shop?

The gospel Jesus remains the gospel Jesus, imo

This is actually one of the main problems that I see in treating Jesus as a philosopher, which I know some Deists and even atheists sometimes do as a way of giving him credit.

When we read the gospel accounts, Jesus makes a lot of assertions. Most of these assertions are backed up by Jewish law or Jesus's role as a direct mouthpiece for God. In the Sermon on the Mount, he is describing who will get into Heaven and he references the mishvot a few times (such as when he says that "love thy neighbor" includes one's enemies.)

It is quite unlike similar and more detailed philosophies like Platonism and Cynicism that had to construct their own original epistemologies before deriving claims from them. Jesus was a Jew and he was preaching mostly to other Hellenic Jews so most of his assertions were based on common beliefs. Unlike a philosopher, Jesus does not start from scratch.

In this sense, I do not see most of Jesus's teachings as particularly revolutionary from a Greek perspective. The most unique part about Jesus is that he justified these Greek ideas through his Jewish background in ways that were considered heretical and blasphemous, challenging the Jewish authorities of the time.

This is not to say that I have too many disagreements with the teachings attributed to Jesus. I also do not think it is really the fault of Jesus that he never wastes his time explaining to Jews why Elohim is real and his laws should be kept. I just think this makes Jesus more of an Abrahamic religious figure and less of a philosopher, although later Christian theologians have gone deeper into the topic and so I think Christian theology itself is still respectable as a philosophy.

 

[badger]

But it's not recorded what they did?

Yes, it is.
Honestly....in today's English idiom they went sightseeing.
I'm on a mobile now but tomorrow morning I'll copy/print off the account on to a post for your scrutiny .

 

[RJM]

This is not to say that I have too many disagreements with the teachings attributed to Jesus. I also do not think it is really the fault of Jesus that he never wastes his time explaining to Jews why Elohim is real and his laws should be kept. I just think this makes Jesus more of an Abrahamic religious figure and less of a philosopher, although later Christian theologians have gone deeper into the topic and so I think Christian theology itself is still respectable as a philosophy.

The teachings of Jesus are encompassed in the life and death (and resurrection) of Christ? That is the message of the gospels? It's not necessary to agree with what the gospels say, but it's not reasonable to want to make them say something else, that they do not say

 

[RJM]

Yes, it is.
Honestly....in today's English idiom they went sightseeing.
I'm on a mobile now but tomorrow morning I'll copy/print off the account on to a post for your scrutiny .

Ok. Will it change the overall meaning of the life of Christ?

 

[Ella S.]

The teachings of Jesus are encompassed in the life and death (and resurrection) of Christ? That is the message of the gospels? It's not necessary to agree with what the gospels say, but it's not reasonable to want to make them say something else, that they do not say

Indeed, I agree with you there. Part of the basis for Jesus's claim to being the mouthpiece of God is his ability to perform miracles. His teachings (his parables and sermons and how he lived their teachings) rely on this assertion. The resurrection either relies on or supports this assertion.

To take the miracles out of the gospels is to fundamentally change them and their message.

 

[RJM]

Indeed, I agree with you there. Part of the basis for Jesus's claim to being the mouthpiece of God is his ability to perform miracles. His teachings (his parables and sermons and how he lived their teachings) rely on this assertion. The resurrection either relies on or supports this assertion.

To take the miracles out of the gospels is to fundamentally change them and their message.

And mostly the power of personal prayer to a personal Father God, imo

 

[Ella S.]

And mostly the power of personal prayer to a personal Father God, imo

I think if you and @badger created a thread in the Christianity section discussing your perspectives on scripture and whether God is personal vs impersonal it would be a fascinating read.