Five Golden Rings

Building a bit on Father's Christmas-Eve homily, it might be pointed out that Jesus was born within (and lived under) five particular conditions that are overlooked when gazing only on the figure of King of Kings, and Judge of All Humankind:

1. Poverty;

2. Humility;

3. Piety;

4. Peace;

5. Simplicity

Poverty we've looked at here; how about humility?

Merriam-Webster defines humble as "not proud or haughty: not arrogant or assertive" and "reflecting, [or] expressing… a spirit of deference or submission".

That Jesus was humble is readily evident in what was written of him early on (the Gospels/Acts, and the Letters). First, he deferred or submitted utterly to the will of the Father. Also, He'd cure the sick and restore the dead to life… and then urge the healed/restored not to tell that he had done this. He was not looking for self-glorification, but to turn the people to His – and their – Father.

(Humility shows clearly as well in the ministry of His herald and cousin, John the Baptist – e.g., saying definitively to the crowds drawn to see him that he wasn’t even of enough worth to untie the true Messiah’s dirt-encrusted sandals, and that his own ministerial destiny was to step aside for Jesus, now that he (John) had caught the eyes and hearts and attention of the people.)

Jesus was also stirred by the humility he'd find in strangers.

A centurion – foot-soldier and officer of the detested occupying army, by the way – approached Jesus (seeing Him as a holy man), asking that He heal his servant, who was paralyzed and suffering. Jesus agreed readily to go right to the soldier's house and heal the man. But the centurion backed off, and explained that he wasn't worthy enough for Jesus to even set foot in his home… could He just command the healing from a distance, much as this officer commanded his men and they would do his bidding? Matthew reports that this man's response "amazed" Jesus, Who declared He'd not seen the like of such trust/faith anywhere in Israel, and healed that servant on the spot.

Mark records an incident when Jesus, taking time out from his preaching (in an area inhabited by gentiles), was approached by a Greek, gentile woman. In humility she sprawled at His feet, and begged that He heal her daughter from possession (what might or might not have been psychosis… or a genuine spirit of evil – but I don't know; I wasn't there). Jesus firmly pointed out that his mission was first to the Jews in spiritual and physical need: "Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs." (An examination of the earliest Greek text strongly suggests Jesus was speaking lightheartedly – say, with twinkle in eye and light, almost questioning tone – , and indeed giving this woman an opportunity to, in a way, plead the case/need of the non-Judaic world.)

Indeed, her reply was stunning (and perhaps Jesus had been looking as well for a non-Jew to provide a catalytic moment that would continue the expansion of His ministry far beyond the world of Judaism): "Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's scraps." And her bold humility indeed had the effect she'd needed: her daughter was healed that instant.

Both His mother, and His foster-father, were humble people – though open-eyed and decisive as well. Let's have a look at that tomorrow; your assignment in the meantime is to reread my Mothers'-Day blog, which (while venturing into, and occasionally out of, the tongue-in-cheek) touched on the humility of Mary, and of the father of John the Baptist.

Followup: An interesting comment came through quickly. The gent is not responding to anything I've written here, and instead has set up his own podium and soapbox (and megaphone) on my square of public concrete. Rather than simply deleting his screed, here it is in full, and verbatim – please disregard the vocabulary and subtext:

DoubtingThomas Dec 30, 2007

Matt 15:22-28 – Describes an encounter between Jesus and a Gentile woman who begs him to heal her daughter. Jesus ignores the woman. She persists and he finally says to her, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. It is not meet to take the children’s (Jews) bread and to cast it to dogs (Gentiles).” Woman won’t give up and eventually Jesus finally relents and heals the child. Christians want us to worship a God who refused to heal an innocent child until he was pressured into it. Wow.

Malachi’s prophecy that told of the arrival of the Messiah clearly states that Elias (Elijah) would return before the Messiah does. When Jesus is confronted with this fact he states that Elias did come … but no one noticed. Matt 17:12. Simple enough! I guess we’ll just have to take his word for it. It’s not like he could have an ulterior motive or anything. He even tries to pass off the identity of Elias onto John the Baptist to help cement him as the Messiah but John denies that he is Elias. John 1:20, 21.

Jesus was a bigot. Matt 10:5, 6 – depicts Jesus instructing his workers to go out and spread his word, but only to the Jews. “Go not into the way of the Gentiles … but rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Matthew 10:35, 36 – What is Jesus’ deal? “For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.” These are Jesus’ words.

Considering the number of people claiming to be Messiah back then, it would have been nice if there could have been just a few unbiased witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. After all, one ‘false’ Messiah had 400 followers when he was executed, that’s 280 more than Jesus had.

Jesus is kind of a dick. Luke 9:59-62 – depicts Jesus recruiting his disciples. When one asks if he can bury his recently deceased father, Jesus says, “Let the dead bury the dead.” And when another wishes to say farewell to his family back home, Jesus says, “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.” In Matt 4:21, 22 two other disciples are forced to leave their father to mend the fishing nets by himself.

What happened to Honor thy Father and Thy Mother? John 2: 1-4 – Jesus to his mother, “Woman, what have I to do with thee?”

Matt 19:12 – reminds us that sex with women is unholy and Jesus gives extra commendation to eunuchs, especially those who castrate themselves.

Matt 21:19 & Mark 11:13 – When Jesus gets hungry & finds a fig tree bearing no fruit, the reason being that it’s out of season, he curses it. “Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth forever.” The tree withers away on the spot. No one is with Jesus at the time so we’ll just have to take his word for it.

Matt 11:20-23 – Jesus damns whole cities to hell. “Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! … And thou, Capernaum … shalt be brought down to hell.”

In Matt 5:22 Jesus says not to call anyone a fool but in Matt 23:17 he says of the Pharisees, “Ye fools and blind.” Matt 23:33 – “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” Matt 12:34 – “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things?”

Luke 21:32 – Jesus, speaking of the second coming -“Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.” The Apostles actually believed they would be the first occupants of heaven from the rapture, not as a result of death. How could they have been so wrong?

Jesus: Not a member of PETA. Jesus casts a horde of demons out of a couple of protesters (because they must be possessed if they don’t dig the Messiah) and per the demons wishes, casts them into a herd of 2,000 pigs. The pigs then run violently into the sea and die. That herd must have been of great value to he who owned them but Jesus does not compensate this person. Besides, to eat swine they must have been Gentiles, so fuck ‘em! Matt. 8:28-33 and Mark 5:13.

Some of the ridiculous teachings/commands of Jesus: Accumulate no wealth; turn the other cheek; judge no ones behavior; don’t use your mind but be as children; do not question or philosophize; love those who mistreat you; avoid associating with the ‘dogs’ (Gentiles) of this world; sell all your possessions and give it to the poor (now you’re poor! Hoorah!); have no thought for the morrow (make no plans); everything you do and have is probably a sin; take no pleasure in this world; love those who treat you cruelly as much as those that are kind to you; mutilate yourself; be 100% certain Jesus bought your way into heaven through his torturous death; if the sight of someone of the opposite sexually arouses you, pluck out your eye; for special approval with God, become a eunuch; Servants, obey your masters; citizens, obey your rulers unquestioningly; children, obey your parents in all things; love your enemies; abandon your family and be rewarded in heaven; do not assert yourself; do not achieve prominence in this world, for the first shall be the last in heaven; if a criminal robs you of $50.00, give him another $50.00; etc. (By the way, how can love be a command? Love is an emotional response and can not be controlled.)