Blind Faith

[grannymh]

that makes no sense to me whatsoever unfortunatly. Without wishing to derail the topic why not jsut send jeus then. it’s pretty obviuous the prefiguing was pointless since the jews ended up killing jesus!

Speaking from my own experience, I understand your “makes no sense” bit because I learned the New Testament by ear as a child. That is. I listened intensely to the gospel readings at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. These reading were concise and usually dealt with a single topic. On the other hand, the readings from the Hebrew Scriptures seemed to bounce all over the place. By the 1990’s, I was listening to bible experts explaining how both sections complimented each other. This does take getting used to…

With the complimentary perspective, the Hebrew Scriptures are seen as a preparation for the coming of the Messiah. You are right in that human sacrifice is wrong. However, salvation of mankind was to take place by Jesus sacrificing His human life for us. Jesus was never blind to what this meant. In fact, Jesus would quote Isaiah which contained “prophecies” of the sufferings of the true Messiah.

In order to understand that Jesus freely chose to suffer and die for our sins, the Jews were given a kind of clue in the heroic act of Abraham. His sacrifice (if it had actually happened) of giving up an innocent life prefigured Jesus, totally innocent, giving up His life for us. It is Abraham’s willingness to make such a great sacrifice that prefigures Christ’s willingness to give up His human life on the cross, which He actually did. The fact that the Romans crucified Jesus is not part of the equation. Read John 19: 28-30.

If your question - why not just send Jesus - means to send Him without any preparation, “prophecies,” signs, etc. my answer would be, and I don’t mean to be flip, that God figured that humans back then as well as now would say “prove it”

Blessings for 2009
grannymh

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

that makes no sense to me whatsoever unfortunatly. Without wishing to derail the topic why not jsut send jeus then. it’s pretty obviuous the prefiguing was pointless since the jews ended up killing jesus!

**Socrates was not perfect, but his enemies destroyed him. Goodness is a reproach & rebuke to evil - so people hate it, & those who manifest it. The Death of Jesus is (under one of its aspects) the sharing of a good man in the sort of death that a really good man would suffer anyway: He is a better Socrates, but not alien to him. By his death, Socrates in 399 BC in Athens was a forerunner of Christ in His. Socrates IOW “typifies” Christ. **​

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**So not only would Christ have died anyway - even more importantly, that is what He came to do. **

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**Why not send Him sooner ? Why not cut out teaching a child to read, & teach him rocket science from day one ? Same reason: the best stuff, the intended goal of activity, is arrived at by a long process of preparation & development. Without that preparation, it may not be able to happen at all: babies have no capacity for drinking coffee - they have to develop it over the years; then they will be able to drink coffee, without coming to harm. **

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**Life is gradual - & this includes spiritual life, & the capacity to receive Divine revelation. **

 

[grannymh]

**Socrates was not perfect, but his enemies destroyed him. Goodness is a reproach & rebuke to evil - so people hate it, & those who manifest it. The Death of Jesus is (under one of its aspects) the sharing of a good man in the sort of death that a really good man would suffer anyway: He is a better Socrates, but not alien to him. By his death, Socrates in 399 BC in Athens was a forerunner of Christ in His. Socrates IOW “typifies” Christ. **​

**So not only would Christ have died anyway - even more importantly, that is what He came to do. **

**Why not send Him sooner ? Why not cut out teaching a child to read, & teach him rocket science from day one ? Same reason: the best stuff, the intended goal of activity, is arrived at by a long process of preparation & development. Without that preparation, it may not be able to happen at all: babies have no capacity for drinking coffee - they have to develop it over the years; then they will be able to drink coffee, without coming to harm. **

Life is gradual - & this includes spiritual life, & the capacity to receive Divine revelation.

Dear Gottle of Geer,

This is an excellent way to explain preparation. Not only does it apply to the period before Jesus Christ, but, as you mentioned spiritual life, it can be used to give comfort to those who are impatient with their own spiritual life.

You reminded me of the many Hebrew passages of hope in God’s promises and the wonderful Gospel of John. Someone told me that if I wanted to be reassured about the promises of God, I should read John’s Gospel. That person was right.

Could it be that faith needs hope?

Blessings for 2009,
grannymh

 

[redhen]

god asking a person to commit human sacrifice of their own son is what I would call explotiation or emotional blackmail

oops, got that confused with Job. Never mind.