P
Peace-bwu
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Quote:
Originally Posted by theMutant
*The recommendation to watching the Passion of the Christ reminded me of one thing I heard from a Jewish Catholic. There is a tradition that anyone who hangs from a tree is cursed by God (or something to that effect) and that, since Jesus was crucified, many Jews understand this to mean that he could not have been the Messiah.
From the Catholic perspective, however, we look at it as God’s compassion and mercy. All covenants have curses that apply when the covenant is broken. An example of this is the proclivity to sin, and being subject to death being the consequence (the curse) of Adam’s sin. God, in His infinite mercy, God realized that no man would be able to bear the full burden of that covenant curse. He therefore, took the curse upon Himself, becoming man and submitting to crucifixion so that he could, as man, fulfill the curse of the covenant that came upon man through Adam.
In doing this, He took upon himself that portion of the curse which man was unable to bear. It only remains for us to accept it and the Graces which became available through His Sacrifice on our behalf.*
I heard from a theologian that The tree used for the cross came from the same tree that grew over where Adam was buried which is also in the same place where the healing waters were (where the ill would go, the Holy Spirit would cause the waters to move and the first person to bathe in the water would be healed, but there was noone there to help a lame man get to the water. Jesus cured him.) I am going to look this up, but does anyone know about this tradition, or can you clarify the story? I don’t know whether this traditional story will be hard to find.
I also find this an interesting dicotomy, that Judas, after betraying Jesus hung himself from a tree, and then Jesus was crucified to a tree.
Originally Posted by theMutant
*The recommendation to watching the Passion of the Christ reminded me of one thing I heard from a Jewish Catholic. There is a tradition that anyone who hangs from a tree is cursed by God (or something to that effect) and that, since Jesus was crucified, many Jews understand this to mean that he could not have been the Messiah.
From the Catholic perspective, however, we look at it as God’s compassion and mercy. All covenants have curses that apply when the covenant is broken. An example of this is the proclivity to sin, and being subject to death being the consequence (the curse) of Adam’s sin. God, in His infinite mercy, God realized that no man would be able to bear the full burden of that covenant curse. He therefore, took the curse upon Himself, becoming man and submitting to crucifixion so that he could, as man, fulfill the curse of the covenant that came upon man through Adam.
In doing this, He took upon himself that portion of the curse which man was unable to bear. It only remains for us to accept it and the Graces which became available through His Sacrifice on our behalf.*
I heard from a theologian that The tree used for the cross came from the same tree that grew over where Adam was buried which is also in the same place where the healing waters were (where the ill would go, the Holy Spirit would cause the waters to move and the first person to bathe in the water would be healed, but there was noone there to help a lame man get to the water. Jesus cured him.) I am going to look this up, but does anyone know about this tradition, or can you clarify the story? I don’t know whether this traditional story will be hard to find.
I also find this an interesting dicotomy, that Judas, after betraying Jesus hung himself from a tree, and then Jesus was crucified to a tree.
