"Wenn Jesus ruff ein man,
er ruff Ihm 'komm und sterben.'"

"Lay up for yourself treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor (agricultural) rust can destroy."

"In My Father's house there are many mansions. If it were not so I would have told you." ......so, therefore you should...... "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me."

To where you said, "my view of Christ, as a master to whom I worth nothing. Nohting that is, save my duty to him, a slave driver who would not let me sid down with him and eat." I smerked, "Normally I'd say "lighten up." I said "normally" becasue I then quoted "Jesus ...bids... 'Come and die'", which is a whole lot more costly than not being given a seat.

That is the gist of it.

Then I ended my post with some quotes both positive and constructive -- or however they should be described.


It was the oportunity for the quip that made me post.

we can affirm that the end-time effusion of the Spirit predicted by the prophet Joel stands in full continuity with the more primitive picture of ruach presented in passages such as I Kings 22:2 Iff, where God sends a "lying spirit" into the mouths of Israel's prophets.

quote:

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Students of the Old Testament often fail to appreciate the fact that basic theological concepts developed in Hebrew thought over a time-span of more than a thousand years. Studies on the Spirit, for example, typically weave together evidence from various strata of Israelite tradition, irrespective of their chronological relationship to one another. As a result, they tend to overlook the significant development that took place in Israel's religious consciousness, and specifically in the understanding and presentation of Spirit, which occurred during the period from the earliest historical writings to the oracles of the post-exilic prophets.

To trace the growth of the spirit-concept in Hebrew thought, it is important to distinguish between the various strands of tradition worked into the Pentateuch and historical writings. This is because revelation is progressive: God reveals His person and will in stages. The renewing, quasi-sacramental activity of the Spirit proclaimed in the oracles ofEzek-iel was utterly unknown to the "Yahwist," the author of the most ancient strata of the Hebrew Bible. By recognizing the progressive character of God's self-disclosure, however, we can easily come to terms with ancient images of the God of wrath and capricious judgment, just as we can accept the maledictions called down by the psalmists on the heads of their enemies. For we understand that the "primitive" Hebrew mind perceived God through eyes that were culturally and historically conditioned. (The same, of course, must be affirmed of every generation, including our own.) Accordingly, we can affirm that the end-time effusion of the Spirit predicted by the prophet Joel stands in full continuity with the more primitive picture of ruach presented in passages such as I Kings 22:2 Iff, where God sends a "lying spirit" into the mouths of Israel's prophets.

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That done with, I'll get back to Christ.

Either in Mercea Eliade or in another book I found mentioned that the Pantocrator image of Christ draws from the tradition of how ZEUS is conceived. A sky god with thunder, and terrible when provoked, mighty when in wrath. M.E. mentions many African cultures that call on their agrarian gods (akin to Ashtar and Baal) in normal times. These where the god's that took car of normal essentials like rain and fertility; and their worship could include wild excesses. The sky god was, in those African tribes felt to be far off and uninterested. BUT, when things completely fell apart, guess who they would call on--when they had nothing else to loose!!! Sound familiar???

How many DIFFERENT images of Christ are alive and functioning in the Church today?

.....no joke.....these are not just here to put them here....


Pantocrator -- Ruler of All

quote:

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This icon is from the Church of Christ the Saviour in the Chora. The gesture of the hand is typical of the Pantocrator, but this is also Christ the Land of the Living. The Bible speaks of the Righteous dead going to the "bosom of Abraham" and icons show Abraham holding the souls of the righteous in the fold of his robe. The image we see here in the dome of one of the church's two narthexes is a smaller version of the magnificent mosaic above the main doorway: as you gaze up at the Pantocrator, his arm stretches his robe wide to encompass you - He is the Land of the Living, inviting us to dwell in Him.

The image of the Pantocrator proclaims Jesus of Nazareth as the same person as the Eternal and Almighty Word of God. The Pantocrator is the Creator, the Sustainer and the Great Judge of the Universe. Here he appears as also the Land of the Living, the One in whom is the Life which is the light of all humanity.

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Man of Sorrows/Extreem Humility


Teacher, Word



Willingly giving his life -- it not being taken from him!

quote:

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The Savior (6th c.)

The bust of the Savior is life sized, a common feature of early icons, and shows a traditional monumental image of Christ holding a Gospel book in his left hand while blessing with his right. The icon has been amazingly well preserved in the dry air of the Sinai Peninsula. The Savior presented on the Sinai icon has a very forgiving, tender face. There is a slight asymmetry in the eyes, which draws the viewer's attention to them.

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I've read a critique of this icon that pointed out how the difference in right and left sides might be in order to portray hwo the two natures were united 'without mixture or confusion' in Christ (interesing).

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This is a dogmatic icon. It shows Christ as both God and man. The right hand side of His face is eternally serene, powerful, all-merciful, unchanging; the left shows the Man of Sorrows, a human being sharing and deeply afflicted by human suffering. And yet the face is a single person, Jesus Christ.
http://www.arimathea.co.uk/incarnat.htm

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Raising US up. (Anastasis)

Edited by - PotOnWheel on 06/14/2002 01:41:05 AM

. Which catch your attention?
2. What do you want to share about what you see, and your response?



























+ + +

I'm done. The next person gets to send this thread where they will...

The Ancient of Days (1794). William Blake (1757-1827). Relief etching. Europe: A Prophecy. PMA:J99.1956. Blake's illustration of Proverbs 8:22-27 represents "the first emanation of the true but hidden and nameless God."

quote:

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Because, perhaps, we will see how different people looking at the same text can come away with differing views of Christ.

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Well of course!

quote:

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Because, perhaps, we're going to see how much of our views of Christ are READ INTO the text by OUR wishes, OUR contexts, and OUR personal experiences.

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YES, of course this is the case!

:-)

I don't see Jesus as "meek and mild," I see him as having an unquenchable thirst for righteousness with a zealousness that "burned him up." (Jn 2:17). Jesus stood against the injustice and hypocrisy of the elite, particularly the religious elite, but he had radical mercy and compassion for the downtrodden and the ordinary man and woman just trying to live rightly. (Sermon on the Mount) He really did come for "the sick," because only those who know they need a "physician" are open to God's grace, Spirit, healing, and mercy. Only those who do not deem themselves righteous are open to recieving God's "cure," which is Jesus. (Matt. 9:10-13)

I also see Jesus as the incarnation of God and God's will...sort as a way to "set the record straight" once and for all about God's intentions and feelingss about humanity: one of abundant love and fervent desire.

And Mute is right, we can see Jesus in everyone if we look.

Peace,
Empiress