The Nazarene
The Passover is once again upon us and
We reflect on the years gone by;The traditional feast, the Seder, has
Been with us for thousands of years.
For most it has always been a joyous meal,
But for One it became the Last Supper.
So cruel they were to You as they
Nailed You to the cross on the hill
Treating You like a common criminal
Rather than the great Man that You were.
You felt no malice towards your betrayers,
Instead You asked Your God to forgive them
For the crime they committed against You
And those who were close to You.
Two thousand years have passed since
That shameful day and each year
The crime is reenacted by those
Who usurp Your name.
You taught love and tolerance
But most of that message is ignored.
Instead there have been wars in Your name,
Something, I am sure You would oppose.
Where are Your powers today, when they are
Needed to cleanse the earth of its hatred?
The very ones who slew You sanctified
Your name and continue to slay.
Is there no way You can show them
How to change their ways and to live
As You would have wanted them to
Instead of the way they are?
Great temples have been built in
Your honor on every continent
But the message is lacking
One of Your basic teachings – Love.
Oh, great one that You were
You must show them the way
Before there are more, like Yourself,
Nailed to the cross for refusing to hate.
Image by Ismael Shammout
Posted a year ago as well….
Skulz Fontaine said,
March 21, 2008 at 2:09 pm
that ended that
the holy men gathered
from all of the holy religions
in an historic and
holy conference
to issue the collective
and holy edict
how to deal
with the intricacies of hate
and war
and the poor
and to give to the world
a manual of instruction
an how to sort out
the problems of man
but a fight broke out
about who was right
and that ended that!
Daniel said,
March 21, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Jesus was called the Nazarene or tou Nazareth in Greek which means of Nazareth in the genitive declension. There was no town named Nazareth until after Jesus had departed the scene. Most serious scholars believe that tou Nazareth actually meant that he was of the Nazarene vow which was a vow of revolution against an unjust occupation that Sampson had taken. Jesus lived under an unjust Roman occupation. And now our Palestinian brothers live under an unjust Zionist occupation. In America there is a bumper sticker that says, “Who would Jesus bomb?” Maybe we should ask if Jesus would resist the Israeli occupation.
Cathy said,
March 21, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Nazarenes, according to Philo and Josephus, was one of the two branches of essenes. The other was the Ossaeans, who are of the dead sea scroll fame. The Nazarene Essenes had a community at the base of Mt. Carmel. They were vegetarian, married, held women in equal stance, did not believe in rebuilding the temple or sacrificing of animals, wore long white robes and long hair. Jesus of Nazareth SHOULD read Jesus the Nazarene.
Daniel is correct, there was no town called Nazareth.
Easterling said,
March 21, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Being a realist I do not believe in the Jesus narrative. But I do believe in the ideas expressed in those narratives. The central idea is that G*D is not representative of any ONE sect, tribe or nation, but that G*D is in every living thing. Unfortunately mankind has ceaselessly endeavored to proclaim that the one true G*D is thiers and theirs alone and that all other living things are unclean, unholy or infidels. Of course those proclaiming these elitist ideologies are the ones who profit directly from these sets of ideas being carried out. The sadness, death, starvation and genocide repeated over and over through the ages that result from these elitist proclamations of sole knowledge of the true G*D. So it ever was, so it will ever be. PEACE
Dennis said,
March 21, 2008 at 11:34 pm
Thank you for your timely sharing of your poem. Reminds me of the verse where Jesus says “I tell you the truth, many will come in my name, saying that I am the Christ and shall deceive many”. Some argue about that reading (”…saying that I, Jesus, am the Christ…”) but it seems the most natural.
Though I don’t doubt the legitimacy of a connection between Jesus and the Nazarene Essenes, whether in his teachings or in personal association, Nazareth as a town was mentioned in historical documents that date from around 70 A.D. as a place of refuge for certain of the priests after the Roman destruction of Jerusalem. The location has a spring and there is evidence the area had been inhabited for centuries prior to that time as might be expected of a place with such a feature. Archaelogical studies surmise an agricultural community not distant from more notable areas of the time that could have supoorted a small community with ease. A number of Neanderthal burial remains have also been found in the area which obviously predate Roman times.
WAKE UP the WORLD !! said,
March 22, 2008 at 6:12 am
BOTH Christians AND Muslims LOVE and REVERE
Jesus.
http://www.crescentandcross.com
http://www.sabeel.org
http://www.hcef.org