The Man of Sorrows

Is there anything by way of the antecedents of Jesus of Nazareth that can connect flawlessly with what followed, I mean by way of a movement? I beg to stick to the historical Jesus and not with what the synoptic gospels and the epistles are largely concerned with, which my reader according to his own preferences and persuasions may accept or reject. As much as I believe Jesus was the son of Joseph of Nazareth a carpenter, he subjected himself to the powers-that- be. He paid the tribute money (St.Mk 12: 17) with the scrupulous care of one who as any visitor to a kingdom would fulfill his obligations to the letter. His kingdom was not of this world and his many parables point out to this fact. It is true that he did forsee in Peter the making of a rock that shall bear the burden of his Church. (St. Matt 16:18-19) Would it mean he implied the Church of Rome or Papal dispensation would represent his command by any stretch of imagination? In fact Jesus, in the subsequent passages shows how his disciple was far from founding one. He calls St. Peter thus: “ Satan: thou art an offense to me:” Of course Peter was a man who thought and conducted himself like any other. Let us now draw our attention to the closing verses of the same chapter. We read that Jesus hinted of his soon coming in the glory of His Father( vs.28) and as such founding a church was not of the immediate priority. We can very well reject the claims of the Church of Rome that the Church was indeed what he had in mind.
There are no authentic evidences by way of archaeological sites or by scholarly accounts of contemporary historians whose impartial judgment we could rely on. Where he was born but in a manger; where was he buried after his death but in a borrowed tomb.
Notwithstanding these the world was never the same: the pagan world gave way to people of the Way. The pluses and minuses of the new belief are still with us. Did they make the world a better place or made it more crude and coarse?
To judge the role of Jesus( ‘My kingdom is not of this world’) by the manner his disciples fared subsequently cannot be fair. He cannot be blamed for if the Church amassed control into their own hands or interpreted the Word to suit their needs. He didn’t initiate the Crusades, Salem Witch trials or Inquisition. It would be apt to remember the Wildean epigram,”It is always Judas who writes the biography.”
Tailpiece: ‘Save me from my disciples! They are defending me to the point of dishonor’.

benny