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How Would Jesus React

Dragonfly

Dragonfly

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If Jesus were to return to Earth in 2014, what do you think his reaction would be to this kind of extravagance and opulence???

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He might mak pictures together with his wife and then leave for the far more amzing ancient Roman sights outside the vatican.

Just like all other tourists in Rome do.
 
He's probably worry about more important Things.
 
I doubt he would react much at all. He would not be angry, nor outraged, but would just accept that the world is what it is.
 
Well, since he said "I am the way, the truth and the life", it wouldn't mean **** to him.

Just a building.
 
"Forgive them Father for they know not what they do". I think Jesus would be greatly saddened. Having visited the Sistine Chapel my first thought was that of extravagance. A priest was recently scorned for putting four million dollars in to updating his own home. Not to single out the Catholics but when you witness formal events surrounding the Pope everything is glitter and gold. Churches are extravagant pillars of cash. Here in Houston, Tx. there are a few monstrosities that I would rejoice to learn they have burned to the ground. Hair spray and cash.

Knowing of the world wide hunger and starvation numbers after seeing so much glitter he just might ask for the end of this "experiment" and it would be just.
 
lizzie said:
I doubt he would react much at all. He would not be angry, nor outraged, but would just accept that the world is what it is.
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Because Jesus' track record is all about accepting that the world is what the world is?

I think it's probably more likely that he'd drive those "money changers" out of the Vatican with a whip.

Same goes for the opulent mega-churches of a great many fundamentalist Christian denominations.
 
soot said:
Because Jesus' track record is all about accepting that the world is what the world is?

I think it's probably more likely that he'd drive those "money changers" out of the Vatican with a whip.

Same goes for the opulent mega-churches of a great many fundamentalist Christian denominations.
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If dealers were set up in the churches for flea-market weekend, yeah you might have a point. Just the existence of extravagant buildings? Not likely.
 
lizzie said:
If dealers were set up in the churches for flea-market weekend, yeah you might have a point. Just the existence of extravagant buildings? Not likely.
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So you're in the camp that would think that Jesus would be too obtuse to catch the fact that the religions that have sprouted up in his name are essentially Ponzi schemes that provide regal wealth and opulence for the few who are, ostensibly, the shepherds while bilking the sheep?

I mean, the guy was an Arab day laborer so I can see where you might not think he's all that bright, but the fairy tale has it that he's also God, so he's got the whole omniscience thing going for him in that respect.

I guess the point is that the institution of "The Church" itself is analogous to the flea market weekend.

After all, those extravagant buildings didn't pay for, or build, themselves.

I think that Jesus would be appalled at the racket that has sprung up in the wake of his untimely passing.
 
soot said:
So you're in the camp that would think that Jesus would be too obtuse to catch the fact that the religions that have sprouted up in his name are essentially Ponzi schemes that provide regal wealth and opulence for the few who are, ostensibly, the shepherds while bilking the sheep?
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I'm in the camp that thinks he controlled his impulses to a great extent, and had his mind set on higher ideals than the **** we see happening on this little planet.
 
It's actually a good question because dressing up the church in opulence, it's obsession with gold and iconic artwork, makes me suspect that the Church is more in cahoots with Satan than Christ. But, of course, I always thank the God which does not exist that none of that is real.
 
lizzie said:
...and had his mind set on higher ideals than the **** we see happening on this little planet.
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Then why is it that pretty much EVERYTHING we know about Jesus relates in some way to what goes on here on this little planet?

I mean, as far as we know, he didn't decide to become a mortal terrestrial life form on any other planet, and then spend 20 or 30 years teaching the inhabitants of that planet the path to heaven, and then ultimately die for the ultimate salvation of the inhabitants of that planet.

Whatever it is we know about Jesus comes directly out of the Bible and everything in the Bible relates directly to what happens here on Earth.

Your comments are just illogical.
 
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soot said:
Then why is it that pretty much EVERYTHING we know about Jesus relates in some way to what goes on here on this little planet?

.
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Because we live here, and we (collectively) look for saviors. We try to adopt a great figure in history to latch onto, and we personalize them to suit our own needs. There was never any instance of Jesus lashing out in anger that is recorded in the Bible, except for when he drove the money changers out of the temple. Other than that, his life appears to have been one of pretty much separation from society at large, except for those people whose lives he came into contact with. He doesn't appear to have been cursed with the propensity for championing causes, or seeking justice. His life and his focus seems to have been one of living in the world, without becoming a part of it, so to speak. It is his followers, and those who like to try and use him for justification of their own ideas of perfection, who are wrapped up in the world at large.
 
Dragonfly said:
If Jesus were to return to Earth in 2014, what do you think his reaction would be to this kind of extravagance and opulence???

TheVaticanMuseumsInterior_FB.jpg


06-places-lifetime-traveler-vatican_32769_990x742.jpg
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I think he'd take one look around the world and after noting how much progress we've made towards peace, the reduction of poverty and of ill-health he'd say we're doing a decent job.
 
The ignorance of the teaching of Jesus shown here is astounding.

Matthew 26:6-13: While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor. Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you will always have with you,[a] but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.
 
Just ask yourself, "What would Jesus do?"
-Sam Witwicky to his history teacher, Transformers (2007)
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I couldn't resist! :D



I think an answer - or at least a good guess - can be found here:
When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples,

"As you know, the Passover is two days away--and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,

and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.

"But not during the festival," they said, "or there may be a riot among the people."

While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper,

a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.

When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked.

"This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor."

Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.

The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.

When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.

Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

-Matthew 26:1-13
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I included the beginning to mark the timing of this event for those who don't know.

(I don't actually like this version/interpretation but it was the easiest to copy/paste.)
 
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Dragonfly said:
If Jesus were to return to Earth in 2014, what do you think his reaction would be to this kind of extravagance and opulence???
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What about "Solomon's Temple"? Wasn't it the first house of God built to honor Him and the most extravagant, huge opulent building of its time?

And Jesus said, His Father's house had many mansions? And the universe is not exactly a small and humble place, yet He made it?

If you're trying to say would Jesus be displeased if the money used on these buildings could've directly been used to feed the poor and destitute, then maybe. But even He said "For ye have the poor with you always". He wasn't unrealistic about how wealth and poverty are distributed and that all things are not equal.
 
grip said:
What about "Solomon's Temple"? Wasn't it the first house of God built to honor Him and the most extravagant, huge opulent building of its time?

And Jesus said, His Father's house had many mansions? And the universe is not exactly a small and humble place, yet He made it?

If you're trying to say would Jesus be displeased if the money used on these buildings could've directly been used to feed the poor and destitute, then maybe. But even He said "For ye have the poor with you always". He wasn't unrealistic about how wealth and poverty are distributed and that all things are not equal.
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That is the ultimate perversion of that verse:

Here it is, Mark 14:7 -

"You have the poor with you always, and you can be kind to them whenever you wish, but you will not always have me."

By that, he did not mean that "oh well there will always be poor people, what can you do." By saying that "you have the poor with you always", he meant that his followers would always be with the poor. After all, he said this from the home of Simon the Leper. He meant that his followers would always forgo worldly riches and spend their lives ministering to the sick and the poor. It was not some dismissal of the poor at all. It was basically him saying "hey, if you follow me of course you will always be with the poor, but right now we have something more important to deal with".
 
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grip said:
What about "Solomon's Temple"? Wasn't it the first house of God built to honor Him and the most extravagant, huge opulent building of its time?

And Jesus said, His Father's house had many mansions? And the universe is not exactly a small and humble place, yet He made it?

If you're trying to say would Jesus be displeased if the money used on these buildings could've directly been used to feed the poor and destitute, then maybe. But even He said "For ye have the poor with you always". He wasn't unrealistic about how wealth and poverty are distributed and that all things are not equal.
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One of the temples primary purpose, was as both a Central bank, and a very very generous welfare system (Ancient Israel was one of the most redistributive communalistic states in the ancient world).

As for teh "You will always have teh poor With you."

Read it

7 For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me.

He was pointing out the hypocrasy, i.e. they should focus on helping the poor themselves ... this was NOT "ohh life isn't fair so screw it." I mean just look at the rest of his ministry, and how the early Church dealt With distribution.
 
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