Gospel of Luke 21-24 You don't say

Luke 21-24

The re-retelling of parables and end times predictions.

Once again Jesus sets up the prophesy of his death and resurrection by pissing off the powers that be and getting himself arrested

We learn that Judas was possessed by Satan before he betrayed Jesus and didn't do it willingly.
This feels like a  huge cop-out on the part of the storytellers in that it takes the human element out of the story.  Jesus wasn't really betrayed by an apostile/friend.

Jesus shares bread and wine with his followers.  Two thousand years later, some literalists believe that bread and wine blessed by a priest turns into the body and blood of Jesus.  Still, it's not as stupid as believing that if you trust in god hard enough, you won't die from a viper bite...

I need to bring up something that's kind of bugged me for a while.  Jesus tells Peter that he will deny knowing Jesus three times.  But, Jesus denies himself repeatedly when on trial!

22:70 Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am.

23:3 And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it. 23:9 Then he (Herod) questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. What did Jesus have to gain by being snarky to these questions and not being upfront about his "Son of God" status?  If he said he WAS the messiah, they still would have killed him! Oh, and what the hell is wrong with Christians who hate the Jews because "They killed our Lord".  Did they not read the bible?  Are they just really stupid?  Both?  If the people of Jerusalem (the Jews) didn't call for Jesus' crucifixion, Christians wouldn't have a religion, or, more ironically, they'd be Jews themselves!!! But I digress.  Jesus doesn't defend himself in court and is sentenced to death.  He is mocked and beaten on the way so that Catholic churches would have something to hang on the walls (The stations of the cross for those non-Catholics reading this). Getting nailed to a cross is a heinous act, but I find the part where the soldiers give Jesus vinegar to drink while he's hanging there, dying to be almost as horrid.  The Romans were dicks. One of the criminals hanging with Jesus says; 23:41 ... for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. I'm guessing that a dying man nailed to a cross didn't actually say this!   Jesus dies and is taked by Joseph of Arimathaea and his maidens. 23:56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. They must have missed the part when Jesus said you no longer have to observe the sabbath, or did that just pertain to eating corn? But, all is well that ends well.  Jesus comes back from the dead, is reunited with his friends, tells them 'I told you so!' and then rises to heaven.  We all live happily ever after until God decides it's time to kill all of us non-believers. The Skeptics Annotated Bible has several interesting lists of contradictions regarding the crucifixion and resurrection in the right margin.  What do you think?

Book of Jeremiah 20-23

Jeremiah 20-23

Jeremiah gets nabbed by Pashur and thrown in the clink but that doesn't stop Jeremiah from predicting the worst for his captor.

He pulls a George Bailey and wishes he was never born.

Chapter 21 has God/Jeremiah commanding the people of Judah to surrender and become slaves to Babylon or die.  I guess following God's law is no longer an option.


Parts of chapter 22 confuses me a bit.

22:8 And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city?

22:9 Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them. All the 'other nations' most likely don't believe in the LORD of the Israelites so they wouldn't say "look at what God did".  They would most likely say "Those foolish people put their faith in a false god that couldn't protect them and now they are our slaves".  I know were reading this from a perpective of the oppressed but, really. I also find this rather funny; 22:13 Woe unto him buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work God makes his people the slaves of others (on several occasions) but then admonishes those that use slaves.   Can someone explain this to me? Chapter 23 repeatedly has Jeremiah saying the LORD is against those lying prophets. Pot and Kettle Jeremiah!!!

Book of Ecclesiastes 7-9 A living dog is better than a dead lion

Ecclesiastes 7-9

Again, lots of good thoughts and messages but I have to once again disagree with the author.

7:3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

Having lost a good friend recently to cancer I, my family and friends greatly benefitted from sharing pleasant, fun memories.  It was better to share in the joy of someones life then to be maudlin about his death.

This is another great piece of wisdom; 7:19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city

Unfortunately, it's followed by this downer;

7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

And later;

9:3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

Always with the negative waves...

The author also seems to think death is final.  Just a little contradiction from Jesus's upcoming messages about living happily ever after in heaven.

9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Speaking of contradictions, this author seem to vasilate between "eat, drink and be merry" and "sorrow is better then laughter."  Is this another case of multiple authors being combined?

Proverbs 5-8 Don't Talk to Strangers

Work has me pre-occupied right now.  Read on.

Proverb 5 has some interesting things to say about 'strange women'.  I like the writing here and think it has a nice, wholesome message about fidelity.  The author is obviously a breast man.

Proverb 6 has a bit that I find interesting.

6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

I'll chalk up verse 16 to flowery writing but it smacks of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Verse 17 lists the shedding of innocent blood as something that the LORD dislikes.  But, if every man is a sinner and no one is innocent, there can be no innocent blood.  Just sayin'.

6:28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?  The answer of course is yes.

Verse 7 warns us to be wary of wonton women.  As Billy Joel sang, "I'd rather laugh with the sinners then cry with the saints".

Verse 8 is another one of those oddities that drifts between first and third person narrative.  An odd style.