Saturday, December 11, 2010

The very body and blood of Christ

That which was from the beginning, which we haven’t heard, which we haven’t seen with our eyes, which we looked for in vain and haven’t touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made imperceptible, and we haven’t seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made imperceptible to us.

Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw no sensible body, they did not break his True invisible legs. But one of the soldiers pierced the air with a spear, and at once there came out True invisible blood and water. He who saw nothing has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe.

 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the occupied tomb, but when they went in they did not find the True body of the Lord Jesus, which was hidden under the species of an empty shroud. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the sensible among the insensible? He is not risen–he is still here, under the species of an empty shroud.

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and secretly stood among them and inaudibly said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had inaudibly said this, he showed them his True invisible hands and his True invisible side under the accidents of thin air. Then the disciples were sad when they saw nothing.

As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself secretly stood among them, and inaudibly said to them, "Peace to you!" But they continued to talk. And he inaudibly said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my True invisible hands and my True indetectible feet, that it is I myself. Touch my True intangible side, and see nothing. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you can’t see that I have." And when he had inaudibly said this, he showed them his True invisible hands and his True indetectible feet. And while they still were still oblivious, he inaudibly said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" then he took a piece of invisible broiled fish and ate before them under the species of thin air.

 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus imperceptibly came. So the other disciples told him, "We haven’t seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."

 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and secretly stood among them and inaudibly said, "Peace be with you." Then he inaudibly said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my True invisible hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my True intangible side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." Thomas stared at the air and said nothing.

 After this Jesus concealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he concealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
 Just as day was breaking, Jesus secretly stood on the shore, under the accidents of thin air; yet the disciples didn’t know anyone was there. This was now the third time that Jesus was concealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. 

1 comment:

  1. This was choke-on-my-Diet-Coke funny! Excellent satire, sir; I tip my hat to you!

    This being said I keep turning the analogies over in my mind and something seems amiss; perhaps if there had been a cracker lying on the floor, or on the beach, or in the tomb, or nailed to the cross that they could have remonstrated with and worshipped; or perhaps if the Christ in your examples was attacked and consumed corporeally a la Night of the Living Dead the analogy would have carried further.

    Anyway, nice work!

    In Him,
    CD

    WORD VERIFICATION - havabbyt (I kid you not!); who says God doesn't have a sense of humor, and that providence is a myth?

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