God knows our weaknesses (Lenten post #2)

[izhilzha]

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan; Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Comments

[superversive]

It is all very well said, bar one bit:

‘Collaborating with Rome’ was not ‘legitimately wrong’. Jesus Himself told us to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and he was referring, in the immediate instance, to the literal Caesar in Rome. The Zealots repudiated Jesus, or at least quarrelled with him, specifically because He did not preach that cooperating with the Romans was wrong. Tiberius was the ruler of the land, no more or less legitimate, sub specie aeternitatis, than the Maccabees or Solomon, or for that matter, Saul. The God of Hosts warned the Israelites of Samuel’s time against having a king at all, and a thousand years later, His Son did nothing to provide the Jews with a Jewish king. For as He said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world.’

Pray forgive me for going on at such length about this one point. But I am inordinately saddened whenever I see someone weave a fallacy into an otherwise sound argument, and thereby weaken it without need.

[izhilzha]

Well, I am inordinately saddened to see that you got nothing else out of a piece I worked on for about 3 weeks. So I suppose we are even.

Also, I don't agree with your conclusions. "Rebellion" isn't the only alternative to "collaboration." Not rebelling in violence and paying one's taxes is not the same thing as collaboration, either. (Perhaps as an American, I am more sensitive to this stuff?)

And once Christ's message spread, it became clear that even though Christ's message was not "of this world" in terms of being a power play within our political structures, it *is* in opposition to most political lordships, including Caesar. The early Christians died rather than call Caesar their lord (although they did not rebel, nor stop paying their taxes).

[scionofgrace]

Word. And thank you. I need good stuff to read right now.

My ancestors threw out art because they felt it had led to pride and idolatry. Which, when the local bishop is taxing the peasants to death to build his fancy cathedral, is probably true. But such a blind rule ignores all the people whose spirits are refreshed by art, or who find making art to be an act of profound worship.

[izhilzha]

You're very welcome.

And I like your example, here... especially since I am a writer and know so many artists, and have seen the effect of beauty (human-created as well as "natural") on so many.