Baby Jesus VI

From an earlier post, I think that I'll stay
right here on the Jesus Bus. It's Pacal's
Wager. Not only do I have the benefit of
faith, but I can do anything you can do as well.
The benefit of faith is that I enjoy a wider
range of options. By choice, I am able to
reject the greater evils in that range of
options, and I can enjoy the pleasures of
choosing goodness and grace and truth. It's the
obvious advantage. If I understand it
correctly.


What the non-christian does not seem to be able
to accept is the fact that I don't WANT to do
alot of the things that other people do.
Sometimes, believe it or not, I wonder if people
want to do the things they do, or if they have
no choice. We like to believe we have choices,
but really, do we always have the creative
energy to imagine a greater range of choices?
From what I see around me, the answer would
be, no way. From a book I read recently, war
is the result of a lack of imagination. Not so
sure about war as a result, but there seems no
end to lack of imagination. It's a rare
commodity.


From Baby Jesus V:

It was
never recorded in scripture that Jesus gave an
explanation for the works that he did. He only
said that the 'power' came from G-d, if I
remember right.

So, I have to ask, What did Jesus mean when he
said 'power'? Did he mean he had
*knowledge* of how miracles worked? Did he mean
he had what we would call 'supernatural'
abilities beyond a superior knowledge? In other
words, he was able to bridge the barrier between
this physical existence and the larger dimension
of the infinite and the eternal. Is it because
of an infinite nature or is it because of an
infinite knowledge that he was able to do what
he did? I think, that scripture shows us that
it was, at the very least, both of these
qualities that Jesus possessed.


Mt 21:23 When he had come into the temple, the

chief priests and the elders of the people came

to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what

authority do you do these things? Who gave you

this authority?"


The word translated here as 'authority' is:

"Exousia (ex-oo-see'-ah);
Word Origin: Greek, Noun Feminine, Strong #:

1849


power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases

leave or permission

physical and mental power

the ability or strength with which one is

endued, which he either possesses or exercises
the power of authority (influence) and of right

(privilege)

the power of rule or government (the power of

him whose will and commands must be submitted to

by others and obeyed)
universally

authority over mankind specifically
the power of judicial decisions

of authority to manage domestic affairs
metonymically

a thing subject to authority or rule 4c

jurisdiction

one who possesses authority 4c
a ruler, a human magistrate 4c

the leading and more powerful among created

beings superior to man, spiritual potentates

a sign of the husband's authority over his wife

the veil with which propriety required a women

to cover herself

the sign of regal authority, a crown

KJV Word Usage and Count

power 69
authority 29
right 2
liberty 1
jurisdiction 1
strength 1 " (Strong's)

(Who's to know exactly? Looks like a
hermenuetical challenge. There's alot here to
split hairs about.)


Mt 21:24 Jesus answered them, "I also will ask

you one question, which if you tell me, I

likewise will tell you by what authority I do

these things.

25 The baptism of John, where was it from? From

heaven or from men?" They reasoned with

themselves, saying, "If we will say, `From

heaven,` he will tell us, `Why then did you not

believe him?`

26 But if we will say, `From men,` we fear the

multitude, for all hold John as a prophet."

27 They answered Jesus, and said, "We don`t

know." He also said to them, "Neither will I

tell you by what authority I do these things.


It wasn't just the religious authorities that
questioned Jesus divinity.


Mark 1:27 And they were all amazed, insomuch

that they questioned among themselves, saying,

What thing is this? what new doctrine is this?

for with AUTHORITY commandeth he even the

unclean spirits, and they do obey him.


There is no question that Jesus had special
ability. It was recognized by others. It's
not known how it worked.


Here's another attempt by the religious
authorities to accuse Jesus of mischief:


Mt 12:22 Then there was brought to him one

possessed by a demon, blind and mute, and he

healed him, so that the blind and mute man both

spoke and saw.

23 All the multitudes were amazed, and said,

"Can this be the son of David?"

24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said,

"This man does not cast out demons, except by

Beelzebul, the prince of the demons."

25 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them,

"Every kingdom divided against itself is brought

to desolation, and every city or house divided

against itself will not stand.

26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided

against himself. How then will his kingdom

stand?

27 If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do

your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be

your judges.

28 But if I by the Spirit of G-d cast out

demons, then the kingdom of G-d has come on you.


Jesus doesn't say it directly, but the Pharisees
project a supernatural bias to explain healing
effects that they don't know the cause of. It
looks to me like Jesus almost enjoyed baffling
his opposition. It's like he's saying, It's not
what you know boyz, it's who you know.


What we see around us every day is not what we
perceive to be miraculous, because it's common
experience. What is not common experience is
what we perceive to be miraculous. That's the
aura that surrounded Jesus -- the uncommon.
From birth to resurrection, Jesus had a unique
life.


It's discouraging to see that people are drawn
to the sensational, and yet are not able to see
what's around them. I can't count how often
I've been to religious gatherings where people
get all excited about the prospect of seeing or
experiencing something sensational. Wiki
Toronto revival, kansas city prophets, etc.
Rodney howard Brown...


This is the religion of today. But where is the
substance? And where is the excitiement about
scripture? That's where the sensation ought
to be.



People want their religion to be entertaining.
I get tired of it. But I get even more tired
of those who ask me to accept on faith their
sensational discoveries of 'science' -- the
evolutionist bone peddlers.


Looking out the window of the Jesus Bus, I see
that I am surrounded by the miraculous, but
it's not perceived as such. By faith, there are
even greater things to behold. But you gotta'
get on the bus. Merry Christmas!