Sunday, April 20, 2014

Realize the Divine

As a cultural Catholic, it's hard to talk to people about Jesus.   Everytime you get to an intellectual dead end, the answer is that it is true, and it is "the Mystery of Faith".  Plus people get awfully pissed at you if you ask a question that they interpret as threatening to their mantle of faith.

I don't buy Dogma that doesn't make sense.  I believe that the Holy Spirit guides us all outside of interpretation by others.

So at the risk of pissing off those who would be reincarnated Crusader combatants,,,,,, Here's what I know and believe.

At the age of thirty, Jesus set out to minister to the people of Israel. In three short years, he performed astounding miracles like walking on water, raising the dead, turning water into wine and ultimately rising from his own tomb and appearing to his followers after his public execution.

Interspersed within these events, he proclaimed a practical philosophy of  behavior.... turning the other cheek, embracing your enemies with kindness, loving your neighbor, praying to God without ostentation, and phoniness.  I believe this behavior allows you the greatest chance to live in peace with your fellow Man.

We have no physical record of where he was, or what he did in his formative years up to the age of thirty, and in three short years, he managed to run afoul of the government, i.e. the Jewish Religious Leaders and the Roman Occupiers.... so the Government killed him.

I believe that he continues to perform miracles and give mystic guidance to those who seek his counsel in a sincere manner, and I believe that his Mother Mary performs the same as well.

There are other paths to God, walked by Muslims, Taoists, Hindus and countless others striving to lead a blessed life as well, and that there is no need to debate and kill over which path that you take.  It would be nice if we could drop this exclusivity intolerance and celebrate all of the cultural paths that God has given humanity to realize the Divine.

Happy Easter.

Below is a nice chronology of his ministry compiled by http://www.ccel.org/bible/phillips/JBPhillips.htm


THE STORY OF JESUS Matthew, Mark, Luke, John rearranged by Subject & in Date order
Interlude -
SUMMARY OF HIS
TRAVELS and ACTS
The travels and acts of Jesus have been compiled from "Gospel Harmonies". Although there are discrepancies, the following itineraries and maps give an indication of Jesus' movements over these three years

 
TRAVELS and ACTS OF JESUS, YEAR ONE - c AD27-28
Key: 1 - Approximate sequence of events, used in the list following
OPENING EVENTS
[1] Jesus, now about 30 years old (Lk 3:23) travels from his home-town of Nazareth in Galilee
[2] At the River Jordan, possibly near Bethany-across-the-Jordan, he is baptised by John the Baptist (Mt 3:13; Mk 1:9)
[3] He goes in to the Judean Desert or wilderness to face the devil's temptation (Mt 4:1; Mk 1:12; Lk 4:1)
[4] At the River Jordan near Bethany-across-the-Jordan, or Bethabara (Jn 1:28), and according to John's Gospel, Jesus calls his first five disciples (Jn 1:35). These include Philip, Andrew, and Simon Peter all from Bethsaida in Galilee (Jn 1:44)
[5] Jesus returns north to Galilee with his disciples (Jn 1:43), and at a wedding in Cana, changes the water into wine - his first recorded miracle (Jn 2:1)
[6] He continues on to Capernaum, on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee with his mother, brothers and disciples, and stays there a short time (Jn 2:12)
EARLY MINISTRY IN JUDEA, SAMARIA AND GALILEE
[7] He travels south to Jerusalem for the Passover - the first one mentioned in the Gospels (Jn 2:13). There he drives the money-changers from the Temple for the first time (Jn 2:14). He also meets the Pharisee, Nicodemus (Jn 3:1)
[8] Jesus leaves for the countryside of Judea where his disciples baptise believers (Jn 3:22)
[9] Jesus and his disciples continue northwards from Judea (Jn 4:3), passing through the territory of Samaria (Jn 4:4). Near Sychar, Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well (Jn 4:5). Many Samaritans believe in him (Jn 4:39), after which he continues on to Galilee (Jn 4:43)
[10] He reaches Galilee (Mt 4:12; Mk 1:14; Lk 4:14; Jn 4:45), and back in Cana heals the official's son who lays sick in Capernaum (Jn 4:46)
[11] Jesus returns to his home-town of Nazareth, and preaches in the synagogue (Lk 4:16). He is rejected for the first time (Lk 4:28)

 
TRAVELS and ACTS OF JESUS, YEAR TWO - c AD28-29
Key: 1 - Approximate sequence of events, used in the list following
[1] Jesus moves to Capernaum (Mt 4:13; Mk 1:21; Lk 4:31). According to the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus call his first disciples - perhaps only now to full-time service (Mt 4:18; Mk 1:16; Lk 5:1). In Capernaum he heals the madman in the synagogue (Mk 1:23; Lk 4:33) and Peter's mother-in-law of her fever (Mt 8:14; Mk 1:29; Lk 4:38)
FIRST PREACHING TOUR OF GALILEE
[2] Jesus travels throughout Galilee, preaching and healing (Mt 4:23; Mk 1:39), including the leper (Mt 8:2; Mk 1:40; Lk 5:12).
[3] Returning to Capernaum (Mk 2:1) a paralysed man is healed (Mt 9:2; Mk 2:3; Lk 5:18) and Jesus calls Matthew (or Levi) the tax-collector to be a disciple (Mt 9:9; Mk 2:14; Lk 5:27)
[4] Jesus travels from Galilee south to Jerusalem for a Jewish festival - possibly the Second Passover identified in the Gospels (Jn 5:1). At the Pool of Bethesda he heals the crippled man (Jn 5:2)
[5] Returning north to Galilee, Jesus heals the man with the shrivelled hand (Mt 12:9; Mk 3:1; Lk 6:6) and many others (Mt 12:15; Mk 3:7)
[6] On a hillside in Galilee, probably near Capernaum, he selects his twelve apostles (Mt 10:1; Mk 3:13; Lk 6:12) and delivers the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:1). In Luke's report Jesus comes down from a hillside to give the Sermon (Lk 6:20)
[7] Back in Capernaum, (Mt 8:5; Lk 7:1) Jesus heals the Roman centurion's servant (Mt 8:5; Lk 7:2)
SECOND PREACHING TOUR OF GALILEE
[8] Jesus continues preaching and healing in Galilee, and in Nain brings the widow's son back to life (Lk 7:11)
[9] Accompanied by the twelve apostles and some of his women helpers, Jesus continues his second Galilee tour (Lk 8:1)
[10] He sails across the Sea of Galilee (Mt 8:18; Mk 4:35; Lk 8:22) and calms a storm (Mt 8:24; Mk 4:37; Lk 8:23). Landing in the region of the Gerasenes (Mk 5:1; Lk 8:26) or Gadarenes (Mt 8:28) in Gentile Decapolis - the Ten Towns or Cities, Jesus heals the madman in the story of the Gadarene Swine (Mt 8:28; Mk 5:2; Lk 8:27)
[11] Sailing back across the Sea of Galilee (Mk 5:21) Jesus lands at "his own town" of Capernaum (Mt 9:1). Here he raises Jairus' daughter from the

 
TRAVELS and ACTS OF JESUS, YEAR THREE - c AD29-30
Key: 1 - Approximate sequence of events, used in the list following
THIRD PREACHING TOUR OF GALILEE
[1] Jesus travels from Capernaum to "his own native town" of Nazareth (Mk 6:1)
[2] In Nazareth, he is rejected for a second time (Mt 13:54; Mk 6:1)
[3] He continues through Galilee (Mt 13:58; Mk 6:6) and sends out the twelve apostles to preach the Gospel (Mt 10:5; Mk 6:7; Lk 9:1)
[4] The Twelve return to Capernaum from their mission (Mk 6:30, Luke 9:10)
[5] From Capernaum, they go off by boat with Jesus to a quiet place (Mk 6:32) near Bethsaida (Lk 9:10). Here he feeds the 5,000 (Mt 14:14; Mk 6:33; Lk 9:11; Jn 6:5)
[6] The disciples return across the Sea of Galilee (Mt 14:22; Mk 6:45), Jesus walking on the water to join them (Mt 14:25; Mk 6:48; Jn 6:19). They land near the Plain of Gennesaret and Jesus heals many people there (Mt 14:34; Mk 6:53).
[7] From Gennesaret they make their way back to Capernaum (Jn 6:24) and Jesus teaches about the Bread of Life (Jn 6:26)
JESUS PREACHES AND HEALS IN SYRIAN-PHOENICIA, ITUREA and TRACHONITIS, THE DECAPOLIS
[8] Jesus retires from Galilee to the region of Tyre and Sidon in Syrian-Phoenicia (Mt 15:21; Mk 7:24) where he heals the daughter of the Gentile Syrophoenician woman (Mt 15:22; Mk 7:25).
[9] He leaves Syrian-Phoenicia via Sidon for Galilee (Mt 15:29) but travels through the Decapolis (Mk 7:31).
[10] In the Decapolis he heals the deaf and mute man (Mk 7:32) and feeds the 4,000 (Mt 15:32; Mk 8:1)
[11] Reaching the Sea of Galilee, he crosses by boat to the Magadan/Dalmanutha region (Mt 15:39; Mk 8:10). There the Pharisees and Sadducees ask for a sign from heaven (Mt 16:1; Mk 8:11)
[12] Continuing on to Bethsaida, a blind man is healed (Mk 8:22)
[13] Jesus now travels from Galilee, north to Caesarea Philippi in Iturea and Trachonitis, where Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ (Mt 16:13; Mk 8:27)
[14] Continuing on from Caesarea Philippi possibly further north towards Mount Hermon, three of the disciples see Jesus Transfigured in the presence of Elijah and Moses (Mt 17:1; Mk 9:2; Lk 9:28). On his return, Jesus heals the boy with epilepsy (Mt 17:14; Mk 9:14; Lk 9:37).
Other traditions place the Transfiguration to the south, on Mount Tabor. The epileptic boy would then have been healed in the Galileearea
[15] In Galilee (Mt 17:22; Mk 9:30), in Capernaum (Mk 9:33), Jesus pays the Temple Tax with a fish! (Mt 17:24). Then to avoid the dangers in Judea, he remains in Galilee (Jn 7:1)
LATER MINISTRY IN JUDEA
[16] Jesus leaves Capernaum and Galilee for the last earthly time (Mt 19:1; Mk 10:1) and heads for Jerusalem (Lk 9:51; Jn 7:10). Travelling by Samaria, he heals the ten lepers (Lk 17:11) but is rejected in a Samaritan village (Lk 9:52)
[17] Arriving in Jerusalem for the Feast of the Tabernacles in the Autumn of c AD29 (Jn 7:10), Jesus forgives the woman caught in adultery (Jn 8:2) and heals the blind man who is taken before the Sanhedrin (Jn 9:1)
[18] During his travels in Judea, Jesus visits Martha and Mary in Bethany (Lk 10:38), returning to Jerusalem for "Hanukkah", the Feast of Dedication in December c AD29 (Jn 10:22)
THE LAST FEW MONTHS - c AD30
[19] Jesus withdraws to Bethany-across-the-Jordan (or Bethabara), and into the province of Perea, and stays for a while (Jn 10:40)
[20] Following the death of Lazarus, Jesus returns to Bethany near Jerusalem, and raises him (Lazarus) from the dead (Jn 11:1).
[21] Because of threats to his life, Jesus withdraws to Ephraim to the north of Jerusalem (Jn 11:54)
HIS MINISTRY IN PEREA (MODERN JORDAN)
[22] He then crosses the River Jordan and works in Perea (Mt 19:1; Mk 10:1). There he blesses the little children (Mt 19:13, Mk 10:13; Lk 18:15) and speaks to the rich young man (Mt 19:16; Mk 10:17; Lk 18:18)
THE FINAL JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM
[23] Jesus now travels towards Jerusalem for the last time (Mt 20:17; Mk 10:32; Lk 18:31). Passing through Jericho he heals one (or two) blind men (Mt 20:29; Mk 10:46; Lk 18:35) and converts Zacchaeus the tax collector (Lk 19:1).
[24] Reaching Bethany (Jn 12:1) the home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha, Jesus is anointed by Mary either now (Jn 12:2), or later (Mt 26:6; Mk 14:3) after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Mt 21:1; Mk 11:1; Lk 19:29; Jn 12:12)
[25] During the Easter week, Jesus returns to Jerusalem each day after staying overnight in Bethany on the Mount of Olives (Mt 21:17-18; Mk 11:11-12;19; Lk 21:37).

 
GALILEE AREA
As much of Jesus' three year ministry took place in the Galilee area, a more detailed map follows:
Map - Galilee Area where Jesus Preached and Healed During Much of His Three Year Ministry, c AD27-30
Maps by Gordon Smith can be used without further permission. Please quote http://www.ccel.org/bible/phillips/JBPhillips.htm
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