The DeConstruction of the New Testament

I apologize for the typos in the last blog. My mind was elsewhere. I had an accident with my car and had to wait three weeks for the insurance company to decide that it was a total loss. Meanwhile the free rental care had to be turned in because they are taking so long. Now I have no car and don’t know how much I have to spend on a new one. I am deeply angry at the insurance company for dragging everything out. Don’t worry, there’s a blog in here somewhere.

In the Gospel of John Mary Magdaline arrives at the tomb early “on the first day of the week” while it was still dark and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. She went to Peter and John and reported Jesus missing, causing the two disciples to run to the tomb. They still didn’t understand that Jesus would rise from the dead, so they went home. Mary stayed near the tomb weeping and two angels appeared and asked her why she was weeping. She told them, turned around and saw a man she thought was the gardener. He also asked her why she is weeping, and she asks him where she can find Jesus. He said, “Mary” in the way he always said her name, and she recognized him. She said,”Rabouni, Teacher, and jumped him. He tells her immediately not to hold on to him because he was wearing morontia clothing. He tells her instead to go tell his brothers that “I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” She went out and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord (Urantia Book).

The disciples were locked into the Upper Room for fear of arrest. Jesus appeared to them there. He said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven are forgiven them, and whose sins are retained are retained.” Those words are some of the powerful ever uttered, and has kept the most powerful kings in Western Civilization on their knees.

Jesus appeared a second time to the disciples at the Lake of Tiberius (Galilee). John was the first to recognize him as they hauled their fishing boat in empty. The others were skeptical that the man was Jesus, but Jesus told them where to find fish and fish filled their nets when they cast them out. They ate breakfast and finally acknowledged Jesus. In this famous scene Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him (Jesus). They were still afraid of him when Jesus asked Peter, “Peter, do you love me”? Peter answers each time, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus first replys, “Feed my lambs.” A second time “Simon, son of John (Zebadee), do you love me”? Peter said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you!” Then Jesus said to Peter a third time, “Peter, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was getting very stressed that Jesus might doubt him, but he said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you!” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” (21:15-19) And to this day Catholic Churches all over the world offer the Eucharist multiple times a day, reach out to shut-ins, hospital patients and people in other facilities as well. This is the meaning of feeding the lambs and the sheep. The final prayer before the distribution of the Eucharist has changed to fit the times. It is now taken directly from the NT: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof, but only say the word and my servant shall be healed.” These are the words of a Roman Centurion.