"The cattle are lowing
The poor Baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes"
Ah, excuse me? "No crying he makes?" no crying? A baby? I don't think so.
This is a great example of the New Testament Jesus being covered up with (Christian) religious sentimentality. "Away in a Manager" is a great Christmas Carol but like many portryals of Jesus, it is just plain untrue. The Bible has always portrayed Jesus as someone who suffered like we have even though he was God on earth.
So not only would he have cried like any other baby, he also would have added to the stable stench with his own nappy /diaper filling. Try singing that in a carol this Christmas.
Later in life he hurt and ached and suffered like the rest of us. Here are a few words directly from the Bible:
"He had to be one of us...Jesus has suffered and was tempted, he can help anyone else who is tempted." (Hebrews 2:17 -18)
"For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. " (Hebrews 4)
"...and asked, "Where have you put his body?"
They replied, "Lord, come and you will see."
Jesus started crying, and the people said, "See how much he loved Lazarus." (John 11)
"When Jesus came closer and could see Jerusalem, he cried ..." (Luke 19)
and so on...
The thing that really bothers me about the 'sanitising' of Jesus Christ is that I suspect people who have not read the New Testament for themsleves get this namby pamby picture of Jesus who has been basically 'photoshopped' & 'airbrushed' into a gentle distant religious figure that has no relation to our everyday life.
I dare anyone who has that view of Jesus to read through any of the Gospels - in one sitting, like you would read a short book. Also, use a current translation in a a language you speak at home.
Take your pick - pick up a Bible and read one of the Gospel books in the Bible (you can read them in a couple of hours) either Matthew, Mark, Luke or John and ask yourself honestly if this is the Jesus that is often presented as "little Lord Jesus No crying He makes"
The poor Baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes"
Ah, excuse me? "No crying he makes?" no crying? A baby? I don't think so.
This is a great example of the New Testament Jesus being covered up with (Christian) religious sentimentality. "Away in a Manager" is a great Christmas Carol but like many portryals of Jesus, it is just plain untrue. The Bible has always portrayed Jesus as someone who suffered like we have even though he was God on earth.
So not only would he have cried like any other baby, he also would have added to the stable stench with his own nappy /diaper filling. Try singing that in a carol this Christmas.
Later in life he hurt and ached and suffered like the rest of us. Here are a few words directly from the Bible:
"He had to be one of us...Jesus has suffered and was tempted, he can help anyone else who is tempted." (Hebrews 2:17 -18)
"For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. " (Hebrews 4)
"...and asked, "Where have you put his body?"
They replied, "Lord, come and you will see."
Jesus started crying, and the people said, "See how much he loved Lazarus." (John 11)
"When Jesus came closer and could see Jerusalem, he cried ..." (Luke 19)
and so on...
The thing that really bothers me about the 'sanitising' of Jesus Christ is that I suspect people who have not read the New Testament for themsleves get this namby pamby picture of Jesus who has been basically 'photoshopped' & 'airbrushed' into a gentle distant religious figure that has no relation to our everyday life.
I dare anyone who has that view of Jesus to read through any of the Gospels - in one sitting, like you would read a short book. Also, use a current translation in a a language you speak at home.
Take your pick - pick up a Bible and read one of the Gospel books in the Bible (you can read them in a couple of hours) either Matthew, Mark, Luke or John and ask yourself honestly if this is the Jesus that is often presented as "little Lord Jesus No crying He makes"
Let me know what you discover!
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