As promised, here are even more words that a wise person would not ask for . It does relieve my frustration, though, to write these wordy explanations !
The FIRST CITATION OR VERSE is always the Original Gospel Text of the Third Chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, New International Version .
The SECOND CITATION OR VERSE is always the text of the animation –
HESUS JOY CHRIST / Matthew's Three Fold , written by R David Foster .
Verse 5
5People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.
Verse 5
5 People went in to her from the church, and all the land and the region.
Verse 5 Discussion
This verse portrays the extent of the influence John, and Joan, had in the world. Jerusalem was the sacred city, as it is to this day. The temple of Jerusalem was the earthly house of God. Churches, the actual buildings, are very often referred to as “God's house”. Again, if one finds the use of the term “God”, misleading and offensive, just substitute “infinity” or “the infinite”, and God's House becomes the home of the infinite. It is an earthly place set aside where people go to encounter the infinite aspects of their lives. But don't forget that even the Bible has many references to the impossibility of containing the infinite, or God, in anything finite, like a place or a building. Likewise, containing God, or the infinite, in anything, can be cantankerous ! By definition, infinity is infinite. It is everywhere ! Nevertheless, it helps to consider the bigger picture directly or purposefully from time to time, and a place to do that makes sense. Just don't forget that everything is a manifestation of the infinite. The finite is a part of the infinite. So as a “house of God” I have substituted “church” for “Jerusalem.
Where John was “out” in the desert, Joan was “in” an auditorium. I see no difference in whether one is in the system or outside of the system, as the work anyone does can bring us closer to our infinite purpose. This is the idea of free enterprise and protestant religion. It is also the idea of the story of The Sword in the Stone , where the boy Arthur is the only one who can free the blade of discernment that is trapped in the cold stone of popular morality. In free enterprise the initiative of an individual outside of established institutions or corporeal realities is encouraged and allowed to grow to fruition and become established separately as an alternative to the majority. If such initiative can win support it will overcome the limits of the already established alternatives. This is what happened with christianity in the roman world. When the church became bogged down in bureaucracy others such as Martin Luther, became an alternative, and although something was lost, the outsiders of Protestantism moved the world forward and changed the establishment from the outside . Now that Joan is in, it forebodes that new life or change is imminent. Just as Martin Luther was a catholic monk, Joan is in the establishment by having a following of people sufficient to fill an auditorium. Jesus was both in and out, as he had a very large following, which he did not take into the establishment, which would be “putting new wine into old wine skins”, but did go in to Jerusalem to encounter the establishment, as well as teaching in the synagogues.
John's influence was relatively widespread - “all Judea and the region of the Jordan” - and Joan's influence, similarly, is relatively widespread. The consequences of this influence can be looked at within the “home of the infinite” or church, the political state and political environment, and the widespread nature of a region. The images shown in the animation are of a single individual on Joan's doorstep, for a personal ministration of Joan; and the offloading of one of many buses at an auditorium presumably where Joan preaches.
Addressing these three aspects of a ministry, the personal, political, and geographical aspects, the personal aspect is no more important than the other two. If one is challenged and changed personally, with respect to infinity, political and geographic concerns are affected. If a kingdom of heaven is coming, will it directly oppose the roman empire ? Yes and no. The roman empire had its' many gods and this served the empire, as individuals served and were served by their gods, or images of infinity. If the gods change than the society changes in every way. Just as christianity changed the politics, marriage will change the politics of its' time. Jesus encountered and dealt deliberately with all three aspects. Geographic? Yes. The roman empire served to spread the personal challenges and changes of Jesus teaching of forgiveness throughout a geographic region. The actual socialization of people was necessary to establish an alternative to what was common at the time. This can only happen when people are in contact and communication with one another. A new age of marriage need spread this way as well. In HESUS JOY CHRIST / Matthew's Foretold , the marriage makes an impression on many people, as Jesus made an impression on many people, in both cases through personal contact and awareness.
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Tuesday, March 29th, 2011
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