That movie about ash being purest white reminded me of the book Malachi. I like that book. Anyway here’s a passage. Just felt like posting it. From Malachi 4:
The old testament has a reputation of being boring old genealogies and though shall nots, I remember when I was like 13 years old and I hardly knew anything about the Bible and my friend was like “you won’t go into Heaven unless you’ve read Revelations” so I went and read it. It was definitely not what I expected from the Bible! But I read through it and it’s actually pretty interesting. I liked reading about David’s exploits.
For beautiful writing, I’ve got to turn to chapter 8 of the same book:
Romans 8:35-39
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Even as it is written, “For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37 No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I’m accomplishing that part right now… cursed Taiwan food culture!
I like the Sermon on the Mount and this lyric expresses how I see it…when I was younger and dimmer I thought I had it figured out, but I still don’t know if Jaysus meant it for the meek who should learn to suck it up or the powerful to make the meek suck it up bc they will if you use the right bait.
It’s coming through a crack in the wall
On a visionary flood of alcohol
From the staggering account
Of the Sermon on the Mount
Which I don’t pretend to understand at all
My favourite verses- Amos 5:25
But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
Micah 6:8
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
One of those parts of the NT, I suspect, that’s been through the wringer of a medieval Google Translate via multiple languages, and lost some of its meaning in the process.
I can’t remember who it was, but I recall reading an analysis of the phrase “Blessed are the Poor in Spirit”. The commentator pointed out that the Greek word used for “poor in spirit” in his copy means something like “not full of oneself”; not one who struts around posturing and bragging. There’s no one-word equivalent in English. He was referring, I suppose, to self-promoters like the Pharisees of the time.
Fun fact: for political reasons, that one is quoted by the Catholic Church here in Elbonia as “Blessed are the Poor”, which is obviously a completely different barrel of prawns, but everyone laps it up.
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,
And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;
That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.
And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.
Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?
Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?
Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.
Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?
Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?
Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?
Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?
The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?
Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?
Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go and say unto thee, Here we are?
Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?
Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,
When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?
Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,
When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?
Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat. -Job 38
Luke 6:20-26
English Standard Version
20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."
Maybe this accounts for the difference you’re referring to? Not sure. Not trying to defend anyone.
And for the other gospels, poor in spirit is typically related to humility, is how I understand it. I had to look it up to be sure, but that’s the way I’ve always thought of it.
Ezekiel 23:18-21: When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister. 19 Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. 20 There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. 21 So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled.
To which Job should have replied “Quit trying to change the subject. We’re not talking about who is bigger or stronger or older, we’re talking about justice.”
At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. — Matthew 11:25
“Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”
