11-02-2008, 12:00 AM
An old man in the crowd asks Jesus a question , stating that he has followed all the Hebrew laws and rituals completely.
'Mine is a great grievance , Rabbi. When shall I see the Lord ; when shall I find peace ? '
Jesus smiled. 'Old man ', he replied ,' once upon a time there was a marble throne at the eastern gate of an important city. On this throne sat
a thousand kings blind in the right eye, a thousand kings blind in the left eye and a thousand kings who had sight in both eyes. All of them called God to
appear so that they might see him , but all went to their graves with their wishes unfulfilled. When the kings had died , a pauper , barefooted and hungry ,
came and sat on the throne. God , he whispered , the eyes of man cannot bear to look directly at the sun , for they are blinded. How then , Omnipotent , can
they look directly at you ? Have pity , Lord; temper your strength , turn down you splendor so that I , who am poor and afflicted , may see you ! Then - listen
, old man ! - God became a piece of bread , a cup of cool water , a warm tunic , a hut , and in front of the hut , a woman giving suck to an infant . The
pauper stretched his arms and smiled happily . Thank you , Lord , he whispered . You humbled yourself for my sake. You became bread , water , a warm tunic and
my wife and son in order that I might see you . And I did see you . I bow down and worship your beloved many faced face .'
'The Last Temptation of Christ ' , Chap. 22 , by Nikos Kazantzakis
The author , a Christian , probably Greek Orthodox , ran the risk of excommunication with this book . Educated by Franciscans , the U of Athens , studied
Philosophy in Paris. He traveled the world , and took interest in Nietzshe , Bolshevism , Buddhism , Dante. He was an adventurer and thinker , like Hemmingway.
In the end , his inspiration was a love for Christ and his native land , Crete.
'Mine is a great grievance , Rabbi. When shall I see the Lord ; when shall I find peace ? '
Jesus smiled. 'Old man ', he replied ,' once upon a time there was a marble throne at the eastern gate of an important city. On this throne sat
a thousand kings blind in the right eye, a thousand kings blind in the left eye and a thousand kings who had sight in both eyes. All of them called God to
appear so that they might see him , but all went to their graves with their wishes unfulfilled. When the kings had died , a pauper , barefooted and hungry ,
came and sat on the throne. God , he whispered , the eyes of man cannot bear to look directly at the sun , for they are blinded. How then , Omnipotent , can
they look directly at you ? Have pity , Lord; temper your strength , turn down you splendor so that I , who am poor and afflicted , may see you ! Then - listen
, old man ! - God became a piece of bread , a cup of cool water , a warm tunic , a hut , and in front of the hut , a woman giving suck to an infant . The
pauper stretched his arms and smiled happily . Thank you , Lord , he whispered . You humbled yourself for my sake. You became bread , water , a warm tunic and
my wife and son in order that I might see you . And I did see you . I bow down and worship your beloved many faced face .'
'The Last Temptation of Christ ' , Chap. 22 , by Nikos Kazantzakis
The author , a Christian , probably Greek Orthodox , ran the risk of excommunication with this book . Educated by Franciscans , the U of Athens , studied
Philosophy in Paris. He traveled the world , and took interest in Nietzshe , Bolshevism , Buddhism , Dante. He was an adventurer and thinker , like Hemmingway.
In the end , his inspiration was a love for Christ and his native land , Crete.