The seven days after Palm Sunday leading to Easter are sometimes called “the Holy Week,” and each day presents scene or episodes that I think over and contemplate and I would like to invite readers to do that with me.
This is a wonderful instigation for Holy Wednesday. That is why I try to keep up with you. You left the discussion with this:
"I would have liked to return, at leisure, to the cursing of the fig tree but, regrettably, for the purposes of these contemplations, I have to teach an evening class that starts in 5 minutes so I will have to conclude today’s reflection at this time."
I hope it will be possible to continue with this because the fig tree analogy seems to be so brutal and even spiteful. Yet, Christ is characterizing the three years that He has spent on Earth, and having to endure all of the interrogation by an unbelieving Jewish power centre. The condemned fig tree, which bears no fruit, and quickly withers, can be likened to the prediction of the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, which has its foreshadowing with the crucifixion on Good Friday, and the massive earthquake, which rends the temple in two. Thus, Christ speaks also of the advent of the Apocalypse, ref. Matthew, 24, Mark 13, and Luke 19, and how a renewed "season of figs" would eventuate over time. John of Patmos would write the definitive book about it in old age, i.e., Revelations.
One of mine, still very mysterious today, is this from John 1:
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile!” 48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.” 50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
The name, Nathanael, appears in no other gospel than John. This incident occurs just before the Marriage in Cana in which the Mother of Jesus was there.
the fig tree is definitely related to the Buddhist path; the Bodhi Tree, under which Buddha achieved Enlightenment was a sacred fig tree (ficus religiosa). Buddhism seems readily accessible and actionable today, since it can deliver a life free of suffering, as it promises. but the path of Christianity remains a steep and thorny one, since it doesn’t promise deliverance from suffering and, in fact, entails we stop caring so much about our own suffering, and this scandalizes people.
When Nathanael is characterized as an "Israelite in whom there is no guile", this means that he is already an initiate of the fifth rank, which is the Folk Soul. Christ, in seeing him under the fig tree, means that he has conscientiously been engaging in spiritual exercises that have placed him in this unique position. Remember, when Philip came to Nathanael and said, "We have found the Messiah, he is Jesus of Nazareth". Nathanael responds, "Can anything good come from Nazareth"? This is testimony to his being the folk soul of the nation of Israel. Apparently, the town of Nazareth had developed a bad reputation by this time.
Here is a similar allegory/analogy in the present frame of reference. Just as Jesus came from a place that had apparently gained a bad reputation, Rudolf Steiner by 1933 had also gained a purported bad reputation, and especially from C.S. Lewis. His book, Pilgrim's Regress is the object of focus here:
I remember somewhere in this book that Lewis chastises Rudolf Steiner for going south to the magicians rather than staying on the surface and studying Kant. This reminds me of a previous discussion here on the death-day of Immanuel Kant, which was February 12, 1804.
My only thought at the moment is that when Lewis makes his critical remark about Steiner studying Kant, it would have been useful for him to know that Steiner scraped every coin he had in order to buy a new edition of Kant's, Critique of Pure Reasoning, which came out in 1875, when he was just a boy of fourteen and attending the Real Schule in Wiener Neustadt. Thus, he would thoroughly study Kant, and if known to Lewis, it is possible that a better attitude to Steiner could have occurred in which the fabricated question, "can anything good come from Dornach", be answered in the affirmative, just like with Jesus.
Just a possible notion in an impossible world in which the margin is no longer in our favor.
There is also an account of the first occurrence of the anointing of Jesus, which is found here in Luke 7. Mary is yet to be identified, and this can be chronologically linked to about two years before Holy Wednesday:
36 Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, 38 and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.”
40 And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” 44 Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47 For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” 49 Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” 50 And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
It is from this first depiction that Mary of Bethany is later adduced She is further attributed with the name, Mary Magdalene, according to the next chapter of Luke:
"Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means." Luke 8
It was Pope Gregory the Great that first adduced that the three figures, i.e., the nameless sinning woman in the home of Simon the Pharisee, Mary Magdalene, and Mary of Bethany, were one and the same person. Thus, he is duly regarded as creating the so-called, "Cult of Mary Magdalene".
Hi Max,
This is a wonderful instigation for Holy Wednesday. That is why I try to keep up with you. You left the discussion with this:
"I would have liked to return, at leisure, to the cursing of the fig tree but, regrettably, for the purposes of these contemplations, I have to teach an evening class that starts in 5 minutes so I will have to conclude today’s reflection at this time."
I hope it will be possible to continue with this because the fig tree analogy seems to be so brutal and even spiteful. Yet, Christ is characterizing the three years that He has spent on Earth, and having to endure all of the interrogation by an unbelieving Jewish power centre. The condemned fig tree, which bears no fruit, and quickly withers, can be likened to the prediction of the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, which has its foreshadowing with the crucifixion on Good Friday, and the massive earthquake, which rends the temple in two. Thus, Christ speaks also of the advent of the Apocalypse, ref. Matthew, 24, Mark 13, and Luke 19, and how a renewed "season of figs" would eventuate over time. John of Patmos would write the definitive book about it in old age, i.e., Revelations.
one of my favorite metaphors in all of Scripture and literature and poetry alike is in Revelation:
"And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind." 6:13
One of mine, still very mysterious today, is this from John 1:
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile!” 48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.” 50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
The name, Nathanael, appears in no other gospel than John. This incident occurs just before the Marriage in Cana in which the Mother of Jesus was there.
the fig tree is definitely related to the Buddhist path; the Bodhi Tree, under which Buddha achieved Enlightenment was a sacred fig tree (ficus religiosa). Buddhism seems readily accessible and actionable today, since it can deliver a life free of suffering, as it promises. but the path of Christianity remains a steep and thorny one, since it doesn’t promise deliverance from suffering and, in fact, entails we stop caring so much about our own suffering, and this scandalizes people.
When Nathanael is characterized as an "Israelite in whom there is no guile", this means that he is already an initiate of the fifth rank, which is the Folk Soul. Christ, in seeing him under the fig tree, means that he has conscientiously been engaging in spiritual exercises that have placed him in this unique position. Remember, when Philip came to Nathanael and said, "We have found the Messiah, he is Jesus of Nazareth". Nathanael responds, "Can anything good come from Nazareth"? This is testimony to his being the folk soul of the nation of Israel. Apparently, the town of Nazareth had developed a bad reputation by this time.
Here is a similar allegory/analogy in the present frame of reference. Just as Jesus came from a place that had apparently gained a bad reputation, Rudolf Steiner by 1933 had also gained a purported bad reputation, and especially from C.S. Lewis. His book, Pilgrim's Regress is the object of focus here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pilgrim%27s_Regress
I remember somewhere in this book that Lewis chastises Rudolf Steiner for going south to the magicians rather than staying on the surface and studying Kant. This reminds me of a previous discussion here on the death-day of Immanuel Kant, which was February 12, 1804.
https://theoriapress.substack.com/p/calendar-moments-immanuel-kant
My only thought at the moment is that when Lewis makes his critical remark about Steiner studying Kant, it would have been useful for him to know that Steiner scraped every coin he had in order to buy a new edition of Kant's, Critique of Pure Reasoning, which came out in 1875, when he was just a boy of fourteen and attending the Real Schule in Wiener Neustadt. Thus, he would thoroughly study Kant, and if known to Lewis, it is possible that a better attitude to Steiner could have occurred in which the fabricated question, "can anything good come from Dornach", be answered in the affirmative, just like with Jesus.
Just a possible notion in an impossible world in which the margin is no longer in our favor.
Rudolf Steiner walked out of life on this day, 99 years ago
There is also an account of the first occurrence of the anointing of Jesus, which is found here in Luke 7. Mary is yet to be identified, and this can be chronologically linked to about two years before Holy Wednesday:
36 Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, 38 and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.”
40 And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” 44 Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47 For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” 49 Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” 50 And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
It is from this first depiction that Mary of Bethany is later adduced She is further attributed with the name, Mary Magdalene, according to the next chapter of Luke:
"Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means." Luke 8
It was Pope Gregory the Great that first adduced that the three figures, i.e., the nameless sinning woman in the home of Simon the Pharisee, Mary Magdalene, and Mary of Bethany, were one and the same person. Thus, he is duly regarded as creating the so-called, "Cult of Mary Magdalene".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Gregory_I