4umi Khalil Gibran : Jesus, The Son Of Man / Nathaniel

Nathaniel

Jesus was not meek

They say that Jesus of Nazareth was humble and meek.

They say that though He was a just man and righteous, He was a weakling, and was often confounded by the strong and the powerful; and that when He stood before men of authority He was but a lamb among lions.

But I say Jesus had authority over men, and that He knew His power and proclaimed it among the hills of Galilee, and in the cities of Judea and Phoenicia.

What man yielding and soft would say, “I am life, and I am the way to truth” ?

What man meek and lowly would say, “I am in God, our Father; and our God, the Father, is in me” ?

What man unmindful of His own strength would say, “He who believes not in me believes not in this life nor in the life everlasting” ?

What man uncertain of tomorrow would proclaim, “Your world shall pass away and be naught but scattered ashes ere my words shall pass away” ?

Was He doubtful of Himself when He said to those who would confound Him with a harlot, “He who is without sin, let him cast a stone” ?

Did He fear authority when He drove the money-changers from the court of the temple, though they were licensed by the priests?

Were His wings shorn when He cried aloud, “My kingdom is above your earthly kingdoms” ?

Was He seeking shelter in words when He repeated again and yet again, “Destroy this temple and I will rebuild it in three days” ?

Was it a coward who shook His hand in the face of the authorities and pronounced them “liars, low, filthy, and degenerate” ?

Shall a man bold enough to say these things to those who ruled Judea be deemed meek and humble?

Nay. The eagle builds not his nest in the weeping willow. And the lion seeks not his den among the ferns.

I am sickened and the bowels within me stir and rise when I hear the faint-hearted call Jesus humble and meek, that they may justify their own faint-heartedness; and when the downtrodden, for comfort and companionship, speak of Jesus as a worm shining by their side.

Yea, my heart is sickened by such men. It is the mighty hunter I would preach, and the mountainous spirit unconquerable.

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 Khalil Gibran Introductory biography Spirits Rebellious The Broken Wings A Tear and a Smile The Madman The Forerunner The Prophet The New Frontier Sand and Foam Jesus, The Son Of Man James the son of Zebedee Anna the mother of Mary Assaph called the Orator of Tyre Mary Magdalen Philemon, a Greek Apothecary Simon who was called Peter Caiaphas Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Rafca A Persian Philosopher in Damascus David, one of his followers Luke Matthew John the son of Zebedee A young priest of Capernaum A rich levi in the neighborhood of the Nazarene A shepherd in South Lebanon John the Baptist Joseph of Arimathea Nathaniel Saba of Antioch Salome to a woman friend Rachael, a woman disciple Cleopas of Bethroune Naaman of the Gadarenes Thomas Elmadam the Logician One of the Mary's Rumanous, a Greek poet Levi, a disciple A widow in Galilee Judas the cousin of Jesus The man from the desert Peter Melachi of Babylon, an astronomer A philosopher Uriah, an old man of Nazareth Nicodemus the poet Joseph of Arimathea Georgus of Beirut Mary Magdalen Jotham of Nazareth to a Roman Ephraim of Jericho Barca, a merchant of Tyre Phumiah, the high Priestess of Sidon Benjamin the scribe Zacchaeus Hannah of Bethsaida Manasseh Jephtha of Caesarea John the beloved disciple Mannus the Pompeiian, to a Greek Pontius Pilatus Bartholomew in Ephesus Matthew Andrew on prostitutes A rich man on possessions John at Patmos Peter on the neighbor A cobbler in Jerusalem Suzannah of Nazareth Joseph surnamed Justus Philip Birbarah of Yammouni Pilate's wife to a Roman lady A man outside of Jerusalem Sarkis, an old Greek shepherd Annas the high priest A woman, one of Mary's neighbors Ahaz the portly Barabbas Claudius a Roman sentinel James the brother of the Lord Simon the Cyrene Cyborea The woman in Byblos Mary Magdalen thirty years later A man from Lebanon The Earth Gods The Wanderer Al-Nay The Garden of the Prophet Lazarus and His Beloved Satan My Countrymen I Believe In You Your Thought And Mine You Have Your Lebanon History and the Nation The Vision Visual art