May 21, 2018 — Saint of the day, St. Eugene de Mazenod, the goal of his priestly preaching and ministry was always to lead others to develop themselves fully as humans, then as Christians and finally to become saints.
The Lost Scriptures.
The Damascus Document/The Zadokite Documents
And now, listen to me, all who have entered the Covenant, and I will open your ears to the fate which attends the wicked. God loves knowledge. Wisdom and sound sense has He posted before Him. Prudence and knowledge minister to Him. Patience attends on him and abundant forgiveness, so that He may shrive the repentant But also with Him are might and power and great wrath, along with flames of fire and all the angels of destruction-appointed for them that turn aside from His way and treat His ordinance as a thing to be shunned, to the end that they shall be left without remnant or survival.
Never, from the very beginning of the world, has God approved such men. He has always known what their actions would be, even before the foundations of them were laid. He has anathematized whole generations on account of bloodshed, hiding His face from the land. Their end has always been pre-determined. He has always foreknown how long they would endure and the exact and precise extent of their continuance; yea, all that has happened in their several epochs throughout history, and likewise all that was to befall them. Nevertheless, in all of their generations He has ever raised up for Himself duly designated men, so that He might provide survival for the earth and fill the face of the world with their seed. And to these has He ever revealed His holy spirit at the hands of His anointed7 and has ever disclosed the truth; and He has clearly specified who they were. But those whom He hated He has always left to wander astray.”
Because it gives insights into the religious attitudes of its writers, the Damascus Document is considered by many scholars to be one of the most important sources for understanding the Essene movement. The document seems to have been written in stages between 175 BCE and 70 CE, after which the community at Qumran was abandoned. The first section of this document concerns the community’s religious vision. In particular, it stresses devotion to Israel’s covenant with G-d, the hope of the imminent coming of the Messiah, and a strict interpretation of the Jewish law. It also speaks of the community’s mysterious Teacher of Righteousness and his enemy, the Man of Lies. Various theories have emerged concerning the identity and roles of these two antagonists – one can only speculate.
The document’s second section contains a set of regulations concerning community life and discipline. It gives a sense of the sect’s strict religious tradition as its members—living in communities scattered throughout Israel—prepared themselves for the Messiah’s coming. The document provides valuable insights into the varied religious cultures of Judiasm while also giving information about why the teachings of Jesus created so much opposition among the many pious Jews.
If you think about it, the teachings of Jesus continue to stir agreement and opposition among pious Jews, pious Christians, and pious Muslims. Within the many Christian communities today, there are plenty of areas where we create opposition among ourselves – arguments like how often to celebrate communion, when we should baptize new converts, and the role of women in leadership positions.
There are plenty of documents that are being written today that help us interpret the teachings of Jesus. But when we find ourselves disagreeing more than finding commonalities, perhaps we should focus more on Jesus teachings of love and service.
Lutheran Schreff 