Sunday 17 August 2014

Too many cooks spoil the broth. Mark Vs Matthew infight


                               So why did Jesus' heavenly father not offer him palliative care ?

                               Mark 15v23 says, " Then they offered Jesus wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it."
There are claims that myrrh was a type on analgesic given for pain relief. So then why did Jesus turn down the offer of pain relief ? I think it is healthy to try to care for oneself. Some commentators such as Bible-history Fausset's  Bible dictionary claim that Jesus wanted to face the full suffering of the cross. Yet Matt 2v11 has the Magi bring Jesus a present of myrrh. Which could be read as a recommendation that he take pain relief.

Is this a case of too many cooks spoil the broth ? The authors  Matthews tale of the Magi bringing myrrh have forgotten or not known that Mark had Jesus refuse the myrrh. Also the author of Matt 27v34 has switched the pain relief herb in the wine vinegar to gall - still refused.

 Fausset's Bible dictionary also points out that Matthew maybe has put that the wine contained Gall so that it would fit with Psalm 69v21. However Psalm 69v20 says, " I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none. v21 They put gall in my food ( as if that was an act of enmity ) and gave me vinegar for my thirst. " However it could be read that the person in the gospels offering Jesus the wine with myrrh/ gall were trying to comfort & sympathize with him -  this undermines the attempt to make Psalm 69 into a prophecy.

Why did Mary the mother of Jesus not bring the myrrh to relieve Jesus pain ? What happend to the myrrh the wise men brought ? Did Jesus sell the myrrh to raise money so he could buy chisels, saws and hammers ? Pity he didn't have the foresight to keep some for when he was on the cross.

So why did Jesus' heavenly father not offer Jesus palliative care ?

 Why did Jesus not think to pray for the wine vinegar to be changed into fine wine loaded with morphine. Why did Jesus not pray for miraculous pain relief ? The hymn, " There is a green hill far away " has 7th& 8th line, " It was for us he hung and suffered there " yet it was entirely his own choice to have the pain because if he was the son of God he should have been able to heal himself ( as Matthew 27v41 has the priests cry ) and die with very little pain.

Matthew26v39 has Jesus say, " may this cup be taken from me, yet not as my will be done but as you will "
Matthew 26v42 has Jesus say, " if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done "
And yet it would seem more likely that it was the will of the heavenly father that Jesus should take pain relief since he supposedly had events conspire to bring the wise men with myrrh at Jesus birth.

Matthew 27v46 has Jesus cry, " My god why have you forsaken me " Which could be read,  " Why have I been left in such pain " yet again it was Jesus own failure to accept the help offered. But then why didn't God shout down from the sky," Drink the medicine. It is for your own good "

Could the gospels have been something like :
Crowd: " Jesus, here is some myrrh & gall to lessen your pain
Jesus: No, I've read in the newspaper that those drugs can be addictive
Crowd: Jesus you are likely to die in the next day or two so that doesn't matter
Jesus: Oh, I never thought of it like that, well now that you say, it does seem more sensible to drink it really

Why does the Bible offer so little in the way of useful advice on the subject of medicine from herbs to provide pain relief ? Proverbs 31, " Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish, let them drink to forget their poverty and remember their misery no more "  ( So that is where that daft idea of drinking to forget comes from. Would have thought spending money on alcohol is  likely to make a person poorer )

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