He literally said He was a door and a lamb also omegatoo. He also literally said rivers of water would flow from your belly. He literally told John, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah to "eat the scroll". And He literally said "do not eat the blood".
Not really. The prohibition against drinking blood is from the Old Testament. I can’t find an example of Jesus saying ‘do not eat or drink blood.’ Jesus contradicted Old Testament laws on several occasions, by not requiring the apostles to follow strict handwashing laws, by associating with tax collectors and Samaritans. So by OT law, Jesus WAS a sinner. Is that the same standard you attempt to hold him to? Because He really did say what he said and contradicted the OT.
That was what caused the uproar, and when questioned about it He restated and clarified that that was indeed what He meant. Why would He allow people to leave Him without saying ‘of course I’m speaking figuratively’? Did He think they were too stupid to save? Why would He lose souls over misunderstanding? Why would He only want those to stay with Him who knew immediately that He was being figurative and not correct those who were upset because they mistakenly took Him literally? Did He drive them away on purpose?
He also confirmed His literal meaning at the last supper, saying ‘This is my blood’. He is not comparing Himself to it, He is saying that it is His, and He then tells us what to do with it. Nowhere is He stated to have said, ‘this represents my blood’. Surely He knew that the concept of eating flesh and drinking blood was controversial. And by now it was obvious that some people when told about this in the future would take Him literally as had happened before. Why would He risk losing disciples and having His purpose be misunderstood for all time at this most critical moment?
You do not wish to take this example of Christ’s words literally, I understand that. But you should not fault those who do accept those words as literal. You may believe that the people who stayed with Jesus did so because they understood him to be speaking figuratively, but I believe just the opposite, and there is again no clear explanation in scripture to tell us which one is the absolute truth. We have to make our own judgement based on our interpretation of the context and preceding and following events.
1 Corinthians 11:29 being a strong example for the literal interpretation. ‘For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord.’ Would partaking of a symbol unworthily carry such a penalty?
I don’t think your interpretation is impossible, I just think it is wrong. I don’t judge you and I am not convinced that your beliefs are evil and will keep you from salvation even though you are apparently convinced of this about my beliefs.
Jesus also said He was the way, the truth and the life, and I believe that literally, too. Some may believe that this was also figurative. Who gets to draw the lines? And I actually do believe He was ‘the lamb’, literally. Not ‘a lamb’ but ‘The Lamb’ of God, the perfect sacrifice.
Love, O2
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