...
How on earth could a book written two thousand years ago or thereabouts,contain anything of relevance to a businessman or manager of a large business?
Read it, it's not as out-of-state as an atheist of a militant stripe tells you.
For instance,for the lacklustre manager who has accumulated large debts in his master's business,read the Parable of the Wise Steward who redeems debt at a discount....
The litigant in trouble with a client? Read the lesson of the injuring party who settled with his opponent 'on the way to court'....
The fractious family?" Go to your brother on your own and,if he will not settle with you your inheritance,go to him with two witnesses " BUT "Forgive your brother,not seven times but seventy-seven times if he wrongs you...."
But the big puzzler,the businessman or 'man on a mission',how is he to behave in good conscience? " Greet no-one along the way!" Jesus ordains.
The perpetual barney between (As)Syria and The Land of Israel and Judea? Did Jesus not go to 'the far bank of Galilee to pray and get away from the crowds since he desired to be alone with God because the crowds would not leave him alone and wanted a sign so that they could make him king...' . Miracles? Resurrection?Jesus said,"The only sign given to you shall be the sign of Elijah,for was it not written that the Son of Man must first suffer...." and that latter point is something for the Stoics whereas there is likewise something for the Epicureans,"He eats and drinks with sinners and publicans and goes into the houses of tax collectors...."
Likewise,for agnostics, Jesus describes himself as the Son of Man and others ask,"Is this not the son of Mary and Joseph the Carpenter and the brother of Judas and....?"
Likewise,for those expecting royal deliverance from occupation by Rome is there not Simeon in the Temple who says,"I can die knowing that Israel's delivery is at hand...". For those happy with the Roman occupation,the story of the Roman centurion and the message to Jesus that he has people under his command and people above him. On those themes we also refer to Jesus saying "Render on to Caesar what is Caesar's..."
For those under a foreign yoke,another contradictory message,namely Jesus reading from the Book of Isaiah at the synagogue in Nazareth where "they tried to throw him from a cliff" and jubilant transitory scenes where "the crowd wanted to proclaim him king ".
What is not duplicitous are the many "signs and wonders Jesus worked but very few in his hometown" .....
