no I don’t think He was joking. no more than I think He was joking when He told them you must eat My flesh and drink My blood. but I don’t think He was promoting: Cannibalism, the eating of human flesh by humans. Yet He said Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. [55] For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. [56] He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. John 6:54-56
My husband and I watched this weird movie (miniseries) the other night. “Midnight Mass”. It was sickening but also at the same time eye-opening to how much we twist the Bible into a weapon of our version. Sickening because they must have quoted half the Bible and the cultish vibe of the show made me want to run from all of this. They had everything even the drinking of poison together at mass, like cults predicting the end and brainwashing others into self harm shouting “don’t fear! you will be resurrected!” Center stage was the drinking of blood which was literally used, in craving blood as an undeniable hunger that needed to eat and drink and taste. I couldn't decide if the show was promoting satanism and mocking Christians, or showing how cults are born. I’m surprised they forgot about amputation though and plucking out the eye that offends…that would have fit right in to the blood lust.
If someone followed literally the sawing off an leg or a hand, or gouging out an eye…my question is would loosing a leg, hand or eye make them any less sinless or any less prone to sinful thoughts? Personally I think the amputation is same as “you must eat My flesh and drink My blood” Luke 8:10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
But honestly I still want to run today from all of this because I can’t help asking “why”? Why leave it at parables or you must eat of His flesh and drink of His blood …and allow it to be twisted into thoughts of Cannibalism,
or amputation of body parts and leave it to where people form cults and persuade others to self harm in “God said” convinced they are doing the Will of God. Why leave it at such an mystery that even today the Bible is used to promote violence against others, promote leaving families, promote husband and wives at war …and no one sees it the same but everyone argues they are right. Same as the cult leaders who claim they are right. I have to ask How can God’s Word cause so much harm? I don’t understand why so much harm for the sake of “Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.”
I’m a woman and can only speak from a woman’s perspective. But I’ve felt this harm from twisted Bible verses my whole life, being instructed of what God thinks of women. And it is harmful. So I’m being serious because I was thinking last night if that is true of the Word of God …if all those verses are right the way they are promoted then God wants to do me harm and not good? Yes, that makes me want to run…but then the question is where do you run if God wants to do you harm and not good?