Reading of Millions of Religious Books
His disciples left Christ Jesus and ran away when Roman soldiers and temple priests came to arrest Him.
It means that even Peter ran away leaving Christ Jesus alone in the hand of enemies. That must be why Christ Jesus chose Paul, but not Peter, as His successor in the holy missions to gentiles. Nonetheless, St. Peter is still regarded as the first Pope of the Vatican.
But why were those disciples afraid so much? They had been with the Son of God for months or a few years, but they were afraid of Roman soldiers and temple priests coming to arrest them at night. Were they, including St. Peter, just cowards? Did they just pretend to be followers of Christ Jesus? Could not Christ Jesus imbue His disciples with true faith? What was that farcical incident for?
Or had it been planned by Christ Jesus? Beforehand, He had seen how little their faith had been, so that Christ Jesus had not instructed them to stay with Him when His enemies came to arrest him. But why only such little faith could His disciples have after having spent time for months or a few years with Him, receiving direct teachings.
Those disciples must have thought that their Master was the Son of God or the Messiah, so that even Roman soldiers and temple priests could not came to attack Him. They must have been pleased with the idea so much. Therefore the appearance of the armed enemies at night must have been a kind of thunderbolt out of the blue. The disciples must not have been prepared for it at all. That is why they just ran away. But could this scenario be so possible?
However, after the Crucifixion, when Christ Jesus disappeared from the tomb and appeared to His disciples, they came to have strong faith in Christ Jesus. And then, Christianity started to emerge.
In other word, no matter what teachings the disciples heard directly from Christ Jesus, it was no use for them. For them to have unshaken faith in Christ Jesus, He had to be crucified and later resurrected.
It applies to people of today. No matter how deep teachings and words they might learn through books or in schools or churches, their faith cannot be said to be so reliable and determined. They have to also run away from Christ Jesus, who is the Son of God and the Messiah, and then see crucifixion and resurrection of Christ Jesus to have true faith in Him. But, there is no Christ Jesus living as a man around them. How can it be realized?
One possible answer must be the Pope. As the successor of St. Peter or the surrogate of Christ Jesus, each Pope must die on the cross and resurrect like Christ Jesus to make people have true faith. This must be the true mission and duty of every Pope in the past. But what Pope did it?
In other word, the fact that every Pope did not die on the cross and later resurrected in these 2000 years means that people have not had true faith yet.
People do not have true faith till they see the great miracle of Pope's death on the cross and later resurrection like Christ Jesus Himself. Indeed, if armed enemies of a Pope had appeared to arrest him, every Christian must have run away in the past and even today.
Anyway it is a great miracle that makes one a true Christian but not reading of millions of religious books.
**** **** ****
Act 12:13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.
Act 12:14 And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.
Act 12:15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.