THE
COMPARISON
I returned after 3 days,
just like the resurrection
of Christ:
okay, so I’d be drunk
and wrecked for 3 days
and at some point took
a beating,
so no comparison with
Christ; one difference
is I guess that Christ
was greeted, praised
and celebrated upon his
return but my wife was
angry and hurt with me
for disappearing for
3 days, not knowing
whether I was alive
or dead, but I remember
her sweet tasting tears
and her love that
nailed me forever
as many cried
for my blood.
just like the resurrection
of Christ:
okay, so I’d be drunk
and wrecked for 3 days
and at some point took
a beating,
so no comparison with
Christ; one difference
is I guess that Christ
was greeted, praised
and celebrated upon his
return but my wife was
angry and hurt with me
for disappearing for
3 days, not knowing
whether I was alive
or dead, but I remember
her sweet tasting tears
and her love that
nailed me forever
as many cried
for my blood.
Noli me tangere, Pomposa Abbey, Codigoro, Italia -- Vitale da Bologna
The 2nd-century Gnostic text "The Gospel of Philip" referred to Jesus and Mary Magdalene as "the one who was called his companion" and went on to say he "loved her more than all the disciples, and used to kiss her often on her ____" (usually regarded as "mouth"). This was the beginning of a tradition that they were married. In 2012 Karen Leigh King, Harvard University's Hollis Professor of Divinity (the oldest American endowed chair), introduced a fragmentary 4th-century Coptic translation of what may have been a 2nd-century Greek text: "The disciples said to Jesus, ... deny. Mary is (not?) worthy of it.... Jesus said to them, "My wife... she is able to be my disciple... Let wicked people swell up... As for me, I am with her in order to ... an image... " When Mary recognized Jesus after his resurrection he told her "me mou haptou" (according to the Koine Greek that the "Gospel of John" was written in) which was translated into Latin as "noli me tangere." According to the English Standard Version this translates as "Do not cling to me." The phrase has been used as the title of many artworks depicting the moment.
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