“Do not the prophets sometimes use language equally strong about the Christ?” asked Cimon deferentially.
“For example,” said Aleph: “His name shall be called Wonderful, counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father.”
“Such passages, I believe, have always been understood by many among us as declaring that the Christ will not be a mere man, but will have something of a Divine quality about him,” said Alexander reflectively.
“Perhaps, then,” added Cimon, “it is not so much the magnificence of the claims of Jesus that has led the fathers at Jerusalem to view him as a blasphemer, but rather the striking contrast between such claims and the humble appearance and circumstances of him who makes them, and which have already led them to decide against him. Of course, if he is not the Christ, such lofty pretensions are blasphemous—not otherwise.”
“But it appears to me,” said another elder, Ben Abner, whose dress was specially showy, phylacteries specially many, and air specially haughty, “that the humble condition of the man is itself decisive against him. Our wise men, for generations, have understood from the Scriptures that the Messiah would appear in great splendor as a conqueror and king. For my part I expect no other Messiah, want no other, will have no other. I hope they of Jerusalem will away with the impostor.” He spoke with flashing eyes.
“So I think,” said half a dozen voices with emphasis and gesture.
“Possibly the friends of Jesus would say,” returned Simeon coolly, “that great endings sometimes have small beginnings, and that there is time enough yet for the outward splendor. Indeed, I happen to know that this is what some of his friends do say. But others claim, and I must confess that this is what Jesus himself seems to teach, that the prophets have been misunderstood; that the kingdom and the glory and the conquests of which they speak are spiritual and so perfectly consistent with a lowly and even suffering Messiah. And for evidence they appeal to the prophecies of Isaiah, and other Scriptures. Perhaps our friend Philo, who believes so thoroughly in the allegoric and spiritual meanings of our Sacred Books, will not blame this interpretation as severely as some do.”
Philo smiled at this, and said that he never intended to spiritualize away the Scriptures. It would be very hard for him to give up the brilliant hopes that had so long been entertained as to the times of the Messiah and what he would do for his Israel.
“I should not have so much difficulty,” said Alexander, “with the present humble condition of Jesus, and the spiritual character of his claims, as with the apparent fact that he was not born in Bethlehem and is not a son of David—as the Messiah must be.”
“That has been my great difficulty,” said Simeon. “It is everywhere claimed in Judea that Jesus is a Galilean, a Nazarene, and of parentage so humble that he is on that account in disfavor with even the people of Nazareth.”