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[Note: This is one of a series listed under the heading: Wordie Post." It was originally posted on the Word Press blog entitled "Our Daily Bread," found at rtippett97@wordpress.com. The changes at Word Press are similar to those on Twitter and Facebook, where I was posting to an empty space. That was because I began and maintained that blog as one of their free offerings. When their force to change to a paid blog website did not move me, they cancelled their "Reader," so posting on Word Press has become like a caged animal at the zoo, where only workers occasionally toss the animals a bite to eat. Word Press [et al] is like what I imagine life was like in the satellite countries of the Soviet Union: meager, bleak, spiritless. So, I am transferring those forty articles here.]
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I watched one of the countless programs on television that have found it profitable to snag viewers by talking about the knights Templar. It is ridiculous how many people get paid to sit in a chair in his or her office and repeat the same ole same ole. Anyone old enough to buy any of the things advertised in the commercial breaks knows who the knights Templar are.
Of course this program was using Templar bait to catch viewers who love to watch programing about lost riches, especially those made of gold. So, there was a lot of talk about the Holy Grail.
“Oooooohhhh. The Holy Grail. I want to see that.” viewers purr.
The host of the show asked the question, “Could there really be a chalice that Jesus took his last drink from?” [or something like that.]
A hint that answers the host’s question can be found in three of the Gospels.
Matthew wrote: “Then [Jesus] took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to [those present], saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”” (Matthew 26:27-29)
Mark put it this way: “Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”” (Mark 14:23-25)
That says Jesus did not drink from a “chalice.”
The root Greek word written by both Matthew Mark is “potérion,” which means: “a wine cup” (Strong’s Definition), but implies “a drinking cup, the contents of the cup.” Luke (the writer of Mother Mary’s story) used the same Greek word as the other two, while adding a new slant – there were two cups handled by Jesus.
Luke wrote this: “Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”” (Luke 22:17-18) Then, Luke added this later: “And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” (Luke 22:20)
Now, most Christians these days know nothing about the ritual Seder meals recognized each Passover (there are two each year – 14 Nisan and 15 Nisan, which actually becomes 15 Nisan and 16 Nisan after 6:00 PM). In the ritual there is a breaking of the matzo, which is then hidden, for the children present to find – like an Easter egg hunt. Then, at the symbolic dinner, four cups of wine are served. Each cup of wine has a specific symbolic meaning (look it up). The point of the after dinner is for everyone to get drunk on wine, staying up until they pass out drunk. EVERYONE GETS HIS OR HER OWN CUP TO DRINK FROM!
Add to that, the “last supper” was in a room that was basically ‘rented,’ as it was on loan for Jesus and his family (the disciples and their families were part of that gathering), so it is highly unlikely that the tables and pillows were set up, along with plates and cups, lugged from Bethany to the Essene Quarter of Jerusalem. Any cups used would have been the property of the owner; so, taking one of the cups as a ‘souvenir’ would have been theft. If anyone took a cup, it would have been Judas Iscariot, when he left the Seder early.
Another thing: According to the book The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail (1982), the authors pointed out the Arthurian word to discern is “sangrael,” which some break apart as “san grael” – “holy grail” – and some break apart as “sang rael” – “blood royal.” A ‘follow-up’ book to this – The Templar Revelation: Secret Guardians of the True Identity of Christ (1997) – points out a theory the Templars found something relative to John the Baptist (his head?) and the bloodline of the “Black Madonna,” who is venerated throughout southern France. This leans one to see “sangrael” not as holy grail, but royal blood.
This brings up the debate over the shroud of Turin, which was that left folded in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Since the tomb was owned by Joseph and he was one who prepared Jesus’ body for burial, he would have been the rightful owner of any shroud left behind, after having wrapped the corpse of Jesus. Joseph also ended up in southern France, along with several other relatives of Jesus, one of whom was named Sarah, who was dark-skinned (the Black Madonna). It could be possible Joseph took the shroud with him; or, he gave it to someone else to keep for him. But, the point here is a shroud has been found! It is not something that demands experts get paid a dollar talking about how much they know about the knights Templar.
Because it is an Arthurian legend, written as “sangrael,” it might be best to also view this series of scenes from the movie Excalibur, when Sir Percival had a ‘religious experience’ and saved the day for Camelot. Of course, this is 1981 movie make-believe, but the broad stroke view is to listen to the conversation between Percival and the King.
Even though they show a large golden chalice as being given to Percival from that experience, it all must be seen as metaphor. The ‘golden chalice’ – that which was lost – is the Holy Spirit (or the Spirit of Yahweh – the King – which makes one become Holy – a Saint or Knight of the Round Table). The meaning of “you (the king) and the land are one” is this:
The Spirit of Yahweh within the flesh and soul of a human being makes that person a Saint; and, a Saint is the resurrection of Jesus – the Son of Yahweh. One becomes “blood royal” when one drinks from the outpouring of Spirit from Yahweh, so one becomes the truth of Scripture: Jesus returns into flesh “that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” That kingdom is one’s soul-flesh, when one is reborn as Jesus, a Christ of Yahweh.