In Matthew 13, Jesus speaks to a crowd in parables. After opening with the Parable of the Sower, He continues with three more parables that kind of flow together, each beginning with, "The kingdom of heaven is like..." and going on to describe something unexpected.
Weeds Among Wheat
This parable compares the kingdom to a man who sows healthy wheat in his field, but before it grows, an enemy sneaks in and sows weeds among the wheat. The man decides to let the plants grow together until harvest, at which point his reapers collect everything, sorting the wheat into his barn and the weeds into a fire.
Mustard Seed
This parable compares the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed, colloquially known to the people around Jesus as pretty much the teensiest little thing ever. The mustard plant is a somewhat invasive shrub, and not very grand, but Jesus describes this tiny seed being intentionally sown, then turning into a giant plant so big that birds can nest in it.
Hidden YeastThis parable compares the kingdom of heaven to some yeast (fungus that eats sugar to release gas and expand dough) that a woman hides in an enormous measure of wheat flour to make bread. Yeast is technically an unclean ingredient to Jews, but Jesus describes this yeast causing the dough to rise as a positive. It yields a crazy amount of bread.
Altogether, these stories paint a strange picture. Jesus says these scenarios are each like the kingdom of heaven, and we're left with images of unclean or undesirable things mixed in with the good until the end of the age when everything is sorted out, along with images of small and unassuming things invading the world around them, expanding, and taking over, providing fruit or life or shelter or food by spreading out generously.
In this cartoon, each of Jesus's three parables (from Matthew 13:24-35) is summarized into an absurd one-sentence blurb that is technically accurate but a little more jarring than the wording we're used to. Some of us long-time Christians grew up with these parables, so their intended oddness can be lost on us. Hopefully this helps communicate how bizarre some of the imagery would've been to a listener back then. Anywho, a guy in the crowd notices Jesus's odd metaphors and complains, then talks himself into a theological awakening, then talks himself out of that awakening because it makes him uncomfortable. We all do be that guy sometimes, ahaintgonlieboutdatmaynsheeeewt.
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In this Bible story (Matthew 13), a crowd gathers to hear Jesus teach, so He tells them a bunch of parables about the Good News and the Kingdom of God. He says He's teaching in parables because their hidden meanings will reveal themselves to those who are ready to hear, but conceal themselves from those who are not. In the first parable He tells, a sower (someone who plants seed) is sowing seed in fertile soil, but he's tossing seed so generously that some also lands on ground that's not ideal for planting -- places where it'll be eaten by birds, or unable to grow deep roots, or choked by thorns. When Jesus explains the parable later, He says the seed represents the Word of the Kingdom of God; the fertile soil represents souls ready to hear it, take it in, and put it into practice; and the other soils represent souls who are in some way deficient in their reception or dedication to the Word.
In this cartoon, Jesus tells the parable, which is somewhat summarized for the sake of flow. A man in the crowd listens and is confused by the sower's over-abundant sowing because, despite the fact that some of the seed lands on fertile soil, he's also wasting some on soil that won't properly receive it. Of course, with the knowledge of the meaning BEHIND the parable, we realize that the man is, without realizing, critiquing the real sower (Jesus) for wasting seed (the Word of the Kingdom through His teachings) on soil that won't properly receive it (the man, himself). It's terribly ironic, and that makes it funny. Do not question me.
In this Bible passage (Matthew 11:28-30), Jesus shares a gentle invitation to any weary followers, telling them to take His yoke upon them, for His burden is light. A yoke is a wooden frame used to link two draft animals and attach them to equipment so they can pull it with their combined effort. By inviting us to share His yoke, Jesus is inviting us to link our effort, our suffering, and our desire to His, and since His wisdom, power, and glory are infinite, the burden is light for anyone who truly joins Him.
In this cartoon, Jesus starts with His Biblical line about burdens and yokes, but when He says, "My yoke is easy," He adds that one might even say "over easy." "Over easy" describes a style of cooking eggs where the egg is cooked on both sides so the whites are fried but the ████ (the yellow core of the egg) remains soft, unbroken, and runny at the center. Naturally, because "yoke" and "████" are homophones (words that sound the same, regardless of spelling), in the second panel, Jesus continues by saying, "██████████████████!" which is a play on words because, again, "yoke" and "████" sound the same. I'll be honest and say it's probably one of my best puns to date, and with the eye-catching composition, dynamic poses, and perfect expressions in the second panel, I anticipate a lot of people using that panel specifically as a reaction image or a meme template. Viral internet fame, here I come! Because that's what Tomics has always been about. FAME!
The comic ends with two more egg-related puns. Peter says Jesus's egg jokes really "crack" him up. This is an idiom that means they make him laugh, but also, people often "crack" eggs open to cook the goop inside without the shell. Jesus agrees that His jokes can't be "beat." This could mean they can't be defeated, but also, one way to make eggs is to "beat" them, as in "mix them a lot." Neither of the final panel's jokes are perfect puns -- just plays on the egg theme running through the comic -- but they're really only there to support my magnum opus of puns in the second panel.
In this Gospel story (Matthew 10:40-42), Jesus mentions how blessed people will be if they meet His disciples with hospitality instead of persecution. He says that those who receive a godly person into their home because they're godly will receive a godly reward, and even someone who gives just a cup of cold water to one of His disciples will not lose their reward.
In this cartoon, Jesus finishes His "cup of water" quote, which the brothers, James and John, take interest in. Later, the brothers (who Jesus called, "the sons of thunder"), find themselves in a pub to refresh themselves with cool drinks. When they find out the drinks are only lukewarm, they share a knowing smirk. Jesus said someone who gives them a cold drink would be blessed, which (in the cartoon) the thunderboys mistakenly take to mean that someone who gives them NOT-cold water will be DAMNED TO HELL. They request Jesus fulfill this decree when the lady fails to cool their water, and Jesus declines, since that's not actually what He was implying... just to be clear.
When asked about ice, the old lady who owns the pub mentions that the ice machine is broken. This is a subtle nod to the fact that Scotsman ice machines are notorious for constant parts failures and bad warranties. The company, Scotsman, derives its name from Scotothy Sman, a Scotsman of little note who was cursed by witches after deserting his military in the harsh winter of 1461, during a critical operation in the Mexican-Scottish War. Because of his desertion, his whole country froze to death. Some say the failure of the Scotsman ice machines is due to the witches' curse, and that all the cold that SHOULD be making ice in the Scotsman machines is actually being channeled back to their namesake, Scotothy, instead. Legends say Scotothy Sman still roams the world, forever to be haunted by the icy chill of a million broken ice machines, forever to wander and freeze just as his forsaken countrymen did.
In this Bible story (Matthew 10), Jesus has commissioned the apostles to go out and preach without fearing the persecution they'll face, because God will be with them always. He tells them, "Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge. [...] So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." He's telling them that, if God's attention is always on even on the smallest of creatures, He will certainly always be with humans, who are made in His image and much more valuable than sparrows.
In this cartoon, a little sparrow falls to the ground, like in the first half Jesus's "sparrow" quote (Matthew 10:29a). The sparrow quickly recovers and is thankful that nobody saw him trip in such an embarrassing way, but then he feels the attention of God looking down at him, like in the second half of Jesus's "sparrow" quote (Matthew 10:29b). This is funny because the sparrow had JUST expressed relief that no one saw him trip, but immediately after expressing that relief, he is made aware that GOD saw him trip, completely undermining his relief. This is considered hilarious in 2037 countries and country-adjacent entities.
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In this Bible story (Matthew 10), Jesus gives the twelve apostles the authority to cure diseases and cast out evil spirits, then tells them to go out and preach to the lost tribes of Israel. However, He also warns them that they will be persecuted in their journeys, though He tells them not to be afraid of any earthly powers. Earthly powers can only kill the body, not the soul. And if they lose their bodies in the service of God, He will secure them in eternity.
In this cartoon, Jesus shares the sentiment of "earthly powers may kill the body but not the soul," by telling Peter, "THEY CANNOT KILL YOU IN A WAY THAT MATTERS." This specific phrasing is a reference to a few internet memes (not related to the Bible) and is a hardcore way to express that something might kill you in one way (like destroying your body) but not in a deeper, more important way (like obliterating your very soul). The hardcore nature of the quote implies that the person saying it doesn't mind dying bodily because they're assured they will persist in some other way. This fits Jesus's assurance in Matthew 10:28, though it does little to comfort the apostles in the cartoon, who DO care about dying bodily, because they're just normal men. They're just innocent men.
The three synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), each have a part where they list Jesus's twelve closest disciples, also known as the apostles. The lists are mostly the same, though the order and names vary slightly. Lets look at them!
Matthew 10:2-4
"The names of the twelve apostles are these: Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him."
Mark 3:16-19
"[He appointed the twelve:] Simon, whom he named Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him."
Luke 6:13-15
"When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor."
Here's some things to note in the Biblical lists:
Simon-Peter is always first, and his new name, Peter, is always included. Meanwhile, Judas Iscariot is always last, and he's always specified as the one who would betray Jesus. Spoilers!
For Peter's father's name, I looked to Matthew 16:17, where Jesus calls him "Simon son of Jonah" or "Simon bar Jonah" ("bar" is just the Aramaic way of saying "son of").
Matthew and Luke list Andrew next to his brother Peter, but Mark lists Peter, John, and James first before listing Andrew, because the trio of Peter, James, and John is given special attention by Jesus.
James is called the son of Zebedee, and together with his brother John, Jesus calls them "Boanerges," or "Sons of Thunder," probably because of their boldness and zeal... or maybe just because they asked to nuke a Samaritan town (Luke 9:51-55).
Philip and Bartholomew are always listed together, because they seem to know each other before Jesus calls them, and Philip was the one who recognized Jesus was special and brought Bartholomew to Him.
Bartholomew shows up in the synoptic Gospels, but not in the Gospel of John. However, John mentions an apostle named Nathanael who doesn't show up in the synoptics. To reconcile this, scholars deduced that Nathanael must be another name for Bartholomew. This makes even more sense if you know about "bar" being an Aramaic name-prefix that means "son of." Suddenly, any name that starts with "bar" becomes a patronym (a name derived from the given name of one's father) rather than one's own given name. "Bartholomew" probably derives from "bar Tolmai" ("son of Tolmai") and so this apostle's name was probably "Nathanael bar Tolmai," but everyone called him "Bar-Tolmai," which became "Bartholomew."
"Thomas" and "Didymus" are the same name. Thomas comes from the Aramaic or Hebrew word for "twin," and Didymus comes from the Greek word for "twin." Because John's Gospel mentions both names, I mentioned them here.
In Matthew's Gospel, Matthew recounts how he was once a tax collector, but left his post after being called by Jesus (Matthew 9:9-13). In Mark and Luke's Gospels, the same story appears, but the tax collector is called "Levi" (Luke 5:27-32) or "Levi son of Alphaeus" (Mark 2:13-17). I skipped the Alphaeus part in this because it was too wordy, and might accidentally make people think he's the son of the same Alphaeus as James. I don't personally think they were actually blood-brothers, but it's possible!
Speaking of which, among the apostles who are explicitly related to each other, we have the brothers Peter and Andrew and the brothers James and John. Other apostles may be related to each other, and while many headcanons rage loudly in isolated corners of the Christian fandom, such speculations aren't super important for faith, history, typology, or fun. For example, I really like the case for Other James (son of Alphaeus) and Other Judas (Thaddeus) being related to each other, along with maybe Other Simon (the Zealot), but I wouldn't hold anyone to it.
On that note, Judas Thaddeus (also known as Jude or Judah) is called "Judas of James" in Luke's Gospel. Some translations say "son of James" and some say "brother of James," but the original is just something like "of James," which is very vague. What was his relationship to James? WHICH James are we even talking about? These questions are the gray area where headcanons fester and thrive.
Simon the Zealot is also called "Simon the Cananean." Some sources think "Cananean" is equal to "Canaanite" (or "from Cana"). Others think "Cananean" derives from the Aramaic word for the rebellious Jewish political movement called the "Zealots," which didn't necessarily have to do with the location called Cana. I skipped calling him "from Cana" in this cartoon because of this confusion, and simply called him "Simon the Zealot" for now. Here's a Wikipedia section on this: Simon the Zealot: Identity.
And then of course we have Judas, who's mentioned last in all three synoptic Gospels' cast lists, and who's always specified as the one who would betray Jesus. I swear, you betray your beloved teacher Who happens to be God incarnate and directly lead to His death ONE TIME and you NEVER hear the end of it!
In this cartoon, I basically just illustrate the list of the Twelve, combining the multiple synoptic accounts into one big cast list, except that, unlike in the Bible, the ending narration of Judas's betrayal is heard by the characters. They aren't supposed to hear it, of course, but it was funny to imagine Simon hearing that Judas would betray Jesus and preparing to react accordingly. Landing on a joke after such a technical comic is always nice, as it helps to soften the forced education. I did a lot of reading on this to make sure my list was as informative and accurate as it could be without leaning into any controversial or unhelpful interpretations. I certainly learned a lot while drawing it, and I hope you learned something while reading it! If I learn anything new after this point, maybe this comic will get a Tomics Resurrection when the cast list shows up in the reading schedule again.
The Bread of Life Discourse
In John 6, a big crowd has gathered around Jesus and, being fed by His miracle of multiplying the bread and fish, they seek more signs... and more food. They suggest Jesus perform another sign, like calling down bread from heaven like Moses did for their ancestors in the desert. Jesus reminds them that the desert bread wasn't Moses's doing, but God's, and the bread God sends from heaven now is the true bread of life, which will satisfy men forever and give them eternal life. He calls Himself the true bread and says that those who eat His flesh and drink His blood will live forever. This is called the Bread of Life Discourse.
Try reading the full Bread of Life Discourse for yourself, or even the whole of John Chapter 6. It's got a bunch of Jesus's biggest hits, like multiplying food and walking on water!- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Phago vs TrogoIn John 6, verse 51, when Jesus tells the crowd that they must EAT His flesh to have eternal life, the original Greek translation uses the word PHAGO, which is a general term for eating or consuming food. In response, the Jews are rightfully confused and scandalized and argue with each other. "How can He give us His flesh to eat?" At this, Jesus doubles down and continues insisting they must EAT His flesh, and from verse 54 on, the Greek translation uses the word TROGO, which is a more visceral word that describes gnashing, crunching, chewing, or gnawing. It's a much more deliberate and physically evocative word. Very graphic. Very uncomfortable. With this, the crowd disperses, unable to accept this teaching. Even when left alone with His twelve apostles, He doesn't walk it back. He simply asks them if they want to leave Him too. Peter solemnly replies, "Master, who else could we go to? You have the words of eternal life." This strange teaching ends up planting important seeds, and combined with typological details from the Last Supper and the Crucifixion, it would develop into the Christian belief in the True Presence: the belief that Jesus is in some way made fully present in the bread of the Eucharist, and that by physically sharing in that bread, we share in His divine life.
For more on the Catholic perspective on the Bread of Life Discourse, see Catholic.com's article: The Real Presence, Part Two.
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The Cartoon
In this cartoon, Jesus delivers His canon line about eating His flesh, and the Jews around Him argue. One man wonders, "Is He really saying to eat His flesh?" A second man (Philip, for the eagle-eyed) gives a half-hearted, "Yes?" because he's not entirely sure yet himself. A third man gives a confident, "Naw!" as in, "No, He can't possibly be saying that!" Jesus hears them and responds by repeating Philip's "yes" but as a declaration instead of a question. Then He repeats the other man's "naw," but instead of "naw," which means "no," He says "gnaw," which sounds the same but means "to break down by chewing." So "Yes? Naw!" becomes "Yes. GNAW." His use of the word "gnaw" is a nod to His use of the Greek word TROGO, and His frightening face is a nod to how little His response comforts His listeners in the actual story.
In Christianity, we say we have one God revealed in three Persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. They are distinct in their relationship to each other: the Father generates, the Son is begotten, and the Holy Spirit proceeds. Yet They all fully embody the same divine nature and will. The Trinity is the central mystery of Christianity, which proclaims that Jesus is fully God and fully man and came to marry our human nature to His divine one, inviting us into the eternal reality of God through mutual love.
In this cartoon, a child articulates the Trinity according to her limited understanding by relating each divine Person to one of the priests in her local parish. She thinks of God as an old man, as depicted in art like "The Creation of Adam" by Michelangelo, and compares Him to the oldest priest. She thinks of Jesus as a kindly teacher, as depicted in many child-focused Bible studies, and relates Him to her favorite priest. And since education about the role and power of the Holy Spirit is often lacking or puts less focus on Him than on the creator Father or savior Son, she thinks of the Holy Spirit as a tiny and unimpressive dove, and compares Him to the youngest and least impressive priest, saying he's "small and doesn't do a lot." The young priest is shocked at this harsh assessment. Meanwhile, in Heaven, the Holy Spirit is similarly mortified by the naive critique, which almost causes Jesus to fall over laughing.
John 14:15-18 takes place during John's version of the Last Supper, where a bunch of Jesus's teachings are rolled into one big dinner discourse. It's where Jesus promises that, once He's gone, He'll send a paraclete (a Greek word meaning "called alongside," like a helper, advocate, or counselor) to stay with and guide the new Church. As Christians, we know this paraclete to be none other than the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Holy Trinity.
In the Book of Acts, we see the Holy Spirit come to the disciples about 50 days after Jesus's resurrection, and about 10 days after His ascension to heaven, on the feast of Pentecost. In Acts 2:1-4, He enters the house where the twelve apostles and other disciples dwell, first as a howling wind, then as tongues of fire reaching out and granting the faithful the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Animated by the Spirit, the disciples all go out and preach, each being understood by everyone they speak to, even those who speak different dialects and languages. It's like their union with God is beginning to heal the disunity of ancient Babel.
In this cartoon, the Holy Spirit politely knocks on the door before entering. Peter notes that Whoever's at the door must be the paraclete Jesus promised to send. John admits to Peter that he originally misheard the word "paraclete" and thought Jesus was sending them a "pair o' cleats," which sounds similar. In the English-speaking United States of America circa 2003 (and culturally adjacent eras and areas), the word "cleats" was generally used to mean "sports shoes equipped with pointed grips" (even though the word "cleats" technically refers to the pointed grips themselves). This is quite a humorous twist of circumstances, for Peter and John do not live in an era NOR in and area that is culturally adjacent to the English-speaking United States of America circa 2003, so they would never use the term "cleats" to describe sports shoes, at least not the brands we're familiar with today.
Anyway, since Jesus obviously said He'd send the disciples a paraclete (the Holy Spirit), and not a pair of cleats (spiked sports shoes), Peter and John smile at the absurdity of John's misunderstanding until Peter opens the door and sees the Holy Spirit in his dove form standing outside in a fancy pair of cleats. This is funny because birds don't normally wear cleats when knocking on doors, meaning He probably had to put them on very quickly after knocking.
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The Great Commission
This Bible story is from the very end of Matthew's Gospel. Jesus has risen from the dead and has asked His disciples to meet him on a mountain in their homeland of Galilee. There, He gives them what's known as the Great Commission: the mission to go out into the world, teach God's commandments, make disciples of all nations, and baptize all people in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
I Am With You Always
Jesus ends the Great Commission by promising to be with the disciples always. This may seem a little ironic, because we're told in the Book of Acts that Jesus ascends to heaven shortly after making this promise. Of course, while Jesus leaves them in a certain sense, He also sends His Holy Spirit to guide them to all truth (as He promised in John 16:7-13), remains with them in the Eucharist, and dwells in the hearts of all the faithful on earth.
Until the End of the Age
"And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." In this verse (Matthew 28:19-20), Jesus is saying He'll remain with His disciples until this era has come to a close. In this cartoon, I pull from a different translation of this verse. Some older English translations, like the King James Version, say, "...until the end of the WORLD." The word "world" actually comes from Old English and used to mean something like "age of man," but nowadays we use "world" to mean the physical earth. So, in modern English, the verse is simply translated to "age," because that conveys Jesus's focus on the end of a certain era rather than implying the destruction of the planet. That being said, the end of the age is assumed by many to come at the end of humankind, and isn't that kind of the end of the world anyway? For this cartoon, I wrote "THIS world," which I think still implies the passing of a certain state of things while also allowing clarity for the joke, which reads better if "world" is used.
The Joke
In this cartoon, Jesus delivers His line about being with the disciples "until the end of this world." Peter assumes "until" means that Jesus will leave them at the end of the world, and asks who will take His place and remain with the disciples AFTER the end of the world. Jesus clarifies to Peter that everyone will be dead, by which He means the faithful will have passed on to the next world, where they'll be fully united to Jesus in heaven forever. Peter, however, takes it to mean that everyone will be gone from this world except for him, so he thinks he'll be all alone in the empty, ended world with no friends and no Jesus. Jesus clarifies that Peter will ALSO be dead (i.e. passed on) just like everyone else. This is a source of comfort to Peter, and of hilarity to all good-natured viewers, like you.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Look at you, alone at the end of these words. Could it be that you recognize that this was a "Tomics Resurrection," where I go out, take an old comic of mine, and baptize it in my updated style? The original is from 2017 (9 years ago!), but behold, now it will be with us always, even to the end of the age (of my current style, when I'll have to redraw it again)!
In this Bible story, Jesus is giving the disciples a sense of assurance before His passion and death. He explains He'll be leaving them soon, but once He's gone, He'll send them a paraclete (or an advocate) to guide them to the truth until He returns. This paraclete is understood to be the Holy Spirit, Who comes to the disciples as tongues of fire after Jesus's ascension to heaven.
Jesus's line in the first panel of this cartoon is a direct quote from John 14:20. The exact wording of the quote sounds a little like a paradox, since He says, "You are in me and I am in you," but Jesus is saying that the disciples will remain in His Body, the Church, and He will remain in the disciples' hearts in spirit.
In this cartoon, Peter's reaction to Jesus's apparent paradox is a full-on mental breakdown as he imagines him being within Jesus while Jesus is within him while he is within Jesus and so on and so on into maddening infinity. This is, mathematically, very funny and simply the cleverest.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
This is yet another "Tomics Resurrection," where I take an old cartoon and make it new. The old version is from about 9 years ago -- crazy! -- but while the character designs and colors in the new version have been updated to match my evolved style, the writing and pacing of the comic have remained substantially the same. So you realize that the old is in the same script and the new is in the old and the old is in the new.
JOKE-OGRAPHY:
This cartoon references a lot of verses, so here's an explanation for them all:
Matthew 1:18-24 is about the Annunciation (Gabriel announcing to Mary that she will bear the Son of God). This takes place "when Mary and Joseph were betrothed but before they came together." In this context, the word "betrothed" is being used for the stage of ancient Jewish marriage where the bride and groom had entered into the marriage contract but did not yet live together. So Mary and Joseph are legally a couple, but Joseph doesn't take her into his home until the end of this section after the angel reassures him in a dream. The taking of the bride into the groom's newly built home was the final stage of the marriage.
Matthew 22:1-2 is the beginning of one of Jesus's parables where He likens the Kingdom of Heaven to a king preparing a wedding feast for his son. The Bible is just lousy with wedding imagery when it comes to God's relationship with mankind; or rather, marriage is lousy with imagery pointing to the ultimate destiny of humanity to unite entirely with God in life-giving, self-giving love.
Matthew 26:26-28 is where Jesus lifts the bread and wine at the last supper and declares them His Body and Blood of the covenant. Jesus's cup is the cup that all other cups and covenants reflect all throughout the Bible. THIS is the big one, where God pledges Himself once again to mankind, IN THE FLESH!
John 13:33 and 14:1-3 are where Jesus talks about leaving the disciples for a time, then assures them that He's going to prepare a dwelling for them in His Father's house. He adds that, once He's done, He'll come back for them, to take them to Himself. In light of the other verses compressed into this fun little amateur Bible study, we can see Jesus is once again using very wedding-coded imagery to speak about heaven and the anticipated union with the Divine.
Thanks for reading! As a reward -- and because I can't post something without a joke (per MY covenant with my patron, St. Lawrence) -- here's a classic: "What do you get when you eat all the potatoes?"
This Bible story occurs just after Jesus heals the man born blind (John 9). If you'll recall, Jesus healed the man on the sabbath, and while the Pharisees bickered about what this might mean, the healed man recognized Jesus was the Lord and worshiped Him. After this miracle, Jesus teaches the public, and some Pharisees are among them, listening and taking offense to His words. Now, in John 10, Jesus uses a metaphor, saying that those who enter a sheepfold (a safe enclosure for a flock of sheep to spend the night) by climbing the wall are thieves and robbers, and the sheep do not recognize their voices, but the true shepherd of the sheep comes through the sheepfold's gate, and his sheep recognize him and come in and out to pasture and thrive. Jesus identifies Himself both as the gate and the "good shepherd." By extension, we see that the healed man -- who recognized Him as Lord -- is one of His flock.
In this cartoon, we focus on Jesus's line about being the gate. Reading this passage is a priest, Fr. Mark, practicing for his homily. He concludes that Jesus identifying Himself as a gate is why we call worship of Him "a-DOOR-ation." Now, "adoration" can be used as a synonym for "worship," and a gate is a kind of door, so Fr. Mark says "a-DOOR-ation" to fuse the two concepts together like some kind of chimeric abomination. His fellow priest, Fr. Books, wonders if he ought to do the homily instead, to spare their flock of this awful wordplay.
In this Bible story (Luke 24), Jesus has risen from the dead and is appearing to various disciples. Two of these disciples (one named Cleopas, and another unnamed) are leaving Jerusalem on the road to a town called Emmaus, still sad about Jesus's death. Suddenly, He appears beside them and asks what they're discussing. They -- being supernaturally unaware that this is, in fact, Jesus -- wonder how this guy could've missed the news of the huge execution in the city, and explain it to Him. Jesus then travels with them for a ways, but they only realize it's Him when He breaks bread over dinner and disappears.
It's worth noting throughout the Gospels that sometimes, when people see the resurrected Jesus, they know Him right away, and other times, they mistake Him for a gardener or a random traveler. Jesus going around pranking folks with His resurrection powers is canon. Make of that what God wills.
In this cartoon, Jesus appears to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and, instead of them being supernaturally unable to recognize Him, He simply puts on a set of goofy glasses. Maybe there's still some supernatural stuff going on, though, because I've depicted Him in His full glory with a halo over His head and a glow around His body, adding to the whimsy of the disciples not recognizing Him right away.
The flow of the cartoon essentially matches the marked verses (Luke 24:13-21). However, when the disciples are surprised by Jesus's apparent lack of knowledge about the recent crucifixion, the woman asks, "Where've you been? Under a rock?" This is an idiom that implies the person would have to have been buried underground in order not to have heard some widespread news. Jesus's reply -- "So what if I was?" -- is based on the fact that He actually WAS buried during the last couple days, laid in a tomb with a large stone over the entrance. So, by technicality, yes, He was under (or buried behind) a rock.
The exact identity of the two disciples in this story is not too important, but it's an interesting place where different interpretations open different dimensions of meaning. In this version, I depicted the two disciples as a married couple who share a resemblance with two other characters in my comics, because where one couple walked with God until their eyes were opened to their sin over shared food (Gen 3:6-7), this couple also walks with God until their eyes are opened to their salvation at the breaking of bread (Luke 24:30-31). This interpretation is borrowed from Dr. Tim Gray and Jeff Cavins (authors of Walking with God: A Journey Through the Bible). Again, it's only an interpretation, so take it or leave it. I thought it was cute.
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In this Bible story (John 20), Jesus has just risen from the dead, but the disciples don't realize it yet. They're still afraid that the Jewish leaders and the Judeans who had Jesus crucified might also come after His followers. So they hide and lock their doors.
In this cartoon, the disciples hide from the Jews (as we read in John 20:19) and Peter locks the door, sighing with relief that no Jews can find them now. Sometimes, when John writes about the Jews, the word he's using is actually referring specifically to the Jews of Judea as opposed to Jews in general or, say, the Jews of Galilee, where most (if not all) of the apostles were from. In this cartoon, I still translate it as "Jews" and not "Judeans" because in order for the joke to work, the term has to encompass the apostles as well. Anyway, after Peter locks the door and sighs that no Jews can get them, John points out that the apostles are also Jews. Peter panics and leaves the room to hide from the apostles. As he locks the door from the other side, John reminds Peter that he's also a Jew, and so his attempts to avoid ALL Jews can never succeed. This is (structurally speaking) quite whimsical and, dare I say, even a mite silly.
In this Bible story (Matthew 28), Jesus has been crucified on Friday. Because Jews can't do work (including burying the dead) on the Sabbath (which is Saturday, but technically starts at sunset on Friday), when Jesus dies, He's hastily taken down from the cross and laid in a new tomb just before sunset. The Jewish priests also convince the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, to place a guard in front of the tomb to make sure Jesus's followers don't steal His body and claim He rose from the dead, as He prophesied that He would. After the Sabbath, some women come to Jesus's tomb to mourn Him and perform a belated anointing, as per Jewish funeral custom. However, when they arrive, an angel appears like lightning, frightens the guards so bad that they faint, and rolls back the stone that covers the tomb's entrance. Inside, Jesus is gone. The angel tells the women to go and tell Jesus's disciples that He's risen and will meet them all up north in Galilee.
In this cartoon, Mary Magdalene and another Mary (probably the wife of Clopas and mother of James the Less) show up at the tomb. As in the story, an angel then appears to roll back the stone, reassure the women, and terrify the guards. However, instead of his mighty appearance frightening the guards in itself, the angel in the cartoon makes a joke, pretending that he's going to kill the guards as a magical sacrifice to awaken Jesus from the dead. The guards, already frightened, faint in a fit of terror before the angel reveals he was joking.
I've been informed by some great artists and adamant articles that ethnically Roman guards were a rarity in Judea in Jesus's day. Instead, most Roman soldiers there would be auxiliaries -- non-Romans from Roman-conquered areas who would pledge themselves to Rome's military to earn Roman citizenship. It's likely that the auxiliaries in Judea were a Samaritan or maybe a Syrian cohort. They also wouldn't have worn the classic segmented steel armor that I love drawing, but would instead (most likely) wear chainmail. Things can never be easy, can they?
