… "And the government shall be upon his shoulders"
As I was getting up this morning, the local classical station was playing Handel's Messiah and that familiar phrase above is oft repeated, as I am sure you are well aware. It has always struck me as quite strange. I am hoping some of our musicological members can help me understand the meaning and intent of Handel giving that phrase such a prominent place in the work. Certainly, it seems to run counter to Christ's own teaching that we should "render under Caesar, the things that are Caesar's, and to God, the things that are God's".
I am aware that our modern American notion of separation of church and state was not the case in the Europe of Handel's time. Also that the medieval church had maneuvered itself into the rather convenient arrangement with earthly Kings that their right to rule proceeded from God. Which was known as the divine right of kings. This fortuitous arrangement put the church officials in the position of validating earthly power as the manifestation of God's will. But all of that still doesn't quite square with the mantra, "and the government shall be upon his shoulders".
From everything I have ever learned Christ did not give a fig for earthly power. Is this as big a contradiction as it appears? Is Handel's Messiah a propaganda piece?
A simple article from a technological magazine about Christ historical more than probable fact here : https://bigthink.com/thinking/was-jesus-real/ and men of the past were not ignorant and in many case more awake than the North American average man today... Think about Nature and practical knowledge Think about spiritual experiences etc .. Now for technology listen to this stupendous documentary about the Barabar cave and try to make one with Bill Gates money : |
Thanks my friend i was well just absent a bit...
It is difficult to change our conditioning habit... I like choral music more than anything and vocal music because even as a baby my father sing me songs and i listened each noon without knowing even school a radio program with folk choral music , folklore or sacred or popular with three or 4 voices most of the times... I am not an opera fan as you but a sacred music and folklore or world music choral fan (Armenian,Russian,pygmees african choral, byzantium,old gregorian etc )
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He throw the merchant tables outside of the temple. Christ was not interested by power but does not means that he was indifferent to power exercise... Imagine his reaction about control over not only church but school and work... Christ was not a marxist but certainly not a Smith disciple... And Haendel write music to eat for sure, but that does not means he does not put his heart writing music...
Christ only can govern earth social fabric , why ?
Because it will be a multipolar social fabric instead of a monolithical Roman Empire power. Or a techno-cultist control of people... Christ govern by authority not power imposition... Even our education is unfree from lobbies as our politic... We dont wait for Christ physical on physical earth but inside our heart and thinking not as a religion but as a way to be... I put as most people "the Messiah" on par with Bach works... Incredible genius...
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