Strife at the Holy Sepulcher

Now, Religion in the News, a report and comment on religious trends and events being covered by the media. This week’s item is from the United Kingdom’s The Independent, February 16, 2005, with a headline: “Holy Battleground—Is nothing sacred? It’s the holiest of Christian sites, the place where Jesus was buried, but the church of the Holy Sepulcher has become a battleground where priests fight and monks stone each other.

“Father Athanasius’ Texan drawl sounds as steady as ever from Jerusalem, but the tale he is recounting is hair-raising. ‘I refused to close the door to our chapel, and then the Greeks, priests, deacons, and acolytes attacked the Israeli police standing by the door, and I was pushed away and fell down, and someone was kicking me, and more police arrived.’

“The Church of the Holy Sepulcher—the sanctified home to the site of Christ’s crucifixion, as well as the tomb He vacated three days later—is no stranger to violent bloodshed. Christian denominations have been violently contesting each other’s rights to occupy every last inch of this holiest of holy places since shortly after the first church was built on the site around AD 330.

“No fewer than six different kinds of Christians enjoy grossly unequal shares in the use and management of the church, lording it as representatives of the oldest and richest church of the holy land and heirs to the glories of Byzantium are the Greek Orthodox, who control about 40 percent of the church’s territory and contents.

“At the other end of the scale is the tiny community of Ethiopians who inhabit a cluster of little huts on their rooftop terrace directly above the ground that they believe King Solomon gave to their Queen of Sheba long before Jesus was even born. They can be heard to complain that ‘in Western Europe, dogs and cats have a better life than we have here.’

“The Catholic Franciscan community that Father Athanasius belongs to only won a foothold in the fourteenth century after payment of a hefty bribe, but it is now the second greatest power. The wealth and influence acquired as merchants in the Ottoman Empire have elevated the Armenian Oriental Orthodox to third position, while the Egyptian Cops make do with one tiny chapel. The Syrian Jacobites, who boast what Father Athanasius calls ‘the badly beat-up chapel of Joseph of Arimathea” are almost as under-privileged as the Ethiopians.

“Soon it will be Easter, and the vast well-centered Crusader Church will host more services, processions, and ceremonies than at any other time of the year. That means more friction and more occasions for violence. ‘From Catholic Palm Sunday on March 20 to the Orthodox Holy Fire Ceremony on April 23 is a five-week danger period for us,’ Father Athanacius says. ‘I’m really scared someone is going to get killed.’”

Tom: Dave, I remember when we went to Israel. It was my first time, and we were there to do the video which ended up being Israel, Islam, and Armageddon, and I remember as we were doing locations—and we had been to many of these so-called holy sites—I’m thinking, you know, when the Lord returns to Israel, His feet setting down on the Mount of Olives, I thought, Man, all of these so-called sacred sites, they are gone, they are so—not only unbiblical, they are just bogus, Dave. And now we have this representing Christianity to the world. I mean, it’s a sham!

Dave: It’s tragic. I thought the cross—Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ”—we have quoted that many times on this program—“nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me.” Now we’ve got a place where they say Christ was crucified, buried, and rose again. It’s obvious that Christ is not living in these people—they are not crucified with Christ. It’s self again—what we have been talking about. Each one trying to claim—can you imagine, trying to claim for themselves and try to take possession of a place where Christ died? Tom, it is just so unbelievable, and yet, tragically, this is “Christianity.”

Tom: This is works religion, Dave.

Dave: It’s not the place where He was crucified that is holy now, but it’s the One who died there for our sins. This is what made it, gave it any holiness, and you don’t get holiness. Things are not holy; you don’t have holy things. Now, in the tabernacle in the Old Testament, yes, the Holy of Holies, and so forth.

Tom: By God’s design.

Dave: Right. God designed it, but it was representative of heaven, and you don’t put that anywhere else. So, now we see that the focus is upon physical things, physical remembrances, and so forth. Paul says, “Though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet Him now henceforth we know Him no more.” Even though you knew Christ when He walked this earth, if there was someone living today who had, you don’t remember Christ that way. He is glorified at the Father’s right hand. When you read how John saw Him—

Tom: The beloved John, who laid his head on Jesus’ breast—Wow!

Dave: Now he falls at His feet as dead. This is how glorious He is and how frightful in His appearance, so, let’s focus upon Him. Jesus said, “Don’t lay up treasures on this earth.” Well, they’ve got a treasure on this earth, they think, some little piece of this church where, supposedly, Christ was crucified and then laid in this tomb, and so forth. That’s of no significance, really, I mean, this is what men did to Him, this is where historic events took place in fulfillment of prophecy, but what matters now is that our Lord is risen, and He’s our Savior, He died for our sins. We’re going to be with Him one day, when we see Him we will be like Him.

So, whether this is the exact spot or not, what does that matter? It happened. But they have taken possession of something and they are making holy things that can’t be holy in order, Tom, that they have some notch up on someone else and that they can then offer something from which they can make a little money to people who are wanting to honor Christ. It’s a tragedy!