The Writings of
Vasu Murti

Copyright 1995, 1999

Chapter 4

"The compassionate, sensitive heart for animals is inseparable from the proclamation of the Christian gospel," writes the Reverend Andrew Linzey in Love the Animals. "We have lived so long with the gospel stories of Jesus that we frequently fail to see how his life and ministry identified with animals at almost every point.

"His birth, if tradition is to be believed, takes place in the home of sheep and oxen. His ministry begins, according to St. Mark, in the wilderness �with the wild beasts� (1:13). His triumphal entry into Jerusalem involves riding on a �humble� ass (Matthew 21). According to Jesus, it is lawful to �do good� on the Sabbath, which includes the rescuing of an animal fallen into a pit (Matthew 12). Even the sparrows, literally sold for a few pennies in his day, are not �forgotten before God.� God�s providence extends to the entire created order, and the glory of Solomon and all his works cannot be compared to that of the lillies of the field (Luke 12:27).

"God so cares for His creation that even �foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.� (Luke 9:58) It is �the merciful� who are �blessed� in God�s sight and what we do to �the least� of all we do to him. (Matthew 5:7, 25:45-46) Jesus literally overturns the already questionable practice of animal sacrifice. Those who sell pigeons have their tables overturned and are put out of the Temple (Mark 11:15-16). It is the scribe who sees the spiritual bankruptcy of animal sacrifice and the supremacy of sacrificial love that Jesus commends as being �not far from the Kingdom of God�. (Mark 12:32-34)

"It is a loving heart which is required by God, and not the needless bloodletting of God�s creatures," concludes Reverend Linzey. We can see the same prophetic and radical challenge to tradition in Jesus� remarks about the �good shepherd� who, unlike many in his day, �lays down his life for the sheep.� (John 10:11)"

Jesus� miracle of multiplying loaves and fishes is often cited as evidence that he did not favor the vegetarian way of life. His first disciples Simon, Andrew, James and John were all fishermen by the Sea of Galilee. Jesus called them away from their livelihood. "Follow me," he commanded, "and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20)

Jesus then performed a miracle illustrating that God can easily provide for human sustenance. He wanted people to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:8,26-33; Luke 12:24-31) On the Lake of Gennesaret, Jesus told Simon to drop his nets. Huge numbers of fish were caught to the point where the nets began to break and the boat began to sink. The fish presumably went back into the lake. Simon knelt before Jesus and called himself a sinner. "Do not be afraid," Jesus replied. "From now on you will be catching men." They forsook all and followed him. (Luke 5:1-11)

After John the Baptist�s execution, Jesus withdrew into solitude. The multitudes followed him on foot from the cities. Jesus healed many. When evening came, his disciples said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food." And Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."

"Shall we go and buy them two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?" they asked. "We have here only five barley loaves and two fish," which had been given to the disciples by a boy in the crowd. Jesus took the loaves and the fish, "and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes." Over five thousand ate and were satisfied. (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:31-44; Luke 9:11-17; John 6:9)

On another occasion, Jesus multiplied seven loaves and a few fish for over four thousand people. Jesus explained: "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way." (Matthew 15:32-38; Mark 8:1-9) Jesus raised to objection to the eating of already dead fish when there was no other food available. This is consistent with the vegetarian way of life. The prophet Elisha raised people from the dead. (II Kings 4:32-37) Elisha also multiplied twenty barley loaves to feed one hundred men. (II Kings 4:42-44) Jesus appears to have repeated the same miracle on a larger scale, using what little resources were available to him.

Matthew 14:19 reads as follows: "he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes." This text implies only loaves, and not fishes, were multiplied to give the crowds something to eat.

Jesus� own recollection of the events suggests only loaves were multiplied. Jesus warned his disciples about "the yeast (teachings) of the Pharisees and Sadducees." The disciples, having forgotten to bring bread, misunderstood. "O you of little faith," exclaimed Jesus. "Do you not...remember the five loaves of the five thousand...the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?" (Matthew 16:5-12; Mark 8:14-21)

The Fourth Gospel describes the event in almost mystical terms. Jesus multiplied five barley loaves and two fish for over five thousand. Yet he later told the crowds, "I say to you, you seek me not because you saw the signs, but because you at of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you...I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst." These verses suggest Jesus really satisfied the multitudes spiritually, giving them "the food which endures to everlasting life." (John 6:1-35)

According to contemporary Christian teacher Abbot George Burke, "...there is a very interesting distinction made between the bread and the fish in the Gospels of Saints Matthew (14:19), Mark (6:41) and John (6:11). When writing of the feeding of the five thousand, all three Evangelists are careful to note that Jesus first took the bread, blessed it, divided it and gave it for distribution. But the fish He simply gave for distribution! He gave no blessing to the eating of fish because it was not given by God to man for food. Moreover, since it was already dead He did not kill anything�He just made more of it."

The New Testament mentions the feeding of the multitudes on four separate occasions, and fish is listed as one of the items present. However, the church father Irenaeus, in his great thesis Against Heresies (180-188 AD), wrote: "He there, seeing a great crowd had followed Him, fed all that multitude with five loaves of bread and twelve baskets of fragments remained over and above." Irenaeus makes no mention of fish. In a later text, Irenaeus again says, "Our Lord after blessing the five loaves, fed with them 5,000 men." How do we explain this discrepancy? Our oldest existing Greek manuscript of the New Testament, the Codex Sinaiticus, can be found in the British Museum. It was written in 331 AD. We have no New Testaments from before this time. It is possible that early copies of the gospels made no mention of fish being fed to the multitudes, while later copyists added this symbol in order to enhance the miracle.

Students of the Bible are familiar with the use of bread as a mystical symbol of Jesus� body, or divine substance. In the early Christian church, the fish was also a divine symbol. The symbol of the fish was a secret sign, used in times of persecution. It can be found in the catacombs of ancient Rome and it remains in popular use today. The Greek word for fish is "ichtus." This word was used in the early church as an acronym for the Greek phrase, "Iesus Christos Theou Uious Soter," or "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior."

The early church father Origen wrote, "while every passage of Scripture has a spiritual meaning, many passages have no other meaning, but that there is often a spiritual meaning under the literal fiction."

Gospel references to fish may be symbolic. The earliest depictions of the Eucharist in the catacombs were inspired by the story of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes; believed to symbolize the Eucharist. A bishop in the early church wrote, "Faith hath provided as my food a fish of exceeding great size, and perfect, which a holy virgin drew with her hands from a fountain." In the 2^nd century, the church father Tertullian wrote, "We little fish, after the image of our Ichtus (Fish) Jesus Christ, are born in the water."

Some of Jesus� parables do refer to slaughter and violence. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches his disciples: "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.

"Again, he sent out other servants, saying, �Tell those who are invited, �See, I have prepared my diner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.� But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, �The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore, go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.�

"So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, �Friend, how did you come in here without a garment?� And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, �Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.� For many are called, but few are chosen." (Matthew 22:1-14)

However, Jesus tells a similar parable in Luke�s Gospel: A certain man gave a great supper and invited many. He sent his servant at suppertime to welcome everyone. All the guests began making excuses. The servant reported this to his master. The master told his servant to go out into the streets and bring in the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind. The guests he originally invited were to be excluded. This parable in Luke makes no reference to slaughter or violence of any kind. It may very well be the original narrative.

Jesus� own morality precedes this parable. He is dining with the Pharisees. He tells his hosts:

"When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just." (Luke 14:12-24)

The true, gentle nature of Jesus can be found in his life, his teachings and the Jewish tradition to which he belonged. On the way to Jerusalem, a Samaritan village would not receive him. When James and John saw this, they asked him, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?" Jesus rebuked them. "You do not know your attitude. The Son of Man did not come to destroy human lives, but to save." (Luke 9:51-56)

Passover remains one of the most important holy days in the Jewish calendar. Passover is an annual spring festival, serving as a memorial of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt under Moses. In first century Judea, Passover was centered around two events. On the 14^th day of the month of Nisan, innocent lambs were ritually slain in the Temple at Jerusalem. This was the day of Preparation. On the 15^th day of Nisan, the Passover feast would take place. The Passover meal would be eaten by congregations and by families, in selected places throughout Jerusalem.

The Passover meal consisted of slaughtered lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs and wine, which was sipped periodically. The prayers at the table invoked the remembrance of God�s deliverance of His people from past bondage; asking for His continued blessings upon the children of Israel. The first three gospels imply Jesus� Last Supper was a Passover meal (Matthew 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-14; Luke 22:7-15), and that his crucifixion occurred the very same day.

If Jesus� Last Supper with his disciples was a Passover meal, then Jesus may have eaten the Passover lamb. This would mean it was unlikely that he was a vegetarian. The account of the Last Supper given in the Fourth Gospel clearly indicates it was not a Passover meal, but a meal shared on the day of Preparation:

"Before the Passover feast Jesus, aware that his hour had come that he should depart from this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. And supper being ended..." (John 13:1-2)

This text explicitly states that Jesus� Last Supper with his disciples took place before the feast known as Passover.

John 18:28 states that the Jewish religious authorities would not enter the Roman Praetorium where Jesus was being tried, "so that they might not be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover." Pontius Pilate told the Jews, "This is your king," as he ordered Jesus crucified. This occurred on the twelfth hour of the day of Preparation. (John 19:14) After crucifixion, the Jews asked Pontius Pilate that Jesus� body be taken from the cross and given a decent burial before the Sabbath which was Passover. (John 19:31)

Friday was the day of Preparation for the Sabbath, which began at sundown. According to the Jewish calendar, a new day begins at six p.m., while the week concludes with the Sabbath, or Saturday. The first three gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) state that Jesus celebrated Passover with his disciples and suffered arrest, trial and crucifixion on Friday evening, the 15^th of Nisan. Only the Fourth Gospel explicitly places the Last Supper on Thursday evening, the 14^th of Nisan. Jesus� final meal with his disciples, his arrest, trial and crucifixion all take place on Nisan 14 in this gospel.

To some extent, the accounts given by Matthew, Mark and Luke conform to the Fourth Gospel. In Matthew 26:5, the authorities decided not to apprehend Jesus during the Passover feast, "lest there be an uproar amongst the people." All four gospel writers record Jesus� burial on the day of Preparation. (Matthew 27:57-62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 20:42)

Passover was a holy day, regarded as a Sabbath by the Jews. Its holiness was protected by traditional Sabbath restrictions. The gospels describe incidents connected with Jesus� crucifixion which would not have occurred on a holy day.

To begin with, it is unlikely crowds would carry weapons once Passover had begun. (Matthew 26:47,55; Mark 14:43,48-49; Luke 22:52; John 18:3) There would have been no Jewish involvement in the Roman legal proceedings against Jesus. (Matthew 27:12; Mark 15:3; Luke 23:5) Nor would the trial and crucifixion of Jesus have occurred. (Matthew 27:27-50; Mark 15:16-37; Luke 23:26-46; John 19:17-30)

Simon the Cyrenian would not have journeyed from the country (Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26) Nor would Joseph of Arimathea have been able to purchase a linen shroud and see to the burial of Jesus� body. The fact that Jesus was quickly taken down from the cross and buried in his tomb is consistent with the Jews� desire that he not be left on the cross once the feast had begun. (Matthew 27:57-60; Mark 15:43-47; Luke 23:50-57; John 19:38-57)

The accounts of the Last Supper all center on the meal itself. As the meal proceeded, Jesus took the bread and gave thanks before God. Because his position in relation to God was like that of a high priest (Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:5-10, 7:17, 8:1), Jesus more than likely presented the bread before God as an offering. He then broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it, eat. This is my body...broken for your sakes; given up on your behalf. Do this in remembrance of me."

Jesus also took the cup, gave thanks before God, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "All of you drink of it; for this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. I tell you, from now on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine at all until that day when I shall drink it new with you in my Father�s kingdom." They sang hymns, and went out to the Mount of Olives. (Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:17-20; I Corinthians 12:23-26)

Passover is traditionally a patriarchal family rite in which the father of a family presides. This meal does not resemble a traditional Passover Seder. During the meal, Jesus identified his body and blood (soul, or life-force in the Jewish tradition) with food and drink offered to God through word and prayer. There is no mention of the Passover lamb; the foods described are vegetarian.

Paul, who called himself an apostle to the gentiles, provides the earliest written account of the Last Supper in I Corinthians 11:20-32. He writes of the "Lord�s Supper," but does not refer to a Passover meal. However, in I Corinthians 5:7, he proclaims: "Christ, our passover, has been sacrificed for us." Early Christians observed the day of Jesus� crucifixion on Nisan 14^th. Claudius Appollinaris, Clement of Alexandria and Hippolytus attest to this. Jesus Christ, "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world," (John 1:29) died at the same time as countless other innocent lambs of God.

A tradition soon arose, however, that Jesus was crucified on Friday. The church father Irenaeus (120-200 AD) wrote that Jesus died in obedience to God�s will on the same day (Friday) Adam ate the forbidden fruit. For centuries, one of the most bitter disputes in the Christian Church was over the date of the crucifixion. Next to the Trinitarian dispute, this was the most serious issue facing the First Ecumenical Council at Nicaea in 325.

The Eastern Church had celebrated the resurrection on Nisan 16, in April, which was also the Jewish Passover. The early Christian father Lactanius wrote that Jesus was crucified on March 23, with his resurrection on the 25^th. Curiously, these are the dates on which the passion, death, and resurrection of Attis, a pagan savior, had been celebrated for nearly two thousand years. The rites performed in honor of Attis closely resembled the Christians� Easter liturgy.

Jesus was arrested, tried and crucified on Thursday, Nisan 14. He died at the same time the Passover lambs were being slain in the Temple at Jerusalem. Jesus promised his disciples he would be resurrected on the third day (Sunday) from his execution. (Matthew 16:21; Mark 10:34; Luke 18:33) A trial and execution on Thursday, the day of Preparation for Passover, is therefore, more consistent with Scripture.

The Reverend Charles Gore, Bishop of Oxford, writes in A New Commentary on Holy Scripture: "We will assume John is right when he corrects Mark as to the nature of the Last Supper. It was not the Paschal meal proper, but a supper observed as a farewell supper with his disciples. Nor do the accounts of the supper suggest the ceremonial of the Passover meal."

In his commentary on Luke in the Cambridge Bible for Schools, Dean Farrar suggests the Last Supper "was not the actual Jewish Paschal meal, but one which was intended to supersede it by a Passover of far more divine significance."

Finally, many of the verses in the New Testament which refer to "meat" were mistranslated from the original Greek. The Reverend V.A. Holmes-Gore published his research on this subject in the Autumn 1947 issue of World Forum in an article entitled "Was the Master a Vegetarian?" The following texts are examples of incorrect translations:

Matthew 3:4

"And the same John (the Baptist) had his raiment of camel�s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins, and his meat was locusts and wild honey."

The original Greek word used for "meat" here is "broma," which means "food." Also, the word "locusts" refers to locust beans, or carob, also known as St. John�s bread.

Luke 8:55

"And her spirit came again (referring to a woman Jesus raised from the dead), and she arose straightaway: and he (Jesus) commanded to give her meat."

The word used here for "meat" is "phago," meaning "to eat." Jesus commanded that she be given something to eat.

Luke 11:37

"And as he (Jesus) spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat."

The word used here for "meat" is "anepesen," or "reclined." This verse says Jesus went in and sat down.

Luke 24:41-43

"And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he (Jesus) said unto them, �Have ye here any meat?�  And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of a honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them."

The word used here is "brosimos," or "eatable." Note the use of the word "it," which is in the last sentence and is in the singular. Jesus was offered a fish and a honeycomb, but chose only one of them.

John 4:8

"For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat."

The word used here is "trophe," or "nourishment."

Acts 9:19

"And when he had received meat, he was strengthened."

The word used here is "trophe," or "nourishment."

Acts 16:34

"...he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house."

The word used here is "trapeza," or "table."

Acts 27:33-36

"And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, �This is the fourteenth day ye have tarried and continued fasting, taking nothing.  Wherefore, I pray you to take some meat; for this is your health; for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.�

"And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat."

All three words used here are "trophe," or "nourishment." Note that even though they have been mistranslated to read "meat," the text shows clearly that what Paul was referring to was bread.

Romans 14:15

"But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably.  Destroy him not with thy meat, for whom Christ died."

Both words used here are "broma," or "food."

Romans 14:17

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost." 

The word used here is "brosis," or the act of eating.

Romans 14:20-21

"For meat destroy not the work of God.  All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for that man who eateth with offense. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine..."

The word for "meat" used here is "broma," which means "food." On the other hand, the word "flesh" used in this text comes from the Greek "kreas," which translates literally as "flesh," or "meat."

I Corinthians 6:13

"Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats, but the Lord shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body."

The words used here are "broma," or "food." Also, the word "porneia," or fornication, is used, rather than "moicheia," adultery.

I Corinthians 8:8

"But meat commendeth us not to God, for neither, if we eat, are we the better, neither, if we eat not, are we the worse."

The word used here is "broma," or "food." This verse teaches eating itself has nothing to do with our relationship with God.

I Corinthians 8:13

"Wherefore, if meat makes my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend."

The word for "meat" used here is "broma," or "food," while the word for "flesh" used here is "kreas," which means "flesh."

I Corinthians 10:3

"And (they) did all eat the same spiritual meat." 

The word used here is "broma," or "food."

I Timothy 4:1-3

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth."

The word used for "meat" here is "broma," or "food." Which food has God "created to be received with thanksgiving" ? The verse that follows:

"For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected when it is gratefully received, for it is consecrated through the word of God and prayer."

...refers to Genesis 1:29-31: "...And God saw all that He had made and saw that it was very good."

Bible scholar Kenneth Rose says, "To use this passage to discredit Christian vegetarianism...is really a misapplication of these verses, since the issue here is not food but Christian freedom."

The phrase "forbidding to marry" is especially significant. Paul was warning against forced asceticism; not vegetarianism based upon compassion for animals.

Paul�s statement in I Corinthians 9:9-10, "Doth God take care for oxen, or saith He it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt..." is often misunderstood to mean God is indifferent towards the animal creation. Paul was referring to Deuteronomy 25:4, a verse, like many others from the Bible, which calls for humane treatment of animals.

Frances Arnetta, founder of Christians Helping Animals and People, explains:

"...because of the way the King James version has been translated, there is some misunderstanding as to the meaning of Paul�s words. Referring to the verse in Deuteronomy, Paul asks in I Corinthians 9, verse 9, �Doth God take care for oxen?� But in the original Greek, the word �only� is implied, so that verse 9 means: �Doth God take care only for oxen?� Verse 10: �Or saith He it altogether for our sakes?� That actually means: �Or does He say it for the sake of us and the oxen all together?� Then Paul answers: �For our sakes (the oxen and us), no doubt this is written...�

"Of course God cares for oxen," insists Arnetta, "or He wouldn�t have given the command to Moses in the first place." Arnetta cites Jonah 4:11, Psalm 50:10, Job 38 and 39, as well as Matthew 6:26 and Luke 12:6 as proof that God cares not only for oxen, but for His entire creation. This is consistent with I Timothy 5:17-18, where Paul again quotes Deuteronomy 25:4 in a favorable context.

Go on to Chapter 5 - "A Perpetual Obligation"
Return to Table of Contents

THEY SHALL NOT HURT OR DESTROY is available in print copy from Vegetarian Advocates Press, PO Box 201791, Cleveland, OH 44120, at a cost of $15.00 US per book including shipping and handling.

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