Non-Canonical Sunday Readings

This is the lamb that was slain.

This is the lamb that was silent.

This is the one who was born of Mary, 

that beautiful ewe-lamb.

This is the one who was taken from the flock, and was dragged to sacrifice,

and was killed in the evening,

and was buried at night,

the one who was not broken while on the tree,

who did not see dissolution while in the earth,

who rose up from the dead,

and who raised up humankind from the grave below.

This one was murdered. 

And where was he murdered?

In the very center of Jerusalem!

Why?

Because he had healed their lame,

and had cleansed their lepers,

and had guided their blind with light,

and had raised up their dead.

For this reason he suffered.

Somewhere it has been written in the law and prophets,

"They paid me back evil for good,

and my soul with barrenness,

plotting evil against me,

saying Let us bind this just man

because he is troublesome to us."

Why, O Israel, did you do this strange injustice?

(...)

You killed the one who made you to live,

Why did you do this, O Israel?

(...)

Nevertheless, Israel admits, I killed the Lord!

- Excerpt from "On the Passover", v. 72-74

On the Passover is a polemic exposition of the Old Testament story of the passover, written by Melito of Sardis (a city in Asia Minor) who wrote of Jesus as being the ultimate sacrificial lamb. It was written in the mid to late second century and carries with it the dubious honour of being the earliest surviving account of Christians charging the Jewish people with deicide!

PS: I have changed the title of this recurring segment from "Non-Canonical Sunday Wisdom" to "Non-Canonical Sunday Readings" for two reasons. Firstly, wisdom is subjective. More importantly, some of the texts that I wish to share (today's included) offer little to no wisdom (unless you happen to hate Jews and Judaism, which I do not).