Jesus said, “Woe to the Pharisees, for they are like a dog sleeping in the manger of the cattle; for he neither eats nor does he let the cattle eat.”
Many scholars agree that this was a common proverb in both the Greek and Hebrew traditions which was used in several early writings. But there are nuances here that suggest that Jesus modified it to illustrate something specifically related to how those teachers of the Law prevented the people from receiving the truth of Divine Unity.
As John Dominic Crossan explains, “The ‘dog in the manger’ is apparently a Greek proverb going back to very ancient times. It is included among the Greek proverbs attributed to Aesop – ‘a dog lying in the manger who does not eat himself but hinders the donkey from doing so’”[1]
What sets this saying apart from all of the previous uses of it in ancient times is the specific detail about the dog “sleeping in the manger” which, as we know, is a reference to the state of mind we must awaken from in order to see the truth of our Oneness with God.
The Pharisees here are not necessarily evil or malicious. They are merely asleep, which is the condition we all must be saved from by waking up to the reality of our connection with God and one another.
Sadly, because they are revered as teachers of God’s Law, their sleeping prevents anyone else from eating of the spiritual food that might nourish their souls.
As R. McL. Wilson writes, “The fact that it is a proverbial saying need create no difficulty; the originality lies not in the saying, but in its application, in the rapier-like thrust of the attack. There would seem to be grounds for including this among those (writings) with some claim to authenticity.”[2] [1]From In Fragments, pp. 34-35, by John Dominic Crossan.
[2]From Studies in the Gospel of Thomas, pp. 76-77 by R. McL. Wilson
The Quantum Sayings of Jesus: Decoding the Lost Gospel of Thomas by Keith Giles releases on April 23, 2024 at Amazon.
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Keith Giles is the best-selling author of the Jesus Un series. He has appeared on CNN, USA Today, BuzzFeed, and John Fugelsang’s “Tell Me Everything.” He hosts the Second Cup with Keith podcast, and co-hosts the Apostates Anonymous podcast, and the Heretic Happy Hour Podcast.
His latest book, Second Cup with Keith is available now on Amazon HERE>
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