The Prostitute Jesus

Let’s look to the picture above. A woman wearing a red dress, with the upper part of her body being left naked, is drinking, smoking, and laughing cheerfully, together with three men, all conducting a simple party in a rather small room. Unmistakably, the woman is pictured as a prostitute of a cheap sort, who is trying to seduce those three men. If we look closer to her, soon we find that on the other side of each of her two hand palms there is a mark of wound left open. Actually who is this woman who is showing her wounded right hand? Jesus? Why a woman?

We know that in chapter 7:36-38 the evangelist Luke relates a famous story about an unnamed prostitute washing Jesus feet, weeping, and then anointing them with perfume (concerning this episode of the Gospel of Luke, click here). But now, in the imagination of the Philippine painter of the painting above, Emmanuel Garibay, the Jesus of the famous Emmaus Story in the Gospel of Luke chapter 24:13-32 , who is breaking bread and then giving it to two of his disciples, is the prostitute Jesus who will give her sexy body to any gentleman who wants to enjoy it. Not only does Jesus love woman, he himself becomes a woman, still a prostitute. The son of god became a whore in order to be able to sympathize with all prostitutes in this world. Jesus loves whores of the world, perhaps because he is in some way related to a whore as his physical mother (see Gospel of Thomas 105; cf. Gospel of John 8:41).

Hopefully, this painting and its message are not viewed as repugnant by orthodox Christians who worship Jesus as God unadulterated by the world’s impurity altogether, housed in exclusive and closed church buildings.

A Prostitute Wearing Red Bikini Washing Jesus' Feet

Let’s look to the image above (click it for a bigger picture). Jesus is in a modern kitchen together with a woman and with no one else. The woman wears red bikini and red shoes, signifying that she is a whore in the modern era. She is washing the feet of Jesus and drying them with her hair. 

Behind her are a washbasin and a bottle of perfume which she will pour out to Jesus’ feet. None sees them, so they can do anything freely in the kitchen if they will. 

Perhaps this image shocks you, and you consider it scandalous because you can’t let someone picture your Jesus in such an indecent way. But wait a minute … and relax! Nothing is wrong! This image is a modern artistic expression of the narrative of Luke 7:36-38.

Read this biblical passage calmly. In response to the dinner invitation of one of the Pharisees, Jesus went into the house of the Pharisee and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a sinner (hē hamartōlos), having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. 

She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. Clearly, this woman loves Jesus very much. That is part of what Luke relates.

A traditional image narrating Luke 7:36-38

In the Jewish society of Jesus’ time which was regulated by the purity system, such an action of this unnamed woman was extremely offensive to the respected members of the society. The Pharisee views this as humiliating (verse 39). But Luke tells us that Jesus is not embarrassed by the woman’s behavior (verses 44-48).

Who is the woman who anoints Jesus’ feet in this Lukan narrative? We do not know who she precisely is. 

Luke only reports that she is a sinner, meaning that she is a prostitute. 

Pope Gregory the Great was totally wrong when he judged in his speech made in 591 that the prostitute in this Lukan passage was Mary Magdalene. 

Fortunately, in 1969 after much debate the Vatican removed this prostitute label which had long been attached to Mary Magdalene, by separating Luke’s unnamed sinful woman, Mary of Bethany, and Mary Magdalene in the liturgical book of the Roman Catholic Church named Missale Romanum. 

We simply don’t know who this unnamed woman sinner actually is. She is to be remembered as part of the public activities of Jesus. Jesus loves women and they love him too. The woman Jesus loves the most is of course Mary Madgalene, his smartest disciple, the apostle of the apostles.

A Lady Jesus Hugging A Lamb?

The picture above is extraordinary. Mary is depicted as hugging the infant Jesus and a lamb together, expressing her motherly affection to both of them, to a human being and to an animal at the same time. The infant Jesus is sleeping soundly, not disturbed by the young sheep. Perhaps the painter (William Bouguereau) wishes to tell us that Mary anticipates that in the future Jesus will become the good shepherd of Israel who will sacrifice his life for his sheep. In John 10:11, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Nevertheless, in John 1:29 the Fourth Evangelist changes Jesus metaphorically from the good shepherd to “the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”, and realistically from the unofficial Jewish leader to the victim of the political system of his day, from the judge to the culprit.

Look: another lady, not Mary of course, embracing a lamb! Who is she? I do not know. I got this image from the Internet. If you know her, please tell me who she is. But more importantly, do you capture the deep love of this lady for the lamb in her cuddle? This lamb peacefully lets itself be embraced by the lady as if the lady was its real mother. Perhaps you wonder how a human being, a lady, can express her affection so deeply to an animal. Imagine, you, gentlemen, are hugged by this lady in the same manner; what will you feel?

I am not certain that Jesus in his life ever embraced a lamb. In metaphor, yes, Jesus is the good shepherd of his flock. But whether in reality he was a shepherd in the literal sense of the word, no one can know for certain. That Jesus was a tektōn, an artisan, a carpenter, is certain (see Mark 6:3; Matthew 13:55). We can however imagine that this lady is Jesus himself because the picture of Jesus embracing a lamb is so common. But, do you think that the love of Jesus for a lamb is greater than the love of this lady for the lamb in her cuddle? As far as the picture conveys, I am of the opinion that this lady’s love for a lamb is greater than Jesus’. Perhaps, Jesus in his life never touched a lamb, let alone embraced it, because he was so busy with his kingdom movement, calling men, not sheep, to come into it. Nevertheless, in a metaphorical way, perhaps it is better to imagine the picture above as the picture of a lady Jesus hugging a lamb. A lady Jesus is more heart-touching indeed than a gentleman Jesus.

Jesus As The Incarnation of The Goddess Lakshmi

On the picture above, Jesus is depicted as being seated in a Lotus position, the Padma-asana, with more or less ten lotus flowers lying in front of him, and with his head being encircled by a divine halo and wearing a thorny crown. But what is more is that Jesus himself here, as far as I can see it, is described as the lotus flower itself, blossoming above its green leaves. Extraordinarily, this Jesus has four arms with the three of which being raised up. What does it symbolize? In my interpretation, it symbolizes not the Christian Trinity, but the Trimurti or the Great Trinity in Hinduism which consists of god Brahmā the creator, god Vishnu the maintainer or preserver, and god Śhiva the destroyer or transformer. The orange robe he wears symbolizes his status as a Hindu holy man and a holy teacher, replete with wisdom, knowledge and understanding. The gesture or formation of the index and middle fingers of his second hand does not refer to his divine-human nature in Christian understanding, but to the unity of Atman (soul) and Brahman in accordance with Hindu religious view. The index finger of his third hand points to his holy heart, a Christian symbol of divine compassion. This holy heart has twelve rays radiating from its depth, perhaps symbolizing his twelve beloved disciples who proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of god to the whole world.

Let us know about the lotus. Rooted in the mud, but blossoming above the water, completely uncontaminated by the mud, the lotus represents spiritual perfection, purity, integrity, honesty, wisdom and divinity, which rise above worldly contamination. Concerning the lotus, Bhagavad Gita 5.10 states, “One who performs his duty without attachment, surrendering the results unto the Supreme Lord, is unaffected by sinful action, as the lotus is untouched by water.” The Confucian scholar, Zhou Dunyi, said, “I love the lotus because while growing from mud, it is unstained.” The lotus symbolism thus points to the journey of transformation from the mud of ignorance to the blossoming and enlightenment of the mind. The lotus also symbolizes the fertile growth of organic life, as the world is continually reborn on a lotus growing out of Vishnu’s navel. On the picture, all this symbolic meaning of the lotus is connected with Jesus as the blooming divine lotus.

Do you know about the four-handed goddess in Hindu religion named Lakshmi? Physically, goddess Lakshmi is described as a fair lady, with four arms, being seated or standing upon a lotus, dressed in fine garments and precious jewels, bestowing coins of prosperity and abundance and flanked by elephants signifying her royal power. The most striking feature of the iconography of Lakshmi is her persistent association with the lotus, referring to her purity, beauty, divinity and spiritual power. Symbolically, the goddess Lakshmi represents wealth, prosperity, abundance, light, wisdom, fertility, generosity and courage, as well as luck, fortune, beauty, love, grace and charm. Because of her abundant love, Lakshmi is believed to be willing to protect her dovotees from all kinds of misery and money-related sorrows. She is worshipped by Hindus, Buddhists, Jainists and many modern pagans.

Because Lakshmi is believed to be the embodiment of love, from which devotion to god or bhakti flows, it is through her that the soul (atma) is able to reach God Vishnu. Lakshmi plays a special role as the mediator between her husband Lord Vishnu and his worldly devotees. When asking Vishnu for grace or the forgiveness of sins, Hindus often approach him through the intermediary presence of Lakshmi. Due to her motherly feeling and compassion and being the consort of the Narayan or Supreme Being, Lakshmi is believed as the Mother of the Universe (Jaganmaatha).

In conclusion, if the Prologue of the Gospel of John claims that Jesus is the incarnation of the divine cosmic Word, ho Logos, the creator of the picture above believes that Jesus is the incarnation, or the embodiment, of the goddess and Mother of the Universe Lakshmi, the goddess of love, compassion, purity, wealth, wisdom and enlightenment, whose four hands are available to help the world and liberate it from poverty, ignorance, sorrows and abhorrence.

Jesus as Buddha Meditating in A Lotus Position Under The Bodhi Tree

The creator of the image above portrays Jesus as sitting in a Lotus position, the padma-asana, meditating on the meaning of life and suffering, under the Bodhi Tree, the Tree of moral enlightenment, taking the role of Siddharta Gautama, the moral teacher and founder of Buddhism later known as Gautama Buddha, in his search of liberation from suffering, dukkha, for human race.

The Bodhi Tree, or the Tree of Enlightenment, under which Siddharta Gautama achieved moral enlightenment or Bodhi, in religious iconography is recognizable by its heart-shaped leaves. It takes 100-3,000 years for a Bodhi Tree to fully grow. According to Buddhist texts, Siddharta Gautama, after gaining enlightenment, spent a whole week in front of the tree standing with unblinking eyes, gazing at it with a feeling of gratitude and admiration.

By presenting Jesus as imitating Buddha Gautama in his search of liberation from suffering and ignorance and moral enlightenment, the creator of the image above interprets the kingdom of god in the teachings of Jesus from a Buddhist perspective. Thus, for him, the kingdom of god becomes the human search of liberation from suffering and unknowingness. His Jesus is an enlightened man, a Buddha.

Jesus Meditating in A Lotus Position Protected by A Seven-Headed Cobra Snake

The picture above depicts Jesus as a Yogi sitting in a Lotus position on the three-storied coiling body of a seven-headed big Cobra snake, concentrating and controlling his mind, senses and body in order to reach union with Brahman, the highest and supreme god of Hinduism, with the seven heads of this cobra draping over him to protect him from evil elements of the world.

Snake worship is an ancient and widespread religious practice in Indian customs. In ancient India, there was a wide belief that if Indians worship snake, they will not cause harm to them and their family. Indians believe that snakes have been the savior of human race from the wrath of demons and also that the earth is balanced on the head of a gigantic Cobra snake named Shesh Naag, one of the many prominent Cobras to be worshiped.

On the similar second picture above, Gautama Buddha is portrayed as taking a seat in a Lotus position under the Bodhi Tree on the four-storied coiling body of a seven-headed Shesh naag, concentrating and controlling his mind, senses and body in order to gain enlightenment necessary for the liberation of humanity from ignorance and forgetfulness. The pink Lotus flower on which Buddha sits symbolizes his purity, divinity, enlightenment, serenity, freedom from suffering, and compassion. The seven heads of this Shesh naag take the form of an umbrella to protect Buddha from all evil and dangerous elements of the world.

The Shesh Naag is viewed by Indians as the resting couch of the Lord Vishnu, one of the most important deities of Hindu religion. As one of the deities of the Trimurti or the Great Trinity of Hinduism, Lord Vishnu is depicted as having four arms, standing and flanked by the other two deities (Brahman and Shiva), and a big seven-headed Cobra protruding above his head protecting him.

Snake is considered also to be the ornament of Lord Shiva around his neck. The Cobra is even associated with the lingam, the stylized phallic symbol or emblem of the Lord Shiva, who is one of the Indian most outstanding gods.

A popular legend says that the elder brother of Lord Krishna, Balram, was the incarnation of Shesh Naag on earth.

It is clear then that the first picture above represents Jesus to be the full imitation of the Buddha, and to be in the company of the three prominent gods of Hindu religion or Trimurti: Brahman, Vishnu and Shiva, and related to Krishna, the almighty god of Hinduism. For Indians, this kind of Jesus has come to their land to give them love, compassion, safety and protection, not to convert them to a Christianity founded by Westerners.

Jesus as the True Teacher, the Sadguru

Painted by M.P. Manoj, based on the original drawing of Joy Elamkunnapuzha, CMI, the picture above represents Jesus as the true Indian teacher, the Sadguru, who teaches dharma, wisdom, compassion and the unity between humanity and divinity. 

In Indian daily life, the life and personality of a Sadguru is marked by tolerance (titiksa), mercy or compassion (karuna), freedom from greed (aparigraha), true friendship with all creatures, doing one’s duty regardless of consequences (samabhava), devotion (bhakti), and mindful concentration on Krishna, the almighty god of Hinduism. 

Moreover, the Sadguru is even believed to be an incarnation of god, an Avatara, a god-made-flesh, full of divinity (as marked by the divine halo floating behind his head), who dwells among the people and leads them to the fullness of happiness and to the union with Brahman, the highest realization that humanity is essentially divinity.

On the picture Jesus Christ is depicted as sitting in a Lotus-position, the padma-asana, the meditation position taken by a holy man to mark him/her as a perfect human being who is replete of understanding, wisdom, insight, purity, integrity and love—virtues symbolized by a Lotus flower. 

Pay attention to the position or gesture of all of Jesus’ fingers which is called Mudra! Mudras are a gesture or position, usually of the hands, that locks and guides energy flow and reflexes to the brain. By curling, crossing, stretching and touching the fingers and hands, we can talk to the body and mind as each area of the hand reflexes to a certain part of the mind or body.

The gesture of the fingers of his right hand is called Guyan Mudra: the tip of the thumb touches the tip of the index finger, stimulating knowledge and ability. The index finger is symbolized by Jupiter, and the thumb represents the ego. Guyan Mudra imparts receptivity and calm.

Another similar gesture is also called Active Guyan Mudra: the first joint of the index finger is bent under the first joint of the thumb, imparting active knowledge.


The position of the fingers of his left hand is called Shuni Mudra: tip of middle finger (symbolized by Saturn) touches the tip of the thumb, giving patience.

In short, the position and gesture of Jesus’ fingers represented on the picture above points to the fact that here Jesus Christ is portrayed as a Sadguru who always has receptivity, calmness, wisdom, knowledge, ability and patience. 

From the body and concentrated mind of that divine Jesus, flows powerful divine energy, the Chi, that makes a cup of wine with a loaf of Host on it and an oil lamp with its burning bright float in the air. 

Conclusively, this Jesus is an Indian magician and an Indian true teacher at the same time.

(Concerning mudras, see http://www.chi-energy-sports.com/chakras.php)