He lied van de Mensenzoon (witte Donderdag) = Song Of The Son Of Man (Holy Thursday), 1978 - 1981

Son of Man is a biblical title which means One Chosen from the people for the people. Oosterhuis' text is from Philippians 2:6-11, a Pauline hymn of the Early Church identifying Jesus with as the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12). Jewish Essene sects believed that by espousing a similar ascetic life, they would accelerate the coming of the messiah, as a political liberator against Rome and a spiritual teacher whose path of kenosis - sle-emptying and metanoia - change in thhinking would lead to spiritual renewal. In Jewish belief, a messiah would be born out of the expectations of Israel. Having suffered for centuries under alien rule, the Jews rejected the triumphalism of their pagan occupiers, and looked for a simple leader, emerging from the intensity of their own beliefs. Only the meekest would recognize him, the anawim, poorest of earth. Messias (Mes-see-as), the Dutch word for Messiah (the Chrestos, the Anointed One) sings much better than messiah. The messiah who arose from these expectations challenged even their own values. Every encounter with Jesus in John's Gospel is a moment of crisis, of self judgement and evaluation. The Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels left no stone unturned in rejecting the false values of this world. Look beyond the comforts of conformism, he warned, for the Kingdom is not found in such. The supreme victory was to be found only in dying to this life. This was not the Chrestos which Jesus became in the later Church Councils, but a non-triumphant, anointed figure, leading by example. Huijbers chose as his musical setting, Domine Jesus, the Communion antiphon for Holy Thursday. Postquam cenatum est - After he had finished supper with his disciples, Jesus said to them, "have I not washed your feet? I come to you not as master but servant." This night celebrates his betrayal, the pathos of One who created the Universe kneeling abjectly as a servant before his creatures. This majestic and dignified chant, with its gentle cadence, so appropriately expresses his dignity and magnificence against the empty man-made powers of earth. - Tony Barr