Monthly Archives: January 2012

Love is the Fulfilling of the Law

The Miracles of Jesus (continued; part xx)

We spent our time yesterday discussing some ideas on Love as expressed by the Master and as reinforced by His Apostles. We posed again the question  Do we ever wonder why the Commandments of the Lord and of the Master are all about Love? Love for God and thereby for the God Within and Love for our fellow man?, and each of us must answer this for himself. Through the Sermon on the Mount we learn from the Master how we should and should not act as men in relation to our brothers; it is here we must learn to look past our inherent selfish and prideful natures if we are going to fulfill His commandments in our lives. These ideas on Love are the cornerstone of our spiritual lives and the mode par excellence through which one can show that Love that so many claim that they have for the Christ and for God. It may seem that this topic is a far reach from our topic heading of The Miracles of Jesus but in reality this timeless teaching that has endured over 2000 years and still endures through the  slow and methodical evolution of the human family is perhaps the Greatest Miracle of all.

The words that the Master spoke to them at the turn of the millennia in which we transitioned from B.C. to A.D., time designations that reference the coming of the Christ although they are just loosely accurate, were the inauguration of the Christ teachings. Much of what He said was couched in parables which the people likely did not comprehend as He meant them and with which many still have a difficult time today. There is also much, like much of  the Sermon on the Mount, that was clear and pointed directly to those listening at the time and to all others throughout history. But, much like it must have been sorely difficult to heed His words saying “…unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also” (Luke 6:29) in that day, it is just as hard, if not harder, today. Church doctrine has never taught the reality of these words nor the reality of many of the difficult sayings that the Master has given to us.

In addition to the steady march of time, over 2000 years and the transition from B.C. to A.D., there is also the march of the progression of the zodiac, a theme that is sort of lost in Christianity. For us to think that there is no relationship between the cosmos and the Earth and its inhabitants is just anther issue stemming from a prideful human attitude. Simple symbolism can show us that there is not only a relationship but a meaningful one in  terms of our Judeo-Christian heritage and beliefs as the Earth has moved from Taurus through Aries through Pisces and into our current time here at the beginnings of Aquarius. However, we will not go into this here except to say that man’s outlook has changed much as well. Remembering that the changes from one period to another is not black and white but rather the beginnings of the next appear some time in the second half of the former, a look at the types of sacrifices and beliefs can show us much. Taurus the bull and the oxen and Aries the ram and the sheep are much the topic of the Old Testament. Jesus brought to us an emphasis on fish in the beginnings of the Age of Pisces and called His disciples to be fishers of men. Today we should be able to see all around us the sometimes profound move toward Love, Brotherhood and Harmony, Peace and  Understanding as we move into the Age of Aquarius of which these ideals are the inherent traits. We cannot say for certainty when one age begins and another ends as we look at these only through the eyes of men; nor can we say for certainty how long a particular age may be. Although there are variety of opinions on these matters we do know, or believe, that they do last somewhere around 2000 years with many saying 2160 is the right number.

Today, we should be able to see the beginnings of this Age of Aquarius affecting many tendencies in the human family but, even if this is all considered just a coincidence, we should then be able to see the long awaited effect of the teachings of the Master on the world of men. His teachings do strangely coincide with the ‘themes’ assigned to Aquarius which is here upon us now; Love, Brotherhood and Harmony, Peace and  Understanding, are found throughout the New Testament and especially in the words of the Master. What does this say to us? Could it mean that the time is now here that these things come to fruition, that the time has now come for humanity to look upon life in form as the Master so instructed us so long ago?

Much like our question Do we ever wonder why the Commandments of the Lord and of the Master are all about Love? Love for God and thereby for the God Within and Love for our fellow man? relates the the intent of the Master, we can ask a similar question as to the motives of the human family to deny that His teaching is exactly this…LOVE. Since it is very difficult to as these additional questions without overly criticizing the church, we will leave off with this idea as the simple question of: Why does the human family deny that Love and Peace, Harmony and Understanding, are the essentials of the teaching of the Master and go off in favor of those separatist doctrines  that are the antithesis of those ideals.

We come back now to our discussion on baptism which has been motivated by our now long running Quote of the Day as written below. The Master’s words here are to “teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost“. First, we should make clear again that the words translated as teach in this saying are meant to say make disciples of⁴ according to Vincent and this same thought is borne out in both the lexicon² and Strong’s³. Webster’s tells us of disciple that it means: One who receives instruction from another; a scholar; a learner; especially, a follower who has learned to believe in the truth of the doctrine of his teacher; an adherent in doctrine; as, the disciples of Plato; the disciples of our Savior¹. and here we should take note of the ideas following after especially. Now this is important to understand as the Master tells us in several places what it means to be His disciple and these ideas are not easy to do living in the world. He tells us that: “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple“. He says also that ”whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26-27, 33).

We can also see by the usage of the words that in the context of following Him the idea of disciple is inherent. The Gospel of Matthew says this: “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24) thereby saying to them the same things and relating one’s following Him to being His disciple. The same is true of being worthy of Him which we should understand in that twofold manner of the Christ Himself and the Christ Within; in fact, we should consider all of this in that twofold way. The Master says in the same relative sayings as above from Luke’s Gospel that: “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37-38). Thus is the synonymous natures of these words and phrases which are all tied together for us by the Masters use of follow me as His calling of His disciples and in John’s Gospel were he tells us that the Master says: “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour” (John 12:26).

Our point here is the establishment of just what a disciple is in the mind of the Master and to bring forth some idea of what He is saying in our subject verse. When He says “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19; American Standard Version), the above discourse should serve to explain what He means. What then is our understanding of this part of what is called the Great Commission? Should it not be in accord with the intent of the Master? that all should be His disciples and can we not see how this is intimately related to His saying that tells us of the way, par excellence, that we can do this; He tells us: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

The Master tells us much about bearing fruit as the sign of the integrity of men and it is here that much attention should be focused. The Master sent the twelve and the seventy and many of us, by interpretation of the Great Commission, believe that He is sending us as well. It is by His teaching that we should reflect on our own fruit as we see it as well as our fruit as it may be seen by others. In all that we do we must be teaching and preaching the words of the Master and not our doctrinal interpretations of them; the words of the Master are the fruit of the good tree. Speaking of false teachers and specifically those who with intent mislead others, the Master says: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down , and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:15-20).

Speaking to others who do not necessarily teach the reality of the His words but not for reasons of malice the Master says: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23). The point here is that there are likely many who profess to know the will of the Master and teach those doctrines that they believe but which are at basic odds with the intent of the Master. Regardless of what one thinks or believes, if it does not meet with the standard set by the Master in saying that one should “doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven“, he is likely to be on the outside looking in and this is true of the letter and the spirit of one’s understanding of His Will.

My earlier statement regarding not being in a mode of criticism is always a hard thing to accomplish based on our reading of the Master’s words; the critical nature of some of the words in our essays is never intended to disparage anyone or any group. However, we must be aware of deception, especially self deception, and although most will say that they are not affected by it, it is ever important that we look closely at the words of the Master in relation to what we believe and we teach and to look with an opened mind and opened heart. It is ever important that we always take the highest road.

Closing today we add only this from the Gospel of John regarding discipleship: “Herein is my Father glorified , that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples” (John 15:8).

Note on the Quote of the Day