IN THE WORDS OF JESUS–Part 254

Love is the Fulfilling of the Law

ON GOD; Part XLI

We took a look yesterday at the negative side of Paul’s saying on the Fruits of the Spirit which is a thing that we do not often do. We should be able to see that in this list of vices put forth by the Apostle Paul as things that keep us back from being accounted worthy there are evils both great and small according to the standards set by man. These standards however are by the doctrine of men and not by the commandment of God nor the commandment of His Son that we Love one another. From the perspective of the aspiring disciple we should see this list quite differently from the standards of men and understand that it is those things that effect the progress of one’s brother that are likely the more egregious. We should remember also the use of the term children by the apostle and if we relate this to the ideas set forth by the Master we may see our actions as well as the actions of others in a different Light. Remembering that the Master speaks in parable and that there is much behind His words and His actions, can we relate Paul’s idea of children to the Master’s? Can we see that even though the Master is apparently speaking of little children, as the commonality of the words present, that He was referring as well to those ‘children in Christ’ that the apostle refers to in yesterday’s essay saying: “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro…..(Ephesians 4:14)?

• We should first here recognize that we are, ALL of us, children of the One God and this word children is not used in the physical child sense; we do have that basic understanding of the intent of the Master which should be seen as to paint for us a picture of our Eternal Brotherhood and our ONE FATHER; this is the message of the Christ.
• Secondly we should see a similar idea in the use of the word children as it refers to those new to the Faith; not only the Christian Faith but to Faith in general which is defined as those who are beginning to sense the promptings of their own Souls, their own Christ Within. This sensing of what may be for them their first exposure to the Good, the Beautiful and the True as it emerges in their consciousness can be a very confusing time as there is an uncertainty and a doubt about foregoing ALL that one knows of Life in the world for the inkling of the better Life. This idea should come through in the words of the apostle above which cautions them of the effect on the new Life of Faith of being “tossed to and fro” and which may be an even more important factor today as there are so many vying for the heart of everyman with a great array of differing  and competing doctrines, some sound and some not.
• We must also be aware of the parabolic words of the Master regarding children and understand that He may be speaking of much more than we generally get from the purely physical perspective. We should see that the Master cautions us to treat the children as He would saying that:
• “And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me” (Mark 9:36-37). Now here the child is the token and the example of how one should act towards his brother; how one should receive any type of child in His name which should not be seen as the name Jesus only but as the full effect of the ideas behind the name of Christ. Here again we have a saying that can be interpreted in a narrow or a broad sense; the narrow is physical children and the broad can be a range from those children who are ‘babes in Christ’ up to anyman for we are ALL children of God. From the context and the example we should probably choose the former of the broad examples and receive ALL that are coming to God and struggling to find their place. Do we note the words here of the Master? that to receive one’s brother and to help him is beyond the idea of receiving the Christ and goes to the fullness of receiving the Father. 
• “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14). We have discussed this saying before in the context of innocence and trusting as this is the way of children;  it is also the way of the ‘child in Christ’ who is also innocent and trusting and seeking guidance from where he may believe that it should come.
• “But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:24). Here the Master is referring to His own disciples as children because they do not yet understand the the plague of riches as the Master is speaking of it. This should broaden our understanding of the term to include many who may believe that they are already mature but do not yet Truly understand the teachings of the Master.
• “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42). This one is for us, for aspirants and disciples, so as to understand that it is our responsibility to help in every way,  even to giving a cup of water, our brothers that are walk behind us on the Path.

Do we see and understand the use of the idea of children clearer now; that they do not have to be physical children? And can we better see the ideas of Paul that we be ever so careful not to take advantage of those who are “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine“. That the Truth should be preached; not the convenient Truth that profits the carnal man but the spiritual Truth that profits the True man. The doctrines of men are many and are varied and much in them is not the reality of the message of the Christ and it is sore difficult to try to dissuade a man from what he has come to believe as the Truth. In this is the reality of the message, that we should not be “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” so that it cannot be said that “thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition”  (Matthew 15:9, 6). We should also see the hard reality in the Master’s saying that: “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19). Notice the idea here of least and understand it to mean, at the very least, ANY, and then look at how it is that we as men pick and choose what commandments we wish to follow. “For every tree is known by his own fruit” (Luke 6:44).

• “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth , let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another” (Romans 12:6-10). This saying touches upon the idea of one’s use of he Gifts of the Spirit which are much played up by parts of the Church as an evidence that one is Spirit-filled, so called. This list of gifts is peculiar to the teachings of Paul and refers to the many abilities of the man in form that can be deemed to be from God and are called also graces that are given. This list differs somewhat from that found in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians as in this list there are some quite ordinary things such as giving and ruling and showing mercy. The list from 1 Corinthians includes: “For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will” (1 Corinthians 12:8-11). We will not go into these here but to say that these are divisions of abilities that were and likely still are apparent in the  man that is focused upon his spiritual Life, the Christ Within and Paul is attempting here, and in the first saying from Romans, that no one should be seen as any more spiritual that any other because of the gifts that they may express and, that they should use fully the best of each gift, as much as one is capable of expressing. Now we should understand that these gifts are within the potency of the Light of the Soul as it flows through the personality consciousness and while they may be a sign that one is on the Path, they should in fact be a sign only unto that person and not held up as a symbol of ones spirituality. Our focus here however is not on the idea of the gifts but on the idea of Love which is the first and most expressible aspect of the Light of the Soul. In the saying from Romans the apostle tells them how to use a particular gift that they may have or believe that they have but insofar as Love there is not question; just a plain statement of fact and that says “let love be without dissimulation” and which we should see as Paul’s admonition to be sincere, to let love be without hypocrisy. He goes on to tell them of brotherly Love, not that Love should be this only but as an understanding to them who Paul sees as aspiring disciples, that they should not bicker over gifts nor have any pride in whatsoever gifts one seems to be able to express. We should in this last verse understand the word translated as preferred as not referring to these ‘brothers’ above others but rather, as it is translated by the New American Standard Version (NAS), “give preference to one another in honor” which gives better the idea of respecting what another may have instead of lifting oneself above; This is a practical application of  “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 14:11). This, according to Paul, is the application also of unfeigned Love.

This ends our list of random verses that testify to the importance of the Love that the Master teaches and that the apostles amplify for us. We noted above that the list of gifts has more importance to much of the church that the closing idea here of Love and it is uncertain why this is so except to speculate that the notion of Love as taught in the New Testament has been too egregious  an undertaking for so many heretofore; that although the teaching on Love is the reality of the gospels and the epistles, that the human family was not ready. We are now however in a New Age and we are coming into the fullness of the dispensation that the Christ brought to us 2000 years ago and the time IS come that we must put aside ALL of the side shows of the various doctrines and concentrate on the Doctrine of the Master, the Doctrine of LOVE. We gave above the list of gifts as put forth by the apostle to the Corinthians, not only to highlight the difference between the two lists but to be able to here play upon the ending of the Twelfth Chapter that speaks of these gifts as it eases us into the Thirteenth Chapter which served us for so many days as our Quote of the Day….the Love Chapter. Paul tells the Corinthians and us that the Gifts of the Spirit are good to have and to use and that one should understand the importance of them all and the place for them all. He tells us also that as followers of the Christ one should “….covet earnestly the best gifts” and in this we should understand that we should want that which we can and will use for the benefit of others. The apostle then continues saying that “and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31). We know that the more excellent way is Love and that Paul tells us clearly that no matter what gift or virtue one may have is is nothing, it is useless, without Love.

How hardly this is all understood by so many in the church and by the quotes and plaques that are made of the few words in the middle of Paul’s dissertation on Love. We grasp as sayings like “Love is patient, love is kind” and apply them to the attractions and the sentiments and the emotions that a personality feels and this is well and good because these sayings fit into all kinds of Love. But these are the same ideas that govern the Love that is from the Christ Within and the Love that is the outer sign of one’s True spirituality; the Love for one’s fellowman. Closing out this rather lengthy look at Love that started with the understanding that “God is Love” (1 John 4:8) and took us through many days of discussion on Love as an Aspect of God up to Love as the Way to God and then through our random selection of verses, we repeat again some of the ideas on Love that should guide our Way along the Path to God:

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these (Mark 12:30-31).

What then is Love?

In a general sense love is benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men.

Plus the important High Ideal as taught by Christ:

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them (Matthew 7:12).

We have placed much emphasis on these words in our posts and this is because we believe that these are at the heart of all of the teachings of the Master and that the time is come today to see this Love spread abroad by each of us who senses that Love as it streams forth from the Soul. Paul tells us in his prayer for the aspiring disciple of Christ that:

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love”

(Ephesians 3:17)

We should see in this that the ideas are the same, that the prayer is for Christ to dwell or Live in one’s heart and that in this state one is per force rooted and grounded in Love. This is the natural way of the man who is focused upon the Soul, upon the Christ Within for when this is True, even in the slightest of degree, there is no choice but to see and feel that Love that is our God.

Note on the Quote of the Day