IN THE WORDS OF JESUS–Part 387

Love is the Fulfilling of the Law

ON GOD; Part CLXVIII

We started yesterday’s post with the idea that we had finished with those sayings by the Master that had been at the top of our essays for so many days and then proceeded to discuss the last line of one of them for the balance of the post. Our premise was that in this last line is the caution and the instruction to us ALL on the actions of the heart or the consciousness of a man and the focus or his Life, his treasure as the Master paints it. We noted how the same verses are found in both Matthew’s and Luke’s gospels but in different contexts and which were presumably spoken at different times; this however does not matter as they are both recorded as His word and with the one telling us of the idea of speaking of the abundance of the heart, that is that whatsoever a man’s treasure is becomes what he will speak and we added here the ideas of acting and even thinking. The other, Matthew’s version, tells us of speaking idle words; the Master says: “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:35-36). We have referred to this phrase a few times in our posts and mostly as a way of commenting on the words of Jesus Himself, that they are not idle words and that every one has a meaning or, as we have been seeing, meanings. This very statement is likely an example of this idea of many meanings insofar as we KNOW that He is referring to speaking while at the same time we can realize that based upon the lead in statement there is profoundly more depth and we should try to understand the stretch of this Greek word laleo that is translated as speak into the same realms of acting and even thinking that we have shown above. Perhaps this is from the perspective that what a man IS in consciousness, where his heart is, are invariably those things that he will think on and he will speak of. Can we see this in His words? Can we see the use of this phrase by the Master to refer to ALL idle things that a man may say or do as being those things that pertain to the world and its unimportant nature as regards the heart of man? His focus and his time and attention spent on worldly things and pursuits is but idle time when viewed from the perspective of the Soul, the Christ Within.

As we posted yesterday there is much in regard to this idea of speaking as it is action or as it is the precursor to action in the writing of the Apostle James who tells us of the power of the tongue. Can we see that so many of the bad things, evil and worldly things of one man against another, are begun with the use of the spoken word and by extension the written word as well? And, can we see the idea that James puts forth as regards the control of the tongue as its being a sign and signature of the True disciple of the Lord? And, can we see how this saying by James reflects the words of the Master insofar as the speaking of a man being of the abundance, or the totality of the treasure, of his heart? The focus of a man’s consciousness is what will bring out the words and the actions for which he is ever responsible. There is a bit of negativity in James words when he tells us that “But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8) but we should not let this detract us because the Master does tell us that we can be “…perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48) and in this state of discipleship there is no question that the tongue is tamed. Perhaps here the apostle refers to man as the man in the world and not the man whose focus and attention are on the things of the Lord.

The next ending saying that we presented from the verses that we have been studying regards again the treasure of the heart. In the last we ended with the idea that it is from the abundance that a man will speak, act and think and we define that abundance above as the totality of what the man is focused upon. In our next saying we find the same theme but to a different end; here the Master tells us that we are KNOWN by the things that are in the heart and that the things that a man focuses on will define him. Of course this need not be a single thing and in most cases it is not as man shares his consciousness with a career, a family and leisure pursuits but in all likelihood one of these will be of a supreme importance to him. We should remember also that mankind is much more sophisticated and complicated today than it was when the Master spoke these words and Life is so much more complicated as well. In this we should understand that although there may be a multiplicity of different things that take a mans attention in Life there are few that are meaningful enough to him to be counted as the treasure of his heart. As a reminder the fullness of the Master’s words are:

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt , and where thieves break through and steal : But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt , and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

We should note that it is toward the actual treasure that this saying is interpreted by many but for us this is not so; for us treasure is the focus of one’s Life and this is either focus on this world or on the things of God. Our other saying makes this a bit clearer although it does have its own degree of complication insofar as the idea of speaking as it tells us of the “good treasure of his heart” and of “the evil treasure of his heart” (Luke 6:45) which cannot be readily seen as the actual treasures of this world. Both of these are for us representative of that which is the focus of one’s Life, that which takes a man’s time and attention. Our ending statement here is of course the Master’s saying that: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” and it is in this that the crux of the Master’s overall saying lies. He is telling us a fact and he is giving us a caution and when we combine this with our saying from yesterday from Luke’s Gospel: “for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh” (Luke 6:45) we should be able to get a rather clear picture of what the Master’s teaching is. Plainly speaking He tells us that it is what we focus upon that becomes the content of our consciousness and that this is either the things of God or the things of the carnal man and this content of treasures, of the things that take his attention, is the same that makes up the abundance of one’s heart and it is based on this content that a man will act and, in the combination, the man will be KNOWN.

We should understand here that this all has little to do with riches except from the perspective that those who do focus upon the material things of the world can more easily be distinguished. Those other kinds of treasure are much more elusive and are better covered by the illusion and the glamour of the world; these include the wide spectrum of attitudes and feelings that a man holds dear and these are the ones that can be seen as either as focused upon God or upon the world. There are no worldly type treasures in heaven although some parts of the church do teach that this is so and in this we should understand that the treasures in heaven are the treasures of consciousness and the focus of it on the things of God. There is an interesting story that is printed in Vincent’s works that reflects upon this idea of riches; it is about the Master’s Apostle Thomas and it goes thus:

Lay not up treasures (mh< qhsauri>zete). Lit., treasure not treasures. So Wyc., Do not treasure to you treasures. The beautiful legend of St. Thomas and Gondoforus is told by Mrs. Jameson (“Sacred and Legendary Art”): “When St. Thomas was at Caesarea, our Lord appeared to him and said, ‘The king of the Indies, Gondoforus, hath sent his provost, Abanes, to seek for workmen well versed in the science of architecture, who shall build for him a palace finer than that of the Emperor of Rome. Behold, now I will send thee to him.’ And Thomas went, and Gondoforus commanded him to build for him a magnificent palace, and gave him much gold and silver for the purpose. The king went into a distant country and was absent for two years; and St. Thomas, meanwhile instead of building a palace, distributed all the treasures among the poor and sick; and when the king returned he was full or wrath, and he commanded that St. Thomas should be seized and cast into prison, and he meditated for him a horrible death. Meantime the brother of the king died, and the king resolved to erect for him a most magnificent tomb; but the dead man, after that the had been dead four days, suddenly arose and sat upright, and said to the king, ‘The man whom thou wouldst torture is a servant of God; behold I have been in Paradise, and the angels showed to me a wondrous palace of gold and silver and precious stones; and they said, ‘This is the palace that Thomas, the architect, hath built for thy brother, King Gondoforus.’ And when the king heard these words, he ran to the prison, and delivered the apostle; and Thomas said to him, ‘Knowest thou not that those who would possess heavenly things have little care for the things of this earth? There are in heaven rich palaces without number, which were prepared from the beginning of the world for those who would purchase the possession through faith and charity. Thy riches, O king, may prepare the way for thee to such a palace, but they cannot follow thee thither.’”⁴.

• “Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).

Note on the Quote of the Day

This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.

We leave this again as our Quote of the Day with the intention of discussing it in some detail in one of our next few posts.

We have left this saying for several days now and want to here say that within this reflection is the reality of a True Son of God, a disciple if you will, and it is by accomplishing these things that a men can be seen as disciples and, for those who try to achieve, those who strive, as aspirants.

Evening Reflection

May the Power of the One True God flow through His group of all true servers;

May the Love of the Christ characterize the lives of all who seek to aid in His work;

May I fulfill my part in the one work through self-forgetfulness, harmlessness and right speech

(Evening Reflection)