Love is the Fulfilling of the Law
ON LOVE; PART CCCXVII
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•Α
GoodWill IS Love in Action
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•Α
In the last post we discussed the endings of the four gospels and noted that in the three synoptic gospels there is what the church has come to call the Great Commission. Each of the gospels present this differently and the difference is most likely in the perspective of the writer as heard the Master or heard of the Master’s words to His apostles, that they should carry on His work. In our view, as is apparent in reading our words, the Master’s instructions have been both misunderstood and misapplied, at least from this English perspective that we KNOW, though it IS likely that this is constant through ALL Christian cultures. As we continually write contrary to established doctrine we should remember that there ARE many such doctrines which are also contrary to each other among the many thousands of Christian denominations in the world today. We should remember as well that there IS a place for these doctrines as they do attract people somewhat to the ways of God and while this in itself is Good, there is yet better and deeper understanding to be had from the words of the Master and His apostles. While there may not be a need to go to the degree of understanding to which we drive ourselves, there must come an sea change of Christian ideas as many people around the world have lost and are losing their desire to listen to the old and worn ideas of the Church Fathers and the Reformers as well as the conflicting and confusing teaching of the denominations.
Our view of the Great Commission is not to preach Christ nor is it to preach Christianity; it IS rather to teach to others those same precepts that the Master taught to His own disciples and to DO so in Love and, as we learn from the apostles, a large part of this Love is that we not be respecters of persons but follow the ways of the apostles in seeing ALL men with a single eye and a single vision that ALL ARE children of God. Perhaps the fault can be found in the New Testament itself as the early apostles were overwhelmed with the Truth of the crucifixion and the resurrection of the Master and that they made Him the centerpiece for much of their teaching, but any honest reading of their writing will show that this tact was more to getting and keeping the attention of those to whom these events were not KNOWN or were not understood and that the Truth of their teachings are in regard to the Way, the Truth and the Life of the disciple in the world. Jesus gives us many wonderful lessons and NONE of them included himself as the centerpiece as His own attitude was humble and meek and this He teaches us as well. We spent much time recently on these ideas and we should KNOW that the reality of meek IS found in NOT DOING those things that we are capable of against others; the reality of meek IS found in our ability to stand apart from the clamoring world and to “take no thought” (Luke 12:22) for the things of this world. We find meek in His instructions and we will find humble and meek in His Nature as He tells us: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:29). We should note here that this Greek word tapeinos has and alternate rendering as humble and it is rendered such in several translations; this gives us a compound picture of lowly as we can see here that he IS humble, but more; that He IS, and that we should be, less assuming than even those of “low degree“. We read in the words of Mary, Jesus mother, from Luke’s Gospel that “For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever” (Luke 1:48-55).
We should note here in Mary’s words the sense of lowliness in her opinion of herself and that this IS the place where the Lord IS born; not into royalty as was the Buddha, but into the everyday world of men of low degree and let us not confuse lowly with the Inner self as in that Inner realm of the Soul, ALL are equal. But the Master is born into a lowly estate and IS, in His own words above, “lowly in heart” and here we should see the Truth of His Life in the world, that in His conscious awareness, His heart, He IS unassuming and this IS beyond even the idea of being humble as He teaches us later; this being “lowly in heart” IS a state of being while humble IS a state of mind. These ideas are however related and the Greek word for humble, tapeinoo, is a derivative of the word for lowly above; hence, both ideas should merge here for us as we see Jesus’ understanding of humble in His words: “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven“. And, as we have previously discussed, this idea here of greatest IS a shared trait for ALL who CAN enter as He tells us saying: “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4, 3). In the context of these verses we should try to see the dynamic of being able to humble oneself to that point where one can be seen as “lowly in heart” and here, in these words we should see the reality of James admonition that “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons” (James 2:1). There IS another saying by the Master that tells us “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:12) and here we should understand the reality of ALL these words in that this first part of exalting oneself is of the world, that it IS exalting oneself here before others, while the being abased is a spiritual component which keeps a man tied to the world by his actions. In the second part, being humble IS of the world as well while this being exalted IS the spiritual component of being able to overcome to some degree one’s existence in the world; to be lifted up so to speak.
This idea of humble and of “lowly in heart” can be difficult concepts for the man in the world and this IS for the most part regardless of his degree of focus upon the things of God as most any focus upon the world leaves one a prey to the illusion and the glamour, the vanity of the Apostle Paul, as these ARE inherent in the ways of the world. It is a human drive, a component of the mind and the emotions, that push men to exalt themselves so as to be seen ‘better’ by others and to impress others with their doings and we should understand that these ideas, like the idea of riches, has a great variability in their effect. It is man’s strong desire to be ahead of his peers and not to be ahead of ALL so that at every level of socioeconomic living there IS a different sense of exaltation and thereby a different level of being humble. However, this sense is of the world, in the Truth of the spiritual aspect one must look to Christ who, as we read above in our understanding of “lowly in heart“, is less assuming than even those of “low degree” and here we should understand even the ‘lowest degree‘. This IS the Nature of Jesus and so as He says “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and “lowly in heart“: and ye shall find rest unto your souls“, He IS putting Himself at the level of the “least of these my brethren” whom He tells us that we should serve. and He says, speaking of such service that: “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40). We must ever remember that in serving the Christ, we are serving as well the Christ Within and our own spiritual development. Again this IS a difficult concept for the man focused in the world but it IS one that grows as the Kingdom grows in the heart of every man who strives as the Master instructs.
And we should see in ALL of this the steady idea that “there is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11) and that as James tells us, there should be NONE with us either. James’ words are blunt and strong as he tells us that “if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors” (James 2:9) and in understanding the concept of sin we should realize that acting in this way in the world serves to keep one in the world and thereby keeps him away from the realization of the Truth of God and we should also see here the sense of deception, as if we are not Loving ALL in this way, that we are not keeping His words which make us subject to James’ other saying that we should “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). This then has the double effect of keeping us in the world and at the same time making us to believe that we are free. Being humble and “lowly in heart” should be seen here as an integral part of living without “respect to persons” and living without “respect to persons” IS an integral part of Love as the Master teaches us in His words that “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Mark 12:31). And we should see ALL of these ideas on Love, being humble and “lowly in heart” and having NO “respect of persons” are as founded in this other saying from the Master, one which IS our guide to Right Living: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12). In ALL these ideas is a great part of the Truth of Love as the Master teaches us.
Meek plays an equally important role in a man’s expression of Love in this world and is also a part of the Nature of the Christ as we read His words: “for I am meek and lowly in heart“. We have defined his idea of meek as positive harmlessness and as humble restraint and this IS more a part of the activity of the man in the world as it was with Jesus who was meek in His interactions with others, than are the ideas of humble and “lowly in heart“. As we have discussed, both Vines and Vincent have addressed meek as self-control and so it is but it IS as well much more as meek must become a way of Life for the aspirant and the disciple while self-control seems more an individual act of will. This is not to diminish the importance of self-control but merely to say that the positive harmlessness and the humble restraint are without thought as they become the natural disposition of the man who follows the Master’s admonition to “Strive to enter in at the strait gate” (Luke 13:24). The Master’s examples of meekness are found in His everyday attitude toward others, always compassionate and always expressing that Love for ALL that He teaches and while He does at times appear to deride the Pharisees and the other religious rulers of the Jews in that day, His comments should more be seen as corrective in nature as He always treats them with that same Love that He has for others. And we should not confuse the thoughts of the apostles with the sincere Love that the Master has for ALL And He teaches us these same things in ALL His sayings regarding our view and our treatment of others and this is but one example of being meek:
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said , Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:38-44).
ALL of this IS meek but meek is also so much more. In the sayings above we show positive harmlessness and humble restraint in the face of adversarial action but we must also show this when one IS not provoked and in situations where a man could easily accomplish his own ends by taking advantage of another and there are countless ways that this IS done daily in this world. Meek then is harmlessness and restraint in ALL dealings with others and again, this must become the natural disposition of the man who desires spiritual advancement. In previous essays we looked at meek from the perspective that it IS a conscious endeavor to NOT act as the man in the world but as the Soul whose nature IS Love. We have said that this attitude of positive harmlessness and self-control IS meekness. Similarly we have the idea of humble restraint which is also a conscious endeavor and which should give us the understanding that when pressed as a man in the world to a point of retaliation of any kind, the meek man steps back and goes his way without much ado; here we have the understanding that although one can take action, he DOES NOT. This should be rather clear but it IS incomplete and today we have added the extra emphasis of natural disposition; that while we may start on this road to meekness by way of self-control and conscious endeavor, we must come to that point and that perspective where this becomes one’s natural disposition in the world of men. It IS in this that the see the True roles of being humble and “lowly in heart” as without these characteristics in thought and attitude which ARE a part of that Love that is expressed to ALL without any “respect of persons“, it is not likely that one can be meek in his relations to others. So then we have this phrasing which should work to help us to understand our role as aspirants and disciples of the Lord who, by their Repentance are Transforming their thoughts, attitudes and actions in the world; that they be no longer “conformed to this world” but ARE “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). We must strive to be:
humble in thought, lowly of heart in attitude and meek in action
These ARE the effect of Transforming through which the mind and the whole of the personality are renewed by the Love and the Power of the Soul which we express to the world of men.
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
| Aspect of God |
Potency |
Aspect of Man |
In Relation to the Great Invocation |
In relation to the Christ |
|
GOD, The Father |
Will or Power |
Spirit or Life |
Center where the Will of God IS KNOWN |
Life |
|
Son, The Christ |
Love and Wisdom |
Soul or Christ Within |
Heart of God |
Truth |
|
Holy Spirit |
Light or Activity |
Life Within |
Mind of God |
Way
|
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.
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)
Today’s Quote of the Day is a repeat of a previous quote and is also featured in our Prayers and Meditations section with some additional comments regarding it. It appears today again because is sets in order our understanding that it is the Power of God that flows through those that serve Him and in this Power is the Love that can heal. When the Love of the Christ can become the character of one’s Life then this Power can be made available in a predictable way and the precepts of the last line will become our mode of conduct.
This is a prayer for the Power of God to be made available to all who seek to serve Him; in this Power is the Wisdom, the Understanding and the personal strength that we need to properly serve the Lord. It is a prayer also that asks that all who serve the Lord be imbued with His Love, Christ’ Love, which defines the truth of our service to Him. And it is a prayer that, on a personal level, reminds us of our responsibilities in service which are summarized in the three words: self-forgetfulness, harmlessness and right speech.
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts!
- 1 Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1828 and 1913
- 2 New Testament Greek Lexicon on BibleStudyTools.com
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
- 6 Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, 1996
