ON LOVE; PART DCXIV
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GoodWill IS Love in Action
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“The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 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 12:29-31).
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“Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:36-40).
As we begin our discussion on the fourth chapter of the Epistle of James, we should remember that his words are written to aspirants and disciples as James’ teaching to them on staying the course; on NOT falling back into the ways of the world. While James DOES NOT seem to take the same devotional track that we see in the other epistles, his words ARE nonetheless directed at the same ideas and at the same group of men; those who had heard or seen the Master or had heard of Him, His words and His miracles and chose His Way. It should be apparent to ALL who hear Him or hear of Him that Jesus IS a very special man and it IS likely as well that those who DO NOT have their own agenda to pursue and to protect will come to follow Him….at least for a time. In this view we can see that the more religious the Jew in that day, the more indoctrinated he may have been into the various Jewish sects, the less likely he would be to listen to and heed the Master, despite the Truth and the hope of His words and His deeds. We should try to see here that those who DO follow the Master are not likely to be those who are steeped in religion but would be those whose nurturing was NOT so religious and those who had become disillusioned and dissatisfied with the doctrinal approach to God in that day. It IS the religious rulers of the day and those whose lives were steeped in religion who came out against the Master and these were followed by those who heard them and listened to their reasoning as to why they should not see the Master as the Messiah that they waited for.
There were those that broke out of the doctrinal mold however and it IS to these Jews that the Apostle James writes as he addresses his words “to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad” (James 1:1). It IS uncertain how many Jews came to Christ in the early days but we DO KNOW that the Jewish religion carried on much as it had before the Master came among them and, in the strength of their religious ties to their own doctrine, they created an atmosphere of error saying that those who did follow Christ were wrong and risked whatsoever eternal damnation their doctrines taught. This IS of course the same sense of religious glamour that we find yet today where religious men sense that change will doom their own religious agenda and then they teach their followers of their potential mistake and the risk of that same damnation. In our view, this way of religion today IS NOT far removed from the the ways of the Jews nearly 2000 years ago and that most would NOT recognize Christ today if He were to return in any other way than the prevalent denominational predictions of His coming. The Master teaches us on this idea under His own words on false prophets but this IS NOT understood in regard to He Himself; His words are erroneously understood to address only men who come speaking in His Name. We read His words saying:
“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).
We addressed these words in some detail as a part of our discussion of the Sermon on the Mount (In the Words of Jesus parts 969-970) and we will NOT DO so here again except to address the idea that the Master leaves for us to understand in relation to those who DO come teaching the word of God; that we can KNOW their veracity by what it IS that they DO and say. This DOING and saying IS NOT in relation to one’s doctrinal understanding however but rather in relation to the Truth of His word and this IS something that the Jews in Jesus’ day did NOT consider; that what He was saying was the greater Truth as He spoke against their doctrines. It IS in the simple words that “Ye shall know them by their fruits“…..that “by their fruits ye shall know them” that we can KNOW and, to our benefit today, we have the words of the apostles to help us to understand just what these fruits ARE. And this IS what we have been speaking about in our discussion on righteousness over the last few essays and it IS in this light that we cited the Apostle John’s words saying “let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous” (1 John 3:7).
Men today, as men 2000 years ago, are likely however to interpret righteousness according to doctrine rather than according to the Truth of His words and in these ideas on how men should see teachers among them, that they should “know them by their fruits” and understand the reality of righteousness, this IS NOT likely the way that most who speak differently than doctrine ARE seen. And this IS our point regarding the coming again of the Master; that if he were to come into a Hindu society, teaching the Truth of the word of God in Love, He would NOT be accepted by the mainstream of Christianity. If He were to come in a more secular society and without strong religious Christian ties, He IS NOT likely to be accepted. If He were to come from most any society speaking against the doctrinal ideas of baptism or atonement and salvation, He would NOT be accepted and would be called a heretic. And we should understand that these things are likely True even in the face of his healing and His miracles which would likely become the subject of much debate and ridicule.
As James writes to disciples and aspirants in that day, he writes to aspirants and disciples yet today and it IS they who will find the reality to his straightforward and blunt words which in many ways contradict the prevailing doctrines but, at the same time, mirror the Master’s words. In the first three chapters we have seen the reality of the disciple who IS perhaps struggling in his efforts and who can find in James’ words some guidance regarding those things with which he struggles; and in our last part, his understanding of what thoughts and attitudes, what revelation and realization, IS Truly from God, from the Soul and the Christ Within, as opposed to those which ARE from the desires of the personality in the world. This same guidance continues here in the fourth chapter where we begin with these verses:
“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust , and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:1-3).
This opening line of the fourth chapter may not be as it appears; it may not reflect actual “wars and fightings among you” but rather the idea of how these occur and we should not get too tied into the idea that this IS only between persons as there IS a internal component here which IS reflected in the apostles second reference to the idea of double minded a few verses further on. The word that IS rendered as among IS is the Greek word en and while this IS the common rendering in this verse as well as the common understanding, the word itself has a variety of meanings and renderings; we read in the lexicon that en means: in, by, with etc.2, and that it IS rendered as: in 1874, by 141, with 134, among 117, at 112, on 46, through 37, miscellaneous 321 2. From our perspective it IS the doctrinal view of the apsotle’s intent that has caused this saying to be understood as it IS, as fighting among people, as they DO NOT see the internal struggle that IS found in duality as we DO. Many of the following words can easily imply the internal struggle and can hint at such struggle among men; the greater reality IS that the apostle means us to see both. We can see the “wars and fightings among you” as the outer struggle as the apostle moves us from his transitional verse regarding Peace and the following ideas that “ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war“. And, we can see the internal struggle in these same verses and this brings us back to our opening remarks that these words from the apostle ARE written to the aspirant and the disciple and NOT ONLY to the man who struggles with his brother, his neighbor and the stranger. Like many of the sayings that we have reviewed, there IS a dual meaning that can be seen in James’ choice of words and his style of writing so that the casual reader will see the ideas of the interpersonal conflict while the aspirant, the disciples and the seeker will see the intrapersonal struggle as well and perhaps as the primary focus of the idea.
This intrapersonal kind of struggle IS not a popular idea generally as this word is not even listed in ALL dictionaries and it IS affiliated with field of Psychology where it IS found; for us it simply means that this IS a personal struggle within the mind and the self and in reality this IS NOT odd at all. Many people reason out their own thoughts and doings with the mind and the emotions and when this reasoning becomes yet deeper the idea of conscience can be seen as well in the struggle through duality of the aspirant and the disciple. We can see the apostle’s words in this light and we can see the “wars and fightings” as being within the man; between the carnal leaning of the personality and the spiritual focus of the consciousness. If we can see the idea of law as more than the edicts of religion and extend this idea into the working of the carnal mind in the world, we can see this idea from James as the personal experience of the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans. The word rendered as law has many meanings that are not to be understood as these edicts only but rather as: anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, a law, a command of any law whatsoever 2, and in this we should be able to see our point. In this context Paul speaks about the law of the flesh and says:
“For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate , that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:14-23).
This IS the apostle’s personal depiction of the struggle, of the duality found in the Life of the aspirant and the disciple who has NOT yet overcome these things, and this can easily be seen as James point of reference. We should try to see here a broader understanding of the mind, that this IS NOT the idea of mind that we see in relation to the personality and the ways of the world but this IS intended to be that higher mind that IS the functioning of the spiritual self as opposed to the flesh. Paul completes his thought with that intrapersonal question and his own ready answer saying: “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:24-25). This IS the struggle of duality that we ALL face and while we call it the consciousness that intercedes spiritually and in opposition to the temptations and the lures of the self and the world, we DO mean this same thing: that in this state of duality, where we DO KNOW the opposing sides intimately, it IS our flesh, our personality and our body, that is pulled into conformance with the ways of the world and it IS the Soul working through the consciousness that ever resists.
This IS James reference as well and we should try to see that these ideas ARE NOT hidden from view only by the choice of words that the apostle uses, but by the common understanding of Life that we are taught from the earliest of days: that we ARE these forms in the world that has an eternal component rather than that we ARE the Soul expressing Life through form. In the former view we have no reason to seek any further for a Truer understanding of the dynamics of Life, of how the Soul, the True man, seeks to be the expression of the man in the world, to wrest the consciousness away from the personality Life that has hijacked it through those many years of nurturing and experience. And so the rhetorical question of Paul: “who shall deliver me from the body of this death? ” and the equally rhetorical question posed by James as he asks: “From whence come wars and fightings among within you?” can both be seen in the same way as they show forth the internal struggle of the man whose focus has turned to God and who sees on both sides.
James helps us to answer this question as he continues to tell us about the ways of man and how that these ways of carnal focus and carnal living ARE the cause of these problems for the aspirant and for the disciple who has NOT yet overcome. We close today with this from our Tibetan brother regarding this realm of duality:
For what is a disciple? He is one who seeks to learn a new rhythm, to enter a new field of experience, and to follow the steps of that advanced humanity who have trodden ahead of him the path, leading from darkness to light, from the unreal to the real. He has tasted the joys of life in the world of illusion and has learnt their powerlessness to satisfy and hold him. Now he is in a state of transition between the new and the old states of being. He is vibrating between the condition of soul awareness and form awareness. He is “seeing double” **.
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
| Aspect |
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.
As we approach the Wesak Festival at the Full Moon of May, it seems appropriate that we post the Great Invocation as our Quote of the Day. Wesak IS the Festival of the Buddha and it IS said that on this day the Buddha returns to us and stands with the Christ to help to focus the attention of men of GoodWill on the Truth of the Plan of God, the Plan that can come to fruition in the expression of the Light and Love and Power in the world of men.
From the point of Light within the Mind of God
Let light stream forth into the minds of men.
Let Light descend on Earth.
From the point of Love within the Heart of God
Let love stream forth into the hearts of men.
May Christ return to Earth.
From the centre where the Will of God is known
Let purpose guide the little wills of men–
The purpose which the Masters know and serve.
From the centre which we call the race of men
Let the Plan of Love and Light work out
And may it seal the door where evil dwells.
Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.
This prayer is a part of our Prayers and Meditations section and there is much information about it there and in our discussion of it in the Quote of the Day section of In the Words of Jesus parts 128-132
The above Invocation or Prayer does not belong to any person or group but to all Humanity. The beauty and the strength of this Invocation lies in its simplicity, and in its expression of certain central truths which all men, innately and normally, accept—the truth of the existence of a basic Intelligence to Whom we vaguely give the name of God; the truth that behind all outer seeming, the motivating power of the universe is Love; the truth that a great Individuality came to earth, called by Christians, the Christ, and embodied that love so that we could understand; the truth that both love and intelligence are effects of what is called the Will of God; and finally the self-evident truth that only through humanity itself can the Divine Plan work out.
Like the Lord’s Prayer, this invocation is a World Prayer which is as all that a prayer is intended to be. It is a prayer for the uplifting of the Human Family out of the mire of materialism and selfishness. The Lord’s Prayer asks nothing for the individual praying it but asks that its benefits be for US and for WE which is why it was given by the Christ as a prayer and as a model over 2000 years ago. This invocation is also attributed to the Christ who, as He promised, has never left us; He, through channels that we do not readily understand, has Himself instructed His disciples to distribute this prayer and to encourage its use as a world prayer and as an aid in preparing the world for His return.
The first three stanzas of this prayer should be understood as reflecting the effective potencies of the Trinity which is God and which, when brought down to an individual level, the Trinity which is Man. His Will, His Love and His Light we should seen as the Potent Powers of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts!
- 2 New Testament Greek Lexicon on BibleStudyTools.com
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
- ** A Treatise on White Magic or The Way of the Disciple by Alice Bailey ©1951 by Lucis trust
