IN THE WORDS OF JESUS–Part 1133

ON LOVE; PART DCCXXII

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GoodWill IS Love in Action

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FIRST IS THE GREAT COMMANDMENTS: “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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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.

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PLUS THE EVER IMPORTANT AND HIGH IDEAL TAUGHT TO US BY THE CHRIST: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12).

While the story of the two disciples who walked with Christ unawares after His resurrection may seem as that it IS but a story, it IS for us a teaching that sets the stage for our understanding of the ‘move the mountain’ Power of the Divine Presence of the Master and, by way of His many other teachings, a promise of the divine Presence that ALL men can have in this world. In the many things that the Master tells us, we should be able to see this Power at work and the way that this same Power IS ours when we can come to KNOW the fullness of our own divine nature; a fullness that IS our realization and revelation, our grace, as this flows through the conscious Life from the Soul, the Christ and the God Within. ALL of this ability, this grace, in the Life of the Master IS covered under His words that say “I have overcome the world” (John 16:33) and this saying should be seen in its fullness as well; that this IS NOT just His overcoming the ways of the world psychically but the very laws of the nature of Life in this world.  This physical world IS NO match the supernatural Power of the divine nature; this IS shown by the Master and this IS promised to us.

When we can look at these ideas as a single thought: the Master’s ability to control the very forces of nature in the stilling of the storm and the withering of the fig tree as well as the many works of healing and the feeding of the multitudes, and the promise that He offers to us in this fourteenth chapter of John’s Gospel saying “the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do” (John 14:12), we can begin to understand the dynamic nature of the disciple. And this IS but a part of the lesson offered in this story that we have been discussing, a story that shows us that it IS NOT the physical presence that IS the man, it IS the divine Presence, the Presence of the Christ in the story and the Presence of the Christ Within for the disciple. The Master and His apostles go to great lengths to show us these Truths as they make plain the idea that the Christ DOES NOT appear to the two as Jesus yet He speaks to them in the fullness of Jesus’ knowledge and understanding. And this IS NOT the only thing; we read further on that: “And as they thus spake , Jesus himself stood in the midst of them” (Luke 24:36) and in this we can understand another provision of His divine nature as He IS able to take form at will. Of what we see as this same event, the Apostle Mark tells us that “he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen” (Mark 16:14) and we should see in this the same reality.

Much of doctrine DOES NOT see the supernatural value of these words of scripture that seem to us to be rather specific in their allusions; John Gill for example tells us this regarding the words above from Luke’s Gospel: Christ rose from the dead, and late at night; see ( John 20:19 ) and without hearing the doors opened, or the sound of the feet of Jesus, and without seeing him come in, and approach unto them, he, in a moment, at once, stood in the middle of them, as if he had immediately rose up out of the earth before them; and so the Persic version renders it, “Jesus rose up out the midst of them”: by his power he opened the and secretly let himself in, and shut them again at once; and by the agility of his body moved so swiftly, that he was not discerned until he was among them, where he stood to be seen, and known by them; whereby he made that good in a corporeal sense, which he had promised in a spiritual sense ⁸. While there ARE some Christian denominations that DO have a greater understanding of the supernatural Power of Christ, most DO NOT see this idea in the fullness of His complete control over the physical nature nor the idea that we too can DO these “greater works“. There ARE many places in the Gospels that show us this supernatural Power of the Master and there are many places in the Book of Acts that show us how that the apostles could DO some of these things as well; and this IS especially True in the Life of the Apostle Peter. Paul also has much of this Power but it IS in the Life of Peter that we are shown the progression from fisherman to True disciple and, although His works are ofttimes shown as the works of an angel, the reality IS that it IS the divine nature of Peter DOING them. Why Luke chooses to portray these things as the work of an angel IS uncertain but we should understand here that the Soul, the Inner and True man, can be considered as this angel, this divine being who IS living for a time through a body in this world. 

There IS much confusion regarding the idea of angels in Christianity and many different beliefs as to just what IS meant by the use of this term in the Greek as opposed to the use of elohim, which IS also rendered as God, in the Hebrew. While there IS great mystery concerning this idea of angels this IS NO greater that the mysteries of the Christ Within or the Kingdom of God and we should try to see that ALL of these ideas ARE related. In this we should try to see that the angel who frees Peter from prison in Luke’s rendering of that story IS in reality his own Inner self, his Soul and the activity of his own sense of Christ Within acting as the Spirit of God….the Holy Spirit that we have been discussing from John’s Gospel. Can we see this idea in the way that the word IS rendered from the Hebrew as elohim against how this IS offered to us by the Master who tells us, speaking of Souls who are in the resurrection which is yet another rather nebulous term, that “For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven“(Matthew 22:30). While this IS Jesus answer to a specific question regarding the Sadducee’s mistaken ideas about marriage, there IS a understanding offered here regarding angels as the very nature of the Soul. In another place we read of angels in regard to children; the Master says: “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). While the common understanding here may have given rise to the idea of ‘guardian’ angels, the reality here should be understood to be that the Souls of these children ARE in and ARE a part of the Kingdom of God where they “do always behold the face of my Father“. Again we have the parabolic language obscuring any True sense of certainty of Jesus words, words that ARE spiritual and must be “spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

While IS was not our intent to cover this idea of angels again, this IS an opportunity to show the uncertainty of this according to doctrine and to reveal the idea as a part of that activity of the Christ Within in the world, the activity of the Soul and the Spirit of man whose expression IS as an angel of God, whose expression IS the Holy Spirit. The writer of the Book of Hebrews repeats a saying from the Psalms of David and this combination has given rise of much discussion regarding angels; we read:

• From Psalms: “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet” (Psalms 8:4-6).
• From Hebrews: “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet” (Hebrews 2:6-7).

We should note here that the word angels in Psalms IS rendered from the Hebrew elohim which IS generally rendered as god although some render this as God and others as Godhead. Here, the writer of Hebrews, renders the Hebrew idea as the Greek word aggelos which IS angels in English. Vincent includes these ideas regarding the translation of the Hebrew to Greek in the Septuagint as part of his comments on this verse from Hebrews; we read: The lxx translators understand it, not as representing the personal God, but that which is divine, in which sense it would be appropriate to angels as having divine qualities ⁴. In the combination of these ideas we should try to see that the idea IS One, that the angel IS god and in this we have the Spirit and Soul of man and the Christ Within the man in form in this world. Most DO NOT understand this reality of God in man nor the idea that the word angel refers to this same idea. This IS however the teaching that we are currently discussing from John’s Gospel and which IS brought out for us in the Master’s words which we repeat here again.

“At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:20-26).

Again we must understand the role of realization and revelation which should show us that while the ALL men have this divine part, this angelic Spirit or Soul that IS part and parcel of God, most DO NOT realize this Truth. It IS only the man whose focus IS on the things of God that can see this and it IS only the man who can see past the carnal ideas of his own preconceptions or any doctrinal teachings that can understand these Truths. This IS the idea that we were trying to bring out in the last essay as we showed that the apostles DO keep His words and are thereby graced with the Presence of God and of the Christ but, at the same time, they DO NOT understand nor clearly see these Truths. While this may seem to put holes into our idea of grace as these realizations and revelations of Truth, we should remember that these things come into the Life of a man by degree; and, at the same time as this grace comes into the mind of the man in the world, there must be a displacement of the preconceptions and the doctrinal approach that was previously held as True. In this we can see the yet deeper reality of the apostle Paul’s words saying to disciples and aspirants: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).

Can we see here that there IS a double sense of Transformation that comes about in these words from Paul. There IS first the Transformation of the Life of the man in the world who has Repented and has come to change his focus, to change his thoughts, attitudes and ideas from the self in the world to the things of God and there IS yet another Transformation from the old thoughts, attitudes and ideas about God to the greater Truths and the realities found in the revealed mysteries. While we generally speak of this dual Transformation as a single endeavor, there IS a definite separation that can be seen and which IS highlighted for us in the Master’s words here and the reaction of His apostles. This IS the reality of the words of the Apostle John who tells us about the unction, the anointing that “teacheth you of all things” (1 John 2:27) and, as we have said in our previous essays on this matter, this IS the same idea that the Master offers us above regarding the Holy Spirit who “shall teach you all things“. We should understand here that in the individuality of men, in their “several ability” to see Truth and to keep His words, there can be many variations in the way that men come to the Kingdom and to the fullness of their realization of the Truth, and much of this IS bound in the nurturing and experience of one’s Life which become those things that bind us to the world of men.  We should understand here that this IS the reality of that duality that afflicts the man who has found Repentance and that this dual nature is a complex thing that afflicts both sides of the Transformation of the man…..his ability to keep His words and his ability to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom of God.

It IS in both of these areas that we must strive and while we generally see this as one journey on the Path the His Kingdom, we should understand the complexities of that journey. And we should try to see that it IS Love that conquers ALL. Love IS yet the great KEY to ALL of our spiritual pursuits and it IS in Love that we can accomplish ALL things. From the perspective of keeping His words the idea of Love IS the Way and while one may be able to approach the tenets of the law and keep them, he CAN NOT fully achieve without fully committing to Love. It IS when we Love that ALL other things are accomplished as we can DO NO other thing in the reality of the Great Commandment that shows us to “love thy neighbour as thyself“. It IS on the other side of this Love which we discussed in the last essay that we find the KEY that opens the door of understanding, it IS in that Love for God that IS reflected in keeping His words because He IS Lord. In this sense a man comes to see God in the reality of Life….as the spiritual whole of which he IS a part and of which every other Soul IS a part as well. It IS this sense of Love that we see in the words of the Master above, that when we Love Him as shown by keeping His words, we will have the Presences of God, the True realization of God in Life and it IS in this that we come to understand the great mysteries of Life and of the Kingdom. It IS in this that the Spirit of God works in the Life of the man and which “shall teach you all things” and it IS in this that we should see the deeper ideas of the Transformation of mind of which Paul speaks above.

ALL of these things must perforce work together; it IS from the intersection of Love and keeping His words that the Path IS tread and we should KNOW that these ideas are inseparable. It IS grace and our realizations of Truth that bring us to this intersection and it IS grace, greater realizations and revelations, that are our reward at every step of the way. It IS ONLY through our expression of this grace in Life that we can see more grace and come to see the Truth; not only the Truth of keeping His words but the Truth of the Kingdom of God and one’s relationship to Him. Both of these ideas of grace come by degree; one which IS proportionate to one’s focus and one’s expression of what grace he may have received; and it IS in both of these that we ARE Transformed; Transformed to see our relationship to our brothers in Love and Transformed to see our relationship to God.

We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.

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 repeat here again a saying that is from the Bhagavad Gita, which goes well with our theme of the God Within, the Soul, which we see as the Christ Within and while this is good in the Christian world and is True based upon our understanding of the Christ as the manifestation of God, we should also see in these words below that it does not matter what these divine ideas are called; that it matters not what we call this Inner Man, that he is the same in ALL, he is the Soul.

Thou carriest within thee a sublime Friend whom thou knowest not. For God dwells in the inner part of every man, but few know how to find Him. The man who sacrifices his desires and his works to the Beings from whom the principles of everything stem, and by whom the Universe was formed, through this sacrifice attains perfection. For one who finds his happiness and joy within himself, and also his wisdom within himself is one with God. And, mark well, the soul which has found God is freed from rebirth and death, from old age and pain, and drinks the water of Immortality.—Bhagavad-Gita

It is difficult to tell just what verses of the Bhagavad Gita the above is from; whether it is a paraphrase or a combination. It is from the book “The Great Initiates” by Édouard Schuré which was originally published in French in 1889 and perhaps it is in the translation of the verses that they become hard to recognize. However, the sheer beauty of the presentation caught my attention and so I share it with you. The Path to the Kingdom is the same no matter what religion one professes.

Let the peace of God rule in your hearts!

• ⁴ Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
• ⁸ Bible commentaries on BibleStudyTools.com