Love is the Fulfilling of the Law
ON LOVE; PART XIV
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•Α
We are getting closer to our chosen topic regarding the state of the man today who would become a disciple of the Master and this is a difficult subject to breach because there are no True guidelines in scripture and the doctrines are but a diluted version of reality. We have posted for many days now the Master’s own words on this subject of discipleship and we do paint this in the same way as being accounted worthy of the Kingdom of God as the Master’s instruction on this is of a similar nature and seemingly just as difficult. We say similar because of the words that the Master uses in the verses on discipleship from the Gospel of Matthew as stated below where His words are interpreted as worthy of Him instead of as discipleship and in this we should understand that this is the impression that the gospel writer had as based on Jesus actual spoken words. The idea for our thoughts on accounted worthy are from Luke’s Gospel in a place where the Master is speaking of the Kingdom and saying to the Sadducees who question Him on the resurrection into the Glory of the Kingdom that “But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection” (Luke 20:35-36). We should understand here that the Kingdom is a more special place than doctrine admits to when they proclaim it as the place where souls of the faithful go in death; the Kingdom is the place of final rest from the labors of incarnation and only those accounted worthy are there and these are, in the Master’s words, “equal unto the angels” which is the result of the High Calling that is involved in this. We then take these words regarding the Kingdom and link them to the interpretation of the Masters’s words in Matthew’s Gospel explaining who IS worthy of Him and we draw the conclusion that this idea of discipleship and this idea of the Kingdom are one and the same and this is more readily seen through our understanding that “the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21) and here we KNOW that this Kingdom is not a place but rather a state of being as is discipleship.
And of this Kingdom the Master tells us of the ways of being accounted worthy of it just as He tells us how we will be accounted worthy of Him. Let us look at some of what the Master tells us of the Kingdom:
- First we should see that the very nature of His message is one of repentance and that the purpose of that repentance is to obtain to the Kingdom. He says “From that time Jesus began to preach , and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17) and this is clear except for the understanding of where this Kingdom is. Do we still today await the Kingdom as a place coming down from heaven? In the combination of the Gospels of Matthew and of Mark we find that the message from the apostles is to be the same; this first as instruction to the disciples as He sends them out saying: “And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 10:7) and this second upon their return as Mark tells us that: “And they went out, and preached that men should repent” (Mark 6:12). So then, first and foremost we can see that repentance, true repentance, is the way to the Kingdom. Repentance is, as we have oft said, a much misunderstood word whose doctrinal interpretation is varied and whose personal interpretation may range from sorrow or regret for some thing done to the reality of it as told us here by Vincent who says: Repentance, then, has been rightly defined as “Such a virtuous alteration of the mind and purpose as begets a like virtuous change in the life and practice.” Sorrow is not, as is popularly conceived, the primary nor the prominent notion of the word4. Simply put in our own jargon, we must change our focus from the things of the world to the things of God which is a thing beyond the mere acknowledgement and changing from individual behaviors and attitudes.
- Second we must consider righteousness and this is another word that is not rightly understood b the world of men. The Master tells us in the Beatitudes that “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10) and it should be understood here that the persecution is for righteousness and not for any affiliation with the church. To properly understand this saying we must understand that one MUST first be righteous. So what is righteous? The scribes and the Pharisees thought they were righteous because they followed along in their doctrines which they believed reflected the word of God but the Master calls them out on their errant belief. He tells us that they may be righteous according to their way but there is so much more to righteousness that they do not express and that we must; He says: “…except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). This is made yet more clear by the Master’s pronouncement of what a man should be doing as regards the Kingdom and what the True nature of righteousness is saying: “…seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). By way of definition we leave this topic with this from the Apostle John who tells us ALL saying: “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous” (1 John 3:7) and we KNOW that the he in this verse IS the Master.
- Third and likely the most important is in this saying by the Master that tends to dismiss any and all who come to Him without the sincerity necessary to do or to strive to do the commandments and to keep His words. One can pretend that he is righteous and that he is repentant but the pretense ends in the Master’s saying that: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). There is a kindred saying that tells us that beyond the relationships here in the Earth is the relationships with the Christ who, when presented with His mortal mother and brethren says to us that: “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother” and it should be clear from these that to do the Will of the Father is the KEY. We should also understand that to do so IS repentance and it IS righteousness. Another allied saying which relates the Will of the Father to the words of the Master is: “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say” (Luke 6:46) which doing, as we KNOW, IS also the KEY ingredient to expressing one’s Love for the Master and for God. This the Master frames for us as: “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15) and again “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” (John 14:23) and this idea of “we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” IS discipleship and IS the Kingdom of God.
- The Master tells us in parables much about the Kingdom and its reality of being far and away better than Life here when focused upon the things of the world. He tells us also that this is a place where there are none of those things that we see as the opposite of the fruit of the Spirit which the Apostle Paul paints for us as the “works of the flesh”; he says “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21). We should understand that “that they which do such things” are focused upon the things of the world and not upon the things of God. It is in this Light that the Master tells us of the simplicity of the Kingdom of God where none of these “works of the flesh” can exist and where we become, in this regard, as children. The Master paints this attitude of the disciple in saying: “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4). Can we understand this? We must remember that the teachings of the Master are parabolic and this is especially True when there is a comparison to be made and in this understanding we should see the idea of children, not as it exists here in the world, but as the nature and attributes of a child in innocence and trusting and fairness and Love. The Master makes this more clear saying that “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14).
- While it may not belong in our list of the ways to be accounted worthy nor how to be, this next idea is one that the Master tells us is contrary to our ability to be such. His words about riches and the rich man are seldom heeded in the world of men as the man who is focused upon the things of the world will twist and turn the teachings of the Master to suit his own predilection toward the perceived pleasures and comforts and excesses of the world. Jesus words are however quite clear albeit there may be some room to work in our overall theme of the treasure of the heart as it relates to our dilemma of living in the world of men and forsaking ALL at the same time. Let us look at what he says without further comment except to note that the idea of being rich is relative to one surroundings….it is at times a state of mind.
- “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Matthew 16:23-24).
- “And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. 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! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:23-25).
- An interesting saying by the Master and one that we have not covered before is found in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus says “…Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power” (Mark 9:1). We should KNOW here that the Master is speaking to more than the twelve as His prior statements tell us that “….he had called the people unto him with his disciples also” (Mark 8:34) and in this is a reality of the Kingdom that is hidden in the clarity of His words. Now this is worded similarly in Luke’s Gospel where we read that “But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:27) and the context here is similar as well. In Matthew’s Gospel however the saying has a different tone and one which is used by some to define the sayings in the other gospels; here the Master says: “Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom” (Matthew 16:28). Our reality here is a simple one and that is that “the kingdom of God is within you” and it is this Kingdom that a man can see during his Life here on Earth. There is no need for death before one can go to the Kingdom, there is only the realization of the Kingdom by means of those ideas that we have put forth above today. The Kingdom is found in repentance and in righteousness, it is found in keeping His words and in doing the Will of the Father, it is found in eschewing the “works of the flesh” through one’s focus upon the things of God and by an attitude that is contrary to these works and in that innocence and fairness and Love as exhibited by a child.
- Lastly we have another greatly misunderstood idea that the Master gives to us in a cryptic parable spoken to Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews and a religious leader. The verses go thus: “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:3-8). Can we see the reality in these words today more clearly than we may have seen them before? What is it to be born again? It is the result of repentance and the precursor of righteousness; it is the effect of the change of the focus of one’s Life away from those things of the world and toward the things of God. Speaking to and of the consciousness that is of the Soul in form, the Master is saying that when that consciousness is focused upon the world of things, it is alive in that world and when that consciousness is focused upon the things of God that the consciousness is reborn, born of the Spirit, or, as we read above, the consciousness which is of the Soul is born again. We have discussed several times the worlds understanding of this being born again as the doctrines of the churches have defined it and we have noted that these doctrines do not address these words of the Master at all and that they lay claim to a thing which is yet beyond the ability of most all of us. To be Truly born again is to have accomplished True repentance and to be on one’s way to True righteousness through keeping His words and focusing on the Truth and on the Love that IS God.
We could go on but these ideas above should serve to show us that the Master’s words on the Kingdom of God are offered in the same vein as are His words on discipleship although one can get the impression by our reading that one can accomplish being accounted worthy of the Kingdom while not becoming a disciple. While this may be True, we should understand as well that the criteria for either one does offer the opportunity of both; perhaps this is because there is but one measure.
We have come yet closer to our chosen topic regarding the state of the man in today’s world who desires to be a disciple and is working out his life as an aspirant to that High Calling of discipleship which is described for us in these sayings:
“If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath , he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26-27, 33).
In the allied saying from Matthew’s Gospel we read:
“He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 10:37-39).
The Apostle John tells us this of the Masters words on discipleship:
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed” (John 8:31).
“Herein is my Father glorified , that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples” (John 15:8).
We leave here again those saying that we have not discussed on faith and believing and the Quote of the Day as well.
- “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6).
- “The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?…..For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him” (Matthew 21:25, 32).
- “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not…….” (Matthew 24:23-26).
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 our quote of the day for another day as in it we find some of the realities of what is man as Spirit, Soul and the Life within the form. In this affirmation we find our understanding of our relationship to God and our relationship to man. Our relationship to God is as Part and Parcel of Him; our relationship to man is in service.
I am a point of light within a greater Light. I am a strand of loving energy within the stream of Love divine. I am a point of sacrificial Fire, focused within the fiery Will of God. And thus I stand I am a way by which men may achieve. I am a source of strength, enabling them to stand. I am a beam of light, shining upon their way. And thus I stand. And standing thus, revolve And tread this way the ways of men, And know the ways of God. And thus I stand.Today’s Quote of the Day is called the Affirmation of the Disciple and is spoken from the perspective of the Soul and not from that of the man in form. It is the Soul that we are in this life on Earth, housed in this ‘temple’ of flesh and it is the Light of the Soul that must flow through this ‘temple’ in order that we may say with the Christ “I have overcome the world” (John 16:33) which is our goal and our destiny. Speaking then as the Soul we affirm our reality and true existence in God and in His Three Aspects of Light and Love and His Will. As this Light and Love and Will flow through our conscious personalities and forms we, as disciples, take on the nature of the second stanza being able to offer to the world a better way through our service and our Love for all, encouragement to righteousness through our strength of purpose, and the Light which shines in accordance with the Master’s instructions to “Let your light so shine before men” (Matthew 5:16) and illuminates the Path. Finally we realize that we are standing in this world and walking as men but, as conscious Souls in form, we know the way and the ways of God and are able to say with the Christ that “I am not of this world” (John 8:23).
Looking at Life as we depict it above in relation to this affirmation we can see the idea presented that we are a part of God and that this is true on multiple levels, the levels that we call the Trinity. Relating these first three lines to the chart above can offer some clarity as to the nature of God and of man. For more on the ideas in this Affirmation of the Disciple please refer to the Quote of the Day from In the Words of Jesus parts 179-181.
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
