{"id":14325,"date":"2017-12-03T17:01:13","date_gmt":"2017-12-04T00:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newagedevelopments.org\/blog\/?p=14325"},"modified":"2017-12-03T17:01:13","modified_gmt":"2017-12-04T00:01:13","slug":"in-the-words-of-jesus-part-1558","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newagedevelopments.org\/blog\/2017\/12\/03\/in-the-words-of-jesus-part-1558\/","title":{"rendered":"IN THE WORDS OF JESUS\u2013Part 1558"},"content":{"rendered":"

ON LOVE; PART MCXCVII<\/span><\/h2>\n
\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9<\/span><\/h6>\n

GoodWill\u00a0IS Love in Action<\/span><\/h2>\n
\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9<\/span><\/h6>\n

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<\/em>” (Mark 12:29-31).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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. While this IS from an older definition of Charity, which IS rendered in the King James Bible from the same Greek word agape<\/em> which IS generally rendered as Love,\u00a0we should amend our own definition here to include the idea that in the reality of Love a man will accord to ALL men ALL things that he would accord to himself and to say that Love IS our thoughts and attitude\u00a0of the equality of ALL men regardless of their outward nature or appearance…that ALL ARE equally children of Our\u00a0One God<\/span><\/p>\n

\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/em>” (Matthew 7:12).<\/span><\/p>\n

We ended the last essay by beginning a deeper analysis of the words used by the Apostle Paul to describe Love which IS rendered in our selection as charity<\/em> from the Greek word agape<\/em>. Paul’s words here, in what IS become the thirteenth chapter of his First Epistle to the Corinthians, begin with his telling us of the importance of Love, of agape<\/em>, as a Christian ideal by relegating ALL seemingly important Christian ‘signs’ to lesser positions with comments that show us that to be able to speak in tongues<\/em>, to be able to prophesy<\/em>, and even to be philanthropic ARE of NO value spiritually if one’s expression<\/em><\/strong> IS NOT agape<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the rendering of agape<\/em> as charity<\/em> can be more clearly understood from the older dictionaries as we cite above, the reality of such charity<\/em> DOES NOT come across in our modern understanding of the rendered words charity<\/em> or Love<\/em>. Both have taken on the modern ideas; Love as the mental and emotional attraction and attachment to others and to things and ch<\/em>arity as:\u00a0generous actions or donations to aid the poor, ill, or helpless<\/em> 7<\/sup>. Both of these defining ideas totally miss the mark that IS the Truth of agape<\/em> as this word IS intended in the bible.<\/span><\/p>\n

But men DO NOT see the reality of this Love as the Way to Truly find the Lord and this despite Paul’s most clear way of presenting agape<\/em> as that Way. Aside from their doctrinal views, much of the problem has ever been in men’s understanding of just what Love IS; and it IS likely because of the lack of spiritual force in the common idea of Love that the King James translators chose the idea of charity<\/em>\u00a0in these verses from Paul. Our paraphrase of the definition of charity<\/em> from Webster’s 1828 dictionary, while closer to the Truth, DOES NOT yet reflect the Truth of agape<\/em> as it IS so much more than that definition that says of charity<\/em>:\u00a0In a general sense charity is\u00a0 love, benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good\u00a0<\/em>1<\/sup>. Repeating Paul’s words again, we substitute agape<\/em> for the translated word charity<\/em>; we read:<\/span><\/p>\n

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not agape, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.\u00a0And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not agape, I am nothing.\u00a0And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not agape, it profiteth me nothing<\/em>” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).<\/span><\/p>\n

“Agape<\/em> suffereth long, and is kind; agape envieth not; agape vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,\u00a0Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;\u00a0Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;\u00a0Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Agape never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away<\/em>”\u00a0(1 Corinthians 13:4-8).<\/span><\/p>\n

With much hindsight, it IS easy to say that this word agape<\/em> should have NOT have been translated into Love as its deeper meaning IS lost among the various Greek words that also have that rendering and a more carnal perspective. It IS in agape<\/em> that we find the True definition of that idea that IS seen by some as the ‘God kind of Love’ but even this idea IS become trite, it has lost its deeper meanings in the doctrinal ideas that even God’s Love for man operates in a carnal setting. It IS here that we should try to see that there IS NOTHING that IS Truly from “the Father of lights<\/em>“, as the Apostle James calls the Lord, that IS carnal and that it IS in their carnal sense that so many Christians teach and believe that such things of the world will come in prayer and that nebulous idea of believing<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

When we read James words saying that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning<\/em>” (James 1:17) we should understand that the context that the apostle offers us IS found in the previous verses and in the idea that “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him<\/em>”\u00a0(James 1:17, 5). And we should connect ALL of the dots here; first we resist<\/em> the carnal temptations<\/em> that ARE temptations<\/em> to ALL things carnal; second that it IS in the Wisdom that comes in men’s revelations<\/em><\/strong> and realizations<\/strong><\/em> that IS the Wisdom from God….from the God and Christ Within.<\/span><\/p>\n

Third we should see that James IS equalizing men; he IS showing us to “Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted….But the rich, in that he is made low<\/em>” (James 1:9, 10) and we should see the idea of wealth here as but an example as we should in the apostle’s later words on Love, words which show us to have NO “respect to persons<\/em>” (James 2:9). Finally we should see the connection that James forges for us, the connection between getting such Wisdom from\u00a0“the Father of lights<\/em>” in revelation<\/strong><\/em> and realization<\/em><\/strong> which IS “Every good gift<\/em>” and the reality that men should “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves<\/em>“. It IS this that IS “the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls<\/em>” (James 1:22, 21).<\/span><\/p>\n

This brings us to the Greek word hupomone<\/em> which IS rendered as patience<\/em> in contrast to the word\u00a0makrothumia <\/em>which IS translated as the same idea.\u00a0<\/em>James tells us to “count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;\u00a0Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.\u00a0But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing<\/em>” (James 1:2-4) as he begins this discussion which ends in his admonition that we\u00a0“be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves<\/em>“. Here, in a most personal sense, the idea of patience IS a steadfastness<\/em> of which Thayer tells us that this IS:\u00a0the characteristic of a man who is unswerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings<\/em> .<\/span><\/p>\n

This idea of hupomone<\/em>, while NOT fitting with the common understanding of the translated word patience, IS closer to the idea intended than that which we find in\u00a0makrothumia\u00a0<\/em>which we discussed in the last essay where this word IS used to describe agape<\/em> as “Agape<\/em> suffereth long<\/em>“. This idea of long-suffering<\/em> IS rendered as patience<\/em> by several as well as in those plaques and wedding ceremonies that use Paul’s idea as it were focused<\/em> upon Love between specific persons. To be sure, the idea of patience<\/em> as this IS commonly understood, as: an<\/span>\u00a0ability<\/span>\u00a0or<\/span>\u00a0willingness<\/span>\u00a0to<\/span>\u00a0suppress<\/span>\u00a0restlessness<\/span>\u00a0or<\/span>\u00a0annoyance<\/span>\u00a0when\u00a0<\/span>confronted<\/span>\u00a0with<\/span>\u00a0<\/em>delay<\/em> or as:\u00a0tolerant\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0even-tempered\u00a0perseverance 7<\/sup><\/em>,\u00a0<\/span>fails against what IS intended by both Paul and James.<\/span><\/p>\n

And while the Webster’s 1828 version shows us the defining idea of patience<\/em> as:\u00a0The suffering of afflictions, pain, toil, calamity, provocation or other evil, with a calm, unruffled temper; endurance without murmuring or fretfulness. Patience may spring from constitutional fortitude, from a kind of heroic pride, or from christian submission to the divine will<\/em> , this perception IS NO longer True. Hence the idea of hupomone<\/em> should be steadfastness <\/em>on a personal level while\u00a0<\/em>makrothumia<\/em>\u00a0should NOT but should be understood as a more universal defining quality of agape<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The point here IS that the patience<\/em> that James speaks of IS a personal spiritual virtue in a man that makes him\u00a0unswerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety <\/em>and NOT the carnal ideas that many apply; this IS a steadfastness<\/em> of focus<\/em> that DOES NOT waver<\/em> from the things of God as the apostle goes on to show us. James tells us a succinct Truth regarding the intimate relationship between one’s focus<\/em> upon the things of God and the Wisdom that comes in that focus<\/em> and while men may believe that the idea that “Every good gift and every perfect gift<\/em>” includes the carnal ‘blessings’ of things, the reality IS that here and throughout the New Testament this ‘blessing’ IS Wisdom.<\/span><\/p>\n

And what IS this Wisdom but the revelations<\/em><\/strong> and the realizations<\/strong><\/em> that come in the Presence of God in one’s Life, in the effect of having the Christ and God Within be the motivation for ALL one’s thoughts and attitudes which ARE perforce thoughts and attitudes of Love. James’ lesson here IS one of focus<\/em> and that in this focus<\/em> on the things of God one will desire<\/em> ONLY those things of which Wisdom IS primary. James tells us “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God<\/em>” and if we can see the idea here of asking<\/em> from the Greek word aiteo<\/em> in terms of spiritual desire<\/em>, we can then have a better picture of the dynamic at play.<\/span><\/p>\n

There IS however a caveat here that must be understood when desiring<\/em> such things from God as Wisdom and James makes this perfectly clear saying “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.\u00a0For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.\u00a0A double minded man is unstable in all his ways<\/em>” (James 1:6-8). Can we see the point here? And can we see the way that\u00a0hupomone<\/em>\u00a0as steadfastness<\/em> enters into the reality of focus?<\/em>\u00a0 James IS showing us that “every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed<\/em>” (James 1: 14) and that it IS steadfastness<\/em> in focus<\/em> that can differentiate between those things of the world toward which one IS tempted<\/em> and\u00a0“Every good gift and every perfect gift<\/em>“.<\/span><\/p>\n

And we should understand also that there IS NO waiting<\/em> involved in this idea of\u00a0hupomone<\/em>\u00a0as the rendering of this in terms of patience<\/em> may suggest; nor IS there the common understanding of waiting<\/em> in the other Greek word that we have been studying,\u00a0makrothumia<\/em>. This idea of\u00a0makrothumia<\/em>\u00a0as an aspect of Love should be seen as a more universal concept which shows us that agape<\/em> IS as well steadfast<\/em> but more importantly it IS the result of the ideas that James shows us using\u00a0hupomone<\/em>. Without the steadfast focus<\/em> upon the things of God, the Truth and the reality of agape<\/em> DO NOT impact the minds of men; they DO NOT see the deeper realities that this word agape<\/em> reveals.<\/span><\/p>\n

We should understand here that the reality of agape<\/em>,while lost in the vanity<\/em>, in the illusion<\/strong> and the glamour<\/strong>, can begin to be understood when the idea IS revealed to the carnal mind and that it IS this reality of agape<\/em> that DOES begin to turn a man’s focus<\/em> away from the self and the things of the self and onto the things of God. We should understand here as well that one’s sense of agape may NOT enable a man to see the spiritual aspects directly but most assuredly indirectly as one’s expression<\/em><\/strong> becomes increasingly in line with Love for one’s fellow man regardless of that person’s definition of that Love. This sense of agape<\/em> IS found in the reality of GoodWill which IS the activity of agape<\/em> in this world.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Advent of the Christ was the beginning of the spiritual emphasis on\u00a0agape<\/em> in the world of men; this was the Master’s teaching which can be seen as His singular admonition throughout the gospels. And it IS this same idea of agape<\/em> that colors the clarifying and amplifying of His words by His apostles and while this IS NOT the doctrinal view, this IS largely because of the defining understanding applied to agape<\/em> as Love. For 2000 years the idea of GoodWill and Universal Love have been obnubilated by the carnal desires of men who DID NOT realize that they DID “lack wisdom<\/em>” and in that state they DID NOT “ask of God<\/em>“.<\/span><\/p>\n

Save for the few whose focus<\/em> IS Truly upon the things of God, the many have ONLY the “wisdom of this world<\/em>” of which Paul tells us that “the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness<\/em>” (1 Corinthians 3:19). And it IS this craftiness<\/em> that plays its hand in most ALL arenas of the Life in this world; in religion and in politics this craftiness<\/em> IS on full display as both seek to divide men according to whatsoever sense of allegiance they may have. It IS this craftiness<\/em> that continually overwhelms the sincere efforts at GoodWill that have come upon mankind and it IS this craftiness that prolongs the carnal ideas of race, religion, culture, ALL diversities of men, in prejudices and outward hatred of those who appear and who think differently.<\/span><\/p>\n

And this returns us to the greater ideas which we should try to see in\u00a0makrothumia<\/em>\u00a0as we try to understand that this IS so much more than patience<\/em> and longsuffering<\/em>.\u00a0Makrothumia<\/em>\u00a0IS used by the Apostle Peter who tells us that the Lord “is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance<\/em>” and if we can see this idea in terms of agape<\/em> rather than patient<\/em> waiting for men to Repent<\/em><\/strong>, we can then better understand this word idea. If we can see here that this sense of\u00a0makrothumia<\/em>\u00a0IS an active understanding of the Truth of men which God has and compound this idea of activity with James’ words on the husbandman<\/em>, that while he “waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth<\/em>” he IS at the same time actively working toward gaining that fruit<\/em>, then we can more easily see how that this IS Truly an aspect of agape<\/em>….of the active\u00a0expression<\/em> <\/strong>by men of agape<\/em> in this world.<\/span><\/p>\n

To understand this idea of\u00a0makrothumia<\/em>\u00a0in terms of an expression<\/em><\/strong> of Love, of agape,<\/em> IS the intent of the apostle and since this expression<\/em><\/strong> of agape<\/em> IS intended to be universal, toward ALL men, it must perforce be that sense of understanding which results in GoodWill toward ALL. This understanding sees past the differences that encompass ALL humanity and which will eventually see ONLY the Unity in that diversity; this understanding works without fear and without prejudice and with a KNOWING that as Souls we ARE ALL the same regardless of our appearance, our thoughts and attitudes or our actions.<\/span><\/p>\n

This understanding sees the enemy and the friend in the same Light, it DOES NOT distinguish between the rich and the poor….it treats them equally; this idea of\u00a0makrothumia\u00a0<\/em>IS the primary architect of having NO “respect to persons<\/em>“. Paul shows us this in his words to the Thessalonians saying “we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.\u00a0See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men<\/em>” (1 Thessalonians 5:14-15).<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u00a0makrothumia\u00a0<\/em>IS rendered as being patient<\/em> but we should see some of the defining qualities of\u00a0makrothumia\u00a0<\/em>in the preceding ideas of warning<\/em>, which can be better understood as exhorting<\/em>, comforting<\/em> and supporting<\/em> those who have NOT yet the ability to see the greater Truths that ARE the things of God. Can we see that the deeper implications of this idea that “Agape<\/em> suffereth long<\/em>” shows us that Love sees past ALL difference and divisions and offers an active expression<\/em> <\/strong>of agape<\/em> to ALL with\u00a0NO “respect to persons<\/em>“.<\/span><\/p>\n

And can we see that this idea IS a reflection of the Master’s teaching on Love from such words as “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<\/em>” and how this relates to the Way of the Lord who “maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust<\/em>” (Matthew 5:45-45). This brings us again to our trifecta<\/strong><\/em> where we should understand that the things of God, the sense of Love and the Wisdom, come to the man who will keep His words<\/em> and, by measure, to the man who will strive<\/em> to DO so; it IS\u00a0makrothumia <\/em>that comes to every man in the revelations<\/em><\/strong> and the realization<\/strong><\/em> of Truth that come in so DOING. We read again:<\/span><\/p>\n