IN THE WORDS OF JESUS–Part 661

Love is the Fulfilling of the Law

ON LOVE; PART CCL

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GoodWill IS Love in Action

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“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as  other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart” (Ephesians 4:13-18).

We began discussing the above from the Apostle Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians with a note that there are times when it is difficult to KNOW what the apostle is intending to say. We owe this to a combination of factors among which is our premise that the entirety of scriptures is cleverly written by apostles as True disciples, in the same tenor as the Master’s teachings insofar as the ability for their written word to have a variety of meanings as based upon the spiritual understanding of the reader. This we see in the phrase from the Master that we used in the last post where He is saying to disciples that: Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand” (Luke 8:10). Now the Master uses this idea in several places and always in the same or similar context which IS to say that as a disciple you will see the deeper mysteries because this is where your consciousness is but to those whose focus is upon the world, the worldly ideas will be their understanding. We should note here that this IS NOT the unique style of the Master but that this has been True for some time and this we can read in the Master’s use of the words of Isaiah, where, repeating them the Master tells His disciples in response to a similar question regrading His use of the parable, that “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see , and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear” (Mathew 13:13-16). It should be clear that this practice, this style if you will, does go back in time to the prophets and in this understanding we should be able to see that it goes forward as well and that the mysteries of the Kingdom and of Life are hidden from those who do not see Life from the perspective of the Soul, which perspective IS ONLY for those who are so focused….. focused upon the things of God and the God Within.

And so it is with the writings of Paul, that much of what he says can be seen by the world as having little or no True meaning or that it can be interpreted in a man’s ways in the world; it is to the True seeker, the disciple and the aspirant at some degree, that the deeper meanings and even the mysteries are revealed ad this IS because of his perspective on Life and for this we can get a greater understanding as well from another saying by the Master that we recently discussed. Jesus tells us the Parable of the Mustard Seed to show us this very thing, the growth of revelation, the growth of the Kingdom within the man, which IS that growth of the influence in one’s Life of the Love and the Power of the Soul. The parable is simple and straightforward but at the same time it IS NOT commonly seen as carrying this message that we espouse. In its varying forms this simple parable goes thus:

• “And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it” (Mark 4:30-32).
• “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof” (Matthew 13:31-32).
• “Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed  a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it” (Luke 13:18-19).

In these three version from the writers of the synoptic gospels we have the same story told in slightly different terms and the terms are rather insignificant, but, at the same time, can be important to the individual man. Luke tells us that the seed is cast while Mark and Matthew tell us that this seed is sown and, while this difference may be insignificant, the idea of cast may be a way of explanation for those who sense and glimpse this Kingdom before making that decision to strive toward it while for the sower, there is a intent and a purpose which is perhaps influenced by outside sources. Now it matters not if these nuances are True or right as they are offered as examples of the varying view of the words of the apostles and in this context of Luke’s casting, Vincent centers his attention on the idea of the garden saying: Properly, as Rev., his own (εαυτου) where he could personally observe and tend it ⁴.

John Gill in his Exposition of the Bible ⁸ tells us of this parable from Matthew’s Gospel that: The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field: by “the kingdom of heaven” is meant, as before, the Gospel dispensation, or the Gospel church state, and the ministry of the word, and the administration of ordinances in it: by the grain of mustard seed, either the Gospel, or the people of God, or the grace of God in them; and by the man that took and sowed it, the Lord Jesus Christ; and by his field, in which he sowed it, the world, or his church throughout the world ⁸. Here is a very different interpretation of these words from the Master and an interpretation that is filled with doctrine and is rather meaningless to the individual who is seeking understanding. And we will find similar conflicts of understanding with the notion in Mark and Matthew of the relative size of the seed where we see this as the reality of what it IS, that the realization of the Kingdom begins with a thought, a sense, a fleeting glimpse, and it grows within the man who nourishes it into a great part of his life, so great that within its scope it can lift and aid his brothers in the world. In retrospect we can also see here that the seed IS cast in ALL men but it is only those who nourish it that can see the fruit of the tree. Remembering that this IS a Parable about the Kingdom itself, let us read Mr. Gills words on this next part, the size of the seed and its growth; he says; Which indeed is the least of all seeds….. Now this is designed to express the small beginnings of the Gospel dispensation, of the ministry of the word, of the grace of God in the hearts of his people, and of the small number of them at first. The Gospel, and the ministry of it were like a grain of mustard seed, little, mean, and contemptible; the author of it, Christ, was so to the Jews, in his birth, parentage, education, and outward appearance; the subject of it a crucified Christ, and salvation by him; and the doctrines out of the reach, and contrary to carnal reason; the preachers of it, were persons of very mean and low life, few in number, weak, illiterate, and despicable, and the whole world against them; the circumstances which attended the Gospel were very discouraging; it was charged with novelty, represented as contrary to common sense, and the reason of mankind, and as opening a door to licentiousness; and was followed with violent opposition and persecution, wherever it went. The grace of God, which under the ministry of the word is implanted in the hearts of the Lord’s people, is at first very small, like a grain of mustard seed; it is a day of small things; faith in Christ is very weak and low, spiritual strength small, comfort little, experience of the love of God not large, light and knowledge in the doctrines of grace but very obscure and glimmering: the church of God, which sprung up under the ministry of the word, and through the work of grace, upon the hearts of particular persons, was like the small grain of mustard seed; the persons of which it consisted were but few in number in Christ’s time, and at his ascension into heaven, and when the Gospel was first preached among the Gentiles; and those persons which laid the foundation, and were at the beginning of the Gospel church state, made a very contemptible figure, by reason of their outward poverty, and mean circumstances in the world; and on account of the severe persecutions which every where attended them; and also through the errors and heresies introduced by evil men, that crept in among them.

Going on Mr. Gill tells us of the next part: But when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree….All which serve to illustrate and confirm the account here given by Christ, and alluded to; and which expresses the very large growth and increase of the Gospel, and the ministry of it; of the grace of God in the heart, and of the church of Christ, and his interest in the world: of the Gospel, and the ministry of it, as to its large spread in the world; which at first was confined to the Jews, but was afterwards published to the Gentiles, and carried through the whole world; and, in ages since, has made a considerable progress, particularly at the Reformation; and will make a much greater one, towards the end of time: and of the grace of God in the heart, which gradually increases to a full assurance of understanding of hope, and of faith, and to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: and of the church of Christ…. This goes on in this same theme and if we can see here that while the Master is speaking of the Kingdom of God and what it IS likened to, Mr. Gill is speaking about the church and its growth in the world; can we see the divergent thoughts here?

In this IS our point, that as the Kingdom grows within the man, it does so in his realization of the Truth and by degree until each is seen in this same Light as the Master, that “in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). This IS our destiny and our goal and if we try here we can also see that the Kingdom can grow this way in the world, that as more and more men can achieve some degree of discipleship and make it KNOWN to others who can “come and lodge in the branches thereof” of that Great Tree that represents the Kingdom. When this IS so, then the Kingdom will grow IN THE WORLD…..not the church….THE KINGDOM. One last note from Mr. Gill who we are using to represent the view of doctrine; he tells us this on the idea of the birds: So that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof: by “the birds of the air”, some think angels are meant, compared to “birds” for their harmlessness and innocence; for their readiness and swiftness to do the will of God; and for their warbling notes and tuneful songs of praise; and who may be called birds “of the air”, or heaven, because of their habitation: now these delight to be in the church, to be under the shadow of the Gospel ministry, and to look into the mysteries of it….. This should more than make our point regarding these things and the way of writing by the apostles about those hidden mysteries of the Kingdom of God.

It is likely True that the understanding of doctrine regarding The Parable of the Mustard Seed, that it is a parable regarding the world at large, stems from the preceding Parable of the Tares where the subject IS the world at large and the population of it are represented by the tares and the wheat which represent for us the True nature of the world yet today. It matters not what the worldly understanding of what is a tare and the relation of the tare to the wheat although we do discuss this in some detail in In the Words of Jesus parts 97-98. What matters here for us today is the revelation of the mystery and we should note here that the Master Himself interprets this parable but in a way that leaves much to the understanding of His disciples and the reader today. Apparent in this is our own growth of realization, not the fundamentals but rather the inner understanding of the concepts that the Master espouses in the parable itself and in His interpretation of it for the disciples. The parable and its explanation by the Master are:

• The parable: “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up ? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn” (Matthew 13:24-30).
• The interpretation that the Master offers: “Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 13:36-43).

We should note here that this parable is understood by many only in an eschatological way but this is really not how it is offered; it IS offered as a way of understanding the Kingdom and we should read in these words that the Master is revealing to His disciples this parable but using another parable so that His explanations are in terms that they can recognize and understand but at the same time will, as we see in the meaning of intervening parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven, grow in their realization. We KNOW that the Master teaches His apostles and disciples by parable as well as He tells them this saying: “These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father” (John 16:25). Understanding this saying can also give us a better understanding of the apostles view toward their own writings as they carry on the work of the Master after He had departed. 

For us, our current understanding of these words, the parable and the explanation, is found in our better understanding, our later revelation if you will, of the reality of this creation of Souls enmeshed in the vanity of the world, in the illusion and the glamour of Life in form. If we can see ALL Souls in the world at any given time as being the Kingdom within the seed that IS sown by God, we can then see the reality of the Master’s words which can tell us that the tares are those who are attending to their Life in the world of things and the wheat are those who are focused upon God and the things of God. We should see in the “wicked one“, the devil, the realty of the ways of the world and we should see as well that caution that the Master is giving, that we DO NOT and CAN NOT KNOW what will be, nor when this may ALL end and that when it does, individually and corporately, man and mankind will have lost his opportunity to achieve the realization of the Kingdom of God. And we should see in the “end of this world“, the end of the age or, more correctly some undefined period of time. The reality here in both the parable and the explanation is that both the tares and the wheat ARE growing together and, in our understanding of tares looking much like the wheat until it is grown, they will continue to grow together and we should understand here that this is a parable, a story representing some hidden reality and that there IS and WILL EVER BE some conversion of what looks like wheat to the reality of being wheat.

We did not get back to our sayings at the top of our essay and we will pick up with that again in the next post.

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.

Staying on the theme of Love we repeat again the sayings of the Apostle Paul that put this Love into perspective.

But earnestly desire the best gifts.

And yet I show you a more excellent way.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love,

I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

And 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,

but have not love, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,

and though I give my body to be burned,

but have not love, it profits me nothing.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three;

but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 12:31, 13:1-13

(New King James Version)

Regardless of our daily theme, the underlying theme of our posts and of this entire blog is Love. In these words from Paul we should be able to see the overriding importance of Love in the Life of each of us. This is a common theme throughout the gospels and the other writings of the apostles and a theme that is not nearly understood. In our theme today regarding Paul’s writings to the Romans and in the previous discussions on them we seek to impart the better understanding of the reality of Life, the Life of the True man as the Christ Within, the Soul, as it is from this perspective that we can gain that revelation of Truth and, as Paul says above, be free from the condemnation and the vanity of Life in form, free from the illusion and the glamour. We repeat here what we said about these verses in a prior post:

Today’s Quote of the Day from the Apostle Paul is his testimony to the power of Love. After speaking at length about the gifts of the Spirit that one should desire in order to be of service to the Lord, he says plainly that Love is a more excellent way. Love in the context of these verses is not the sentimental or affectionate kind that we ordinarily think of but rather 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. This defining of Love is covered in some depth in a previous post; In the Words of Jesus part 47.

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