IN THE WORDS OF JESUS–Part 737

ON LOVE; PART CCCXXVI

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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•ΑΩ•Α

May the Power of the One True God flow through His group of all true servers;

May the Love of the Christ characterize the lives of all who seek to aid in His work;

May I fulfill my part in the one work through self-forgetfulness, harmlessness and right speech

(Evening Reflection)

“Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:31-35).

In the last post we became a bit stuck on this word that is rendered into English as glorify, a word of which we said was doctrinally obscure and for which we admit that there is a meaning here for this Greek word that eludes us. Our position is clearly that the common understandings are not the intent of the Master’s use of this Greek word doxazo. Now we understand that this word has been seen this way since the beginning insofar as English translations and that it is seen as it is here in our oldest available dictionary; Webster’s 1828 version tells us that glorify means: 1. To praise; to magnify and honor in worship; to ascribe honor to, in thought or words. 2. To make glorious; to exalt to glory, or to celestial happiness. 3. To praise; to honor; to extol. 4. To procure honor or praise to ¹. From our view none of this is needed by God nor would it be the logical understanding of the words in the verses above as uttered by the Master. The Apostle Paul tells us this in his speech to the Epicureans and the Stoics that we recently discussed: “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25-25), and while these words are seen by most to reflect upon the ideas of buildings and the use of hands, they do also clearly say “as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” which can mean for us who are not tied to doctrine exactly what they say. In the last post we pulled out a piece of the lexicon’s understanding of this word and put it into our own words saying that this word doxazo means to cause the dignity and worth of God to be seen by others and that this sense may become manifest in them and acknowledged as True. With a slight change from yesterday, from the Father to God, we CAN this see in the Master’s words above and in this understanding there is some semblance of a message carried forward rather than a verse in which Christ praises and extols the Father who praises and extols the Christ and so on.

Now it may be difficult to imagine how we are portraying this in our words above but there is a sense of meaning if we see that this act of Judas, or what it will cause and represent, is causing the dignity and worth of the Christ to be seen by others and that in this there is a forward effect that the dignity and worth of God may become manifest in them and acknowledged as True. This is of course using the words of the lexicon which actually say: to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged ². Following this along we are able to continue these ideas through the entire verse but with a bit less smoothness. Our problem here then IS NOT in the Master’s use of this word doxazo but rather in its English translation and rendering as glorify and what it means. The rest of the lexicon’s definition of this doxazo tells us: to think, suppose, be of opinion; to praise, extol, magnify, celebrate; to honour, do honour to, hold in honour; to make glorious, adorn with lustre, clothe with splendour to impart glory to something, render it excellent; to make renowned, render illustrious ², and if we look at the first part of this we may have a better understanding of the primary use of this Greek word;  to think, suppose, be of opinion and we should remember that much of the lexicon’s ideas are doctrinal in nature as are most of our sources. However, we have the tools that we have and while we ARE NOT Greek scholars, especially in the Greek of Jesus’ day, we do read and wish to make sense of it all as today humanity has evolved to a much more mental state than in those rather emotional times. This being said, let us look briefly at what Strong’s has to say here and then compare that to his words on the word that is the origin of doxazo….doxa. For doxazo Strong’s gives us: to glorify, give praise, honor ³; this is simple and straightforward but contains little from what we see in the lexicon above. The lexicon tells us that the word origin for doxazo is doxa and on this word Strong’s tells us that: this word has a wide range of meanings in the NT, corresponding closely to the Hebrew 3883; glory, splendor, brilliance, from the base meaning of the awesome light that radiates from God’s presence and is associated with his acts of power; honor, praise, speaking of words of excellence and signing highest status to God ³. We should see here that these ideas are based in the usage in the New Testament as seen by Mr Strong and the link to the even more emotional times of the Old Testament and their view of God as Jehovah. In ALL of Strong’s words we have yet to see the ideas that we highlighted from the lexicon and this is unusual as we generally find Strong’s the more straightforward of the two sources.

The lexicon then tells us this regarding the Greek word doxa which is the origin of doxazo: 1) opinion, judgment, view 2) opinion, estimate, whether good or bad concerning someone a) in the NT always a good opinion concerning one, resulting in praise, honour, and glory 3) splendour, brightness a) of the moon, sun, stars b) magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, grace c) majesty 1) a thing belonging to God a) the kingly majesty which belongs to him as supreme ruler, majesty in the sense of the absolute perfection of the deity 2) a thing belonging to Christ a) the kingly majesty of the Messiah b) the absolutely perfect inward or personal excellency of Christ; the majesty 3) of the angels a) as apparent in their exterior brightness 4) a most glorious condition, most exalted state a) of that condition with God the Father in heaven to which Christ was raised after he had achieved his work on earth b) the glorious condition of blessedness into which is appointed and promised that true Christians shall enter after their Saviour’s return from heaven ². Again we note the ideas of opinion, judgement, view and estimate as the non-doctrinal approach to this word and we should see here that while these do not help us in those New Testament saying such as “glory to God” (Luke 17:18), we can find their use in the defining terms that we have adopted above which, if we can see it, come from these very defining terms that we point to here and the lead ideas in the lexicon’s portrayal of doxazo above. Vincent gives us no help with these words except to explain a bit on some of the usage of them and in all cases in accordance with the accepted doctrinal ideas as we understand glory and glorified yet today. While we did not intend to go so far with this word again today, we should understand that this is an important word to rightly understand as it means so much in everyday Christian Life and IS, in our view, generally misappropriated in regard to the intent of its usage. Even as our adopted saying falls short of the reality of the intent of its usage, it is for us a better choice than to offer praise to, to worship and to extol OUR God who we should KNOW needs and desires none of this. If we can try to insert some form of our saying: to cause the dignity and worth of God to be seen by others and that this sense may become manifest in them and acknowledged as True wherever we see this word rendered as glorify and some modification of this for glory, we will do much to enhance our understanding of the New Testament and in this context perhaps we can see that we can give “glory to God” by glorifying Him as in our acts and words and revealing the dignity and worth of God to the world. These words also are not fully suitable to the Majesty and the Awesome Greatness of the very Nature of God but, for our acts and actions, as in what we have in Judas’ act and ensuing reactions of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, to have this glorifying effect of showing forth this Awesome Greatness, we have a much better result than the common understanding of praise and worship as an emotional response. Judas’ acts in the end glorify the Master and God and this is what Jesus is saying in our verses above; that by Judas’ actions and the ensuing actions of the Master, the Truth of God is displayed; is made manifest for ALL to see and to understand.

The latter part of the verses at the top from John’s Gospel are equally important in both the understanding of the greater Truth of Judas’s part in this Great Drama as well as our better understanding of Love as the Master teaches us. The “new commandment” IS given immediately after the departure of the Apostle Judas, the fellow apostle to the remaining eleven, who is likely seen as their equal for all the time that they are together; there deriding language regarding him is in ALL cases retrospective. In this word new we have yet another example of the problems of language and translation as this word here, kainos, is not intended to mark a new thing or new idea but rather a new way of viewing it. Vincent explains that: Another adjective, νεόν, is employed to denote new wine in the sense of freshly-made (Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37, Luke 5:38, Luke 5:39). The difference is between newness regarded in point of time or of quality . This other adjective is the Greek word neos which means strictly new as Vincent relates and he goes on to tell us that kainos should be seen in contrast, new versus old, as he says that: The new garment (Luke 5:36) is contrasted as to quality with a worn and threadbare one. Hence καινου (kainos). So a new heaven (2 Peter 3:13) is καινὸς (kainos), contrasted with that which shows signs of dissolution. In this we should recognize that there is a different sense of new to be gotten in the Master’s words regarding this “new commandment“; that it is not actually new, but rather must be seen in this new quality, in the context of where it is used. Here we should try to see that the apostles are already instructed in Love and that here, immediately after Judas has left them to accomplish his mission, one which we should remember that they do not understand, the Master revises their understanding of this commandment to include a continued Love for their brother Judas. This IS an important point and one that few will agree with from a doctrinal perspective; this aside, we are connecting the verses and the thoughts of the Master and the twelve here and in this connection and in the proper flow, this makes most perfect sense.

We KNOW that the commandment on Love IS NOT a new commandment as this Love has colored the Master’s teachings from the beginning and the apostles are very much aware of this. We should note here that it is likely that the Master foresees the potential negative outcome of this whole episode with Judas and is here cautioning them against any ill will toward their brother. Of course this IS the type of thing that one will see only if he wants to see it, that the Master’s reiteration of the Love commandment at this time IS directly related to the Truth that they are likely to revile Judas despite ALL the other things that the Master has said and with this in mind he tells them clearly “That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” and, as He says this there IS yet no reason for them to doubt Judas as they admittedly do not understand the whole affair.

This picture that we have painted here is one of a man, an apostle, who KNOWS and understands what he must do and at the same time KNOWS the extreme anguish which this is causing in his mortal psyche. The Master’s actions in washing the apostle’s feet and His words of instruction that they should do such distasteful things for each other saying that if He, as Lord and Master, can do such things, surely they can and here we should perhaps see a direct communication with Judas so as to give him the carnal strength that he needs to do this distasteful act of arranging for the delivering of the Master to His ultimate death. This is no easy thing for Judas and in this the Master tells the others that they are clean and they have naught to hide but that Judas does and in this perhaps they could see and understand Judas’ anguish as these things unfold. Jesus tells them also that He has chosen one to be sent on this mission and that they should treat the one chosen and sent as they would treat Him and this He tells them before he reveals who it IS that IS chosen. ALL these things seem clear when they are approached this way; and, Judas does as he must, he arranges for the Master to be taken and when this part is over, he regrets what he has done. He is alone now and without the support of the Master and his brothers are turned against him and his humanity begins to seep in; he no longer sees clearly the spiritual KNOWING that brought him to this point. Like the rest of the apostles, Judas had not yet overcome the world and this can be seen in the same light as we see the Apostle Peter who denies the Lord even as he had been told that he world do so. The same also for the other apostles who, after KNOWING the Master and hearing what He says about the resurrection, do not believe Him even after He is resurrected and appears to some. This IS the human personality overtaking for a time the way of the consciousness; taking the focus away from the things of God. The Apostle Matthew reports that Judas hanged himself (Matthew 27:5) and the Apostle Peter tells us that he died “falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out” (Acts 1:18). Now it matters not how Judas died but in both of these ideas he did take his own Life and this likely because that he feels as he is abandoned and he IS alone in his anguish and in this is a sort of lesson for us all as we move forward in our spiritual pursuits; we ARE alone as men in the world but with proper focus we are with the Master through the actions of our own Souls.

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.

Wakefulness is the way to life. The fool sleeps As if he were already dead, But the master is awake And he lives forever. He watches. He is clear. How happy he is! For he sees that wakefulness is life. How happy he is, Following the path of the awakened. With great perseverance He meditates, seeking Freedom and happiness. So awake, reflect, watch. Work with care and attention. Live in the way And the light will grow in you. By watching and working The master makes for himself an island Which the flood cannot overwhelm. The fool is careless. But the master guards his watching. It is his most precious treasure. He never gives in to desire. He meditates. And in the strength of his resolve He discovers true happiness. He overcomes desire – And from the tower of his wisdom He looks down with dispassion Upon the sorrowing crowd. From the mountain top He looks down at those Who live close to the ground. Mindful among the mindless, Awake while others dream, Swift as the race horse He outstrips the field. By watching Indra became king of the gods. How wonderful it is to watch. How foolish to sleep. The beggar who guards his mind And fears the waywardness of his thoughts Burns through every bond With the fire of his vigilance. The beggar who guards his mind And fears his own confusion Cannot fall. He has found his way to peace. (Dhammapada; on Wakefulness) ⁵.

This selection from the Dhammapada, the sayings of the Buddha, is from the chapter called Wakefulness. The ideas here are simple for the awakened but for the unawakened they can be very difficult. This is much like the sayings of the Christ and His apostles, especially these last ones that we discussed regarding the mysteries. Wakefulness here can be likened to our idea of focus on the Christ Within, the Soul, and the spiritual Life. Sleep is just the opposite and can be likened to focus upon the things of the world. To be awake is to see things as they Truly are and to be asleep is to see things in the illusion and the glamour of the world. Wakefulness makes a man the master of his own Life while sleep makes one the fool. Wakefulness is striving to enter at the strait gate while being asleep is to float aimlessly on the waves of the ways of the world where one may think that he is getting somewhere only to realize in the end that he has gone nowhere, accomplished nothing.

In the above we should see the idea of master as we understand the disciple in our writing, as the awakened one, the man in whom the Light of the Soul is being expressed through form, the disciple and the high aspirant and we should see the idea of the beggar as the seeker, the one who is seeking awakening.

This idea then of being awake can be seen running through the teachings of the Master and of the Buddha although the Master does not use the specific word but rather alludes to it in His teachings calling the asleep those whose “heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed” and the awakened those who “see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart” and this is a point that Jesus makes several times and it is to those who can realize their awakening that these words ARE directed: “blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear“.

Let the peace of God rule in your hearts!

• ¹ Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1828 and 1913
• ² New Testament Greek Lexicon on BibleStudyTools.com
• ³ Strongest Strongs Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible – 2001
• ⁴ Word Studies in the New Testament; arvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888