IN THE WORDS OF JESUS–Part 873

ON LOVE; PART CDLXII

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GoodWill IS Love in Action

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The Gospel of Thomas

These are the hidden words that the living Jesus spoke. And Didymos Judas Thomas wrote them down.

(89) Jesus says: “Why do you wash the outside of the cup? Do you not understand that the one who created the inside is also the one who created the outside?“

(90) Jesus says: “Come to me, for my yoke is gentle and my lordship is mild. And you will find repose for yourselves.“

(91) They said to him: “Tell us who you are so that we may believe in you.” He said to them: “You examine the face of sky and earth, but the one who is before you, you have not recognized, and you do not know how to test this opportunity.“

(92) Jesus says: “Seek and you will find. But the things you asked me about in past times, and what I did not tell you in that day, now I am willing to tell you, but you do not seek them.“

(93) “Do not give what is holy to the dogs, lest they throw it upon the dunghill. Do not throw pearls to swine, lest they turn <them> into [mud].“

(94) Jesus [says]: “The one who seeks will find. [The one who knocks], to that one will it be opened.“

(95) [Jesus says:] “If you have money, do not lend (it) out at interest.  Rather, give [it] to the one from whom you will not get it (back).” ¹⁴

In the last essay we looked at the Master’s words from the ninetieth saying from Thomas’ Gospel along with His similar words from the Gospel of the Apostle Matthew. In our view, we find that while Matthew gives us more words, the message IS essentially the same albeit perhaps Matthews does speak to a larger audience. In the compact nature of these words from Thomas we get the idea that he IS, as is True in most places, speaking to those who already have some background and some understanding while in Matthew’s words the invitation seems to be offered to a larger, more diverse, and less knowledgeable grouping. In Matthew’s words: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30), there is much more explanation which seems oriented to a general audience and which seems to include Jesus understanding of the labors of carnal living as well citing the benefits of following Him. Thomas on the other hand is short and concise saying only  “Come to me, for my yoke is gentle and my lordship is mild. And you will find repose for yourselves“, and in this we see that the audience is more those who have already come to the greater reality concerning the carnal life; here the idea is direct as the Master says that the time IS come and to follow. Of course we have no way of KNOWING that our assessment here is correct and in the end it does not really matter as the message IS the same; the Master IS inviting us to follow Him and He comforts us in the idea that the burden of following with Him, yoking to Him if you will, IS not a difficult task…..if fact, he tells them that in this you will find rest for you Souls, which we can see as a repose from the burden of carnal Life.

The idea of the yoke is an interesting one and one that is at times over thought; in its simplicity we should try to see this for what it really is….an apparatus that ties together two or more for a single task. In this we should be able to see a greater part of the reality of this saying which IS that we join with the Master and that we work together with Him in the task of bringing men to Repentance and to that Love that IS God. By contrast John Gill tells us that this idea of yoke should mean: For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Christ calls a profession of faith in him, and subjection to his ordinances, a yoke, in allusion to the law of Moses, and in distinction from it; and a “burden”, with respect to the very heavy ones the Scribes and Pharisees laid upon the shoulders of the people, obliging them to a strict observance of them; though of a different nature from either of them. His words go on but the point is made here in these words and in this we would see this saying as it IS ONLY applicable to the Jews which is not the case in the Master’s timeless words. Others see this similarly while yet others concentrate their thoughts upon what is in this for the one who follow which is of course the rest. Matthew Henry in his Commentary on the Whole Bible tells us that: This is the gospel call; Whoever will, let him come. All who thus come will receive rest as Christ’s gift, and obtain peace and comfort in their hearts. But in coming to him they must take his yoke, and submit to his authority. They must learn of him all things, as to their comfort and obedience. He accepts the willing servant, however imperfect the services. Here we may find rest for our souls, and here only. Nor need we fear his yoke. His commandments are holy, just, and good. Here we can get the idea that His yoke IS His authority and we saw this same idea in the rendering of Thomas’ words from Doresse in the last essay and in this idea we see an understanding that is strictly doctrinal.

In this doctrinal view is the simplistic idea of following him but there is no understanding offered for the man who will to do as we read in Matthew, that one “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me“. From our perspective much of the force of this saying IS found in this idea and this IS NOT lost in Thomas rendering of Jesus words as this idea is assumed to be understood. Vincent gives us some help here in understanding just what the Master may mean from Matthews Gospel; not the idea of yoke specifically but the idea of its being easy: Easy ( χρηστὸς ) Not a satisfactory rendering. Christ’s yoke is not easy in the ordinary sense of that word. The word means originally, good, serviceable. The kindred noun, χρηστότης , occurring only in Paul’s writings, is rendered kindness in 2 Corinthians 6:6; Titus 3:4; Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 2:7 (Rev.), and goodness, Romans 2:4 (Rev.). At Luke 5:39, it is used of old wine, where the true reading, instead of better, is good ( χρηστός )mellowed with age. Plato (“Republic,” 424) applies the word to education. “Good nurture and education ( τροφὴ γὰρ καὶ παίδευσις χρηστὴ ) implant good ( ἀγαθὰς ) constitutions; and these good ( χρησταὶ ) constitutions improve more and more;” thus evidently using χρηστός and ἀγαθός as synonymous. The three meanings combine in the word, though it is impossible to find an English word which combines them all. Christ’s yoke is wholesome, serviceable, kindly. “Christ’s yoke is like feathers to a bird; not loads, but helps to motion” (Jeremy Taylor). 

While Vincent does give us a better understanding of what the Master IS saying in these words, we should note here that the invitation is still to take upon oneself the yoke of the Master, to bind oneself to Him in ALL things and to work with Him in the tasks that must be accomplished in the world. In this is our vision of the reality of these and so many other words from Jesus. In the end part of this saying we have the idea also of rest or of repose as we see this in Thomas; this IS rendered for us in Matthew as “rest unto your souls” and, as we KNOW, this rendering as Souls could just as easily be Life. This is rendered by several translations as such and it is also skipped in others that just say that one will find rest, and IS called as rest for yourselves by still others. Our view here is simple; the Master does not generally teach regarding comfort in this world, in this Life, and in this we should see that same dynamic. His instruction IS of the Spirit, of the Soul and of the Kingdom and the idea that one would find simply rest or peace in the world IS NOT likely to be His message. To find this repose however can be seen in this Light as well as the straightforward idea of “rest unto your souls” which we can interpret here as a repose and meaning that the Inner man need no longer struggle for his right expression through Life in the world. And, the overall message here IS that this is not hard to accomplish, there is little real effort required save to Repent and to give up the meaningless ways of the flesh.

Our next saying, the ninety first, is another that is quite obscure in meaning at first glance and one that has no equal in the accepted gospels although there are some sayings in John’s Gospel that can offer a similar idea. Here again the translation that one reads can determine what one sees in these words; our normal translations are:

• They said to him: “Tell us who you are, that we may believe in you. He said to them: You test the face of the sky and of the earth, and him who is before you you have not known, and you do not know (how) to test this moment” (Blatz).
• They said to him, “Tell us who you are, so that we might believe in you.” He said to them, “You (plur.) are testing the face of heaven and earth, and you have not recognized the one who is in your presence! And you do not recognize how to test the present time” (Layton).
• They said to him: “Tell us who thou art that we may believe in thee.” He said to them: “You examine the appearance of heaven and earth, but He who is in front of you you do not recognise, and this moment you know not how to examine!” (Doresse).
•  They said to him: “Tell us who you are so that we may believe in you.” He said to them: “You examine the face of sky and earth, but the one who is before you, you have not recognized, and you do not know how to test this opportunity” (Patterson and Robinson).
• They said to him, “Tell us who you are so that we may believe in you.” He said to them, “You examine the face of heaven and earth, but you have not come to know the one who is in your presence, and you do not know how to examine the present moment” (Patterson and Meyer).
• Said-they to-him this: “Speak to-us this: you(sg)(are)who, so we-may-believe you(sg).” > Said-he to-them this: ” you(pl)-read the-face of-the-sky and-the-earth, and he-who-was-of-your(pl)-presence ( ), you(pl)-did-not-know-him, and this-moment, you-(pl)-know not (how) to-read him” (Interlinear Version).

There are several differences here; in the use of words at the beginning where there is read vs. examine or testing; and the end of this saying is the idea which is rendered as moment, as present time or moment, and as opportunity. The rendering of most above likely relies on the synoptic version which speaks about ‘the times‘ and not a time saying: “but can ye not discern the signs of the times“. We should note two things here before we go to the available commentary on this saying; first that there IS a specific question at play here in this saying from Thomas’ Gospel and second, that the Interlinear offers some relationship to this question at the wording at the end while others relegate this to be only about the time or the moment as they ignore the clear reference to him. Our commentary on this saying includes:

• R. McL. Wilson writes: “The actual saying is most closely parallel to Luke xii. 56, a passage omitted from some manuscripts of Matthew; but the opening suggests that the author knew Matthew xvi. 1-4 with the ‘Western interpolation.’ If this be so, the specific reference to Pharisees and Sadducees has been omitted, and this would suggest an advanced stage of the tradition. Grant and Freedman, like Doresse before them, interpret of the disciples, quoting John viii. 25 ff., which may be correct for Thomas as it stands; but we may also recall such texts as John x. 24: ‘If Thou be the Christ, tell us plainly,’ and the many challenges put to Jesus by His opponents, who demanded a ‘sign.’ The words inserted into the Lucan saying recall logion 5 (Know what is in thy sight . . .), in which Puech has suggested that we should read a masculine rather than a neuter. The Greek of logion 5 is unfortunately fragmentary, and Coptic has no distinct neuter form, but confirmation for Puech’s suggestion may perhaps be found in logia 52 (the Living One who is before you) and 59 (Look upon the Living One as long as you live . . .). Altogether, such sayings as logion 91 seem to present excellent specimens of the development of the early tradition: floating sayings, detached from their original context, the specific references smoothed away, so that they could later be employed for quite a different purpose. Sometimes the shorter versions which appear in Thomas have an appearance of originality, and one is tempted to suggest that it is the Synoptic version which has suffered elaboration; but such cases as this give warning against hasty conclusions.” (Studies in the Gospel of Thomas, pp. 65-66).
• F. F. Bruce writes: “The disciples’ request is similar to that of the man cured of his blindness in John 9.36 (cf. John 8.25-30); Jesus’s answer is based on his words in Luke 12.54-56, but in this context the original historical reference has been replaced by an exhortation to self-knowledge.” (Jesus and Christian Origins Outside the New Testament, p. 146).
• Helmut Koester writes: “There is no trace in Thomas of the first part of this saying (Q/Luke 12:54-55). The secondary address ‘hypocrites’ of Luke 12:56 (no parallel in Matt 16:3b) is missing in Thomas as is Matthew’s expansion ‘the signs of the time.'” (Ancient Christian Gospels, pp. 94-95).
• J. D. Crossan writes: “In terms of form the Thomas text is an aphoristic dialogue, as in Matt. 16:1-3, rather than an aphoristic saying, as in Q/Luke 12:54-56.”. J. D. Crossan writes: “In terms of content, there are two important differences between Gos. Thom. 91 and Q/Luke 12:54-56. Thomas gives no concrete examples of weather indications, yet he does mention ‘the face of the sky and of the earth,’ and this fits with the types of indicatiosn mentioned in Luke: cloud and wind. But the more significant change is that, corresponding to the opening question – ‘They said to him, “Tell us who You are so that we may believe in You”‘ – the aphoristic dialogue contains ‘but you have not recognized the one who (or: that which) is before you.’ This is best seen as ‘a gnosticized reqorking of the saying we have known from Luke 12:56’ (Sieber: 220).” (In Fragments, pp. 249-250).

These comments again offer little in the way of helping us to understand the intent of this saying. Much is again about the comparison and placement of Thomas writings in as well as the allusions to a Gnostic approach. Mr. Wilson cites some of the ideas from John but not the ideas that we see in this regard from the perspective of the disciple who we see as the audience of most ALL of Thomas remarks. Here in this saying the audience could be more in which case Mr. Wilson’s observations are valid; we read from John that “Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning” (John 8:25). Here the question IS much the same and the answer is typical of what we see in Thomas…it does not really answer the question at the time. Mr. Wilsons other John reference does not really apply here in our view as this is more the question of those who understand who Jesus is purported to be as they ask: “How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly” (John 10:27). From the perspective of the disciple however we see the exchanges later in John’s Gospel as the more appropriately linked to this idea from Thomas; we read first on a question from Philip and then a final reference later in the text:

• “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?”  (John 14:7-9).
• “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask , and ye shall receive , that your joy may be full. 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. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God. Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?” (John 16:24-31).

We should understand here that these questions from His disciples are rather late in Jesus’ ministry and one would assume that disciples should by this time understand and recognize the reality of the Master and, while we know that they DO KNOW, we should see at the same time their doubt and their lack of true understanding. In our view this IS more the view of these ideas from Thomas saying than the other things that are cited. We should remember here our own understanding of these scriptures, that they are the recollections of the disciples who ALL understand His words according to their own Light and here we can see Thomas framing these words which may have been spoken elsewhere into this saying which is of spiritual importance to Jesus disciples. We should also be able to see this saying, from the perspective of the question, a it is related to the ideas from the forty third saying which we read as: “His disciples said to him: Who are you, that you say these things to us? <Jesus said to them:> From what I say to you, do you not know who I am? But you have become like the Jews; for they love the tree (and) hate its fruit, and they love the fruit (and) hate the tree“ (Blatz).

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.

Today we repeat the Mantram of Unification as our Quote of the Day and we should note the very Christian ideals that are embraced by these words; not the doctrinal Christian ideals but rather the ideals annunciated in the words of the Master and of His apostles. This idea of ONENESS IS a component part of the Love that the Master teaches as He tells us that we should Love ALL and this ideal is repeated by His apostles who clarify it and expand upon it in their pronouncement that we should NOT show respect to persons that we should not prefer one above another, and this of course includes groups of persons who may differ from us in color, in nationality, in religion….in any way. We are told this by the apostles who tells us that God DOES NOT show such favor to individuals nor to groups as we read that “there is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11) which IS here offered in the context that ALL are treated equally. There are several instances of this saying interweaved with the idea that we should Love our brother, our neighbor and one another as these ideas are framed and, with this stated concept of this respect, we should be able to glimpse what we have been preaching here in this blog and which is the Truer nature of this Love. We should understand that in our zeal to be among His disciples that we must pay keen attention to the totality of the Master’s words which tell us that we should “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33) and it is in this reality that we should understand this idea of respect, that if this is the Way of God that it should be the way of man as well. And, if this were not clear enough, the straightforward words of the Apostle James helps us saying “if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors” (James 2:9).

This IS the greater Truth of this Mantram of Unification; that we understand the reality of our ONENESS, our essential Unity, that we Love as the Master teaches, that we allow the Inner man, the Soul, to be the controlling force in our lives; that we come to see the Truth, that we break down the walls of illusion and glamour and eliminate ALL things that separate us from the Truth and from each other. And that we Love and encourage that Universal Love which is our essential destiny by our own example and in ALL that we say and do.

Mantram of Unification

The sons of men are one and I am one with them. I seek to love, not hate; I seek to serve and not exact due service; I seek to heal, not hurt.

Let pain bring due reward of light and love. Let the Soul control the outer form, and life and all events, And bring to light the love that underlies the happenings of the time.

Let vision come and insight. Let the future stand revealed. Let inner union demonstrate and outer cleavages be gone. Let love prevail. Let all men love.

The Mantram of Unification is a meditation and a prayer that at first affirms the unity of all men and the Brotherhood of Man based on the Fatherhood of God. The first stanza sets forth several truly Christian ideals in Unity, Love, Service and Healing. The second stanza is a invocation to the Lord and to our own Souls asking that from the pain (if there can truly be any) incurred in focusing on the Spirit and not the world will come Light and Love into our lives and that we begin to function as Souls through our conscious personalities. We ask that the spiritual control of our lives will bring to light for us the Love that underlies world events; a Love that the world oriented man will not see working out behind the scenes and also that the Love that we bring forth, individually and as a world group, can be seen by all and ultimately in all. Finally, in the last stanza we ask for those things that are needed for Love to abound. Vision and insight so that we can direct our attention properly; revelation of the future in the sense that all can see the Power of Love in the world; inner union so that we do not fall back into the world’s ways, that we faint not; and that a sense of separation, the antithesis of brotherhood, ends as we know it today. Let Love Prevail, Let All Men Love. Spiritual control of our lives will bring to light for us the Love that underlies world events; a Love that the world oriented man will not see working out behind the scenes.

Let the peace of God rule in your hearts!

• ¹⁴ The Gospel of Thomas; Translated by Stephen J. Patterson and James M. Robinson; http://gnosis.org/