IN THE WORDS OF JESUS–Part 940

ON LOVE; PART DXXIX

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GoodWill IS Love in Action

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“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” (Mark 12:29-31).

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“Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:36-40).

In the last essay we began a discussion on the Sermon on the Mount as it IS called with the intent of showing the relationship between these precepts from the Master and our theme of forsaking. In this Sermon there IS much that IS NOT concerned with physical things but with a fundamental change in the thoughts and attiitudes that a man expresses and the actions that may follow. It IS our premise that in this Sermon and the Epistle of James are the entirety of what a man must DO to get himself onto the Path and how to stay focused upon that until that time when he can be accounted worthy of the Kingdom and of discipleship. We should remember here that there IS NO person or spiritual being that will pronounce one accounted worthy; this is an individual and personal achievement that IS a man’s realization of his own divine nature as the fullness of it flows through his Life in this world. There are countless opinions regarding the Master’s words, who they are spoken to, and what they mean for the man in the world and many of the more doctrinal approaches diminish the importance of His words so as to afford themselves cover in the doctrinal view that they are saved by grace or whatsoever other ideas that they may attach. Some say this Sermon IS spoken only to the disciples and that the words are a picture of the Way of the disciple and while this is True but they miss the point of the Master’s teachings; they fail to understand that the whole IS to make disciples of ALL men, to lead ALL to the Kingdom of God.

Many denominations and doctrines hold to various ideas that it IS the grace of God that brings man salvation and they follow along with this in a view that plays down the need for men to be “doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22) in favor of the easier road as they interpret from the words of the Apostle Paul. There are some that see the Sermon merely as a declaration of what a man IS through this grace instead of the straightforward set of instructions that it IS. Others see that the Sermon IS NOT intended to have social implications or to bring an end to wars and suffering instead of seeing the potential result in the changes in human society that adopting His precepts could accomplish. Nor do most doctrines see that ALL starts with the individual who may not have an effect on society as a whole, but who is able to bring himself onto the Path and out of the mire of illusion and glamour that holds men in their ways. And most also fail to see another reality; that if one DOES these things they may be considered as strange, if two or more DO them this opinion changes and if many DO these things it becomes a movement and perhaps it IS in this Light that the Master tells us “whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19) which IS our next verse to consider in this discussion.

Before we go there however we should note that we DO agree that this IS spoken to His disciples and that this likely for their understanding of what IS expected but we should note that these are His disciples and most likely already live in the way of the Master’s words and according to the ideas noted in the Beatitudes; these likely already ARE meek, they DO hunger and thirst after righteousness; they ARE merciful and pure in heart and they ARE the Peacemakers as we noted in the last post and while they may not be complete in these things they ARE His disciples which comes as a realization based upon keeping His words. In these words of the Sermon there are definitely things that the disciples must learn as Jesus’ teachings are opposed to the doctrine and tradition of the Jews. The innermost ideas of the spiritual man regarding the law is likely little changed however and one could ask which of these disciples in this time could be seen as one who “looketh on a woman to lust after her” (Matthew 5:28)?. For the man in that day there was a Truth to the law that was deeper than the doctrines and the traditions much as there IS today and these disciples of the Master ARE most likely among those who see, those who are awakened to their own spiritual reality at Jesus’ call. We should remember here our premise which IS that these men came into the world with the Master and with the necessary spiritual tools to be His ready help in accomplishing His mission; that they had already achieved the necessary degree of spiritual collateral to KNOW how to express their own divine to some degree and that there IS nothing left to chance here in the Master’s mission among us.

Finally, were this Sermon for the disciples alone, why IS it offered in such an arena where the multitudes can hear His words, many of which can be seen as directed to ALL men? And we KNOW that the people DO hear His words and react to them as the apostle tells us at the very end that “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:28-29). We read in several places were Jesus speaks to His disciples alone and in this we should see the Truer nature of His address in this Sermon as well as in its publication to the world. We should see the reality that these ARE His precepts and that they are intended to create changes in the thoughts, attitudes and actions of men and that this IS the Way that they should be taught…..as commandments….AS MAN’S WAY TO THE KINGDOM. We read our next verse as: “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19). Now we should see here that these words are in reference to the law as offered by Moses and that the Master does nothing to change these laws as He tells us in the previous verses. We should see here as well that these laws ARE NOT what the religious doctrines and traditions of the day presumed them to be, they ARE in reality the deeper meanings which the Master refers to throughout the gospels in his discourses with or about the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, priests and lawyers. These are the same deeper meanings that Jesus offers to us in this Sermon as He speaks on the Truths of Love, giving, praying and how to interact with one’s fellow man. When we read His words that say that the people may ” have heard that it hath been said by them of old time” or some similar saying, we should understand that this IS not the law that Jesus is reflecting on but rather the doctrinal interpretation of it and the traditions that were created. In this view we should note that the Master IS NOT expanding upon the law so much as He is eliminating the doctrinal wrongs regarding the way that they are understood and taught.

Our current verse speaks against the man who does not keep the commandments as they are intended and against those who teach others to not keep them and we should see in this seemingly simple statement the reality of Life for most ALL men who interpret these commandments into doctrines that offer them cover from the Truth. This is one of the practices of Judaism in those days that the Master railed against, although they believed that they did, they did not keep the commandments and they taught others their ways instead of the Truth of the law and the word of God. This idea is also one that is prevalent in much of doctrinal Christianity where the doctrines of men are what is practiced and taught in place of the words of the Master. This is a difficult subject to discuss as so many believe that they ARE following the Truth of the Lord’s teachings when they are instead practicing their particular doctrine and the associated beliefs. And we should be clear here, there IS a place for doctrine in the world as in the relative ease of these teachings many are attracted and come closer to the Lord; but, at the same time, these ideas will not work out in the Life of the man who Truly seeks to KNOW God and to understand the Truth of the Kingdom. Revelation comes to the man who strives after the Kingdom and its Truths, the man who understands that if the teaching has a benefit to the self in the world or if it IS one that does not promote Love and Goodwill for ALL, that it will not lead the man to the strait gate that opens into the Kingdom of God.

And these ideas are made clear in the next verse which tells us that these Pharisees and others of their ilk stand in their own sense of righteousness as teachers and leaders of the people and this the Master has much to say about in later chapters. Here He calls them out plainly to those who can understand the gist of His words saying: “For I say unto you, That 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). As we have discussed in the past, the Pharisees and the scribes ARE NOT evil men, they are men who are so caught up in the doctrines and the traditions that they Truly believe that the are keeping the law and doing the word of God. Over the centuries, from the time the law is given to the days of Christ, the Truth and the heart of the law was replaced by those doctrines and traditions that allowed men to be in the world and to believe that they are doing God’s Will at the same time. And this is the Master’s point, that these men believe that they are righteous and the people believe that they are righteous but that the man who desires the Kingdom must be more righteous or, as we find in latter chapters, Truly righteous as the Master shows their doctrines to be but a facade, a covering for the Truth. This same fate has likely befallen most every world religion as doctrines replace the Truth of the word and offer cover to the men who so practice. There IS a simple Truth here which IS that no True religion will speak against a man of God or against another religion as the Jew did against Jesus and as most Christian denominations do against most all others; this IS the work of doctrine and not Truth. This IS the work of glamour and of illusion.

As we say earlier, the Master’s point here is against the doctrinal approach of the religious leaders of the day and against the traditions that they held as the reality of their religion; we see this in several places but this must be understood in the context that it IS offered. There are those then as there are today who intentionally mislead others for their own benefit and this we can see in the Master’s words but the most of His words are not clearly understood but are interpreted against Christian doctrine which sees the Pharisee as an evil man. Most do not understand the complexity of these thoughts and words; most do not see sin and evil as the ways of the man in the world, ALL men in the world, who by degree attend to the affairs of the self and the self in the world. Jesus rails against them because they perpetuate the situation; He comes among them with the Truth and they reject Him as they see greater Truth in what it IS that they believe. And today would be largely the same across the world and in most ALL religions; if the Master were to come among us today teaching the Truth, He would likely be mocked by most and derided by those in the churches who see their own authority and sense of righteousness in jeopardy and who at the same time CAN NOT believe that the Master would teach anything else than what they themselves believe as doctrine and tradition.

This essay is contrary to the the doctrinal teachings that show the Pharisee and others like him as evil men rather that men who are merely lost in the illusion and the glamour of Life in the world. This will likely anger those who can see themselves in these words that we speak here but it IS the one who does not see himself in these words and the words of the Master against the Pharisee that is likely the most deluded as it IS this man who believes that his doctrines and his traditions and his beliefs are right. We close here with a sample of those things that the Master has against the religious leaders of the day:

• “And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the market, except they wash , they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do” (Mark 7:2-8).
• “Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:2-9).
• “But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.  Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them” (Luke 11:42-44).

In ALL of these and more these Pharisees and scribes DO NOT see these things as the Master tells them. Before He came among them they believed that these things were Godly and True; while He was with them, they likely resented His affront to their way of religion and their sense of religious Life, and after He is gone from them they continue in their ways unconvinced. This IS NOT a problem of the Jews, this is human nature, this is the way of Life for the man who is ensconced in the illusion and the glamour of Life in this world. And it IS these things that must be forsaken, these inventions of men that lie against the Truth; this “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men“

We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.

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 repeat here a Quote of the Day that we spent much time with over the course of our essays. In this affirmation we find the Truth of discipleship as we have been ever been expressing and here we can relate our themes of the last few days; “take no thought” for the things of the world and that we approach the Kingdom and discipleship in the nature of the little child, in humbleness, meekness, unashamed in any way and unassuming. The message that this imparts for us today IS that it IS the Soul that is at work in the world of men as it expresses to some degree the purpose, power and the will through Life in this world. These words are from a meditation offered to his students by our Tibetan brother and in which we find greater understanding of the message of the Master. This IS Truly the way of the disciple.

My Soul has purpose, power and will; these three are needed on the Way of Liberation.
My Soul must foster love among the sons of men; this is its major purpose.
I, therefore, will to love and tread the Way of Love. All that hinders and obstructs the showing of the Light must disappear before the purposes of the Soul.
My will is one with the great Will of God;. that Holy Will requires that all men serve. And unto the purposes of the Plan I lend my little will.

Let the peace of God rule in your hearts!