ON LOVE; PART DLII
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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 post we began our look at the segment of the Sermon on the Mount where the Master offers us His ideas on “take no thought” in which we see one of the most important ideas for the man who would be His disciple, for the aspirant and for the man who IS Truly seeking. As we have said in previous essays, ALL of these words on the treasure, the Light or the Soul verses the darkness of the world, the choice of God or mammon as ones focus in Life and this idea of “take no thought” are intended for the man who IS Truly seeking and implementing these in one’s Life IS a part of the reality of Truly striving toward that strait gate. Here, in this group of words from the Master, are the keys to letting go of one’s worldly ways and seeking the Way of God. We must understand that ALL begins in Love and with an outward view of the Master’s words and the ways of the world in Love and that ALL of these ideas on forsaking and this most important saying of “take no thought” make much more sense to the inspired aspirant and seeker in the world. Perhaps this IS why it IS the nature of doctrines to dilute and change these ideas, because they are most difficult for the man in the world to accomplish and to see. The choice IS ever God or mammon and the way that these words precede the Master’s teaching on “take no thought” IS NOT accidental and this IS especially clear in the way that they are linked by that simple word that introduces the explanation: therefore. Again we read:
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 7:24).
“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is , and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: ) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things” (Matthew 7:25-32).
It IS here that we should see the Master’s intent or, at a minimum the Apostle Matthew’s intent, in linking these ideas together as they ARE NOT so linked in Luke’s Gospel. In Luke the Master’s words on God and mammon follow upon the Parable of the Unjust Steward where the message IS that one should NOT value the things of the world over the things of the Lord while His words on “take no thought” follow upon the Parable of the Rich Fool where the teaching IS that one should not attend to His worldly goods but that he should attend to the things of God. This IS NOT likely how most doctrine views these things and we can make our same points using Luke’s versions of these ideas as we can using Matthew’s. Matthew DOES link these things together and he DOES use the word that links them in therefore and here we can read simply that “Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life“. In this we should be able to see the intent and the meaning that since one CAN NOT attend to both, CAN NOT focus upon both, that the man who IS seeking God should not even think about these things of the self and of the world. The ideas promoted by doctrine and somewhat explained by Vincent in the last essay, the ideas of being anxious and worrying about, DO NOT work in this construction of the Master ‘s words. While this idea of anxious and of worry may work for the man who DOES NOT Truly seek, they DO NOT for the disciple, the aspirant and the True seeker as these DO NOT satisfy the reality that the Master seeks to convey.
In the last essay we ended with a discussion on Vincent’s interpretation of our subject words “take no thought” and while we agree with him that this can include worry, anxiety and concern, we do not see these ideas as the limiting factor. We see Mr. Vincent’s initial point on the original understanding of this as the idea of caring, and in this saying, as a dividing care; this older idea is further explained as distracting the heart from the true object of life 4 which IS our own view of the reality of “take no thought“. However, as Vincent explains, this had fallen out of favor and while the alternate idea that he presents, earnest thoughtfulness, can work for us as well, he then takes this to the realm of being anxious and worry which IS his understanding of the Master’s intent. In the final of Vincent’s three points which we posted in the last essay we may find the reality of the doctrinal interpretation of these words; we read this here again:
The word has entirely lost this meaning. Bishop Lightfoot (“On a Fresh Revision of the New Testament”) says: “I have heard of a political economist alleging this passage as an objection to the moral teaching of the sermon on the mount, on the ground that it encouraged, nay, commanded, a reckless neglect of the future.” It is uneasiness and worry about the future which our Lord condemns here, and therefore Rev. rightly translates be not anxious. This phase of the word is forcibly brought out in 1 Peter 5:7, where the A. V. ignores the distinction between the two kinds of care. “Casting all your care ( μέριμναν , Rev., anxiety ) upon Him, for He careth ( αὐτῷ μέλει ) for you,” with a fatherly, tender, and provident care.” 4
Here we see Bishop Lightfoot’s comment regarding the worldly understanding of the original idea or some variation of it, that this would lead to a reckless neglect of the future, and this IS NOT of course the reality that the Master proposes. In the reality of “take no thought” as embraced by the man who Truly seeks, there would be no recklessness as the whole of this idea is founded in Love and in understanding. In a uniform application of this precept the structure of capitalism may become different and it would most assuredly be a structure of equality and one where the striving IS for the betterment of ALL and towards the realities of Kingdom of God. This of course would require the involvement of many, of the majority, and, as we KNOW, this IS NOT the way of the world where man strives for the betterment of the self and then perhaps tends to some part of the needs of others. Here again we see the idea of God and mammon, as the objective toward which a man strives. Mr. Vincent’s conclusion here is for us plainly wrong and this IS confirmed not only by the lead in of that choice of God or mammon but also by the succeeding verse that tells us the alternative to thinking on and pursuing the things of the world, the mammon of unrighteousness as it IS called in Luke’s Gospel, as the Master adds: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).
Here the message IS that one NOT seek after the things of the world which the Master represents in food and drink and in clothing and which we should see as representative of the whole of mammon, the whole of the things of the world. The message IS that one see the Truth of the Kingdom of God which, as He explains later in this Sermon on the Mount, IS found in keeping His words which He phrases as DOING “the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). The message here IS the True message of faith and one that is discounted by way of the dilution of doctrines which see “take no thought” ONLY as not to worry. And this IS a hard lesson; it IS intimately tied to the human sense of self which IS a product of the personality’s desires for more and better as well as man’s fears and uncertainty about NOT having. In this opposite view of the Master’s words is the reality of the anxiety, worry and concern; here there IS fear that if one should not strive after the things of the world, that he will not have them and be either destitute of frowned upon by society. Can we see the point here? That in the Master’s words there IS the requirement of faith and that in the absence of this faith is that fear of wanting and not having.
There IS yet a greater reality here however which further complicates the whole of the Master’s message and that IS that this attitude of “take no thought” CAN NOT stand alone; it must be a part of a man’s overall striving toward the Kingdom of God “and his righteousness“, and here again we must see that this begins in the Love and the understanding that IS expressed in the preceding verses going back to the beginning of the Sermon. Here we should try to see why this idea, and most of these ideas expounded by the Master, are instructions to the True seeker, the aspirant and the disciple; none of these are intended to stand alone but rather to become a part of the Way of the disciple. And so this IS our instruction as aspirants and that the world does not see this is of no immediate concern save from the perspective of the aspirant and the disciple’s responsibilities in teaching ALL that will listen to the Truth of the Master’s words and to be every pointing the True way to True salvation. The unfortunate part in this ALL is that the doctrines convince people of their salvation and build them up in the doctrinal ways of achieving the Kingdom and that in this state of mind many WILL NOT ever listen to the Truth of the much more difficult Way. As aspirants we should ever remember that the Master Himself understands this reality which we see in His words “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able” (Luke 13:24). Here we must understand that the inability IS self inflicted by NOT seeing the Truth of the Ways of God.
But even for us as aspirants there is difficulty and this IS the purpose of the Master’s many words of instruction and encouragement and here, in this topic of “take no thought” we should see this clearly. The Master here makes many comparisons:
- He tells us of the “fowls of the air” which we should KNOW do not worry nor are they anxious and neither do they plan and scheme; Jesus tells us that “they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns“. He tells us that despite the fact that they careth NOT, “your heavenly Father feedeth them” and here we should try to see the sense of faith that these “fowls of the air” must have. Can we see here the idea of the mustard seed?
- He tells us of the “lilies of the field“, how that they do nothing for themselves, how that “they toil not, neither do they spin“. We should see the beauty of ALL flowers as this IS an example of the Beautiful Nature of the things of God. The point here is that this beauty is unrequited; the plant does nothing to earn this splendor which He likens for us as that “even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these“.
These are comparisons to other creatures, other lives, in this Earth and the example here is simply that they do nothing for what they NEED and what they HAVE and that from a human perspective we should not have to think about these things either. He does not say that from the perspective of man that we need not work, only that we should not think on these things but we should occupy our minds with the things of the Lord; this IS where our focus should be. Does this mean that we should not think about the meal we are about to eat? NO; this means simply that we not plan and scheme to attain this meal nor should be be concerned that it will come and, in this last idea of no concern IS the reality of faith. We should try to see here that the incidental thought that moves through one’s mind IS NOT the objective of these sayings, the objective is that the things of the world DO NOT get the focus and the attention of the man who Truly seeks; in this the Apostle Paul helps us to understand what it IS that a man should attend to as he tells us: “whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).
And the Master gives us more here as He tells us how that by our thoughts on these things, on the things of the world, we can accomplish naught that IS of any value spiritually. By our focus and attention, by such thought, a man CAN NOT “add one cubit unto his stature” which is rendered in other versions as “one cubit to his span of life” (Revised Version) or some similar wording that shows adding to Life rather than stature. This idea of Life IS more meaningful but both work in Jesus’ example as man can do neither and here the point IS that by one’s thought and focus that one’s length of Life CAN NOT be changed with the implication that since this IS True, neither can a man change any thing that IS of the world. We should understand that the Master is speaking from the perspective of the man in the world becoming a man of God and here perhaps we can see that the fowl and the flower DO NOT seek for nor do they focus upon what they need, it IS JUST there for them. In this saying on extending Life or adding height there IS a reality that we are missing, a relationship that IS lost, but the gist IS likely similar to what we say here. From Luke’s Gospel we get a few more words as we read: “And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?” (Luke 12:25-26). Here the perplexing part is in considering the adding of some measure of height or Life as “that thing which is least” but we do get the carry through of the comparison of one’s inability to change this thing and one’s inability to change the things of the world which we should see here in the more psychic way. While this IS a difficult saying, there is one more way to see this; that it may be that the comparison IS between the impossibility of adding stature or age and the very nature of the food supply in the Earth, that while a man can farm and cultivate and find all manner of ways to increase growth, that none of this IS Truly in man’s control; without the rain and the sun and the temperate weather, there IS NO food supply…man has NO control over these things.
We should remember there that the apostles are writing their recollections according to the way that they see the Master’s words and that this product is then subject of the translations which bring us these words. In the end the Master does state the overriding idea as He calls us “O ye of little faith” and we should note that He again links this by way of therefore to the primary idea of “take no thought“.
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
| Aspect |
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 puts 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, 13:1-3,13 (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. As in the ideas above from Sermon on the Mount and our comments on the affirmation that had been our Quote of the Day, these words from Paul impart a better understanding of the reality of Life, the Life of the True man as the Christ Within, the Soul, through a True understanding of the power and the purpose of Love and we should note here as well that this expression of Love IS the Will of God and this we should see clearly in the Truth that “God IS love” (1 John 4:8).
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
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts!
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
