ON LOVE; PART DCXXXIX
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GoodWill IS Love in Action
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FIRST IS THE GREAT COMMANDMENTS: “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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WHAT THEN IS LOVE? In a general sense love is 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.
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PLUS THE EVER IMPORTANT AND HIGH IDEAL TAUGHT TO US BY THE CHRIST: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12)
We ended the last essay discussing the Apostle James words on oaths which, while these ARE seen in relationship to the Master’s similar words, they are not seen as a continuation of the reality of James’ previous words nor are they considered in regard to the words that follow. We noted that ALL of these ideas regarding oaths ARE rather obscure as we DO NOT Truly KNOW the intent but, we can be sure that this IS NOT as Mr. Gill 8 represents. While he does connect these to James’ previous sayings, this IS of little use as the previous sayings are misunderstood and seen in an eschatological way regarding the “the coming of the Lord” or else with the idea of the death of the reader. It IS when one can see the spiritual value of these ideas that one can Truly understand the apostle’s intent and in this one must try to see the reality of James’ intended audience, aspirants and disciples, those who are Truly seeking and striving toward the Kingdom of God. We have discussed our idea on this in some detail over the last few posts and in summary we should see that we ARE to work in patience and this for us IS a key word, work, as to simply wait IS NOT a very spiritual endeavor. Our combined sayings, including our current one, are:
“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold , the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient ; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation” (James 5:7-12).
In this word patience that we discussed from Vincent’s perspective, we found a word that IS NOT the normally used word that IS rendered as such but rather a variation that has some more spiritual implications. Mr. Vincent offered that this Greek word makrothumeo, which IS rendered as “be patient” and IS used in the other references to this idea by James, should be seen as that: It is a patient holding out under trial; a long-protracted restraint of the soul from yielding to passion 4. If we can look at this from the perspective of the aspirant and the disciple who ARE struggling through the duality of Life, we can see much of the apostle’s intent. We should remember that while Mr. Vincent offers us some of the deeper ideas regarding the use of words in the New Testament, he IS as the same time a rather doctrinal Christian who interprets much of his ideas according to his doctrine; here he sees the Inner man as the Soul who must show restraint and this we understand as the True man who IS awakened as the aspirant and the disciple who IS restraining the lower impulses of the personality in the world as he strive to keep His words. This IS of course the nature of the struggle with the duality of Life and we add here some additional ideas which, while doctrinal, can shed some added light on our plight; Vincent, here quoting Bishop Ellicott says: ‘The brave patience with which the Christian contends against the various hindrances, persecutions, and temptations that befall him in his conflict with the inward and outward world‘ 4.
This IS the True idea which should be seen in a more universal way as this afflicts ALL men who strive toward the Kingdom and NOT Christians ONLY and we should remember that until one’s focus is fixed upon the Truth of His words, the various hindrances, persecutions, and temptations will NOT be Truly seen nor appreciated. In these ideas we should see the spiritual nature of James’ words and we should see as well the idea of the work that IS in this patience as the man must strive to keep His words and to resist the ways of the world. It IS here perhaps that we must try to understand the intended idea from the apostle regarding the use of oaths as a man may be prone to swear such oaths as promises to keep His words over the lure of the attractions and the attachments that he may have to this world. Here we can try to see the more common and doctrinal understanding of relying upon God the Father to address our own shortfalls rather that understanding the reality that it IS the God Within to whom we must look for strength. Here, in the idea of “let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay” we can see this reality, that it IS left to each man, to each aspirant and each disciple, to work out the Truth of his focus and of his striving. We should see here as well that this focus upon the things of God and this striving to keep His words ARE the result of Repentance and IS the work of Transformation, and that the commitment to these things has already been made; in this we should see the reality of our yea to the Way of God.
Other than to repeat the words of the Master on oaths that we discussed in the last essay, there IS NO other purpose to James’ placing it here in this dialogue and we should again see that in the way that he begins this, he IS placing much importance upon this idea that we should “swear not“. He begins by saying “But above all things” and, as we showed yesterday, this idea of above IS generally rendered as before which can be seen in the same reality of the importance of these words. Here then we can try to see the ideas previously presented which James is say are below or after this idea of oaths and Truth:
- We begin with the end of the fourth chapter where James links for us the previous ideas on resisting the lures of worldly life to the following ideas on the result and the futility of not resisting by use of his saying that “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).
- James tells us that KNOWING difference between DOING good and NOT DOING so should set us upon the right path away from the planning and scheming for more and better in the world and the pride and perhaps even the boasting that may come with this; here we should remember that boasting to oneself and comparing oneself to others IS equal to doing so outwardly and the essence of pride is a fault of the carnal mind and emotions..
- The apostle tells us that if we DO NOT resist the temptations and DO succumb to some, that the result IS only futility; that whatsoever we may gain “shall be a witness against you” (James 5:3). Here we should understand that the idea of gold and silver and garments are but examples of worldly gain and that the greater reality is in the thoughts and the attitudes regarding such gain.
- Here then begins the more obscure ideas of this dual Life and its results as James gives us what we see as parabolic words that relate to this struggle: “Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth” (James 5:4). While most believe that this should be seen literally, this makes no sense when viewed as James speaking about rich men who hire and DO NOT pay. We see that it IS the hire, the reward or the wages, that crieth as this reward IS “kept back” by the actions of the man who slips into focusing upon the world or some thing in the world. This IS the same man who has committed to the Lord, this IS the aspirant and the disciple and this change of focus IS the fraud; in the balance of the Inner man with the outer Life we should understand that when the outer seizes the focus for itself that the reward IS lost; and this reward IS the expression of the Truth through Life in this world….this reward IS the spiritual objective and goal. We noted in our recent discussion that the idea that personalizes this saying to be the man IS a doctrinal one and that this IS especially True in the end where “the cries of them which have reaped” is better seen as Wycliffe and the Douay-Rheims render this saying: “and the cry of them” where them can refer to the “hire of the labourers“.
- This confusion continues as doctrine sees the next verses in a literal fashion as well while we see the reality of the killing in the same Light as above, that the lower forces of the personality can kill the progress made by the man who IS focused upon the Soul but who has or could regress and revert to more carnal living. And this can be in total or in part, the apostle DOES NOT specify and we should see that this reality resides in one’s own heart.
- Next we have our ideas on patience that we read above and here we should see James’ offer of the resolution for any reversion to the carnal ways that a man may have; here again it IS important to understand that the apostle IS writing to the man who IS striving; this IS his resolution. While he may slip in this or that area, he IS still the aspirant and the disciple and it IS thorough his working in this patience that he will endure.
Can we see the steady stream of ideas that the apostle presents? We should remember that this stream begins with his first words and NOT here in the fourth chapter only and while we have discussed this several times, we may have neglected to show how that the apostle comes back to various ideas as he proceeds. We noted this in regard to Wisdom as James tells us the conditions of asking and receiving such in the first chapter and then how that we can KNOW that any thought or attitude and an revelation IS Wisdom. We noted other relationships as well and here we should add to these ideas how that the reality of faith and works corresponds to this work that we do in this patient enduring that we do…the work of striving to keep His words IS a work of faith. Here we can also relate this work to the initial words that the apostle offers us regarding temptation and understand that it IS invariably some form of temptation that IS the cause for ALL the slipping and sliding that the man who strives will DO in his Life of duality in this world. James tells us: “count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:2-4).
There IS a link here to be sure; James tells us here what IS the perfect work of patience…..”that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing“. This IS the reward, this IS the wages of those who labor in the field of the world as aspirants and as disciples. And another point here IS made as well….that in this Life of duality that we live in this world, it IS the temptation to choose wrongly that enables us tho have “crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Galatians 5:24) and to finally end the duality in the Truth of discipleship.
It IS here that we should try to understand that there IS a deeper reality to this idea of swearing oaths; aside from the idea that the Master calls it wrong to use oaths to the Lord, or oaths of any kind, to bind a man to his promise; aside from the idea that a man’s word should stand as his bond, that his yea and his nay should be sufficient to any task; and aside from the propensity of a man to use the swearing of oaths afflicting even the aspirant and the disciple so that he too uses these to bind a promise, there must be a deeper idea that IS NOT easily seen. And this must be an idea that can place this Truth “above all” or “before all” which IS above the importance of the ideas we list above and ALL of James words in this epistle. However there IS nothing that we can find in the use of this word that offers us any additional ideas except perhaps that it IS used to relate the force of the promise that IS made by God to Abraham. Perhaps then this IS the entirety of the meaning here: God’s promise to Abraham IS based in his ability to perform what He had said He would DO. A man’s promise IS backed by NO such ability to perform; as we previously said, a man has NO control and no promise even of his own tomorrow.
As the aspirant and the disciple one CAN NOT swear an oath to DO this or to DO that or to NOT DO this or that because he has NO ability to guarantee his performance, nor that he will see a tomorrow or even a later part of this day. Here then to swear “by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath” has NO meaning just as there IS NO meaning in swearing those oaths mentioned by the Master who says: “Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black” (Matthew 5:34-36). If then there IS no meaning to a man’s saying such things, he should NOT DO so and this refraining is because of the effect that these affirmations may have upon the man who so affirms as well as on anyone that a thing may be affirmed to.
But we are still left with the idea that this saying, and by reference the Master’s like sayings, are seen by James as “above all” and we CAN NOT clearly see how this idea of affirmation that we premise here can be such if in fact it IS meaningless. We must remember that this IS related to that work of patience as the apostle tells us that this can resolve the struggles of our Life in duality which he cites throughout his epistle. And he reminds the aspirant and the disciple that “the friendship of the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4); in this he IS telling us that the temptations to partake in this world are opposed to our sense of God as well. Here, while the idea of swearing oaths may be meaningless, our Truer sense of commitment is found in our yea and nay; NOT a promise here then but a commitment, a thing that we set out to DO against the strength of the lower forces of Life in this world. Can we see how that this commitment can be “above all” and that in the apostles words it IS this commitment that will carry one through as he works in patience; in this he endures.
So the message can be that one NOT swear any of these meaningless oaths but just commit, which IS the essence of his True Repentance; it IS this that is “above all” and “before all” and it IS in fulfilling this commitment that one must work in patience. It IS this view of our resisting temptation that gives us the True reality of his words; that we should understand that the “trying of your faith worketh patience“. We close here for today with these other words that perhaps have a similar impact on the apostle’s meaning: “So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty” (James 2:12).
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.
This Quote of the Day is the antithesis of glamour and illusion. In this mantram are the thoughts about ourselves and our brothers in the world that can diffuse those forces that hold a man in the world of things and prevent his spiritual progress.
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!
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
- 8 Bible commentaries on BibleStudyTools.com
