ON LOVE; PART DCCCXXXVI
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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. While this IS from an older definition of Charity, which IS rendered in the King James Bible from the same Greek word agape which IS generally rendered as Love, we should amend our own definition here to include the idea that in the reality of Love a man will accord to ALL men ALL things that he would accord to himself and to say that Love IS our thoughts and attitude of the equality of ALL men regardless of their outward nature or appearance…that ALL ARE equally children of Our One God
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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)
In the last several essays we have explored our ideas on how that the Master reveals the Truths of Life and of the Kingdom through parables and parabolic sayings as He hints to us how that we should express our divine nature to the world of men. While we have ofttimes discussed the reality of Jesus’ parables, how that they ALL contain some degree of greater Truth that IS ONLY discovered by the man who IS focused upon the things of God, and how that it IS by measure, the measure of one’s focus upon the Truth of His words, that His parables ARE revealed. In this we should try to see that as one goes ever deeper into the Truth, as one goes ever more into the realm of keeping and expressing His Truths to the world of men, greater revelation of those Truths will come into that man’s waking consciousness. This IS the reality of revelation and this IS the reality of the growth of the Kingdom of God Within.
In the last essays we have directed our thoughts at the ways of the doctrines that have been developed by men in this world and how that in the glamour of Life, a glamour based in the vanity and the illusions of Life in this world, those who create and follow each of the many variations of Truth ALL claim to have the singular Truth. We have also made our own views on this sense of doctrine KNOWN as we draw that line that the Master shows us, a line that separates the things of the world from the things of God. In the view that God IS Truth we should be able to understand and to see that ALL that IS NOT of this One Truth IS of the world and while these doctrinal thoughts of men have some degree of Godly focus within them, they ARE NOT in accord with the One Truth that the Master came to show to the world. It IS in the misinterpretations and misapplications of Jesus’ words and the words of His apostles that we find the carnal aspect of religion and of doctrines as they are formulated to the comfort of men rather than to the Truth of His words.
While the man who IS NOT religious can and will see himself apart from God and from His righteousness, much as the publicans and the harlots that Jesus speaks of, the man of doctrines DOES NOT as he allows his doctrinal beliefs to so color his view that he fails to see the Truth and actually supplants the Master’s Truths with this picture that his own doctrine paints. In Jesus’ words to the Pharisees and the scribes, to the “the chief priests and the elders of the people“, saying “the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you” (Matthew 21:23, 31), we should see this reality and understand the Master’s point. While the commentaries on this idea and the parable that precedes it show the doctrinal view according to the parable, and while some attribute the idea of “the publicans and the harlots” to those who had followed John, the reality IS much deeper. And this IS a reality that DOES NOT begin and end with the “the chief priests and the elders of the people” but extends to ALL generations of men as DO ALL of the Master’s words spoken in regard to such religious authorities, those who appear as such to the common man. While there IS a reality to the parable which IS more of an example that IS presented to “the chief priests and the elders of the people“, an example that IS unrealized by so many yet today, the deeper Truths of His message are found in the more simple idea that “the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you“. It IS in this that we should see the reality of the closed mind of the man who IS so convinced of his own sense of Truth that he DOES NOT see even the plainly spoken Truths of the gospels.
Our point can be easily shown through the thoughts and attitudes that ARE expressed by the man whose doctrine governs his sense of Truth and IS become his religion whether he may see this reality or NOT. In the most simple idea that Jesus presents, the idea that begins this selection from the fourteenth chapter of the Gospel of John that we present again, we should be able to see the ideas of doctrines as they ARE opposed to the reality of the Truth. We DO NOT say that they ARE opposed to the Truth as the reality of the idea IS easily seen….it IS the application of that Truth that fails against the pronouncements of doctrine. How many millions of men claim to Love Jesus, Love Christ and Love God who DO NOT keep His words and how many millions DO NOT even try to be “doers of the word” (James 1:22) as their doctrines deflect their responsibility according to their own fabricated view of reality. We repeat our sayings from John’s Gospel again:
“If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless:a I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me” (John 14:15-24).
In these words we have the basic structure that IS the Truth of the Kingdom of God and while the words ARE clear to us, their meaning IS yet hidden from so many whose focus IS NOT upon such Truths but rather upon the doctrines that have supplanted them. For example we again go to John Gill whose comments on Jesus words “If ye love me, keep my commandments” include: these are peculiarly “his”, as distinct from, though not in opposition to, or to the exclusion of, his Father’s commands; such as the new commandment of loving one another, and the ordinances of baptism, and the Lord’s supper, which are to be observed and kept as Christ has ordered them, constantly, in faith, and with a view to his glory 8. This IS doctrine; this IS the reality of many doctrines which see such things as the ritual of baptism and the ceremony of the Lord’s supper in a greater light that the Great Commandments that we have again at the top of our essay and the Master’s words on treasure and on “God and mammon” which we have been discussing. In Jesus words IS the reality of our relationship with other men in Love as well as the very Truth of being His disciple; in the whole of the Sermon on the Mount IS His commandments to men and we should KNOW here that most of these ARE rather clearly stated for us.
It IS the reality of His words that ARE His commandments and while many ARE couched in parables and in His parabolic manner of speaking, many others are presented clearly as IS this simple saying and those regarding how that we can have the Presence of God in our lives that follow from our selection above. In the Commentary Critical and Explanatory of the Whole Bible we read this in regard to this most simple saying from the Master: If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father.–This connection seems designed to teach that the proper temple for the indwelling Spirit of Jesus is a heart filled with that love to Him which lives actively for Him, and so this was the fitting preparation for the promised gift 8. Here, rather that seeing Jesus’ saying as it IS intended, as a simple precept that will result in the promise, this sense of doctrine speaks of His Presence and the Love for Him but fails to show the need to “keep my commandments” even when the Master’s words that follow DO clarify this reality….that the Presence of God comes to the man who will keep His words.
Another Christian commentator, John Darby, shows us his doctrinal idea in his Synopsis of the New Testament; we read this about Jesus’ simple statement: But this led to another subject. If they loved Him, it was to be shewn, not in regrets, but in keeping His commandments. They were to walk in obedience. This characterises discipleship up to the present time. Love desires to be with Him, but shews itself by obeying His commands; for Christ also has a right to command. On the other hand He would seek their good on high, and another blessing should be granted them; namely, the Holy Ghost Himself, who should never leave them, as Christ was about to do 8. While the implication here IS that the Master IS speaking ONLY to His Eleven, this idea CAN NOT stand as the whole of His teachings would fail in their import. And, while Mr. Darby DOES see the reality of obeying His commands, he seems to miss the quid pro quo, the idea that the Holy Spirit comes to them as the reciprocal action found in keeping His words; an action that IS clarified in the subsequent sayings that more clearly state the central idea “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him“. It IS in DOING this, in the reality that they “will keep my words” that the Presence of God will come into their lives and this Presence IS the Holy Spirit. This IS the expressed Truth for them and for us.
In regard to these words from the Master most ALL doctrines fail and they fail equally in their carnal assessment of the divine ideas of believing and faith which words should convey to the consciousness of the man in the world that reality of KNOWING which IS revealed in the Presence of God which comes to the man who will keep His words. And ALL of this IS focus, ALL of this is the reality of a man placing his attention upon the things of God and NOT upon the things of the self in this world and here we must remember that whatsoever a man attends to IS his treasure, it IS what IS important to him….and this includes ALL of his thoughts and his attitudes as the Master shows us in His teaching on such matters as adultery and killing where we see that the thought IS as potent as the action. It IS in these ideas of thought and attitude that the Truth of the disciple IS found; it IS in this sense of focus upon the things of God in thought and attitude as well as action that we can find the Truer meanings for the view of the man in the world….that one IS looking towards the things of God or the things of men. It IS in this sense of focus and in the fruit that such focus bears that we find the deeper ideas of His saying “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21, Luke 12:34).
This idea of treasure IS also missed in most doctrinal ideas concerning His sayings; regarding this last saying John Gill tells us that: This seems to be a proverbial expression, and contains in it another reason, dissuading from worldly mindedness 8. While this IS an accurate assessment of Jesus’ intent, the deeper ideas of this treasure as a man’s thoughts and attitudes IS missed which we can see as Mr. Gill continues saying: if your treasure is on earth, and lies in earthly things, your hearts will be set upon them, and be in them, in your bags, your coffers and storehouses 8. It IS in understanding the fullness of this treasure, that it IS ALL carnal thoughts, attitudes, actions and things, that we can see the reality what could possibly be one’s “treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20) and see that these “treasures in heaven” ARE NOT found in: liberally communicating to the poor 8 as Mr Gill tells us.
In the way that most doctrines segregate the Master’s words into phrases and sayings much of the meaning IS lost to the man who relies upon such doctrines to show him the Truth of the Way. And the same segregating tendencies ARE applied to the words of the apostles as well where isolated ideas ARE divorced from the context in which they were offered. This should be apparent in the commentaries that we cite above regarding Jesus’ simple words saying “If ye love me, keep my commandments” and while some see the idea of the Holy Spirit in these words, most ALL fail to see how the the Master continues this thought into the reality of keeping His words as He goes so far as to show the negative….saying that “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings“. In this we have the basic idea that if one DOES NOT keep His words that he DOES NOT Love Him. When we see how that this saying follows those regarding how one attains the Presence of God in one’s Life, we can see as well that this Presence DOES NOT come to the man who “keepeth not my sayings“. Jesus tells us here that this man “loveth me not” and from the Master’s prior thought we KNOW that “he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him“.
Our point in ALL this IS simply that there IS the Truth of the Master’s words and of the words of His apostles and there IS the segregated and disjointed view of His precepts that ARE more convenient topics of doctrines; there IS the Truth of the Master’s words and the words of His apostles and there ARE the interpretations of His words that better suit the carnal minds of men who DO NOT yet see the Truth which IS “shut up” (Matthew 23:13) in the ‘hardened’ doctrines of men. And perhaps it IS this ‘hardened’ sense that IS most difficult for men to understand and to see operating in their own lives; a sense of hardness that IS shown us by the Apostle Paul who tells us “For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in expectation that the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:20-21). It IS this vanity that is the worldly cause of the spiritual difficulties of men in this world; it IS the illusion and the glamour that IS the essence of this vanity that keeps ALL men from clearly seeing the Truth.
And the apostle shows us this idea in another way as well as he tells us “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). We leave again our sayings from John’s Gospel which we will try to get back to in the next essay:
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (John 8:31-34).
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.
Live in joy, in love, even among those who hate.
Live in joy, in health, even among the afflicted.
Live in joy, in peace, even among the troubled.
Live in joy, without possessions.
Like the shining ones.
The winner sows hatred because the loser suffers.
Let go of winning and losing and find joy.
There is no fire like passion, no crime like hatred,
No sorrow like separation, no sickness like hunger,
And no joy like the joy of freedom.
Today’s Quote of the Day is from the Dhammapada (on JOY)5; a collection of the sayings of the Buddha. These words and ideas ARE much the same as those we discuss in our In the Words of Jesus essays. And what is this freedom but the release of our hearts and minds from loving this life in this world and attaining the Presence of God. This word Joy has many meanings as DOES the idea of Love, but in the context that it IS used here we should see the idea that Joy IS Love, Joy IS health, Joy IS peace and that Joy IS without the burdens placed on a man by the illusion and the glamour of the ways of the world. We should try to see that it IS the antithesis of these ideas in hate, in affliction and in troubles that ARE among the possessions of the carnal man, that ARE among the “evil treasure of his heart” (Luke 6:45) according to the Master.
And it IS in the second stanza above that we see the basic psychic ideas that can eliminate the harm caused by such “evil treasure” as a man looks past himself and at the welfare of others which IS the greater reality of Love as the Master teaches us. It IS in losing such possessions, losing such carnal thoughts and attitudes, that one can truly find the “joy of freedom“….this IS the Truth of deliverance.
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts
- 5 The Dhammapada Translated by Thomas Byrom
- 8 Bible commentaries on BibleStudyTools.com
