ON LOVE; PART CMXXVIII
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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 essay we came back to the ideas that we have been presenting as our trifecta of spiritual reality, ideas that come from Jesus words regarding the man who will keep His words. It IS in the context of keeping His words that much of the misunderstanding and the misinterpretations of the Truth ARE founded as men DO NOT see their role in the simplicity of the Master’s presentation; doctrines have allowed their contorted view of the Apostle Paul’s words to overcome Jesus simple and straightforward words on the Kingdom of God and the like ideas of the Presence of God in one’s Life and discipleship. It has become the ways of men in this world to confound the simple Truths and to define the most complex ideas into a literal understanding: that is to make the parabolic and obscure sayings the basis of doctrines while ignoring the most simple ideas such as we see in the Great Commandments and the Golden Rule which we repeat again above. The Master clearly shows us and tells us that the Way to the Kingdom IS in keeping His words and that this IS the way to the Truth of discipleship and the Presence of God as well. We read again:
- “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
- “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’ (John 8:31-32).
- “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 14:21-24).
It IS in the reality of these ideas that ALL things spiritual ARE revealed and it IS in understanding that ALL of these aspects of grace, His Presence, the Kingdom and one’s realization of discipleship, ARE the reciprocal action in the Life of a man who will keep His words; it IS here that men will find the Truth of salvation. It IS in this context that the words of the Apostle Paul should be seen, it IS in the context of keeping His words as Love, as agape, that one can understand his own wherewithal to accomplish this seemingly impossible task of Life. Paul tells us that “all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Galatians 5:14) and this one word IS agape whose meaning can be seen as the apostle defines it here.
It IS unfortunate that men’s ideas on the meaning of the Greek word nomos as law IS rather restricted to the words of the Old Testament. Most ALL forget that the commandments of the Lord, the precepts that Jesus teaches us ARE in ALL ways the same as under the law and this should be easily seen in His words above saying that “ the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me”. It is in the combination of these ideas of law and commandment, in the combination of the Great Commandments and the Master’s own words on Love, that the depth of keeping His words can be found and it IS in this context that we read His rhetorical question saying “why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say ?” (Luke 6:46) which IS the Apostle Luke’s view of the idea presented above by Matthew on attaining the Kingdom of God.
And this IS the reality that Love overcomes, it IS this seemingly impossible task which IS seen through the completeness of the Master’s words and His intent that the simplicity of Love overcomes. And it IS here that the words of the apostles take on that added importance as they show us how that these ARE equal….that to express Love as agape IS the fullness of keeping His words. As we read Paul’s words above we should be able to see how that it IS Love, it IS agape, that IS the cornerstone of ALL Truth and while the Master DOES NOT paint this equivalency for us in the same way as DOES the apostle, we should be able to see His own intent as we understand that the basis for ALL of His words IS this same sense of agape, this same sense of Love for God and for ALL men as IS reflected for us in the Great Commandments.
And while Paul shows us this equivalency in his words above and in His words to the Romans saying that: “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:8-10), the reality of this idea IS missed by most ALL men. So much of the Truth IS lost in the common understanding of the rendered words of the New Testament but NONE is more misunderstood than the idea of Love as it IS represented by the Greek word agape. It IS in the True understanding of this sense of Love that we will find the simplicity of scripture and come to KNOW how that it is agape that sets men onto the Path to that “glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:21).
It IS one’s expression of this Love that inhibits ALL of those other parts of the law and accomplishes ALL of the commandments of the Master. It IS one’s expression of this agape that suppresses a man’s carnal instincts; instincts of the body and of the emotions and the mind, which ARE ALL centered in the lower self of the man in this world. And while so many believe that it IS to the benefit of this lower carnal self that the grace of God will come for the believer, the greater Truth IS found in understanding the very nature of this Love and how that this IS the very Presence of God in one’s Life as Jesus shows us above. And it IS this dichotomy between the spiritual and the carnal that IS shown us by the Master and by His apostles that forms the basis for the opposite view of Life, opposite to the view that it IS this Life in this world that IS bettered by the grace of God.
While we should see this so clearly from the New Testament words that show is this separation, most ARE yet stuck in the traditions and the words of the Old Testament that seemingly promise carnal things to men in return for their spiritual responses in Life….and it IS men’s failure to separate themselves from the archaic ways of the Jews that leaves them confounded by the Master’s Truths. We should remember here that the whole basis for Love IS founded in the words of the Old Testament, words that were NOT and ARE NOT recognized as the central point of the teachings given by Moses and by the prophets, and we should remember here how that the Great Commandments themselves ARE Jesus’ repeating of these words as the greatest in ALL of the law.
It IS in the reality of the dichotomy between the carnal and the spiritual that Jesus shows us that it IS His words, that it IS keeping His words, that awakens the True Life of man and allows for his expression of the Truth in this world. In the simplicity of His saying that “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63) we should see how that there IS naught in the grace of God for the Life of the flesh and while this IS a difficult idea for men to understand, the reality of it IS clearly painted for the man whose focus IS Truly on the things of God. And this focus IS founded in Love as it IS intended by agape, a Love that has NO carnal implications nor restrictions, a Love that IS offered to ALL men and through them to the heart of God. This IS the reality of Jesus teachings and this IS the reality of Paul’s words that show us that to express agape IS to keep His words and the law. While Paul shows us this great Truth, the Apostle James expands upon it for us as he shows us how that this Love, this agape, IS Truly expressed, how that this IS taken away from ALL carnal implications and intent. James tells us:
“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment” (James 2:1:22).
We should see here the very depth of agape as it IS blind to the physical, the emotional and the mental approach to ALL men and while the common view of James’ words may be strictly in relation to the ideas of rich and poor, we should KNOW that these ARE but examples that set forth the deeper reality that “if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin“. Here in the apostle’s words we find the depth of Love as agape, a Love that IS blind and a Love that fulfills the basic ideas that we have ascribed to Love as agape at the top of our essay. Here in the apostle’s words we find the Way of Love as it IS benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good and we find as well that this IS offered to ALL men….that there IS NOT nor can there be any “respect to persons“. We also find embedded in the apostle’s words the very Truth of that sense of judgement which True agape will avoid; that same sense of judgement that IS intended by the Master as He says “Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1).
The reality of these ideas on Love IS founded in the totality of the Master’s words and the amplifying and clarifying words of His apostles which serve to break down for us some of the parabolic tone which IS the Master’s way of teaching men. There IS however much difficulty in the ways of men, difficulty that prevents them from seeing the basic Truths that this Love exposes. It IS the illusion and the glamour of Life in this world that feeds that sense of self and undermines the Truth of Love and it IS in understanding the deeper ideas on the dichotomy between the spiritual and the carnal as presented by the Master in His words above and in His words on treasure and mammon.
As Jesus tells us to “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21), we should see our every thought and attitude and our guide to the spiritual over the carnal. It IS this guide that we should see in Jesus words on God and mammon and in the Apostle John’s words on the relationship of the man who desires the things of God to this world; we read:
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:15-17).
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.
GOODWILL IS
LOVE IN ACTION
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12
If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: James 2:8
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Galatians 5:14
Our Quote of the Day is a stylized version of the footer that has been a part of this blog from the beginning. It is in a few words our motto and our slogan and as we have posted so many times, it is the method par excellence of bringing about a world in Peace and in Harmony. The words of the Master that accompany our motto here are the source for our understanding of GoodWill and our method of practice and the words of His apostles are their echo of the second part of the Greatest Commandment as enunciated by the Christ. Let us all strive to do our part for in so doing we are doing as the Master instructed; we are striving to enter at the strait gate into His Glorious Kingdom.
This idea of GoodWill takes on added meaning as we approach the third of the annual festivals this year. Beginning with the Festival of Easter which IS followed by the recent Festival of Wesak, the Festival of GoodWill IS the third and comes to us at the full moon of June, the Gemini full moon which IS on June 2, 2015. While there IS much symbolism in the full moon idea, the reality for us IS more simple and IS intended to show the relationships between the Christ and the Buddha and the Truth of Love and humanity. This festival IS alternately call the Christ Festival, the Festival of Humanity and World Invocation Day and it IS ALL of these qualities plus the unifying idea of GoodWill that should be seen flowing through the ideas behind it.
