ON LOVE; PART MCCLIX
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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).
We ended the last essay with some thoughts on the return of the Master, a return about which we KNOW surprisingly little but of which the church, in its many denominations and sects, believes that they DO as they take 3000 years of prophecy regarding myriad subjects and time periods and roll them up into their eschatological ideas. We will NOT take the time to get into the several different ideas and scenarios of the ‘end times’ save to say that ALL ARE based in the ‘visions’, the imaginations of the prophets, and ARE laid out for us in intentionally cryptic stories of their most vivid dreams. Many of the ideas that ARE rolled up into the modern view of these prophecies have likely already happened, this IS the view of several Christian scholars, but this DOES NOT stop the modern day teacher from using them in their own views of the ‘end times’.
The Master has one singular thought regarding the end that should be ever pondered by the Christian and that IS that he should ever be ready; this message however IS lost in the doctrinal message that tries to present this or that scenario of the end that best fits into their denominational view. The Master’s message IS also lost in the way that the Christian believes that because he IS a Christian, that he IS already saved from the ‘wrath’ of the Lord; that he will be among them that “shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
There IS a strange and mystical idea running through these words from the Apostle Paul which ARE intended to let the Thessalonians “comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:17), but we should try to see that this idea IS NOT what has become the common doctrinal belief. We should note also how that this idea IS tied to Love, to agape, by the apostle in his previous words that tell them “as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more“. These words follow upon Paul’s admonition to the reader that he live holy saying that “God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness” (1 Thessalonians 4:7, 9-10).
The rest of Paul’s words here seem cryptic and while they have been doctrinally applied to the ‘end times’ we should note several things. First that the references to being alive and dead DO NOT necessarily refer to the death of the body of a man; these words ARE used by the Master and His apostles to refer to that sense of spiritual death that IS living within the constraints of one’s own vanity, one’s own “bondage of corruption” (Romans 8:20, 21). Remembering Vincent’s defining ideas for this vanity can perhaps shed some light on Paul’s intent here; Vincent defines vanity as: a perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends 4. If we can take being alive to show that sense of holiness and being dead to show living in one’s vanity from one perspective and being dead to that vanity from another, perhaps the whole idea of these cryptic words can become a clear.
If we can also align Paul’s words to the Thessalonians with Jesus’ own words the duality of Life and of death, we can then find evermore clarity. Jesus tells us the same idea in various ways according to the gospel writers; Mark records Jesus’ words as “whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it” (Mark 8:35). In these words we have the duality of Life; saving the carnal Life will cause one to lose his spiritual Life and, conversely to lose one’s carnal life enables the man to save His spiritual Life. This has naught to DO with physical Life and death as so much of doctrine believes and as IS shown to us in this commentary from John Gill; we read:
For whosoever will save his life: Life is a valuable thing, and all that a man has he will give for it; self preservation is a principle in nature; and it becomes every man to take all lawful methods to save his life, when it is threatened, or is in danger: but whoever is willing to save it, when it is called for to be laid down for Christ’s sake; and rather than lay it down, will deny Christ, and give up a profession of him, and his Gospel, shall lose it: he shall not enjoy it with honour and comfort now, and much less with peace, pleasure, and happiness hereafter, but shall be under the power of the second death: but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospel’s; that is, shall willingly part with it when he is called to it, rather than deny Christ and his Gospel, the same shall save it: though he will lose it now, he will find it again in the resurrection of life; for he will rise to eternal life; when such, who have apostatized from Christ, will rise to shame, and everlasting contempt: this man will have greatly the advantage over such; they will die the second death, or be destroyed soul and body in hell; and he will live for ever with Christ, in endless pleasure and glory 8.
While this IS a rather lengthy commentary, it DOES clearly show us the doctrinal view of Jesus’ words, a view that IS contrary to any understanding that takes into account the spiritual nature of His words which, by the very context of them, should be clear. The Master starts His discussion here saying “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” and then continues His words saying “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:34, 36-37). Can we see the point here according to the Apostle Mark? The context IS entirely the same in one occurrence of this idea according to Matthew while in another there IS some difference as this IS there tied to the Master’s ideas of being “worthy of me” which we should see as intimately related to Luke’s version that paints such worthiness as being His disciple.
Here Matthew records Jesus’ words as saying “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me” (Matthew 10:37-40). Here again the whole idea of Life IS bound to the spiritual ideas that ARE found in one’s approach to the Lord, an approach here which mimics the first of the Great Commandments. The Apostle Luke also shows us this idea of finding and losing Life twice in his gospel; in the first the context IS the same as we see above from Mark and then from Matthew while in the second there IS a rather rambling sequence which gives some fuel to the doctrinal perception of the ‘end times’ that we see in Thessalonians.
The ‘end times’ view here IS however unfounded as the reality can be easily seen when the whole of the Master’s words IS seen in context and here we should see that the context begins with the Master’s words saying “the kingdom of God is within you“. Jesus continues to say to His disciples “The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation” (Luke 17:21-25). If we can understand here that His words of warning ARE showing that His disciples DO NOT yet KNOW the deeper meaning to what IS happening; yes they believe that He IS “The Christ of God” (Luke 9:20) which idea IS found in Luke’s first instance of Jesus’ mention of the idea of finding and losing Life, but they DO NOT yet KNOW what this Truly means.
In the idea of “so shall also the Son of man be in his day” we have reference to lightning, its elusiveness, and here we should see the same idea that Jesus shows us in John’s Gospel where we read that “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). In both these sayings the Master IS showing spiritual ideas to yet carnal minds that have NOT yet broken past their own nurturing and indoctrination which we should see as fully happening after Jesus’ resurrection; we should link this defining moment to “so shall the Son of man be in his day“. Luke goes on to tell us the Master’s words that compare such a moment to the Jews’ own historical ideas as these were presented by Moses.
Jesus speaks of Noah and the way that the unexpected happened amidst the normal lives of men in that day and then tells His disciples of Lot and the destruction of Sodom. Here, if we can see these as stories intended to show how that the way of the world can change abruptly as told to men thousands of years ago rather than factual events, the whole idea that Jesus IS presenting can be seen in a clearer Light. Did the entire representation of the world’s living creatures actually board a hand made ship? Did it rain “fire and brimstone from heaven” (Luke 17:29) and destroy Sodom? We shall never Truly KNOW the answer to such questions but we can KNOW that regardless of their historical accuracy, there IS a message, a spiritual message for men to understand both yesterday and today.
The literal interpretation of scripture has poorly served humanity; men DO NOT see that the way that such ideas ARE given to the barbarous and superstitious men of the past ARE written for such men and that as time and the mind progress, so should our understanding of the deeper meanings. After Luke shows us the Master’s comparisons we should see the reality of what that comparison IS. For Noah it IS a new start away from way of Life in his time and here we DO NOT KNOW the intended extent of this story, we DO NOT KNOW that this IS a regional message or a world wide message but nonetheless the message IS the same. For Lot we again find a new start away from the picture painted for us of the barbarism and superstition of the day and here we are shown the peril of holding on to any part of it as Jesus tells His disciples to “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32).
And this IS the current lesson that the Master teaches as He tells them that the same degree of change IS coming upon the world as “in the day when the Son of man is revealed“. What IS this revelation but the ideas that ARE to be generated in the hearts and minds of men as the Master IS resurrected, as He comes again among men showing the deeper Truth of Life and the reality that death IS NOT an end. It IS from here that Jesus tells us about the idea of finding and losing Life which Luke shows us as “Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it“. It IS the Master’s next words however that have become the focus of the eschatological and carnally focused doctrines of men as Jesus says: “I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left” (Luke 17:30, 33, 34-36).
Jesus IS speaking of “the day when the Son of man is revealed” and while His words ARE seen in a number of different ways, the deeper Truths remain covered by the doctrinal interpretations of men. John Gill for example tells us that it IS the Romans that will take the one and leave the other presuming that Jesus words ARE in reference to the sacking of Jerusalem in 70 AD 8. If however we look at these ideas from a spiritual perspective and understand that the Greek word rendered as taken, paralambano, IS better defined as: to receive near, i.e. associate with oneself (in any familiar or intimate act or relation) 9a by Strong’s we can then see a very different picture. Except for Tyndale, every other translation in our library uses the idea of taken in these phrases as this IS become a most universal doctrinal view of Jesus’ words here.
In the idea of being received we can see that dichotomy that happens in Jerusalem on “the day when the Son of man is revealed“. His resurrection sparks such division that it can separate the ideas of people who were heretofore of the same Jewish mind; we can perhaps see how that the one will believe and choose to follow the Lord while the other remains stuck, if we can use that idea here, in what was his nurturing, indoctrination and experience. This IS the division about which the Master speaks. To further complicate the doctrinal idea we should next see that the Greek word that IS rendered as left, as forsaken by some, IS also rendered as forgive in other passages. This word, aphiemi, has many doctrinal meanings according to its usage in the New Testament and here perhaps we can see an intentional use of this mixed idea which can show that the one who IS left IS NOT condemned, he IS merely left in his previous condition.
This spiritual view of the ideas presented IS NOT then so much a prediction of the carnal ideas that have become history, nor IS this an eschatological view as some may believe; this whole idea IS a prediction of the dichotomy that IS created by the resurrection of the Master as the Truth begins to take hold in the minds of some who have come to see a new and greater reality. In these ideas we should be able to see the point of dichotomy, the reality of the division that IS caused by the realizations of one against the lack of that realization by another, and here Jesus points us to the idea that these persons may have been close up to this point. This IS NOT unlike the Master’s giving us a view of His purpose saying “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law” (Luke 12:51-53).
The Apostle Matthew gives us this same idea from a different perspective of Jesus’ words; we read the Master’s words here as “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household” (Matthew 10:34-36). While the idea here IS painted in terms of a sword, the sense of division IS the same and while we can read a purposefulness into this from Jesus’ perspective, the reality IS more that He foresees the effect of His words, His works and His death and resurrection upon some while others remain stuck in their vanity, in their own illusion and glamour.
These words from Jesus show us the necessary division that IS caused as well as His acknowledgement that IS an expected result of His coming among us. Matthew also gives us another view of the words of the Master from Luke’s gospel, words that ARE the greater source for the carnal ideas of the Romans as well as the eschatological ideas of many doctrines. In the end we should try to see different intertwined story lines in Matthew’s presentation; one pointing to the Roman sacking of Jerusalem another to the presumed eschatological points and another to that same dichotomy that we should see through Luke’s version of these events.
We should note here that several of Jesus’ points ARE offered by Matthew and Luke in different contexts; for example Luke shows us the idea that “Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together” (Luke 17:37) at the end of His words regarding the sense of division where “Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left” while Matthew places this idea at the center of Jesus warnings and cautions about events to come and the advent of false teachers. Similarly the Master’s words from Luke that caution men who may have such revelations of Truth “when the Son of man is revealed” to NOT turn back, to NOT forsake the revelations that they may have; Jesus says “In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:31-32). Luke’s gives us this idea in the midst of Jesus’ words regarding “the day when the Son of man is revealed” While Matthew ties this idea differently.
Matthews Gospel puts this admonition NOT to turn back into the center of the Master’s words that have been taken as His predictions of the ‘end times’ and in the center of words that DO NOT appear in any other gospel. Matthew’s version of Jesus’ words seem to be a mixture of Luke’s more simple framing with the same ideas used in different contexts; Luke’s framing has been seized by doctrines and put into the same interpretation that IS found in Matthew’s Gospel. Matthew however has many ideas running consecutively and the different parts ARE shown in our Chronological Harmony as Truly separate. In the first part there IS Jesus foretelling of the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem which has a different corresponding section in Luke’s Gospel which IS NOT related to the verses we cite above.
Matthew however runs ALL these ideas together from His purported words on the ‘end times’ to the destruction of Jerusalem to the ideas that we discuss above from Luke and it IS based in this that many see Luke’s words in regard to the eschatological or to the destruction when a deeper look reveals that they ARE neither. Much of Matthew’s version may be in regard to the sacking of Jerusalem and others may be in regard to eschatology but the others, although they ARE somewhat mixed in, DO portray a reality of Christ which IS missed; a reality that shows us that spiritual dichotomy that IS to become Life in Israel and the surrounding areas under the spectre of the risen Christ.
We should note here that Luke uses these same ideas in later in his gospel but with a lesser view that these events ARE eschatological than we find in Matthew’s Gospel and that both include the Master’s words saying that “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled” (Matthew 24:34). While we see that these words put these predicted events into the time-frame of the first century, many put the surrounding words into their ‘end time’ concepts and here we should see such specific ideas as “then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27) which Matthew paints for us as “then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).
While it IS difficult to see how this event happened at the sacking of Jerusalem, it IS also illogical to put these varied ideas together and to this we should add that they ARE at best undefinable ideas when understood carnally. If however we put these into the context of the times, they can portray for us the significant changes coming upon the world in the combination of the death and resurrection of the Master and the destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem. In the lives of the True saints of this early period, before the early church assumed authority for the Truth, we may have found True Sons of God in the model of Peter and Paul and Stephen and Phillip of whom we read in the Book of Acts; these ALL surely were among us “with power and great glory“. Can we see the point here.
And further ideas that ARE used in the church’s eschatological doctrines that ARE also pinned to these first century times should also be seen as a symbolic reference to the spiritual changes that were coming upon the world. Matthew tells us of the Master’s words saying that “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken” (Matthew 24:29). In today’s more scientific understanding we KNOW that these things CAN NOT happen and here again, if we see the sacking of Jerusalem in these words, the idea of immediately then points to the first century.
Luke IS a bit less dramatic in his portrayal of Jesus’ words as he writes “there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring” (Luke 21:25). While we DO NOT KNOW what this reference to “signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars” IS, to be sure it IS NOT what IS shown us by Matthew, at least NOT as a physical occurrence. But there IS ever a message to be gleaned from Jesus’ words here, a message that shows us the dynamic and significant changes that ARE coming upon the world starting at Jerusalem, a change that IS the Truth of Christianity that has NEVER been allowed to take full effect because of the vanity of men who, while stuck in their own illusion and glamour, overwhelmed the Truth with doctrine.
And there IS yet a greater point to ALL these words from the Master. Regardless that these ideas ARE for the ‘end times’ or for the sacking of Jerusalem the message should be ever clear. The Master says “be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44) and while doctrines teach that one IS ready merely by being a Christian according to one’s denominational leanings, we should remember that the Master IS speaking to His disciples who ARE far more ready than most any that have followed. Here again Matthew puts this idea into the general mix of ideas that he gives us from the Master’s words combining the presumed eschatological, with the sacking of Rome, with the predicted dichotomy based in the fulfillment of His mission and with the parabolic ideas of “the goodman of the house” and “a faithful and wise servant“.
It IS in regard to these parabolic ideas which Luke shows us much earlier in his gospel that the greater reality IS found in being ready. And ready for what? Ready for the end of one’s own Life here in this Earth or ready for the ‘end times’, it DOES NOT matter which as one’s readiness IS found in the manner of one’s Life. Some doctrines teach that being a Christian IS enough while others show us that it IS NEVER too late, that even on one’s death bed one can come to the Lord and be saved. There IS a reality however of Jesus telling His disciples the dual parable of the goodman and the servant. We close today with these parables and we should remember as we read them that if these ARE meant for His True disciples, how much more important is being ready to everyman who IS NOT a disciple of the Lord. We read:
“Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?
And the Lord said,Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cutc him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more” (Luke 12:35-48).
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 |
Quote of the Day:
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition
- 8 Bible commentaries on BibleStudyTools.com
- 9a The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible on blueletterbible.org
Those who walk on the well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are showing a new road.
Voltaire, Writer and Philosopher
