ON LOVE; PART CMXVIII
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•Α
GoodWill IS Love in Action
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•Α
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).
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ
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
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ
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).
As we move through our theme of grace as the Love of God that comes in His Presence in the Life of the man in the world, we must understand that the Truth of this IS found in one’s realization of this Presence. There IS NO physical, psychic nor spiritual difference between the man who Truly seeks God and the man whose focus IS upon the things of the world except for this factor of realization. While this IS a difficult idea to understand, the reality IS found in the Truth of the illusion and the glamour, the vanity according to Paul, to which men, as men in this world, ARE subjected. While this IS a most difficult idea to express in words, the basic reality can be understood by one’s first realization which IS that as a men, I AM NOT this body with its attendant mind and emotions….I AM the Soul which IS my spiritual Presence that gives Life to this body. It IS in this realization of Truth that we can come to see ourselves as we Truly ARE and better understand the Apostle Paul’s words to the Corinthians saying:
“For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thoughte as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:9-12).
We should understand two things here and the first IS more important than the second. First these words come at the end of the apostle’s words on Love, on the expression of Love and how that without such expression even he, an apostle of the Lord, IS NOTHING. Here, if we can connect the dots that ARE NOT connected by doctrines, we should be able to see the idea of perfection, the idea that this IS the fullness of one’s expression of Love to the world of men. And this idea then connects to the apostle’s former words on the “spiritual gifts” which Paul speaks about in the previous chapter and which he defines for us as of lesser value than Love; it IS a man’s expression of Love which should be seen as the end point of Paul’s thoughts and NOT the standalone idea of these gifts as a provision from God. This IS shown by Paul as he says at the end of his dissertation on the “spiritual gifts” that men should: “covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:1. 31) as he begins to speak to them about Love.
We should remember here that this epistle, as ALL epistles, IS written to aspirants and disciples, it IS written to men who have heard the Truth of the Master’s message of Love and it IS written in the tone of Jesus’ own parabolic way of expressing Truths….a way that requires some measure of that spiritual discernment that comes in one’s realization of the Presence of God. It IS this realization of His Presence that comes to the man who will keep His words which IS the second thing that we should understand from Paul’s words above. It IS in the fullness of this realization “when that which is perfect is come” and it IS by measure that men KNOW “that which is in part“. And it IS this idea that should be seen here in the growth of the child to the man which IS Paul’s way to express the Master’s own ideas on the growth of the Kingdom of God that Jesus refers to us in the idea of the mustard seed and the in effect of the leaven.
And Paul’s words ARE as well the reality of the illusion and the glamour, the reality that men whose focus IS NOT upon the Truth of God “see through a glass, darkly” with the promise that when “that which is perfect is come” that he will be able to see “face to face“. While the idea presented here may show that the apostle and those to whom he writes ARE yet in the dark, we should understand the idea of measure and see that although these aspirants and disciples may be in some degree of darkness, they have ever more light than the man whose focus IS more upon the self and the self in the world. This sense of measure comes to light in Paul’s own acknowledgement hat he IS NOT yet complete, that he IS NOT yet perfect, as he shows us how that “now I know in part; but then shall I know“. The apostle ends with the seemingly cryptic idea of “even as also I am known“, and for our understanding of this idea we should try to see the reality of our words above, that I AM NOT this body with its attendant mind and emotions….I AM the Soul which IS my spiritual Presence that gives Life to this body.
This IS how a man IS KNOWN in Truth, away from the vanity, away from the illusion and the glamour, and away from the doctrinal presentation of Life, and it IS in one’s growing realization of this Truth and the growing realization of the Presence of God that a man can express evermore of the Love that the apostle shows us in his previous words. It IS this same Love that we have in Jesus words and that IS reflected in His repeating and elevating the great Truths uttered by the Lord through Moses many centuries before; great Truths that we have again at the top of our essays as the Great Commandments. If we can see that the central point of Paul’s words ARE about his expression of Love and that this message of Love IS what he IS conveying to his readers, that this idea of Love IS for them the greater reality than what ARE seen as those “spiritual gifts” and that it IS this expression of Love that will bring he himself and his readers to their own time “when that which is perfect is come“, we can then see the the apostle’s True teaching on the KEY to ALL spiritual reality….a KEY that the Master shows us saying:
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).
Paul DOES keep Jesus words and the Commandments of the Lord and Paul DOES KNOW the reality of Love as the central point in ALL of the Master’s teachings as well as the deeper reality that IS at the heart of the words of the Lord through Moses. It IS in this that the apostle has the Presence of God, the realization of the Presence of God, which IS become his own expression to the world of men and his teaching to us ALL on how that we can attain this same glory. Not by his own words but by keeping the words of God and of the Master as it IS from here that ALL spiritual reality flows. Much of doctrine has diluted and changed the great Truths that the Master offers us and much of doctrine has adopted bits and pieces of Paul’s words that ARE taken out of context and distorted, and we should see in this the greater effect of the illusion and the glamour in which men are bound. When we can see this illusion and glamour as the idea that Paul presents as vanity and understand that this Greek word mataiotes should be understood as a man’s perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends 4 as Vincent shows us, we can then better understand the cause of the dilutions and the distortions which ARE founded in them.
It IS in the reality of being men, in our own minds and emotions, that we ARE deceived by the things and the ways of the world and it IS in this deception that many come to see and believe that it IS what they think and feel as men who ARE separate from God IS real and IS True. And this afflicts by measure ALL men who have not had the fullness of their own realization of Truth, their own time “when that which is perfect is come“, and this measure IS ever dependent upon one’s measure of focus upon the things of God. It IS this illusion and this glamour that creates much of the doctrines and the theologies by which so many live as they seek to find ways to relate to God as men whose focus IS yet essentially carnal; and it IS in this same sense of vanity that they DO NOT see the greater Truth, the Truth that I AM NOT this body with its attendant mind and emotions….I AM the Soul which IS my spiritual Presence that gives Life to this body.
But most men DO NOT see this Truth and even fewer understand that it IS the Soul, a man’s own spiritual Presence, that IS his own and his ONLY True contact to God. When a man can understand that the Inner voice that he may hear as the voice of God IS his own Soul, that this IS the “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12) and that this IS the deeper meaning of the Apostle John’s words that “ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things” (1 John 2:20), then he can better understand the sense of revelation and of realization that comes in the Presence of God. Most men ARE distracted by the things of the world and their belief that these things, these objects and thoughts, these desires and these attitudes, ARE the reality of their Life; they fail to hear the “still small voice” that IS ever prompting them to the Good, the Beautiful and the True….to the things of God. It IS this distraction that IS the plight of the man whose Life IS among the thorns as Jesus shows us in the Parable of the Sower that we recently presented from Luke’s Gospel; for these men who ARE a vast majority of those who believe that they have found salvation, the distraction overwhelms the prompting of the Soul, the Christ Within, and for them it IS as though the Truth IS “choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life” (Luke 8:14).
Matthew offers this to us in different terms as he tells us the Master’s words as that the Truth of the word IS lost as “the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word” (Matthew 13:22), much as the thorns choke the crop and in this we get the extra understanding of care. These things, this care, this deceitfulness and the idea of pleasures in this Life ARE those things that ARE become important to a man; these things ARE his focus and these things choke the prompting of one’w own Soul and render it as background noise that interferes with the pursuits of this focus which IS guided by illusion and glamour, guided by a man’s perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends 4. The Apostle Mark gives us greater clarity of this idea of the word being choked; here we should see how that Jesus shows us that the word of God that prompts everyman but IS NOT heard over the True background noise that IS Life in this world; we read “the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in , choke the word” (Mark 4:19).
We should see here the fuller extent of the distraction as Mark includes the idea of lusts which ARE strong desires for any and ALL things that interfere with one’s perception of the Truth. While many see this idea of lusts as Mark presents it in the rather restrictive idea of inordinate desires or desires which ARE immoderate, excessive and uncontrolled, this idea IS but a part of the illusion that makes men to see that what they themselves DO IS in accord with His words. Mark’s point IS the same as that of the other apostles as he shows us the Master’s thoughts and intent and in the context of Jesus teaching we should see this idea of lust as one’s desire for anything that IS NOT of God and understand that if one’s desires ARE for the things of God, then he would be among the “good ground“, the spiritually minded man of the parable who DOES “hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred” (Mark 4:20).
And it IS this illusion and glamour which so colors the lives of men, which so deceives them in their hearts, their consciousness, and that causes them to believe that what they have devised in their doctrines and theologies to be the Way to the Kingdom of God IS the Truth even while the real Truths that the Master shows us IS quite contrary. Above we see again that it IS in keeping His words that we find the Presence of God and we close here with that other idea which Jesus shows us as He points out for us the True Way to God. We read:
“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. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23).
Jesus’ point here IS to show men their folly, to show men that to merely call upon Him and to call Him Lord IS NOT sufficient; that the reality of one’s salvation IS found in DOING “the will of my Father which is in heaven“. And he shows us the greater folly as well in the idea that one’s possession of what he may believe are the “spiritual gifts” that Paul speaks of above ARE of NO use to a man who DOES NOT keep His words and, while Paul’s reference IS Love, we should understand the most intimate relationship between Love and keeping His words: that to “love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10).
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
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
- 5 The Dhammapada Translated by Thomas Byrom
