ON LOVE; PART MCCXLVI
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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 began with the thought that it IS unfortunate that the greater church still sees that it IS angels and demons that ARE at work in this world giving benefits or wreaking havoc in the lives of men and it IS especially unfortunate that several parts of the church actively teach such things with an understanding that defies the reality of the world in which we live. Of course those parts of the doctrinal church which teach such things will ardently defend their view and this despite the fact that neither of these IS specifically described in the bible save for some prophet’s and apostle’s visions which some take literally. We discussed in some detail the idea of diabolos, satanas and diamonion, the first two ARE word ideas that have led to the common doctrinal view of Satan, and the devil while the last on IS rather unrelated and: should be translated demon 4 according to Vincent.
The first two words here diabolos and satanas ARE more literally an adversary and if we can see this idea from the more spiritual perspective of the Soul, “made subject to vanity” while attempting to “be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:20,21), we can then better understand the greater Truth of these words. We should remember here that much of the bible IS translated by men with doctrinal views and that their views, sometimes through compromise, ARE rendered into their translated ideas. This makes it so that the man who believes in devils and in an entity called Satan will translate the Greek into such ideas and we should remember that these ideas started in those most superstitious times of the early church and before. In fact, we can trace the origin of such ideas back to the the Book of Genesis where we find the serpent tempting the woman to eat of the fruit of “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9).
That this literal view of the fall of man has persisted for 3500 years IS in itself remarkable but we should also see that these ideas ARE built upon by the doctrines of men which seem to use them to help support their own desire for salvation and for Life eternal. Our point from the last essay should be clear but our argument will NOT convince any whose nurturing and indoctrination have placed them into a deeply doctrinal state….they will fight against any and ALL reasoning that IS contrary to their beliefs and this despite the fact that there IS NO concrete evidence to support their view nor specific biblical ideas that ARE NOT made subject to their doctrinal interpretation. Without seeing the whole of Life as a part of the eternal journey of the spiritual man, manifest as Soul, living for a time in a body; a man will NOT see the Truth.
The Path to such Truth IS however in the words of the Master and while the doctrinal thinker believes that he can find such Truth through his affirmations and confessions according to his doctrines, the reality IS that the Truth comes ONLY to those who will keep His words. This Jesus tells us saying “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” which IS the first part of our trifecta of spiritual reality. Doctrinal thinkers and teachers DO use this idea of Truth, that “ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” but this IS generally divorced from the criteria which makes it work….that one DOES keep His words. While the basic ideas of heaven and hell, diabolos and santanas and other doctrinal forces DO come from the words of the Master and His apostles, few that interpret these DO so in the light of day; that IS that most DO NOT see stories as stories and facts as facts.
The Master’s words above ARE facts and these ARE simply stated so that any should understand that KNOWING the Truth IS the product of keeping His words; these ideas should never be disconnected. At the same time as doctrines disconnect these ideas, they take other more nebulous ones and make concrete doctrinal ‘truths’ out of them; and example of this IS found in Matthew’s Gospel where the Master tells us of the sheep and the goats. This IS generally considered a parable, but since the Master presumably puts himself into it, it thereby takes on some degree of doctrinal reality and this despite the way that He speaks of some future event and uses as examples two ritually clean animals. The whole idea of “When the Son of man shall come in his glory” IS an idea shrouded in mystery as IS the True meaning of Jesus use of the Greek words “huios anthropos” which IS rendered “Son of man” by most translations.
To be sure, Jesus DOES refer to Himself as the “Son of man” and some trace the idea back to the prophecy of Daniel which may have been the Master’s reference. We should note however that the biblical idea of ‘son of man’ IS used frequently in the Old Testament to refer to prophets, especially Ezekiel, and, from a literal perspective can be understood simply as ‘human‘. In this we can perhaps see a different type of prophecy coming from Jesus, a prophecy speaking of ALL humanity as a unit, returning to the ‘glory‘ of their True spiritual nature, free from the “bondage of corruption” which IS Life here in this Earth as men. Can we see this idea in Jesus rendered statement saying “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then will he sit upon the throne of his glory” (Matthew 25:31).
More important than the eschatological ideas that ARE the focus of many, there IS a Life lesson embedded in this Parable of the Sheep and Goats and this IS a message of the unconditional and universal Love that IS the Great Commandment that “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself“. Beneath the obscure ideas applied to the Master’s words here we should try to see that to DO as Jesus tells us here, to express such a sense of agape, that one will DO as He outlines which IS the True coming of the “son of man” with the “Son of man“. If we could try to see here that “the holy angels” ARE the cumulative “son of man“, perhaps we could glimpse the expression of agape as the greater point of His words saying “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him“. From the perspective that “God is love“, that “God is agape“, we should be able to see how that His coming IS the coming of Love.
While the Christian world waits for the gloom and doom of the Earth from which ONLY they as ‘believers‘ will be saved, the world waits “for the precious fruit of the earth” which IS the expression of harmony through agape in and by the world of men. If we could but imagine the view of those who DO NOT accept the Truth of agape as the ONLY sense of gloom and doom, a sense that IS much like the way that the Jews were left behind in the initial surge of agape on this Earth, we can then better understand the greater reality of the prophecies upon which doctrines rely and through which they see their final salvation. The Apostle James shows us a more direct way of seeing this ‘end’ as he says “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” (James 5:7-8).
There IS NO gloom and doom in these words….there IS ONLY encouragement. And again we should look to the idea of the husbandman; he IS waiting but his waiting IS NOT idle, the husbandman works to bring forth that “precious fruit of the earth“, works to bring for the agape which IS the ONLY hope for a world of freedom and of Peace. And this IS the intent of Jesus words in this parable as well; it IS the coming of the husbandmen who toil daily in the field of humanity as the sense of agape slowly overcomes the sense of self, an overcoming that IS quickened by the advancement of the ages as we enter into that wonderful Age of Aquarius where open hearts and open minds will rule out over the selfish trends of yesterday.
If the idea that “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him” can be seen as this movement in the hearts and minds of men, we can then perhaps understand the idea of His sitting “upon the throne of his glory“. What IS this “throne of his glory“? IS it His kingship as doctrines conclude or IS this something much more glorious which can be seen as the fulfillment, or the hard fought beginnings of that fulfillment, of the Great Truth that IS the Great Commandments. Many doctrinal teachers believe and teach that Jesus will return as King and that His followers will be kings with Him in a new world where the streets ARE paved with gold and, of course, they put themselves, as ‘believers’, in that place of follower.
This place of followers however IS reserved for His “holy angels” those whose message and expression IS agape which IS as Jesus shows us in this parable as those of whom it can be said that “I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me“. We must understand there that this idea IS NOT a singular idea nor IS it the establishment of a food pantry or a prison ministry; this idea IS an attitude by which one will conduct his Life. And we should see by Jesus’ following words that this IS NOT a pick from the list idea but a universal commitment to “love thy neighbour as thyself“; He says “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:35-36, 40).
In this IS embodied James words that say most clearly that “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” (James 2:8-10). Can we see the point of Love here, the Truth of agape as the guiding Light of men? Jesus however IS NOT finished as He calls out those whose attitude IS NOT agape, those whose thoughts and attitudes remain in themselves and the things of the self. The Master repeats His words against those who DO NOT as He says that “Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me” (Matthew 25:45).
While this IS the point of the parable: developing and expressing an attitude of Love for ALL which IS Love for one’s every neighbor with NO “respect to persons“, the doctrinal church sees ONLY their ideas which have created their individual ministries and their eschatological views of His words. Most see sheep and goats as the believer and the non-believer but this IS NOT the Master’s point at ALL; there ARE several points here that should be addressed. First doctrines wait for Him to come as a King when, by His own words, He says “I am among you as he that serveth” as He teaches us that “he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve” (Luke 22:27, 26). This IS the same Jesus of whom we read that “the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” yet many doctrines teach us just the opposite.
Second, as we say above, both the sheep and the goat ARE ritually clean animals according to Moses but there ARE differences and it IS these differences that the Master is showing us as He begins this parable. These differences however ARE NOT as the ARE put by some who say goats ARE smarter or that they have different grazing needs and patterns….this IS NOT the point of the parable. The point here should be see as that the sheep DO listen to the shepherd while the goat DOES NOT. From the Master’s perspective we should try to see humanity in the sheep and the goats and this from this see that sheep tend to follow while goats tend to go their own way. Can we see the point here of separating those who follow the Lord as those who DO express such Love from those who go their own way and DO NOT have an attitude or an expression of agape.
In this view we see the third point: that it IS the follower of the Shepherd to whom He says “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” and it IS to those who follow NOT to whom He says “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:34, 41). We should understand here that it IS the doctrines of men that make this to be a eschatological themed parable. If we can see this as a continual product of Life in this world, that there ARE ever goats becoming as sheep, we can see the reality of His words. Finally we must try to see that as the idea IS Love, unconditional expressions of agape with No “respect to persons“, that one CAN NOT pick one or two ideas from the list….True agape embraces the whole list. We should also see the further point of Jesus’ teaching in that the True follower who DOES “inherit the kingdom” DOES so here and NOW and that the idea of “everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” IS the opposite of this inheritance which IS also here and now.
And so we come back to diabolos and to satanas; again, if we can see that the adversary and the the calumniator and the traducer IS one’s own self we can then see past the doctrinal ideas applied to these verses. It IS the goats, those who DO NOT follow the Lord, that ARE trapped in this “everlasting fire” which IS that same “bondage of corruption“, that same “corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4). Can we see the point of the Master’s words and understand why this IS a parable that covers a topic that IS NOT yet discovered by the doctrinal church? Thayer’s gives us a further insight into the idea which IS shown us here as we read that the Greek word hetoimazo which IS rendered as prepared is: almost equivalent to to have ordained 9; in the idea of ordained we can see the idea of fate rather that the purposeful planning that IS suggested by prepared and in this better understand the role of vanity and that the whole of humanity IS “made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same” (Romans 8:20).
It IS this vanity that the sheep escape by “having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4) and it IS the inheritance of the sheep that that “ye might be partakers of the divine nature“. And we should try to see that it IS the tongue that IS become the symbol of this fire, this burning desire that keeps the goats seemingly free from the supposed fetters of following the Shepherd. We look again to James to understand the relationship between fire and the tongue; he tells us that “the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be” (James 3:5-10).
Can we see the idea here? Can we see that the tongue and the mouth ARE symbols of the heart of a man and that this NOT ONLY concerns what he may say but the totality of his thoughts and his attitudes? Jesus tells us that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:34) and in this we should be able to see the greater Truth that the Master IS showing us in this parable; we should be able to see the Way of the sheep and KNOW that there ARE few, and the way of the goats, those still caught in the “bondage of corruption“, which IS of their own DOING, and KNOW that they ARE many. Looking out at the world it IS easy to see that there ARE NOT many who will DO as Jesus says according to this parable and this IS the same number as those who can be counted among those that Truly comply with the Great Commandment saying that “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself“. So very few Truly KNOW and understand the meaning that James brings us saying that “if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin“. In Truth the full depth of True Christianity IS founded in this idea of agape as IS explained to us by the Master and stated in most simple form in our trifecta which we repeat here again; we read:
- “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).
- “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).
- “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).
But men DO NOT see this reality nor DO they see this view of the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats; most ONLY see their doctrinal interpretations of doom and gloom through their nebulous belief that they, the doctrinal Christian, ARE among the sheep and will be saved. Most CAN NOT see that it IS in the fullness of agape, the fullness found in His words saying “I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me“, that one IS the True follower of the Lord, of whom He says “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). This parable shows us the depth of agape, not as an occasional virtuous action but as a continuous attitude that the Apostle Paul shows us IS NOT outside of the need, as a True follower, to keep His words; Paul tells us:
“Owe no man any thing, but agapao one another: for he that agapao 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 agape thy neighbour as thyself. Agape worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore agape is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed” (Romans 13:8-11).
Jesus tells us that “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13) and if we could see this on more than just the physical level, we can better understand the overall teaching of the Master, a teaching that has been lost in the doctrines of men for 2000 years. Tying this to Jesus various sayings on Life can give us the proper perspective of Truth. The Apostle Mark shows us the Master’s 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) and when we can see that these words have naught to do with the living and dying that IS the experience of the body in this world, we can then see the greater point which Jesus makes for us throughout the gospels.
While it IS so that the Master’s words from John’s Gospel are stated as He prepares His apostles for His death, the context IS NOT about death but about Love. The greater point here then IS that the greatest show of Love, the greatest expression of agape, IS to give up on ALL things carnal which IS for a man to “lose his life for my sake“. In return that man “shall save it“, NOT his carnal Life but the Life of the True spiritual man who can come to fully live through that same body. This IS NOT the doctrinal view of these words from the Master regarding the idea that “whosoever will save his life shall lose it“; most doctrinal approaches to this put the saved Life into the afterlife for the man who: shall willingly part with it when he is called to it, rather than deny Christ and his Gospel 8 as John Gill explains this idea. Can we see that martyrdom IS NOT the issue here but rather an attitude and can we see that the promise IS NOT for a nebulous afterlife but rather for here and now?
The context of Jesus words on saving versus losing ARE NOT about the physical death of the body nor about martyrdom, His words ARE ever intended to show a man that to follow Him, to follow the Shepherd, IS the way to the True Life which IS obnubilated in the vanity and the corruption that IS Life in this world as a man, This IS True for everyman who IS yet in that: perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends 4 as Vincent defines vanity for us. The Apostle John frames idea of saving and losing for us in different terms through which we should see the same idea; John tells us the Master’s words as “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal“.
Here, in place of saving and losing we have Loving and hating and we also have the endpoint of this sense of hate which IS better understood from other New Testament uses as to Love less. Jesus goes on to tell us “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour” (John 12:25-26). It IS in our understanding of this idea of Life in this world versus that Life that IS based in the spiritual Truth of Truly following the Master, His words and His examples, that will show us the Truth of the entire bible message, a message from which men ‘protect’ themselves through their doctrines that deny both men’s need to and ability to keep His words. Above, Paul shows us this idea of keeping His words in terms of agape as he explains how that these ideas ARE equivalent.
In this idea of “He that loveth his life” there IS ONLY one possible view and that IS the view of the carnal man whose Life IS so attached to his carnal presence that he never Truly seeks the Presence of God. This IS NOT intended to be an accusation against those who Truly believe that they ARE seeking the Lord; this IS instead a picture of the way that the doctrines of men portray the carnal presence while seeing the spiritual as growing out of that presence. In Truth there IS but one Life and that IS the Life of the spiritual man, the Soul, which IS living in this world and, after much nurturing and indoctrination, comes to see ONLY this world without understanding the entire biblical perspective of vanity and corruption.
We should note here that John uses the Greek word phileo to describe this idea of Love and NOT agape. Strong’s define phileo saying this IS: to be a friend to (fond of (an individual or an object)), i.e. have affection for (denoting personal attachment, as a matter of sentiment or feeling) 9a and in this we should see James words from the last essay. James tells us “know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” as he calls men “Ye adulterers and adulteresses” (James 4:4) for betraying their own spiritual Truth which IS lost in the vanity, the illusion and the glamour, by which their state becomes a: perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends 4. Few understand that these ideas relate to ALL men, the religious and those NOT, and ARE sore difficult to shed especially for those whose doctrines have convinced them that they ARE right.
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
- 1 Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1828 and 1913 from https://1828.mshaffer.com/
- 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
- 9 Thayer’s Greek Lexicon 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
