ON LOVE; PART XDXXXVI
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GoodWill IS Love in Action
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The Gospel of Thomas
These are the hidden words that the living Jesus spoke. And Didymos Judas Thomas wrote them down.
(63) Jesus says: “There was a rich person who had many possessions. He said: ‘I will use my possessions so that I might sow, reap, plant, (and) fill my storehouses with fruit so that I will not lack anything.’ This was what he was thinking in his heart. And in that night he died. Whoever has ears should hear.“
(64) Jesus says: “A person had guests. And when he had prepared the dinner, he sent his servant, so that he might invite the guests. He came to the first (and) said to him: ‘My master invites you.’ He said: ‘I have bills for some merchants. There are coming to me this evening. I will go (and) give instructions to them. Excuse me from the dinner.’ He came to another (and) said to him: ‘My master has invited you.’ He said to him: ‘I have bought a house, and I have been called (away) for a day. I will not have time.’ He went to another (and) said to him: ‘My master invites you.’ He said to him: ‘My friend is going to marry, and I am the one who is going to prepare the meal. I will not be able to come. Excuse me from the dinner.’ He came up to another (and) said to him: ‘My master invites you.’ He said to him: ‘I have bought a village. Since I am going to collect the rent, I will not be able to come. Excuse me.’ The servant went away. He said to his master: ‘Those whom you invited to the dinner have asked to be excused.’ The master said to his servant: ‘Go out on the roads. Bring (back) whomever you find, so that they might have dinner.’ Dealers and merchants (will) not enter the places of my Father.“
(65) He said: “A [usurer] owned a vineyard. He gave it to some farmers so that they would work it (and) he might receive its fruit from them. He sent his servant so that the farmers might give him the fruit of the vineyard. They seized his servant, beat him, (and) almost killed him. The servant went (back and) told his master. His master said: ‘Perhaps <they> did not recognize <him>.’ He sent another servant, (and) the farmers beat that other one as well. Then the master sent his son (and) said: ‘Perhaps they will show respect for my son.’ (But) those farmers, since they knew that he was the heir of the vineyard, seized him (and) killed him. Whoever has ears should hear.“
(66) Jesus says: “Show me the stone that the builders have rejected. It is the cornerstone.“
(67) Jesus says: “Whoever knows all, if he is lacking one thing, he is (already) lacking everything.“
In the last essay we completed our look at the sixty fifth saying from Thomas’ Gospel as we tried to put a spiritual slant to a parable that most ALL believe is in regard to the Jews in that day, that they killed and wounded the prophets from the past and they were about to kill the Son who is seen as Jesus the Christ; and all this in regard to the fruits that they DID NOT want to provide to the prophets and the Christ. Outwardly this does seem to be a logical interpretation for this but we should remember here that this IS a parable and that there IS NO need for the actual story to be represented in the interpretation. Among the problems that we have with this common understanding is that it IS carnally focused and has no spiritual import and this IS a quality that we believe ALL parables must have as there ARE NO idle words when it comes to the Master’s speech. As we noted, Jesus does say these same things to the Jews and to their rulers in flat out language as He offers them His critique of their doctrines, their traditions and their ways in His lengthy list of woes. Another problem is that there is no logic in applying this story to the Jews as the final idea of what the Master’s message IS, there is no sense of the householder, the owner of the field, sending others seeking fruit unless such fruit can be seen as the righteousness of the Jews themselves offered back freely to the Lord; there IS NO other sense in this idea of fruit but that it IS the content of one’s Life. This however IS NOT how this parable is generally seen by doctrine; this is most always seen in the view of the Jews versus the Christ and Christianity. Finally, there should be in every parable and in every saying some enduring lesson or admonition offered to the succeeding generations and here, if the sole purpose is to use hidden words to say what is already said plainly, there is none.
As we discussed in our own interpretation of this parable, the whole of the idea should be on the fruit and, as we can see here, this idea of fruit as righteousness can be applied to the Jews as well as in our own understanding of the relationship between the Soul and the Life in form where the need is that the Life in form which owns this vineyard uses the personality to produce the fruit which is garnered by the Soul as the householder; fruit which is produced through the many promptings that the Soul issues to the Life in form and the personality; these promptings can then be seen as the messengers or the servants and ultimately as the Son, the Soul himself, in a final effort to force that change that we call Repentance. While the parable itself is filled with beatings and killings, it is this part that IS the outer story; it our reality there is beating and killing of the promptings of the Inner Life to the outer man as such promptings are ignored or manipulated to the benefit of one’s Life in the world. Here we have an enduring message that we should follow the promptings to the Good, the Beautiful and the True as they flow into our consciousness and NOT shut them out as in the story where the servants ARE shut out. We have as well the Master’s thoughts on the fate of the man who does shut them out or ignore or change the Truths that may flow in conscience and in that Wisdom from above; that these promptings will move on, they will diminish and in this we should be able to see that idea from the Master’s words in the synoptic gospels where the thought is offered in the story that the planted field will be given to others. This we can view in several ways, one of which can be that whatsoever resources have been given to the man who is ignoring the Truth, these resources will go to others who may do better. Ponder on this.
Thomas does not get into this part where the field is offered to others and perhaps this is a part that links this parable to the next saying in the synoptics as although there is a hint of reality in this idea of the planted field being given to others, this does not work well in our understanding unless there is a particular thing that a Soul is intended to accomplish and which will not be done without providing this fruit as we allude to above. From our perspective this IS a parable about furnishing the fruits of one’s Life in the world which is representative of the work of the husbandman in the vineyard of Life, back to the Soul who IS the householder and to do so by heeding the promptings of the Soul which we see here as the servants and the Son. Again, Thomas does not address the last part as do the synoptics but chooses instead to just offer us his abbreviated form of the next saying, the sixty sixth, which we also began to look at in the last essay. The four versions of this are:
- “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?” (Matthew 21:42).
- “And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner” (Mark 1210).
- “And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?” (Luke 20:17).
- Jesus says: “Show me the stone that the builders have rejected. It is the cornerstone” (Thomas 66).
Here we have another saying, or another part of the previous parable as many see this, that is generally attributed to the ideas of the times; that this stone IS the Christ as the foundation of the Church. Here again, even from a carnal perspective, we have a saying that IS difficult to understand and we should remember that this IS a repetition of a saying from the Psalms. In context Psalm 118 tells us:
“All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them. They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death. Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:10-24).
It is difficult to tell the ideas behind these words and who wrote them remains a mystery but from our perspective we should likely look to the idea of righteousness which we also see as the reality of the fruit from the last saying. Can we see here that perhaps is is this idea of righteousness that IS the stone that is rejected by the man in the world but which IS the head stone of the corner, the crowning achievement of one’s Life in the world and, in the words of the writer here, can we see the relationship to the Kingdom of God? In Thomas simple words that DO NOT reference the Psalm, can we see perhaps this same idea as it would be related to the fruit of the previous saying? It is the offering of the fruit of the vineyard that the farmers in the previous saying refuse to do and in the spiritual view this is easily seen as rejecting the fruit, rejecting its very production in one’s Life and then, in this same understanding of rejection, and of the stone as the essence of righteousness, we come to this next saying where we come to understand that although most ALL men will reject this righteousness in their lives, it IS nonetheless the capstone, the crowning achievement of one’s Life in this world.
It is likely here that the rendering of these words as the cornerstone are a result of the doctrinal interpretation of this saying where one would find the Master as the cornerstone, the foundation if you will, of Christianity an there are many Christian churches that carry this idea of cornerstone as their name. We should however note that the words from the Psalm and from the synoptic gospels ALL call this a head stone and not a cornerstone and that the idea from Thomas’ Gospel is rendered in the Interlinear as the stone corner although this word rendered as corner is not a sure translation. Other Thomas translators have called this the keystone and the building stone. We should see here that this does not really matter however and that the idea from the synoptics likely IS NOT cornerstone while this use in Thomas may be? Whether we see this fruit or this righteousness or even the Christ and the Christ Within as the foundation of Truth or as the capstone of it, it is still the same message; it is the rejection of this fruit and this stone, which ARE the Truth of Life, the righteousness of God, that is the bane of one’s spiritual Life and that we should see that this stone, this righteousness and Truth, IS ever the foundation or the crown of the spiritual Life of the man in the world.
The Apostle Peter uses the idea of the stone in his First Epistle and he does so in a way that feeds the idea that the saying from the Psalm which is repeated by the Master can be seen as speaking of the stone as the Master. Here again it IS important to see this in the context that it is intended; we read:
“Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:1-12).
We should note here that the apostle is speaking to Jews who are believing the message of the Master. Here in these words Peter is comparing the righteous man to the Master, He as “a living stone” and they “as lively stones“. Peter quotes some words regarding the Master from the Prophet Isaiah where the Master is presented in prophesy as the “chief corner stone” and while the context is different here we can see the idea that the Christ is to be the foundation of righteousness for “he that believeth on him” and here again we should see this idea of believeth on as we understand it from Vincent: to accept and adopt His precepts and example as binding upon the life 4. Peter draws the line between those who are righteous, those bearing fruit, and those “which be disobedient“; here we should try to see the idea of the stone in the context of what the Master represents and not His person for it is not He Himself that the apostle here refers to as “the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner“; it IS His word which, by disobedience becomes “a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence“. Can we understand here the spiritual import of the apostle’s words, that he is not merely citing the Master as the stone as many read in the parables above but that he is appointing this idea of the stone to His words and to the righteousness that comes from keeping His words; and then showing those who reject this as those “which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed“
This is the underlying message of ALL scripture, that one live in righteousness and bear fruit as it IS these that are accomplished in His words and it is these that become the foundation, the cornerstone, for the True spiritual Life and the crowning glory, the capstone, of such Life as well. We close today with these words from the Apostle Paul which are yesterday’s Verse of the Day from biblegateway.com; these words are a testimony to our own understanding that we must look for the spiritual import of the Master’s words; that we should see the spirit of a saying and not just the carnal view. Speaking of God Paul says:
“Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life” (2 Corinthians 3:6).
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
| Aspect of God |
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.
As the Lord’s Prayer is given to us by the Christ for our use 2000 years ago, the Great Invocation, according to esoteric sources, was give from Him as well and whether we believe that this IS True or not we should look at this prayer as containing the same selfless invocative style as does the Lord’s Prayer and then any that are modeled after their style. We again encourage ALL to read and reread this Great Invocation and our comments as in these words can be found keys to our spiritual reality.
From the point of Light within the Mind of God
Let light stream forth into the minds of men.
Let Light descend on Earth.
From the point of Love within the Heart of God
Let love stream forth into the hearts of men.
May Christ return to Earth.
From the centre where the Will of God is known
Let purpose guide the little wills of men–
The purpose which the Masters know and serve.
From the centre which we call the race of men
Let the Plan of Love and Light work out
And may it seal the door where evil dwells.
This prayer is a part of our Prayers and Meditations section and there is much information about it there and in our discussion of it in the Quote of the Day section of In the Words of Jesus parts 128-132
The above Invocation or Prayer does not belong to any person or group but to all Humanity. The beauty and the strength of this Invocation lies in its simplicity, and in its expression of certain central truths which all men, innately and normally, accept—the truth of the existence of a basic Intelligence to Whom we vaguely give the name of God; the truth that behind all outer seeming, the motivating power of the universe is Love; the truth that a great Individuality came to earth, called by Christians, the Christ, and embodied that love so that we could understand; the truth that both love and intelligence are effects of what is called the Will of God; and finally the self-evident truth that only through humanity itself can the Divine Plan work out.
Like the Lord’s Prayer, this invocation is a World Prayer which is as all that a prayer is intended to be. It is a prayer for the uplifting of the Human Family out of the mire of materialism and selfishness. The Lord’s Prayer asks nothing for the individual praying it but asks that its benefits be for US and for WE which is why it was given by the Christ as a prayer and as a model over 2000 years ago. This invocation is also attributed to the Christ who, as He promised, has never left us; He, through channels that we do not readily understand, has Himself instructed His disciples to distribute this prayer and to encourage its use as a world prayer and as an aid in preparing the world for His return.
The first three stanzas of this prayer should be understood as reflecting the effective potencies of the Trinity which is God and which, when brought down to an individual level, the Trinity which is Man. His Will, His Love and His Light we should seen as the Potent Powers of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts!
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
- 14 The Gospel of Thomas; Translated by Stephen J. Patterson and James M. Robinson; http://gnosis.org/
