ON LOVE; PART DCLXIV
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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.
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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).
As we left our discussion on the Epistle of James we began our current group of essays on Love as this IS taught us by the Master in the Great Commandments and in the Golden Rule which we read above and while we have spent many essays and words on these ideas, we continue to offer yet more. The True concept of Love IS the MOST important part of discipleship training as we, as aspirants to this High Calling, MUST not only understand the Truths of Love that ARE scattered throughout Jesus words but we MUST practice this Love as our everyday approach to ALL men. In the last essay we concentrated much of our attention to the idea that the Master teaches us in the True understanding of the neighbor and we should remember here that this IS the same realization that we must have in regard to the Apostle John’s use of the idea of brother. From the apostle’s perspective, this idea of brother should be seen as the equivalent to neighbor as he never uses the word neighbor as he speaks about the same Love from the words of the same Master as do the writers of the synoptic gospels.
Our point here is ONLY to reinforce our ideas from the last post, that this Love that IS God IS shed with equanimity upon the whole of the human family and how that we should follow in this same way; these ideas should be easily seen in a right understanding of Jesus words saying that we should “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you”. To DO this IS to understand and realize the Truth of Jesus words saying “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven” and we should try to see here that this rendering can easily be “so that to become sons of God” and, in the finer ideas of these words from the lexicon, we can see to become as that it means: to become, i.e. to come into existence, begin to be, receive being 2. Can we see here our own understanding of realization of the Light and the Love of the Soul, the Christ Within, as men in the world? We see here the Master’s instruction on who and how to Love, which we discussed in some detail yesterday, and we also see the reality of why from a spiritual perspective: that to DO so IS in the manner of God Who: “maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 54:44-45). In these ideas from Jesus IS the reality of Love for the neighbor as that it IS Love for ALL men regardless of who they may be or how that they may treat us in return.
The Master clarifies our role in Love yet further in The Parable of the Good Samaritan and our greater understanding can be found in seeing the Master’s use of the characters involved as well as their nature which can point us clearly to His Truth. The objective IS to realize the that neighbor IS anyman and ALL men and that it IS the natural reaction of Love on the part of the Good Samaritan that causes him to stop and help the man lying injured in the road. There IS NO thinking on what to do, there is ONLY the idea of compassion as the story IS rendered and this same word IS used of the actions of the Master which we should see as His acts of Love in healing and in feeding the multitudes; we should see similar in this parable, that this IS an expression of Love from the Samaritan. There IS a link here between the reality of mercy and this word rendered compassion as both ARE expressions of Love and perhaps the difference IS that mercy IS the thoughts and attitudes of Love in the world as they come forth from the Inner man while compassion IS the more physical expression of those thoughts and attitudes. This subtle difference is reflected in many of the ways that these Greek words are used in the New Testament.
In the end it IS the expression of Love that matters and ALL of these ideas ARE just that. The Love for ALL that the Samaritan holds becomes his attitude of mercy which results in the compassionate acts that the Master tells us of and we should note here that the help offered IS continuous, that the Samaritan puts aside his own interests in fulfillment of the commandment that “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself“. He proceeds under the reality of the Golden Rule and treats the injured Jew, a man that he has no affinity with, as he would want to himself be treated. There are many other teachings by the Master that relate the reality of His Love to us and we should try to see that many of these ideas are related in the form of service, that it IS the duty and the responsibility of the disciple to serve and that that serving IS done also as an expression of Love. We can see this in the way that the Master sends forth the disciples to teach and to heal; these things are done in service to humanity, to show them a greater vision of the Way of Truth and to set them right so that they can move forward on their own journey to the Kingdom of God. There IS NO religious bent in the Great Commission as Jesus final words in Matthews Gospel IS called, there IS only the expression of Love by the disciples, an expression that can bring to others the joy of Truth that IS found in one’s own realization of his divine nature. When we can understand that this realization IS our objective in Life, we can better understand the Truth of this service of Love.
The apostles DO clarify and amplify the Master’s ideas on Love and each does so in his own unique ways. Paul tells us that in understanding and practicing this Love for ALL men, ALL other things are considered and while the common view of his words IS in regard to the law, the greater reality IS that ALL other things are considered in the completeness that this Love makes of the man in the world. Repeating again Paul’s words to the Romans we read:
“Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:8-10).
In the opening words here we should see the emphasis that Paul puts upon Love as he tells us that this Love IS our single responsibility to others. There should NOT be any notion of debt involved in this idea which should be seen psychically from the perspective of the aspirant and the disciple; that these DO NOT owe aught to any one that IS NOT covered by Love….ALL other things are considered in this Love. Commentary relates this first part to a view of financial obligations which appear to be based in the previous sayings that speak about tribute and the paying of it but this idea is completed in the apostle’s saying that we should “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour” (Romans 8:7); in this we should see the ideas of honor and fear, as well as the most confusing word that IS rendered as custom, more than any idea of financial things. The Greek word telos which IS rendered here as custom and which IS thought to be in regard tolls and taxes, IS generally rendered as the end and in used by the Master in this context. Here we would be better to understand this idea as the customs of men, the ways of things and men. John Gill sees this idea as: tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom. These two words include all sorts of levies, taxes, subsidies and the former may particularly design what is laid on men’s persons and estates, as poll money, land tax and the latter, what arises from the exportation and importation of goods, to and from foreign parts 8. This IS not the apostle’s intent in the word rendered as tribute in our view nor IS this his intent in the use of telos as we explain here; the reality of this tribute and then this custom should be found in the idea of how men should act in regard to those who have authority over them…tribute can come in many forms.
It IS in the idea of respect of this authority that the apostle offers these words on tribute, telos which IS rendered as custom, fear and honor and while there may be some idea of taxes or other payments involved, this IS NOT his overriding intention. Then come our subject verses which are intended to say that one DOES not owe to any other any thing except for Love and again we should see this from the spiritual perspective; this IS NOT a debt but a responsibility. Just as Mr. Gill ties the former idea to some form of payment, he does the same to this next verse; we read: Owe no man anything; From the payment of dues to magistrates the apostle proceeds to a general exhortation to discharge all sorts of debts; as not to owe the civil magistrate any thing, but render to him his dues, so to owe nothing to any other man, but make good all obligations whatever, as of a civil, so of a natural kind. There are debts arising from the natural and civil relations subsisting among men, which should be discharged; as of the husband to the wife, the wife to the husband; parents to their children, children to their parents; masters to their servants, servants to their masters; one brother, friend, and neighbour, to another. Moreover, pecuniary debts may be here intended, such as are come into by borrowing, buying, commerce, and contracts; which though they cannot be avoided in carrying on worldly business, yet men ought to make conscience of paying them as soon as they are able: many an honest man may be in debt, and by one providence or another be disabled from payment, which is a grief of mind to him; but for men industriously to run into debt, and take no care to pay, but live upon the property and substance of others, is scandalous to them as men, and greatly unbecoming professors of religion, and brings great reproach upon the Gospel of Christ 8. This IS of course a carnal view of a spiritual idea and DOES NOT offer the Truth and the depth of the responsibility of ALL men to Love.
The Commentary Critical and Explanatory of the Whole Bible gives us a bit clearer picture of the apostle’s ideas but there IS still the more carnal approach of actual financial debts and taxes to those of authority and the idea that this Love that we offer to ALL is somehow a debt; we read: Render therefore to all their dues–From magistrates the apostle now comes to other officials, and from them to men related to us by whatever tie. tribute–land tax. custom–mercantile tax. fear–reverence for superiors. honour–the respect due to persons of distinction. Owe no man anything, but to love one another–“Acquit yourselves of all obligations except love, which is a debt that must remain ever due” [HODGE]8. While the remaining ideas regarding the substitutionary effect of the Truth of Love are generally understood, they ARE NOT understood from the perspective of the Master’s nor in the apostle’s intent; both should be understood to say that if one Truly Loves as the Master teaches us, that here IS NO possibility for a man to live contrary to the other laws including the first Great Commandment regarding one’s Love for God. The reality of this Love IS intimately tied to our Love for ALL men who are equally His children. In Paul’s tone and words here we should see the ultimate reality that IS offered by the Master throughout His words: to Love one’s neighbor IS to keep ALL of the commandments and to keep ALL of the commandments IS to Love the Lord as this IS expressed in the first Great Commandment and the Master tells us this rather clearly saying: “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
While much of the Master’s teachings are in the form of parables and parabolic sayings, His words on Love are rather clear. They ARE not however understood in the simplicity with which they are presented and this IS because of the Truth that in this Love one’s own sense of self IS diminished. At the same time it IS this sense of self that the whole of the idea of Love will set in its proper reference, a reference that IS NOT acceptable to most men because of its diminishing quality. This IS however the reality of the Golden Rule; behind the words of doing as one would have done IS the underlying Truth of equality; nothing IS better for one than it IS for another and this IS the same equality that we see above in the Master’s words on the Love that IS expressed by God and which must be expressed by each man who seeks His Kingdom. We should understand as well that in the role of amplification and clarification of the Master’s words, the apostles also speak clearly on the subject of Love and very little on this subject is wrapped up in obscure language; much of doctrine however interjects their own sense of confusion and in this IS a basic failure of the church. In addition to this sense of confusion regarding just who one should Love as words and ideas are jumbled to take away the broadness of their intent in favor of the limited view of doctrine, we have the added problems caused by their being no comprehensive understanding of the Truth of this Love, that it IS NOT that emotional and mental attraction and attachments that we may have for others. We should however have a True idea of what this Love IS in these words from the apostle Paul regarding the importance of the reality of Love:
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (love), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity (love), I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned , and have not charity (love), it profiteth me nothing. Charity (love) suffereth long , and is kind ; charity (love) envieth not; charity (love) vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity (love) never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away” (1 Corinthians 13:1-8).
There should be NO doubt about the Power of this Love nor the importance of it and we should remember that the same word that IS rendered as Love, agape, IS rendered as Charity in the King James version.
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.
This Quote of the Day is the antithesis of glamour and illusion. In this mantram are the thoughts about ourselves and our brothers in the world that can diffuse those forces that hold a man in the world of things and prevent his spiritual progress.
Mantram of Unification
The sons of men are one and I am one with them.
I seek to love, not hate;
I seek to serve and not exact due service;
I seek to heal, not hurt.
Let pain bring due reward of light and love.
Let the Soul control the outer form, and life and all events,
And bring to light the love that underlies the happenings of the time.
Let vision come and insight.
Let the future stand revealed.
Let inner union demonstrate and outer cleavages be gone.
Let love prevail.
Let all men love.
The Mantram of Unification is a meditation and a prayer that at first affirms the unity of all men and the Brotherhood of Man based on the Fatherhood of God. The first stanza sets forth several truly Christian ideals in Unity, Love, Service and Healing. The second stanza is a invocation to the Lord and to our own Souls asking that from the pain (if there can truly be any) incurred in focusing on the Spirit and not the world will come Light and Love into our lives and that we begin to function as Souls through our conscious personalities. We ask that the spiritual control of our lives will bring to light for us the Love that underlies world events; a Love that the world oriented man will not see working out behind the scenes and also that the Love that we bring forth, individually and as a world group, can be seen by all and ultimately in all. Finally, in the last stanza we ask for those things that are needed for Love to abound. Vision and insight so that we can direct our attention properly; revelation of the future in the sense that all can see the Power of Love in the world; inner union so that we do not fall back into the world’s ways, that we faint not; and that a sense of separation, the antithesis of brotherhood, ends as we know it today. Let Love Prevail, Let All Men Love.spiritual control of our lives will bring to light for us the Love that underlies world events; a Love that the world oriented man will not see working out behind the scenes.
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts!
- 2 New Testament Greek Lexicon on BibleStudyTools.com
- 8 Bible commentaries on BibleStudyTools.com
