Metaphysical Bible Meditations - 9/12/17

The Pharisees question Jesus. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Welcome back, readers! In today's post we will be examining verses 37-52 of Luke Chapter 11, which as we will see serve to expound on some of the points explored in our last post. 

"And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.

And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.

And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?"

Jesus, or illumined reason, enters the house (mental dwelling place or atmosphere) of the Pharisee (belief in the supremacy of outward conformity to creed or dogma), to elucidate further on the discourse he began in previous verses regarding the importance of internal belief in and conviction of Divine principle over slavish performance of hollow, man-made ritualism. The Pharisees, scribes, and lawyers present are all personifications of the various concepts comprising the holier than thou attitude of religious dogmatism which, despite its incessant confessions of belief in the power of God, places emphasis on secondary material effects, theoretical philosophies and sectarian theologies. They foolishly champion adherence to the letter of the law (outside of the cup or physical effects) while neglecting the animating spirit of the law (inside of cup or internal I AM shaping all physical circumstance and experience). 

"But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.

But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them."

We are called to "give alms of such things" as we have, i.e. giving up those prejudices, predilections, and proclivities of thought and belief, which lead us to criticize and condemn as "unclean" the ideas and actions of others with whom we disagree, as well as placing ourselves in limitation of expression, for of fear of engaging in an "unclean" act. Once this log of ignorance is removed from our mind's eye we will see with St. Paul that "there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him that regardeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean." (Romans 14:14) And as Shakespeare said through Hamlet, "For there is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so."

Once more Jesus refers to the Pharisaical mind's misguided emphasis on external conditions and rituals (illustrated in the form of the sacrificial herbs) over the judgment and love of God (knowledge and application of psycho - spiritual principles and the vitalizing constructive element of love and respect toward God in all forms) demonstrated by their egoistic pleasure in receiving the perks of their religious office, while neglecting the finer points of the Law of God. Through their assumed air and appearance of being holy, wise, and pious on the surface, the Pharisee thoughts and beliefs are "as graves which appear not", leading unsuspecting seekers down into the pit of soul killing superstition, fear, shame, guilt, etc. 

"Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.

And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.

Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:

That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;

From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered."

The lawyers, which represent the unyielding legalistic attitude, give utmost primacy to obeying the exact letter of the law, lay heavy burdens by forcing all to meet every one of their narrow edicts. In laying too much stress on the oppressive mechanistic power of the law they eschew the guiding principle of which the law is the medium, i.e. mercy, equity, justice, and harmony. "For the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." (2 Cor. 3:6) In elevating the isolated operation of their part over the integrated function of the whole, they sow the seeds of disharmony, confusion, and ultimately chaos, individually and collectively.

"Hear, O Israel (awakened and illumined consciousness): The LORD our God (Universal Spirit) is one LORD (in nature, essence, and function)." (Deuteronomy 6:4)

It is adherence to this attitude which results in the killing (through denial and neglect) of the prophets (Divine archetypes and ideas of God's inherent Goodness and Wholeness, looking to bring the spiritual system back into balance).  The "lawyer" consciousness has reared its head countless times through the ages whether in the collective form of inquisitions, dictatorships, oligarchies, tyrannical households, and in the minds of individuals as various complexes and neuroses, persecuting those who dare to speak out and dissent from their superstitious, limiting beliefs. "The blood of the prophets" (the effects of the misapplied and abused Divine Power/Energy) is required of "this generation", who continue to dwell in the same state of ignorant cruelty  as their fathers (destructive concepts and beliefs). Unwilling to transcend the bounds of their own prejudiced limitations, they seek to deny others the knowledge to do likewise, in the collective forms of religious edict, civil oppression, familial tyranny as well as individual psychological complexes, neuroses, and phobias.

I hope you enjoyed today's post! Until next time, keep on keeping onward, upward, and God-ward.

  

Metaphysical Bible Meditations - 9/6/2017

The Sign of the Prophet Jonah. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Good morning, readers: Let's launch into some verses of Luke 11 (27-36) which carry some significant symbolic import.

"And it came to pass, as he (Jesus) spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.

But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it."

The "certain woman" of the multitude personifies the attitude of mind which attributes great acts and demonstrations of wisdom to be the result of material causes, i.e. having good genetics, hereditary strengths and tendencies, or the influence of one's family and environment ("Blessed is the womb... and the paps (breasts)"). While these factors indeed have a part to play in the building up of one's character and constitution, they are ultimately subordinate to the higher functioning of spiritual and mental laws (the word of God), which when properly understood and applied can adjust or alter physical conditions for optimal expression of the indwelling Life Principle.

"And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.

For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here."

The "evil generation" is composed of the thoughts, ideas, and complexes which, despite acknowledging conceptually the unity and supremacy of God, Infinite Intelligence, Universal Mind, etc., continue to cleave to the notion of existence and necessity of evil, opposition, and the turning of the Karmic wheel, always seeking for a tangible physical "sign", or cause, to rest in, rather than inquiring further beyond the limitations of sense evidence to uncover the hidden spiritual spring. 

Both the people of Nineveh (as recorded in the Old Testament Book of Jonah) and the Queen of Sheba (whose audience with King Solomon is found in 1 Kings 10), representations of the above type of consciousness, were ultimately able to overcome their misguided beliefs through the preaching of Jonah and Solomon respectively; both prophets who, while in possession of some knowledge of the workings of Divine Mind, are still lesser than Jesus, or the fully realized expression of Christ Consciousness. Hence why they will "rise in judgment" against "this generation" of false and faulty thinking, who despite being given the sign of Jesus "the Son of Man" (the faculty of mind to discern truth from error) , refuses to repent (which is translated from the original Greek term metanoia, literally "a change of mind") from the old attitudes.

"No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.

The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.

Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light."

The single eye here refers to that psycho-spiritual quality of judgment and vision which can see and discern the underlying unity behind all diversity and multiplicity of appearances, circumstances, and experiences that the Infinite Life is through all, above all, and in all. As long as the vision remains double, giving equal attention and attributing equal power to light and dark, imperfection will remain the predominant experience in the objective world whether it be in the form of ill health, frustrated relationships, financial turmoil, or an unholy host of other maladies, individually and collectively. We are to be channels and carriers of the light, shining forth to illuminate both ourselves and others.  

I hope you enjoyed today's post! Until next time, keep on keeping onward, upward, and God-ward.

Metaphysical Bible Meditations - 9/5/2017

Jesus admonishing the Pharisees. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Good morning, readers! After deviating from last Monday's post to write about the recent slew of criticism of Joel Osteen and the Prosperity Gospel and taking a break for the holiday weekend, I'm back to pick up where we left off on our last meditation, with Luke 11: 14 - 26.

"And he (Jesus) was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered.

But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.

And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven."

The people denouncing Jesus' work of psychological healing as being of "Beelzebub" (prince or lord of devils) represent those which hold the attitude of sectarianism, which upon witnessing an act that doesn't conform to what they believe to be true or for which their narrow viewpoint can't otherwise explain label it evil, or the "work of the devil", rather than inquire about it with an open mind. We need not look too far to see this attitude at work in our own world at all levels: politically, socially, scientifically, spiritually, demanding endless "signs" or justifications for why their hallowed opinions and theories have been rendered insufficient. 

"But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.

If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.

And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.

But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you."

Jesus (illumined reason personified) exposes the faultiness of this type of thinking by pointing out that, if he were indeed a servant of evil, why would he be driving out his own? Furthermore he says that, if the work he is performing is evil, then the very same efforts of the Pharisees, etc. are equally so, and they have no right to pass judgment, effectively exposing the pernicious and petty motives behind their accusations, spurred by their inability and refusal to entertain the soundness of Jesus' methods which are born of the "Kingdom of God" (union with the Healing Power and Presence through understanding).

"When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:

But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.

When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.

And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.

Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first."

In the parables of the strong man and the unclean spirits, Jesus illustrates the inefficiency of the methods employed by the Pharisees, which believe that through mere mechanical ritual and obedience to their dogma that the mind and heart will be made virtuous. Unless the mental and emotional houses are cleansed through sincere introspection and reflection, followed by strong desire to change via prayer and meditation, the habits which were temporarily quelled or suppressed due to conforming to external pressures (threats of hell, Divine punishment, Karma, etc.) will only return stronger and more formidable once the same stimuli present themselves, triggering the untreated subconscious patterns and complexes. 

"He that is not with me (creative and transforming power of the indwelling I AM) is against me: and he that gathereth (the wisdom and truth of God) not with me scattereth (through believing in evil, opposition, duality, etc.)

I hope you enjoyed today's content! Until next time, keep on keeping onward, upward, and God-ward.