~ ἆ ~ ~ † ~ ~_/ Jesus Commissions the Apostles \_~ ~ † ~ ~ ᾮ ~ >>>> The Master’s consecration charge was: “Go into all the world and preach the glad tidings of the kingdom. Liberate spiritual captives, comfort the oppressed, and minister to the afflicted. Freely you have received, freely give.” “Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be you therefore as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. But take heed, for your enemies will bring you up before their councils, while in their synagogues they will castigate you. Before governors and rulers you will be brought because you believe this gospel, and your very testimony shall be a witness for me to them. And when they lead you to judgment, be not anxious about what you shall say, for the spirit of my Father indwells you and will at such a time speak through you. Some of you will be put to death, and before you establish the kingdom on earth, you will be hated by many peoples because of this gospel; but fear not; I will be with you, and my spirit shall go before you into all the world. And my Father’s presence will abide with you while you go first to the Jews, then to the gentiles.” >>> Later that day Jesus spoke at great length trying to show the twelve what they must be, not what they must do. They knew before only a religion that imposed the doing of certain things as the means of attaining righteousness — salvation. But Jesus would reiterate, “In the kingdom you must BE righteous in order to do the work.” ~* Many times did he repeat, “Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” ~* All the while was the Master explaining to his apostles that the salvation which he had come to bring to the world was to be had only by believing, by simple and sincere faith. Said Jesus: “John preached a baptism of repentance, sorrow for the old way of living. You are to proclaim the baptism of fellowship with God. Preach repentance to those who stand in need of such teaching, but to those already seeking sincere entrance to the kingdom, open the doors wide and bid them enter into the joyous fellowship of the sons of God.” ~* But it was a difficult task to persuade these Galilean fishermen that, in the kingdom, being righteous, by faith, must precede doing righteousness in the daily life of the mortals of earth. Another great handicap in this work of teaching the twelve was their tendency to take highly idealistic and spiritual principles of religious truth and remake them into concrete rules of personal conduct. Jesus would present to them the beautiful spirit of the soul’s attitude, but they insisted on translating such teachings into rules of personal behaviour. Many times, when they did make sure to remember what the Master said, they were almost certain to forget what he did not say. But they slowly assimilated his teaching because Jesus was all that he taught. What they could not gain from his verbal instruction, they gradually acquired by living with him ~ ~* It was not apparent to the apostles that their Master was engaged in living a life of spiritual inspiration for every person of every age on every world of a far-flung universe. Notwithstanding what Jesus told them from time to time, the apostles did not grasp the idea that he was doing a work on this world but for all other worlds in his vast creation. Jesus lived his earth life on Earth not to set a personal example of mortal living for the men and women of this world, but rather to create a high spiritual and inspirational ideal for all mortal beings on all worlds. ~ Thomas asked Jesus: “Master, you say that we must become as little children before we can gain entrance to the Father’s kingdom, and yet you have warned us not to be deceived by false prophets nor to become guilty of casting our pearls before swine. Now, I am honestly puzzled. I cannot understand your teaching.” >>>> Jesus replied to Thomas: “How long shall I bear with you! Ever you insist on making literal all that I teach. When I asked you to become as little children as the price of entering the kingdom, I referred not to ease of deception, mere willingness to believe, nor to quickness to trust pleasing strangers. What I did desire that you should gather from the illustration was the child-father relationship. You are the child, and it is your Father’s kingdom you seek to enter. There is present that natural affection between every normal child and its father which insures an understanding and loving relationship, and which forever precludes all disposition to bargain for the Father’s love and mercy. And the gospel you are going forth to preach has to do with a salvation growing out of the faith-realization of this very and eternal child-father relationship.” ~* The one characteristic of Jesus’ teaching was that the morality of his philosophy originated in the personal relation of the individual to God — this very child-father relationship. Jesus placed emphasis on the individual, not on the race or nation. While eating supper, Jesus had the talk with Matthew in which he explained that the morality of any act is determined by the individual’s motive. Jesus’ morality was always positive. The golden rule as restated by Jesus demands active social contact; the older negative rule could be obeyed in isolation. Jesus stripped morality of all rules and ceremonies and elevated it to majestic levels of spiritual thinking and truly righteous living ~ ~* This new religion of Jesus was not without its practical implications, but whatever of practical political, social, or economic value there is to be found in his teaching is the natural outworking of this inner experience of the soul as it manifests the fruits of the spirit in the spontaneous daily ministry of genuine personal religious experience ~ Simon Zelotes asked, “But, Master, are all men the sons of God?” And Jesus answered: “Yes, Simon, all men are the sons of God, and that is the good news you are going to proclaim.” But the apostles could not grasp such a doctrine; it was a new, strange, and startling announcement. And it was because of his desire to impress this truth upon them that Jesus taught his followers to treat all men as their brothers ~ ~* In response to a question asked by Andrew, the Master made it clear that the morality of his teaching was inseparable from the religion of his living. He taught morality, not from the nature of man, but from the relation of man to God ~ John asked Jesus, “Master, what is the kingdom of heaven?” And Jesus answered: “The kingdom of heaven consists in these three essentials: first, recognition of the fact of the sovereignty of God; second, belief in the truth of sonship with God; and third, faith in the effectiveness of the supreme human desire to do the will of God — to be like God. And this is the good news of the gospel: that by faith every mortal may have all these essentials of salvation ~ [ Extracts above taken from the Urantia Book – The 5th Epochal Revelation of Divine Truth ] ~ Ȋ ᾎM >> ~ Ŝtepђen >> Ρurveyor of Ʈrue Ŝpirituality ~ Ŝpiritual Ʈruth >> including the Teachings of Jesus which shall be the basis of the revival for the spiritual evolution of Ӈumanity ~ ~ I offer guidance only as the truth lies within your own hearts ~ Open up to the fragment of God that indwells within you and He shall surely direct your paths ~ Seek and thou shalt find the Spirit of Truth within ~ ~ WE ARE ONE >> ~ ἆ ~ ~ † ~_/ Ʈђe Kingdom of God is within all \_~ † ~ ~ ᾮ ~ ~ ἆ ~ ~ † ~ ~_/ Embrace it with all of your heart \_~ ~ † ~ ~ ᾮ ~ ~ ἆ ~ ~ † ~ ~ ~ ~_/ Ȋ ᾎM ἆlphḁ ḁnd ᾮmeģḁ \_~ ~ ~ ~ † ~ ~ ᾮ ~ ~ Ƒ†Ḹ _/ Ʈђe Ƒirst ḁnd ṱђe Lḁst ~ Ʈђe Beģinninģ ḁnd ṱђe Ẽnd \_ B†Ẽ ~ ~
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 09:24:11 +0000
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