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Urantia Book Paper 140 The Ordination Of The Twelve
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Subjects Archive The Urantia Book Urantia Book PART IV: The Life and Teachings
of Jesus : The Bestowal Of Michael On Urantia The Times Of Michael's Bestowal
Birth And Infancy Of Jesus The Early Childhood Of Jesus The Later Childhood Of
Jesus Jesus At Jerusalem The Two Crucial Years The Adolescent Years Jesus'
Early Manhood The Later Adult Life Of Jesus On The Way To Rome The World's
Religions The Sojourn At Rome The Return From Rome The Transition Years John
The Baptist Baptism And The Forty Days Tarrying Time In Galilee Training The
Kingdom's Messengers The Twelve Apostles The Ordination Of The Twelve Beginning
The Public Work The Passover At Jerusalem Going Through Samaria At Gilboa And
In The Decapolis Four Eventful Days At Capernaum First Preaching Tour Of
Galilee The Interlude Visit To Jerusalem Training Evangelists At Bethsaida The
Second Preaching Tour The Third Preaching Tour Tarrying And Teaching By The
Seaside Events Leading Up To The Capernaum Crisis The Crisis At Capernaum Last
Days At Capernaum Fleeing Through Northern Galilee The Sojourn At Tyre And
Sidon At Caesarea-philippi The Mount Of Transfiguration The Decapolis Tour
Rodan Of Alexandria Further Discussions With Rodan At The Feast Of Tabernacles
Ordination Of The Seventy At Magadan At The Feast Of Dedication The Perean
Mission Begins Last Visit To Northern Perea The Visit To Philadelphia The
Resurrection Of Lazarus Last Teaching At Pella The Kingdom Of Heaven On The Way
To Jerusalem Going Into Jerusalem Monday In Jerusalem ...
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Paper 140 The Ordination Of The Twelve
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Introduction
JUST before noon on Sunday, January 12, A.D. 27, Jesus called the apostles
together for their ordination as public preachers of the gospel of the kingdom.
The twelve were expecting to be called almost any day; so this morning they did
not go out far from the shore to fish. Several of them were lingering near the
shore repairing their nets and tinkering with their fishing paraphernalia.
As Jesus started down the seashore calling the apostles, he first hailed Andrew
and Peter, who were fishing near the shore; next he signaled to James and John,
who were in a boat near by, visiting with their father, Zebedee, and mending
their nets. Two by two he gathered up the other apostles, and when he had
assembled all twelve, he journeyed with them to the highlands north of
Capernaum, where he proceeded to instruct them in preparation for their formal
ordination.
For once all twelve of the apostles were silent; even Peter was in a reflective
mood. At last the long-waited-for hour had come! They were going apart with the
Master to participate in some sort of solemn ceremony of personal consecration
and collective dedication to the sacred work of representing their Master in
the proclamation of the coming of his Father's kingdom.
1. PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTION
Before the formal ordination service Jesus spoke to the twelve as they were
seated about him: "My brethren, this hour of the kingdom has come. I have
brought you apart here with me to present you to the Father as ambassadors of
the kingdom. Some of you heard me speak of this kingdom in the synagogue when
you first were called. Each of you has learned more about the Father's kingdom
since you have been with me working in the cities around about the Sea of
Galilee. But just now I have something more to tell you concerning this
kingdom.
"The new kingdom which my Father is about to set up in the hearts of his earth
children is to be an everlasting dominion. There shall be no end of this rule
of my Father in the hearts of those who desire to do his divine will. I declare
to you that my Father is not the God of Jew or gentile. Many shall come from
the east and from the west to sit down with us in the Father's kingdom, while
many of the children of Abraham will refuse to enter this new brotherhood of
the rule of the Father's spirit in the hearts of the children of men.
"The power of this kingdom shall consist, not in the strength of armies nor in
the might of riches, but rather in the glory of the divine spirit that shall
come to teach the minds and rule the hearts of the reborn citizens of this
heavenly kingdom, the sons of God. This is the brotherhood of love wherein
righteousness
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reigns, and whose battle cry shall be: Peace on earth and good will to all men.
This kingdom, which you are so soon to go forth proclaiming, is the desire of
the good men of all ages, the hope of all the earth, and the fulfillment of the
wise promises of all the prophets.
"But for you, my children, and for all others who would follow you into this
kingdom, there is set a severe test. Faith alone will pass you through its
portals, but you must bring forth the fruits of my Father's spirit if you would
continue to ascend in the progressive life of the divine fellowship. Verily,
verily, I say to you, not every one who says, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the
kingdom of heaven; but rather he who does the will of my Father who is in
heaven.
"Your message to the world shall be: Seek first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness, and in finding these, all other things essential to eternal
survival shall be secured therewith. And now would I make it plain to you that
this kingdom of my Father will not come with an outward show of power or with
unseemly demonstration. You are not to go hence in the proclamation of the
kingdom, saying, `it is here' or `it is there,' for this kingdom of which you
preach is God within you.
"Whosoever would become great in my Father's kingdom shall become a minister to
all; and whosoever would be first among you, let him become the server of his
brethren. But when you are once truly received as citizens in the heavenly
kingdom, you are no longer servants but sons, sons of the living God. And so
shall this kingdom progress in the world until it shall break down every
barrier and bring all men to know my Father and believe in the saving truth
which I have come to declare. Even now is the kingdom at hand, and some of you
will not die until you have seen the reign of God come in great power.
"And this which your eyes now behold, this small beginning of twelve
commonplace men, shall multiply and grow until eventually the whole earth shall
be filled with the praise of my Father. And it will not be so much by the words
you speak as by the lives you live that men will know you have been with me and
have learned of the realities of the kingdom. And while I would lay no grievous
burdens upon your minds, I am about to put upon your souls the solemn
responsibility of representing me in the world when I shall presently leave you
as I now represent my Father in this life which I am living in the flesh." And
when he had finished speaking, he stood up.
2. THE ORDINATION
Jesus now instructed the twelve mortals who had just listened to his
declaration concerning the kingdom to kneel in a circle about him. Then the
Master placed his hands upon the head of each apostle, beginning with Judas
Iscariot and ending with Andrew. When he had blessed them, he extended his
hands and prayed:
"My Father, I now bring to you these men, my messengers. From among our
children on earth I have chosen these twelve to go forth to represent me as I
came forth to represent you. Love them and be with them as you have loved and
been with me. And now, my Father, give these men wisdom as I place all the
affairs of the coming kingdom in their hands. And I would, if it is your will,
tarry on earth a time to help them in their labors for the kingdom. And again,
my Father, I thank you for these men, and I commit them to your keeping while I
go on to finish the work you have given me to do."
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When Jesus had finished praying, the apostles remained each man bowed in his
place. And it was many minutes before even Peter dared lift up his eyes to look
upon the Master. One by one they embraced Jesus, but no man said aught. A great
silence pervaded the place while a host of celestial beings looked down upon
this solemn and sacred scene--the Creator of a universe placing the affairs of
the divine brotherhood of man under the direction of human minds.
3. THE ORDINATION SERMON
Then Jesus spoke, saying: "Now that you are ambassadors of my Father's kingdom,
you have thereby become a class of men separate and distinct from all other men
on earth. You are not now as men among men but as the enlightened citizens of
another and heavenly country among the ignorant creatures of this dark world.
It is not enough that you live as you were before this hour, but henceforth
must you live as those who have tasted the glories of a better life and have
been sent back to earth as ambassadors of the Sovereign of that new and better
world. Of the teacher more is expected than of the pupil; of the master more is
exacted than of the servant. Of the citizens of the heavenly kingdom more is
required than of the citizens of the earthly rule. Some of the things which I
am about to say to you may seem hard, but you have elected to represent me in
the world even as I now represent the Father; and as my agents on earth you
will be obligated to abide by those teachings and practices which are
reflective of my ideals of mortal living on the worlds of space, and which I
exemplify in my earth life of revealing the Father who is in heaven.
"I send you forth to proclaim liberty to the spiritual captives, joy to those
in the bondage of fear, and to heal the sick in accordance with the will of my
Father in heaven. When you find my children in distress, speak encouragingly to
them, saying:
"Happy are the poor in spirit, the humble, for theirs are the treasures of the
kingdom of heaven.
"Happy are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be
filled.
"Happy are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
"Happy are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
"And even so speak to my children these further words of spiritual comfort and
promise:
"Happy are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Happy are they who
weep, for they shall receive the spirit of rejoicing.
"Happy are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
"Happy are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.
"Happy are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. Happy are you when men shall revile you and persecute you
and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely. Rejoice and be
exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.
"My brethren, as I send you forth, you are the salt of the earth, salt with a
saving savor. But if this salt has lost its savor, wherewith shall it be
salted? It is henceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under
foot of men.
"You are the light of the world. A city set upon a hill cannot be hid. Neither
do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it
gives
top of page - 1571
light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they
may see your good works and be led to glorify your Father who is in heaven.
"I am sending you out into the world to represent me and to act as ambassadors
of my Father's kingdom, and as you go forth to proclaim the glad tidings, put
your trust in the Father whose messengers you are. Do not forcibly resist
injustice; put not your trust in the arm of the flesh. If your neighbor smites
you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. Be willing to suffer
injustice rather than to go to law among yourselves. In kindness and with mercy
minister to all who are in distress and in need.
"I say to you: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those
who curse you, and pray for those who despitefully use you. And whatsoever you
believe that I would do to men, do you also to them.
"Your Father in heaven makes the sun to shine on the evil as well as upon the
good; likewise he sends rain on the just and the unjust. You are the sons of
God; even more, you are now the ambassadors of my Father's kingdom. Be
merciful, even as God is merciful, and in the eternal future of the kingdom you
shall be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect.
"You are commissioned to save men, not to judge them. At the end of your earth
life you will all expect mercy; therefore do I require of you during your
mortal life that you show mercy to all of your brethren in the flesh. Make not
the mistake of trying to pluck a mote out of your brother's eye when there is a
beam in your own eye. Having first cast the beam out of your own eye, you can
the better see to cast the mote out of your brother's eye.
"Discern the truth clearly; live the righteous life fearlessly; and so shall
you be my apostles and my Father's ambassadors. You have heard it said: `If the
blind lead the blind, they both shall fall into the pit.' If you would guide
others into the kingdom, you must yourselves walk in the clear light of living
truth. In all the business of the kingdom I exhort you to show just judgment
and keen wisdom. Present not that which is holy to dogs, neither cast your
pearls before swine, lest they trample your gems under foot and turn to rend
you.
"I warn you against false prophets who will come to you in sheep's clothing,
while on the inside they are as ravening wolves. By their fruits you shall know
them. Do men gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles? Even so, every
good tree brings forth good fruit, but the corrupt tree bears evil fruit. A
good tree cannot yield evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good
fruit. Every tree that does not bring forth good fruit is presently hewn down
and cast into the fire. In gaining an entrance into the kingdom of heaven, it
is the motive that counts. My Father looks into the hearts of men and judges by
their inner longings and their sincere intentions.
"In the great day of the kingdom judgment, many will say to me, `Did we not
prophesy in your name and by your name do many wonderful works?' But I will be
compelled to say to them, `I never knew you; depart from me you who are false
teachers.' But every one who hears this charge and sincerely executes his
commission to represent me before men even as I have represented my Father to
you, shall find an abundant entrance into my service and into the kingdom of
the heavenly Father."
Never before had the apostles heard Jesus speak in this way, for he had talked
to them as one having supreme authority. They came down from the mountain about
sundown, but no man asked Jesus a question.
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4. YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH
The so-called "Sermon on the Mount" is not the gospel of Jesus. It does contain
much helpful instruction, but it was Jesus' ordination charge to the twelve
apostles. It was the Master's personal commission to those who were to go on
preaching the gospel and aspiring to represent him in the world of men even as
he was so eloquently and perfectly representative of his Father.
"You are the salt of the earth, salt with a saving savor. But if this salt has
lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is henceforth good for nothing
but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men."
In Jesus' time salt was precious. It was even used for money. The modern word
"salary" is derived from salt. Salt not only flavors food, but it is also a
preservative. It makes other things more tasty, and thus it serves by being
spent.
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do
men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it
gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men
that they may see your good works and be led to glorify your Father who is in
heaven."
While light dispels darkness, it can also be so "blinding" as to confuse and
frustrate. We are admonished to let our light so shine that our fellows will be
guided into new and godly paths of enhanced living. Our light should so shine
as not to attract attention to self. Even one's vocation can be utilized as an
effective "reflector" for the dissemination of this light of life.
Strong characters are not derived from not doing wrong but rather from actually
doing right. Unselfishness is the badge of human greatness. The highest levels
of self-realization are attained by worship and service. The happy and
effective person is motivated, not by fear of wrongdoing, but by love of right
doing.
"By their fruits you shall know them." Personality is basically changeless;
that which changes--grows--is the moral character. The major error of modern
religions is negativism. The tree which bears no fruit is "hewn down and cast
into the fire." Moral worth cannot be derived from mere repression--obeying the
injunction "Thou shalt not." Fear and shame are unworthy motivations for
religious living. Religion is valid only when it reveals the fatherhood of God
and enhances the brotherhood of men.
An effective philosophy of living is formed by a combination of cosmic insight
and the total of one's emotional reactions to the social and economic
environment. Remember: While inherited urges cannot be fundamentally modified,
emotional responses to such urges can be changed; therefore the moral nature
can be modified, character can be improved. In the strong character emotional
responses are integrated and co-ordinated, and thus is produced a unified
personality. Deficient unification weakens the moral nature and engenders
unhappiness.
Without a worthy goal, life becomes aimless and unprofitable, and much
unhappiness results. Jesus' discourse at the ordination of the twelve
constitutes a master philosophy of life. Jesus exhorted his followers to
exercise experiential faith. He admonished them not to depend on mere
intellectual assent, credulity, and established authority.
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Education should be a technique of learning (discovering) the better methods of
gratifying our natural and inherited urges, and happiness is the resulting
total of these enhanced techniques of emotional satisfactions. Happiness is
little dependent on environment, though pleasing surroundings may greatly
contribute thereto.
Every mortal really craves to be a complete person, to be perfect even as the
Father in heaven is perfect, and such attainment is possible because in the
last analysis the "universe is truly fatherly."
5. FATHERLY AND BROTHERLY LOVE
From the Sermon on the Mount to the discourse of the Last Supper, Jesus taught
his followers to manifest fatherly love rather than brotherly love. Brotherly
love would love your neighbor as you love yourself, and that would be adequate
fulfillment of the "golden rule." But fatherly affection would require that you
should love your fellow mortals as Jesus loves you.
Jesus loves mankind with a dual affection. He lived on earth as a twofold
personality--human and divine. As the Son of God he loves man with a fatherly
love--he is man's Creator, his universe Father. As the Son of Man, Jesus loves
mortals as a brother--he was truly a man among men.
Jesus did not expect his followers to achieve an impossible manifestation of
brotherly love, but he did expect them to so strive to be like God--to be
perfect even as the Father in heaven is perfect--that they could begin to look
upon man as God looks upon his creatures and therefore could begin to love men
as God loves them--to show forth the beginnings of a fatherly affection. In the
course of these exhortations to the twelve apostles, Jesus sought to reveal
this new concept of fatherly love as it is related to certain emotional
attitudes concerned in making numerous environmental social adjustments.
The Master introduced this momentous discourse by calling attention to four
faith attitudes as the prelude to the subsequent portrayal of his four
transcendent and supreme reactions of fatherly love in contrast to the
limitations of mere brotherly love.
He first talked about those who were poor in spirit, hungered after
righteousness, endured meekness, and who were pure in heart. Such
spirit-discerning mortals could be expected to attain such levels of divine
selflessness as to be able to attempt the amazing exercise of fatherly
affection; that even as mourners they would be empowered to show mercy, promote
peace, and endure persecutions, and throughout all of these trying situations
to love even unlovely mankind with a fatherly love. A father's affection can
attain levels of devotion that immeasurably transcend a brother's affection.
The faith and the love of these beatitudes strengthen moral character and
create happiness. Fear and anger weaken character and destroy happiness. This
momentous sermon started out upon the note of happiness.
1. "Happy are the poor in spirit--the humble." To a child, happiness is the
satisfaction of immediate pleasure craving. The adult is willing to sow seeds
of self-denial in order to reap subsequent harvests of augmented happiness. In
Jesus' times and since, happiness has all too often been associated with the
idea of the possession of wealth. In the story of the Pharisee and the publican
praying in the temple, the one felt rich in spirit egotistical; the other felt
"poor in spirit"--
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humble. One was self-sufficient; the other was teachable and truth-seeking. The
poor in spirit seek for goals of spiritual wealth--for God. And such seekers
after truth do not have to wait for rewards in a distant future; they are
rewarded now. They find the kingdom of heaven within their own hearts, and they
experience such happiness now.
2. "Happy are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be
filled." Only those who feel poor in spirit will ever hunger for righteousness.
Only the humble seek for divine strength and crave spiritual power. But it is
most dangerous to knowingly engage in spiritual fasting in order to improve
one's appetite for spiritual endowments. Physical fasting becomes dangerous
after four or five days; one is apt to lose all desire for food. Prolonged
fasting, either physical or spiritual, tends to destroy hunger.
Experiential righteousness is a pleasure, not a duty. Jesus' righteousness is a
dynamic love--fatherly-brotherly affection. It is not the negative or
thou-shalt-not type of righteousness. How could one ever hunger for something
negative--something "not to do"?
It is not so easy to teach a child mind these first two of the beatitudes, but
the mature mind should grasp their significance.
3. "Happy are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Genuine meekness has
no relation to fear. It is rather an attitude of man co-operating with
God--"Your will be done." It embraces patience and forbearance and is motivated
by an unshakable faith in a lawful and friendly universe. It masters all
temptations to rebel against the divine leading. Jesus was the ideal meek man
of Urantia, and he inherited a vast universe.
4. "Happy are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Spiritual purity is
not a negative quality, except that it does lack suspicion and revenge. In
discussing purity, Jesus did not intend to deal exclusively with human sex
attitudes. He referred more to that faith which man should have in his fellow
man; that faith which a parent has in his child, and which enables him to love
his fellows even as a father would love them. A father's love need not pamper,
and it does not condone evil, but it is always anticynical. Fatherly love has
singleness of purpose, and it always looks for the best in man; that is the
attitude of a true parent.
To see God--by faith--means to acquire true spiritual insight. And spiritual
insight enhances Adjuster guidance, and these in the end augment
God-consciousness. And when you know the Father, you are confirmed in the
assurance of divine sonship, and you can increasingly love each of your
brothers in the flesh, not only as a brother--with brotherly love--but also as
a father--with fatherly affection.
It is easy to teach this admonition even to a child. Children are naturally
trustful, and parents should see to it that they do not lose that simple faith.
In dealing with children, avoid all deception and refrain from suggesting
suspicion. Wisely help them to choose their heroes and select their lifework.
And then Jesus went on to instruct his followers in the realization of the
chief purpose of all human struggling--perfection--even divine attainment.
Always he admonished them: "Be you perfect, even as your Father in heaven is
perfect." He did not exhort the twelve to love their neighbors as they loved
themselves. That would have been a worthy achievement; it would have indicated
the achievement of brotherly love. He rather admonished his apostles to love
men as
top of page - 1575
he had loved them--to love with a fatherly as well as a brotherly affection.
And he illustrated this by pointing out four supreme reactions of fatherly
love:
1. "Happy are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted." So-called common
sense or the best of logic would never suggest that happiness could be derived
from mourning. But Jesus did not refer to outward or ostentatious mourning. He
alluded to an emotional attitude of tenderheartedness. It is a great error to
teach boys and young men that it is unmanly to show tenderness or otherwise to
give evidence of emotional feeling or physical suffering. Sympathy is a worthy
attribute of the male as well as the female. It is not necessary to be
calloused in order to be manly. This is the wrong way to create courageous men.
The world's great men have not been afraid to mourn. Moses, the mourner, was a
greater man than either Samson or Goliath. Moses was a superb leader, but he
was also a man of meekness. Being sensitive and responsive to human need
creates genuine and lasting happiness, while such kindly attitudes safeguard
the soul from the destructive influences of anger, hate, and suspicion.
2. "Happy are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Mercy here denotes
the height and depth and breadth of the truest friendship--loving-kindness.
Mercy sometimes may be passive, but here it is active and dynamic--supreme
fatherliness. A loving parent experiences little difficulty in forgiving his
child, even many times. And in an unspoiled child the urge to relieve suffering
is natural. Children are normally kind and sympathetic when old enough to
appreciate actual conditions.
3. "Happy are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God."
Jesus' hearers were longing for military deliverance, not for peacemakers. But
Jesus' peace is not of the pacific and negative kind. In the face of trials and
persecutions he said, "My peace I leave with you." "Let not your heart be
troubled, neither let it be afraid." This is the peace that prevents ruinous
conflicts. Personal peace integrates personality. Social peace prevents fear,
greed, and anger. Political peace prevents race antagonisms, national
suspicions, and war. Peacemaking is the cure of distrust and suspicion.
Children can easily be taught to function as peacemakers. They enjoy team
activities; they like to play together. Said the Master at another time:
"Whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life
shall find it."
4. "Happy are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven. Happy are you when men shall revile you and persecute
you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely. Rejoice and be
exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven."
So often persecution does follow peace. But young people and brave adults never
shun difficulty or danger. "Greater love has no man than to lay down his life
for his friends." And a fatherly love can freely do all these things--things
which brotherly love can hardly encompass. And progress has always been the
final harvest of persecution.
Children always respond to the challenge of courage. Youth is ever willing to
"take a dare." And every child should early learn to sacrifice.
And so it is revealed that the beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount are based
on faith and love and not on law--ethics and duty.
Fatherly love delights in returning good for evil--doing good in retaliation
for injustice.
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6. THE EVENING OF THE ORDINATION
Sunday evening, on reaching the home of Zebedee from the highlands north of
Capernaum, Jesus and the twelve partook of a simple meal. Afterward, while
Jesus went for a walk along the beach, the twelve talked among themselves.
After a brief conference, while the twins built a small fire to give them
warmth and more light, Andrew went out to find Jesus, and when he had overtaken
him, he said: "Master, my brethren are unable to comprehend what you have said
about the kingdom. We do not feel able to begin this work until you have given
us further instruction. I have come to ask you to join us in the garden and
help us to understand the meaning of your words." And Jesus went with Andrew to
meet with the apostles.
When he had entered the garden, he gathered the apostles around him and taught
them further, saying: "You find it difficult to receive my message because you
would build the new teaching directly upon the old, but I declare that you must
be reborn. You must start out afresh as little children and be willing to trust
my teaching and believe in God. The new gospel of the kingdom cannot be made to
conform to that which is. You have wrong ideas of the Son of Man and his
mission on earth. But do not make the mistake of thinking that I have come to
set aside the law and the prophets; I have not come to destroy but to fulfill,
to enlarge and illuminate. I come not to transgress the law but rather to write
these new commandments on the tablets of your hearts.
"I demand of you a righteousness that shall exceed the righteousness of those
who seek to obtain the Father's favor by almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. If
you would enter the kingdom, you must have a righteousness that consists in
love, mercy, and truth--the sincere desire to do the will of my Father in
heaven."
Then said Simon Peter: "Master, if you have a new commandment, we would hear
it. Reveal the new way to us." Jesus answered Peter: "You have heard it said by
those who teach the law: `You shall not kill; that whosoever kills shall be
subject to judgment.' But I look beyond the act to uncover the motive. I
declare to you that every one who is angry with his brother is in danger of
condemnation. He who nurses hatred in his heart and plans vengeance in his mind
stands in danger of judgment. You must judge your fellows by their deeds; the
Father in heaven judges by the intent.
"You have heard the teachers of the law say, `You shall not commit adultery.'
But I say to you that every man who looks upon a woman with intent to lust
after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. You can only
judge men by their acts, but my Father looks into the hearts of his children
and in mercy adjudges them in accordance with their intents and real desires."
Jesus was minded to go on discussing the other commandments when James Zebedee
interrupted him, asking: "Master, what shall we teach the people regarding
divorcement? Shall we allow a man to divorce his wife as Moses has directed?"
And when Jesus heard this question, he said: "I have not come to legislate but
to enlighten. I have come not to reform the kingdoms of this world but rather
to establish the kingdom of heaven. It is not the will of the Father that I
should yield to the temptation to teach you rules of government, trade, or
social behavior, which, while they might be good for today, would be far from
suitable for the society of another age. I am on earth solely to comfort the
minds, liberate the spirits, and save the souls of men. But I will say,
concerning this
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question of divorcement, that, while Moses looked with favor upon such things,
it was not so in the days of Adam and in the Garden."
After the apostles had talked among themselves for a short time, Jesus went on
to say: "Always must you recognize the two viewpoints of all mortal
conduct--the human and the divine; the ways of the flesh and the way of the
spirit; the estimate of time and the viewpoint of eternity." And though the
twelve could not comprehend all that he taught them, they were truly helped by
this instruction.
And then said Jesus: "But you will stumble over my teaching because you are
wont to interpret my message literally; you are slow to discern the spirit of
my teaching. Again must you remember that you are my messengers; you are
beholden to live your lives as I have in spirit lived mine. You are my personal
representatives; but do not err in expecting all men to live as you do in every
particular. Also must you remember that I have sheep not of this flock, and
that I am beholden to them also, to the end that I must provide for them the
pattern of doing the will of God while living the life of the mortal nature."
Then asked Nathaniel: "Master, shall we give no place to justice? The law of
Moses says, `An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' What shall we say?"
And Jesus answered: "You shall return good for evil. My messengers must not
strive with men, but be gentle toward all. Measure for measure shall not be
your rule. The rulers of men may have such laws, but not so in the kingdom;
mercy always shall determine your judgments and love your conduct. And if these
are hard sayings, you can even now turn back. If you find the requirements of
apostleship too hard, you may return to the less rigorous pathway of
discipleship."
On hearing these startling words, the apostles drew apart by themselves for a
while, but they soon returned, and Peter said: "Master, we would go on with
you; not one of us would turn back. We are fully prepared to pay the extra
price; we will drink the cup. We would be apostles, not merely disciples."
When Jesus heard this, he said: "Be willing, then, to take up your
responsibilities and follow me. Do your good deeds in secret; when you give
alms, let not the left hand know what the right hand does. And when you pray,
go apart by yourselves and use not vain repetitions and meaningless phrases.
Always remember that the Father knows what you need even before you ask him.
And be not given to fasting with a sad countenance to be seen by men. As my
chosen apostles, now set apart for the service of the kingdom, lay not up for
yourselves treasures on earth, but by your unselfish service lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, for where your treasures are, there will your
hearts be also.
"The lamp of the body is the eye; if, therefore, your eye is generous, your
whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is selfish, the whole body
will be filled with darkness. If the very light which is in you is turned to
darkness, how great is that darkness! "
And then Thomas asked Jesus if they should "continue having everything in
common." Said the Master: "Yes, my brethren, I would that we should live
together as one understanding family. You are intrusted with a great work, and
I crave your undivided service. You know that it has been well said: `No man
can serve two masters.' You cannot sincerely worship God and at the same time
wholeheartedly serve mammon. Having now enlisted unreservedly in the work of
the kingdom, be not anxious for your lives; much less be concerned with what
you shall eat or what you shall drink; nor yet for your bodies, what clothing
you shall wear. Already have you learned that willing hands and earnest hearts
shall not go hungry. And now, when you prepare to devote all of your energies
to the
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work of the kingdom, be assured that the Father will not be unmindful of your
needs. Seek first the kingdom of God, and when you have found entrance thereto,
all things needful shall be added to you. Be not, therefore, unduly anxious for
the morrow. Sufficient for the day is the trouble thereof."
When Jesus saw they were disposed to stay up all night to ask questions, he
said to them: "My brethren, you are earthen vessels; it is best for you to go
to your rest so as to be ready for the morrow's work." But sleep had departed
from their eyes. Peter ventured to request of his Master that "I have just a
little private talk with you. Not that I would have secrets from my brethren,
but I have a troubled spirit, and if, perchance, I should deserve a rebuke from
my Master, I could the better endure it alone with you." And Jesus said, "Come
with me, Peter"--leading the way into the house. When Peter returned from the
presence of his Master much cheered and greatly encouraged, James decided to go
in to talk with Jesus. And so on through the early hours of the morning, the
other apostles went in one by one to talk with the Master. When they had all
held personal conferences with him save the twins, who had fallen asleep,
Andrew went in to Jesus and said: "Master, the twins have fallen asleep in the
garden by the fire; shall I arouse them to inquire if they would also talk with
you?" And Jesus smilingly said to Andrew, "They do well--trouble them not." And
now the night was passing; the light of another day was dawning.
7. THE WEEK FOLLOWING THE ORDINATION
After a few hours' sleep, when the twelve were assembled for a late breakfast
with Jesus, he said: "Now must you begin your work of preaching the glad
tidings and instructing believers. Make ready to go to Jerusalem." After Jesus
had spoken, Thomas mustered up courage to say: "I know, Master, that we should
now be ready to enter upon the work, but I fear we are not yet able to
accomplish this great undertaking. Would you consent for us to stay hereabouts
for just a few days more before we begin the work of the kingdom?" And when
Jesus saw that all of his apostles were possessed by this same fear, he said:
"It shall be as you have requested; we will remain here over the Sabbath day."
For weeks and weeks small groups of earnest truth seekers, together with
curious spectators, had been coming to Bethsaida to see Jesus. Already word
about him had spread over the countryside; inquiring groups had come from
cities as far away as Tyre, Sidon, Damascus, Caesarea, and Jerusalem.
Heretofore, Jesus had greeted these people and taught them concerning the
kingdom, but the Master now turned this work over to the twelve. Andrew would
select one of the apostles and assign him to a group of visitors, and sometimes
all twelve of them were so engaged.
For two days they worked, teaching by day and holding private conferences late
into the night. On the third day Jesus visited with Zebedee and Salome while he
sent his apostles off to "go fishing, seek carefree change, or perchance visit
your families." On Thursday they returned for three more days of teaching.
During this week of rehearsing, Jesus many times repeated to his apostles the
two great motives of his postbaptismal mission on earth:
1. To reveal the Father to man.
2. To lead men to become son-conscious--to faith-realize that they are the
children of the Most High.
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One week of this varied experience did much for the twelve; some even became
over self-confident. At the last conference, the night after the Sabbath, Peter
and James came to Jesus, saying, "We are ready--let us now go forth to take the
kingdom." To which Jesus replied, "May your wisdom equal your zeal and your
courage atone for your ignorance."
Though the apostles failed to comprehend much of his teaching, they did not
fail to grasp the significance of the charmingly beautiful life he lived with
them.
8. THURSDAY AFTERNOON ON THE LAKE
Jesus well knew that his apostles were not fully assimilating his teachings. He
decided to give some special instruction to Peter, James, and John, hoping they
would be able to clarify the ideas of their associates. He saw that, while some
features of the idea of a spiritual kingdom were being grasped by the twelve,
they steadfastly persisted in attaching these new spiritual teachings directly
onto their old and entrenched literal concepts of the kingdom of heaven as a
restoration of David's throne and the re-establishment of Israel as a temporal
power on earth. Accordingly, on Thursday afternoon Jesus went out from the
shore in a boat with Peter, James, and John to talk over the affairs of the
kingdom. This was a four hours' teaching conference, embracing scores of
questions and answers, and may most profitably be put in this record by
reorganizing the summary of this momentous afternoon as it was given by Simon
Peter to his brother, Andrew, the following morning:
1. Doing the Father's will. Jesus' teaching to trust in the overcare of the
heavenly Father was not a blind and passive fatalism. He quoted with approval,
on this afternoon, an old Hebrew saying: "He who will not work shall not eat."
He pointed to his own experience as sufficient commentary on his teachings. His
precepts about trusting the Father must not be adjudged by the social or
economic conditions of modern times or any other age. His instruction embraces
the ideal principles of living near God in all ages and on all worlds.
Jesus made clear to the three the difference between the requirements of
apostleship and discipleship. And even then he did not forbid the exercise of
prudence and foresight by the twelve. What he preached against was not
forethought but anxiety, worry. He taught the active and alert submission to
God's will. In answer to many of their questions regarding frugality and
thriftiness, he simply called attention to his life as carpenter, boatmaker,
and fisherman, and to his careful organization of the twelve. He sought to make
it clear that the world is not to be regarded as an enemy; that the
circumstances of life constitute a divine dispensation working along with the
children of God.
Jesus had great difficulty in getting them to understand his personal practice
of nonresistance. He absolutely refused to defend himself, and it appeared to
the apostles that he would be pleased if they would pursue the same policy. He
taught them not to resist evil, not to combat injustice or injury, but he did
not teach passive tolerance of wrongdoing. And he made it plain on this
afternoon that he approved of the social punishment of evildoers and criminals,
and that the civil government must sometimes employ force for the maintenance
of social order and in the execution of justice.
He never ceased to warn his disciples against the evil practice of retaliation;
he made no allowance for revenge, the idea of getting even. He deplored the
hold-
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ing of grudges. He disallowed the idea of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a
tooth. He discountenanced the whole concept of private and personal revenge,
assigning these matters to civil government, on the one hand, and to the
judgment of God, on the other. He made it clear to the three that his teachings
applied to the individual, not the state. He summarized his instructions up to
that time regarding these matters, as:
Love your enemies--remember the moral claims of human brotherhood.
The futility of evil: A wrong is not righted by vengeance. Do not make the
mistake of fighting evil with its own weapons.
Have faith--confidence in the eventual triumph of divine justice and eternal
goodness.
2. Political attitude. He cautioned his apostles to be discreet in their
remarks concerning the strained relations then existing between the Jewish
people and the Roman government; he forbade them to become in any way embroiled
in these difficulties. He was always careful to avoid the political snares of
his enemies, ever making reply, "Render to Caesar the things which are Caesar's
and to God the things which are God's." He refused to have his attention
diverted from his mission of establishing a new way of salvation; he would not
permit himself to be concerned about anything else. In his personal life he was
always duly observant of all civil laws and regulations; in all his public
teachings he ignored the civic, social, and economic realms. He told the three
apostles that he was concerned only with the principles of man's inner and
personal spiritual life.
Jesus was not, therefore, a political reformer. He did not come to reorganize
the world; even if he had done this, it would have been applicable only to that
day and generation. Nevertheless, he did show man the best way of living, and
no generation is exempt from the labor of discovering how best to adapt Jesus'
life to its own problems. But never make the mistake of identifying Jesus'
teachings with any political or economic theory, with any social or industrial
system.
3. Social attitude. The Jewish rabbis had long debated the question: Who is my
neighbor? Jesus came presenting the idea of active and spontaneous kindness, a
love of one's fellow men so genuine that it expanded the neighborhood to
include the whole world, thereby making all men one's neighbors. But with all
this, Jesus was interested only in the individual, not the mass. Jesus was not
a sociologist, but he did labor to break down all forms of selfish isolation.
He taught pure sympathy, compassion. Michael of Nebadon is a mercy-dominated
Son; compassion is his very nature.
The Master did not say that men should never entertain their friends at meat,
but he did say that his followers should make feasts for the poor and the
unfortunate. Jesus had a firm sense of justice, but it was always tempered with
mercy. He did not teach his apostles that they were to be imposed upon by
social parasites or professional alms-seekers. The nearest he came to making
sociological pronouncements was to say, "Judge not, that you be not judged."
He made it clear that indiscriminate kindness may be blamed for many social
evils. The following day Jesus definitely instructed Judas that no apostolic
funds were to be given out as alms except upon his request or upon the joint
petition of two of the apostles. In all these matters it was the practice of
Jesus always to say, "Be as wise as serpents but as harmless as doves." It
seemed to be his purpose in all social situations to teach patience, tolerance,
and forgiveness.
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The family occupied the very center of Jesus' philosophy of life--here and
hereafter. He based his teachings about God on the family, while he sought to
correct the Jewish tendency to overhonor ancestors. He exalted family life as
the highest human duty but made it plain that family relationships must not
interfere with religious obligations. He called attention to the fact that the
family is a temporal institution; that it does not survive death. Jesus did not
hesitate to give up his family when the family ran counter to the Father's
will. He taught the new and larger brotherhood of man--the sons of God. In
Jesus' time divorce practices were lax in Palestine and throughout the Roman
Empire. He repeatedly refused to lay down laws regarding marriage and divorce,
but many of Jesus' early followers had strong opinions on divorce and did not
hesitate to attribute them to him. All of the New Testament writers held to
these more stringent and advanced ideas about divorce except John Mark.
4. Economic attitude. Jesus worked, lived, and traded in the world as he found
it. He was not an economic reformer, although he did frequently call attention
to the injustice of the unequal distribution of wealth. But he did not offer
any suggestions by way of remedy. He made it plain to the three that, while his
apostles were not to hold property, he was not preaching against wealth and
property, merely its unequal and unfair distribution. He recognized the need
for social justice and industrial fairness, but he offered no rules for their
attainment.
He never taught his followers to avoid earthly possessions, only his twelve
apostles. Luke, the physician, was a strong believer in social equality, and he
did much to interpret Jesus' sayings in harmony with his personal beliefs.
Jesus never personally directed his followers to adopt a communal mode of life;
he made no pronouncement of any sort regarding such matters.
Jesus frequently warned his listeners against covetousness, declaring that "a
man's happiness consists not in the abundance of his material possessions." He
constantly reiterated, "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world
and lose his own soul?" He made no direct attack on the possession of property,
but he did insist that it is eternally essential that spiritual values come
first. In his later teachings he sought to correct many erroneous Urantia views
of life by narrating numerous parables which he presented in the course of his
public ministry. Jesus never intended to formulate economic theories; he well
knew that each age must evolve its own remedies for existing troubles. And if
Jesus were on earth today, living his life in the flesh, he would be a great
disappointment to the majority of good men and women for the simple reason that
he would not take sides in present-day political, social, or economic disputes.
He would remain grandly aloof while teaching you how to perfect your inner
spiritual life so as to render you manyfold more competent to attack the
solution of your purely human problems.
Jesus would make all men Godlike and then stand by sympathetically while these
sons of God solve their own political, social, and economic problems. It was
not wealth that he denounced, but what wealth does to the majority of its
devotees. On this Thursday afternoon Jesus first told his associates that "it
is more blessed to give than to receive."
5. Personal religion. You, as did his apostles, should the better understand
Jesus' teachings by his life. He lived a perfected life on Urantia, and his
unique
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teachings can only be understood when that life is visualized in its immediate
background. It is his life, and not his lessons to the twelve or his sermons to
the multitudes, that will assist most in revealing the Father's divine
character and loving personality.
Jesus did not attack the teachings of the Hebrew prophets or the Greek
moralists. The Master recognized the many good things which these great
teachers stood for, but he had come down to earth to teach something
additional, "the voluntary conformity of man's will to God's will." Jesus did
not want simply to produce a religious man, a mortal wholly occupied with
religious feelings and actuated only by spiritual impulses. Could you have had
but one look at him, you would have known that Jesus was a real man of great
experience in the things of this world. The teachings of Jesus in this respect
have been grossly perverted and much misrepresented all down through the
centuries of the Christian era; you have also held perverted ideas about the
Master's meekness and humility. What he aimed at in his life appears to have
been a superb self-respect. He only advised man to humble himself that he might
become truly exalted; what he really aimed at was true humility toward God. He
placed great value upon sincerity--a pure heart. Fidelity was a cardinal virtue
in his estimate of character, while courage was the very heart of his
teachings. "Fear not" was his watchword, and patient endurance his ideal of
strength of character. The teachings of Jesus constitute a religion of valor,
courage, and heroism. And this is just why he chose as his personal
representatives twelve commonplace men, the majority of whom were rugged,
virile, and manly fishermen.
Jesus had little to say about the social vices of his day; seldom did he make
reference to moral delinquency. He was a positive teacher of true virtue. He
studiously avoided the negative method of imparting instruction; he refused to
advertise evil. He was not even a moral reformer. He well knew, and so taught
his apostles, that the sensual urges of mankind are not suppressed by either
religious rebuke or legal prohibitions. His few denunciations were largely
directed against pride, cruelty, oppression, and hypocrisy.
Jesus did not vehemently denounce even the Pharisees, as did John. He knew many
of the scribes and Pharisees were honest of heart; he understood their
enslaving bondage to religious traditions. Jesus laid great emphasis on "first
making the tree good." He impressed the three that he valued the whole life,
not just a certain few special virtues.
The one thing which John gained from this day's teaching was that the heart of
Jesus' religion consisted in the acquirement of a compassionate character
coupled with a personality motivated to do the will of the Father in heaven.
Peter grasped the idea that the gospel they were about to proclaim was really a
fresh beginning for the whole human race. He conveyed this impression
subsequently to Paul, who formulated therefrom his doctrine of Christ as "the
second Adam."
James grasped the thrilling truth that Jesus wanted his children on earth to
live as though they were already citizens of the completed heavenly kingdom.
Jesus knew men were different, and he so taught his apostles. He constantly
exhorted them to refrain from trying to mold the disciples and believers
according to some set pattern. He sought to allow each soul to develop in its
own way, a perfecting and separate individual before God. In answer to one of
Peter's
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many questions, the Master said: "I want to set men free so that they can start
out afresh as little children upon the new and better life." Jesus always
insisted that true goodness must be unconscious, in bestowing charity not
allowing the left hand to know what the right hand does.
The three apostles were shocked this afternoon when they realized that their
Master's religion made no provision for spiritual self-examination. All
religions before and after the times of Jesus, even Christianity, carefully
provide for conscientious self-examination. But not so with the religion of
Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus' philosophy of life is without religious
introspection. The carpenter's son never taught character building; he taught
character growth, declaring that the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed.
But Jesus said nothing which would proscribe self-analysis as a prevention of
conceited egotism.
The right to enter the kingdom is conditioned by faith, personal belief. The
cost of remaining in the progressive ascent of the kingdom is the pearl of
great price, in order to possess which a man sells all that he has.
The teaching of Jesus is a religion for everybody, not alone for weaklings and
slaves. His religion never became crystallized (during his day) into creeds and
theological laws; he left not a line of writing behind him. His life and
teachings were bequeathed the universe as an inspirational and idealistic
inheritance suitable for the spiritual guidance and moral instruction of all
ages on all worlds. And even today, Jesus' teaching stands apart from all
religions, as such, albeit it is the living hope of every one of them.
Jesus did not teach his apostles that religion is man's only earthly pursuit;
that was the Jewish idea of serving God. But he did insist that religion was
the exclusive business of the twelve. Jesus taught nothing to deter his
believers from the pursuit of genuine culture; he only detracted from the
tradition-bound religious schools of Jerusalem. He was liberal, bighearted,
learned, and tolerant. Self-conscious piety had no place in his philosophy of
righteous living.
The Master offered no solutions for the nonreligious problems of his own age
nor for any subsequent age. Jesus wished to develop spiritual insight into
eternal realities and to stimulate initiative in the originality of living; he
concerned himself exclusively with the underlying and permanent spiritual needs
of the human race. He revealed a goodness equal to God. He exalted love--truth,
beauty, and goodness--as the divine ideal and the eternal reality.
The Master came to create in man a new spirit, a new will--to impart a new
capacity for knowing the truth, experiencing compassion, and choosing
goodness--the will to be in harmony with God's will, coupled with the eternal
urge to become perfect, even as the Father in heaven is perfect.
9. THE DAY OF CONSECRATION
The next Sabbath day Jesus devoted to his apostles, journeying back to the
highland where he had ordained them; and there, after a long and beautifully
touching personal message of encouragement, he engaged in the solemn act of the
consecration of the twelve. This Sabbath afternoon Jesus assembled the apostles
around him on the hillside and gave them into the hands of his heavenly Father
in preparation for the day when he would be compelled to leave them alone in
the world. There was no new teaching on this occasion, just visiting and
communion.
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Jesus reviewed many features of the ordination sermon, delivered on this same
spot, and then, calling them before him one by one, he commissioned them to go
forth in the world as his representatives. 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."
Jesus advised them to take neither money nor extra clothing, saying, "The
laborer is worthy of his hire." And finally he said: "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."
And when they came down from the mountain, they journeyed back to their home in
Zebedee's house.
10. THE EVENING AFTER THE CONSECRATION
That evening while teaching in the house, for it had begun to rain, Jesus
talked at great length, trying to show the twelve what they must be,not what
they must do. They knew 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 bewildered 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 behavior. 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.
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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 Urantia,
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.
This same evening 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.
After Jesus and Matthew had finished talking, 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, recog-
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nition 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."
And now the week of waiting was over, and they prepared to depart on the morrow
for Jerusalem.
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Subjects Archive The Urantia Book Urantia Book PART IV: The Life and Teachings
of Jesus : The Bestowal Of Michael On Urantia The Times Of Michael's Bestowal
Birth And Infancy Of Jesus The Early Childhood Of Jesus The Later Childhood Of
Jesus Jesus At Jerusalem The Two Crucial Years The Adolescent Years Jesus'
Early Manhood The Later Adult Life Of Jesus On The Way To Rome The World's
Religions The Sojourn At Rome The Return From Rome The Transition Years John
The Baptist Baptism And The Forty Days Tarrying Time In Galilee Training The
Kingdom's Messengers The Twelve Apostles The Ordination Of The Twelve Beginning
The Public Work The Passover At Jerusalem Going Through Samaria At Gilboa And
In The Decapolis Four Eventful Days At Capernaum First Preaching Tour Of
Galilee The Interlude Visit To Jerusalem Training Evangelists At Bethsaida The
Second Preaching Tour The Third Preaching Tour Tarrying And Teaching By The
Seaside Events Leading Up To The Capernaum Crisis The Crisis At Capernaum Last
Days At Capernaum Fleeing Through Northern Galilee The Sojourn At Tyre And
Sidon At Caesarea-philippi The Mount Of Transfiguration The Decapolis Tour
Rodan Of Alexandria Further Discussions With Rodan At The Feast Of Tabernacles
Ordination Of The Seventy At Magadan At The Feast Of Dedication The Perean
Mission Begins Last Visit To Northern Perea The Visit To Philadelphia The
Resurrection Of Lazarus Last Teaching At Pella The Kingdom Of Heaven On The Way
To Jerusalem Going Into Jerusalem Monday In Jerusalem Tuesday Morning In The
Temple The Last Temple Discourse Tuesday Evening On Mount Olivet Wednesday, The
Rest Day Last Day At The Camp The Last Supper The Farewell Discourse Final
Admonitions And Warnings In Gethsemane The Betrayal And Arrest Of Jesus Before
The Sanhedrin Court The Trial Before Pilate Just Before The Crucifixion The
Crucifixion The Time Of The Tomb The Resurrection Morontia Appearances Of Jesus
Appearances To The Apostles And Other Leaders Appearances In Galilee Final
Appearances And Ascension Bestowal Of The Spirit Of Truth After Pentecost The
Faith Of Jesus
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