M y s t e r i e s - of the - K i n g d o m

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CHAPTER 2

WHY I WAS SENT (REASON FOR THE LIFE OF JESUS)

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So, here we go. I’ll just browse through these gospels to get the general layout. This first part deals with the birth and early years of Jesus and John the Baptist. The life of John is covered here in great detail. I didn’t know he was so special. John was a wandering monk or something; certainly a reclusive fellow. He ate wild food and spent lots of time out in the wilderness. I wonder what he did out there all alone?

Well anyway, here comes the life of Jesus. His ministry is the next topic. Peterson wants me to understand why Jesus Christ was sent to us. Jesus ought to know why he was sent, so maybe I can find something.

There’s a lot of baptizing going on in here, and it seems to go on for quite some time. Scanning ahead, Jesus is having a discussion with Nicodemus, and then a conversation with a woman at Jacob’s Well. A bit later, groups of people have gathered to listen and follow him around. He is gaining some widespread popularity here in Galilee. Oh yes, here it is; this is from the gospel of Luke, fourth chapter, forty-third verse. “I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.” Yeah, this is it.

Jesus plainly told the people why he was sent to earth, and this is just exactly where you might expect to find such a thing. Now, my project is to research the gospel, and considering both Luke 4:43 and Matthew 4:23, I know that he was sent to earth to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God. This is perfect; it’s like finding everything in one basket. By reading the preaching of Jesus Christ, I will learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and at the same time I’ll be researching why he was sent to earth. All right, that’ll take care of the whole thing.

Now for some verification. How does this verse from Luke fit into the story? Okay, Jesus said he was sent to preach the gospel of the kingdom. What does he do after that? Hmmm, all along in here he is talking about the kingdom. It’s all over the place, even in that famous Sermon on the Mount. He is preaching about this kingdom to just about everybody, so this checks out just fine.

And what about the end of the story? Let’s see now, his general preaching is certainly over at the last supper. Moving ahead, here’s a closing statement from the seventeenth chapter of John. He’s praying and confirms that God has sent him. He went on to say in the fourth verse, “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” Bookends!

These two verses are like bookends. Right near the beginning of the gospels Jesus said, I was sent to preach the gospel of the kingdom, and he goes out to do just that. At the end of his preaching he said, I finished the work God gave me to do. All right, the context for Luke 4:43 is just perfect--he was indeed sent by God to preach the gospel.

I’ll have to tell dad about this one. He likes these simple things. “Hey dad, are you home? Hey dad!” I guess he’s out. I’ll call Sarah. “Hi Sarah.”

“Hi Philip.”

“Listen, I just found one of those verses Peterson was talking about. Remember that thing about why Jesus was sent to us?”

“Sure.”

“Well, I just found it in the fourth chapter of Luke. He was speaking in verse forty-three and said, ‘I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.’ Jesus simply said that he was sent to preach the gospel. So maybe you can tell Peterson I found it.”

“But Philip, he wasn’t talking about anything like that.”

“He wasn’t?”

“No. In fact I’m certain he wasn’t talking about Luke 4:43, because this is the first time it’s been brought to my attention. Jesus was sent by God to preach the gospel. Hmmm, that verse sounds new to me. We usually hunt all over the Bible for passages on why he was sent, and they are nothing at all like that. Jesus came to die for us, so we look for verses on sacrifices and dealing with the problem of sin. But your quote sounds valid to me. It has to be valid; Jesus himself is speaking! He came to teach. Boy Philip, you sure have your own way of doing things. How do you find such simple things?”

“It’s just the way I think. This is like a treasure hunt to me. And speaking of treasure, I want to get back to the passage that started my whole project. I don’t know how anybody could miss this verse; it’s Matthew 13:44. Jesus is speaking about a hidden treasure, and now because of the passage I just found today, I know that he was sent to earth to preach about this kingdom. He came to let people know about this treasure. Now Sarah, can I ask something about your class?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Tell me about those Bible lessons on this hidden treasure.”

“Well, I’ve heard the verse before, but I don’t remember a discussion. That verse on a treasure hidden in a field is not a high priority; we don’t spend time on it. But I want to know more. Girls like treasure too you know. So keep me informed. I sure would like to know where you’re going with this.”

“All right, I can keep you up to date as I move along.”

“Good. Now Philip, I hate to cut this short, but I have to go now.”

“No problem, bye.”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

Whoa, this is crazy! Here we have Jesus saying that he came to earth to preach the gospel of the kingdom. He describes the kingdom as a hidden treasure, and now I learn that no one is taking the time to look for it? Very strange.

Well, I don’t care what everybody else is doing. I’m just going to seek out this treasure on my own. It’s about time somebody does it! After all, this thing about treasure is the gospel of the kingdom, and the gospel of the kingdom is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It has to be the gospel of Jesus Christ, because this is the gospel Jesus was preaching. And surely he knows his own gospel!

I have to find this treasure. I wonder if he talks about the location? I need to know where to look if I want to dig it up. Boy, these four gospels are quite big in themselves. I’ll just have to search until I find it. Here’s one, “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Well, I think this means that the kingdom is now within your grasp or something. Very good, but not what I’m looking for. Aha! Here is something in Luke 17:20-21. “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, ‘the kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.’”

All right, this verse is important. And moreover, Jesus was speaking to a group of Pharisees. I heard that he had an ongoing debate with some of those people. But yet he said the kingdom is within you. So it appears that this phrase applies to everyone. Oh, this includes me too!

Everyone has this treasure within themselves, and it’s called a hidden treasure. Jesus must be giving everyone the good news of a treasure which is hidden to them, but is known by him. He must be there to show them how to find it!

Quite a discovery, but it's getting late. I’ll just have to pick up on this project tomorrow.

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Got some good sleep last night. The morning air smells fresh and clean. I feel good today; ready to take on the world. Good thing too, cause here comes Buford.

“Hey Philip. Have you figured out the gospel yet, or are you still dreaming of hidden treasure?”

“Well, now that you mention it, I am researching the life of Jesus and the gospel of Jesus Christ is certainly about a hidden treasure. And not only that, but I just discovered a verse which declares, ‘the kingdom of God is within you.’”

“Oh no, not that! Don’t be such an idiot. You’re starting to sound like one of those eastern new age people. Better get yourself into a real Bible study in a hurry; you’re really slipping off the edge. Philip, maybe I’ve been a bit hard on you, but now I’m starting to get concerned about where you’re going with this. I don’t want to see you lose your soul. This independent study of yours is not a good idea. You’re going in the wrong direction. Why don’t you join Sarah in that Bible study group? They’re doing it right. They’re reading the entire word of God to put the gospels in proper context.”

“Mr. Peterson said that very same thing.”

“Well, you better listen to him. Peterson has been trained in the best schools. He knows all about the word of God. Can’t you get it into your head? Bible study is not so easy. It takes lots of time, and you need guidance to stay on the right track.”

“Okay, I hear you. And you sound more sincere this time.”

“I am very sincere. Philip, you need to think about this.”

“Sure, I’ll think it over. And Buford, I want you to stop being so rough with me.”

“Maybe I will. But Philip, you’re such an easy target. You’re really out of the mainstream. These Bible things have been studied for hundreds of years. Do you really think you can turn a few pages and find something new? Great scholars have done all the work; the interpretation is finished. You’re nuts to think you can go in there and figure the whole thing out on your own; it’s a foolish idea. You’ll need some help from the experts.”

“Maybe so.”

“Good, I’m glad you’re coming around. Get yourself back in the mainstream.”

“All right, maybe I could use a little help.”

“Well thank God. You’re finally coming to your senses.”

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Later on that evening, Philip was thinking about the conversation. He might have a point. Great scholars have been studying the Bible for hundreds of years. “Hey dad! Are you out there?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“I was just talking to Buford and he gave me a lot to think about. He said I sound like one of those new age people, but I only repeated what I read. I said the kingdom of God is within you. It’s a quote from the Bible. Jesus said it.”

“Son, don’t worry about it. No matter what you do or say, there will always be someone who is ready to criticize. You can listen to them, but just think it over for yourself to see if the criticism is valid. In this case you were simply repeating something Jesus said.”

“Right.”

“Well then, there’s nothing to be concerned about. I can’t think of a better Christian expert than Jesus Christ himself, so you can just ignore Buford’s advice. If there is any uncertainty about that particular verse, you might want to confirm the passage by checking the other things Jesus said. If the verse is valid, you should be able to fit it into the context of his other statements.”

“All right, I can do that.”

“And Buford’s comment was about new age?”

“Yeah, eastern new age.”

“Eastern, hmmm. Well, I think Jesus might be familiar with the East. Any Christian who uses the term ‘eastern’ in a negative way is criticizing the birthplace of their own religion. He was born and taught right there in the middle east. Palestine is located just north-east of Egypt. And do you remember the three wise men in the nativity story?”

“Oh sure.”

“It is said that they came from the East. So that influence was there right from the start. There’s nothing wrong with noticing an eastern influence in these gospels. It was simply the culture of that time and place. You’re doing fine son, anything else?”

“Yeah, Buford said that the Bible has been studied for hundreds of years. He thought I was foolish to try to figure it out on my own. He wants me to get some help. So dad, what about all those great scholars?”

“Well, part of that is very true. Scholars have been studying the Bible for hundreds of years, but now you have to consider the situation we have today. Have you noticed all the different Christian denominations?”

“I saw a bunch of them in the yellow pages.”

“Right. So these organizations have different views on things; this is what separates them. Many of these differences are the product of Bible study. All these well meaning scholars have studied and studied and have come to various conclusions. I can see as much division among Christians as there is agreement. Great Bible scholars have been searching for the one ultimate truth, but the result of all this research has simply added to the separation. It’s rare to find two people who believe the same thing. I don’t think you should worry about those old ideas. You seem to be taking a fresh look at the whole thing, and I’m fascinated with this kind of research. I’ll be here if you need some help along the way.”

“Thanks.”

“So, is there anything else?”

“Yeah, one more thing. Both Peterson and Buford said that the Bible is the ‘word of God.’ They said I have to read the entire Bible to put the gospels in proper context. But as I was thinking about their advice, it didn’t make a lot of sense to me. I just figured that Jesus would have been quite capable of coming up with his own context.”

“Yes, of course. He knew about the teachers who came before him. If he wanted to quote one of those early Bible prophets, I don’t know what would have prevented him from doing so.”

“Right. So I’m thinking the context for the gospels should be in the gospels themselves.”

“Exactly. You have the right idea. Perhaps Mr. Peterson wanted you to pick up on the historical context. But just as you mentioned, Jesus will probably come up with that on his own.”

“I’ll be watching for it.”

“Good, and I like your thoughts on context. Christ is the ultimate expert on Christianity.”

“Yeah, and what about this ‘word of God?’ Mr. Peterson said the Bible is the word of God. What was he talking about?”

“Oh son, that’s a huge topic. It has to do with context also, but maybe we can put it off for some other time.”

“All right.”

“Let’s just sit back and relax a bit before bed. Are you still worried about Buford?”

“Not really. I’ll just ignore him from now on.”

“That’s fine. And you’ll have plenty of time for this project over the summer break. Just remind me of that last question. This ‘word of God’ is a big topic. We’ll cover the subject, but you already have the best approach. You should find the primary context right there in the four gospels.”

“Right.”

“And son, don’t let those Bible experts worry you. Think for yourself. It’s fine to consult the experts, but in the end take a little time to draw your own conclusions. People like Buford are well meaning, and most of the experts have good intentions, but they can make mistakes. Your job is to remain clear-headed so you can avoid those errors. Just keep everything simple. Simplicity will protect you from the big blunders.”

“Don’t worry about the experts, and keep it simple. All right, that’s going to work for me. That’s just the way I like it.”

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BASIC THEOLOGY FROM CHAPTER TWO

-- Jesus knew about his mission (Luke 4:43);
he was sent to preach the Gospel.

-- Philip’s strategy is simple: use one teacher.
Avoid mixing verses from different teachers
and different periods of history.

-- Jesus is coherent,
so an interpretation based on his words,
will yield one coherent gospel.

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CHAPTER 3

THE FORGIVENESS AND JUSTICE MIX-UP

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Great, summer break! I’m going figure out this gospel. And since Jesus Christ is the best expert on Christianity, I’ll simply stick with his words. This strategy may take me out of the mainstream, but for me it’s the only way to go.

I also need a perfect start. There’s an old saying: “Well begun is half done.” Do things right in the beginning and it builds a good foundation to move ahead quickly. Starting with the founder of Christianity is excellent, but even his words have been translated from one language to another. There’s always a chance that a word was printed in error.

Dad wants me to check key verses in the context of the other things Jesus taught. That’s a wise strategy; it has some discipline to it. Everything has to fit together, kind of like a big puzzle. A good fit will bring verification as long as I stick with the words of one single teacher. Peterson wants me to include other Bible books, but that doesn’t sound right to me. Mixing teachers together is not a good idea. I don’t think that would verify anything.

But now on to that perfect start. “First things first” is the old saying. And Jesus would certainly know where to begin. If the founder of Christianity says “start here,” I’ll have it. Aha, here is something. He is speaking in Matthew 6:33 and says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God,” Awesome! This is that perfect start; the kingdom of God comes “first.” Hmmm, nothing about Romans or Corinthians in here.

This is terrific. I’ve been on the right track all along. Matthew 4:23 said Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom, and now I find that he wants his students to seek the kingdom of God first. All right, that settles it. The kingdom of God is a rock solid starting place.

“Philip, will you help me move the sofa?”

“Sure.”

“Here, take this end, that’s good. And what’s my busy son been up to these past few days?”

“You know mom; I’m researching the Bible.”

“Yes, I know, but what’s the big attraction? You seem to have lost interest in everything else; you’re turning into a real bookworm. Guess I shouldn’t criticize, since I tried the scholarly approach once myself.”

“You did?”

“Yes, I started reading the Bible years ago, but gave it up after about a month of study. I had a hard time understanding it. Some people wanted to teach me about the gospel, but when they started talking about the old covenant, I knew it wasn’t for me. They said those animal sacrifices took place a long time ago. But they had God connected to the idea, so it made me feel a bit uncomfortable. I can’t associate a loving God with those cruel things. But enough of that, I want to hear about your discovery. You seem to be off to a lively start.”

“Oh mom, I found a ‘treasure gospel.’ Jesus was preaching about a treasure hidden in a field, and I’m going to figure out how to dig it up. In Matthew 6:33, he said to seek that kingdom first, so I’ll simply take his advice and do that first. Yeah, I’m off to a great start.”

“Oh I see, a treasure hunter. Do you know where to look for this kingdom?”

“Well, he said it’s within; the kingdom is within you. Mom, that was just one single statement, so I have to verify that verse and then figure out how to dig up the treasure. It may take some time since I do have to read the gospels before I can start pulling things together.”

“Hmmm. The idea of treasure is interesting, but all that bookwork sounds pretty tough to me.”

“It’s the thought of those riches, that will keep me going.”

“Well Philip, if careful study finds treasure, you will find it. And listen, if you come up with something big, I want the inside scoop.”

“Sure mom, you’re in on the project.”

“All right, so let’s move the sofa back in place. And just by chance, we’re having a bit of a treasure for lunch today.”

“Pepperoni Pizza?”

“You got it.”

“Cool. And look at this; I just found eighty five cents under the cushion.”

“Great start for a treasure hunter.”

“Yeah, great start.” Very good. It was fun talking with mom, but I may have spoken too soon about this treasure. I only found one verse on it so far. Jesus was speaking, but I have yet to find a verse to back it up.

Let’s see, where was I headed? Oh yes, I just found this thing on “first.” Jesus gave the first step in Matthew 6:33. Now on to the whole verse. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Hmmm, so what does he mean by “these things?” I’ll check out the context. All right, this is from the Sermon on the Mount. This part of the sermon is about wealth and where to find real wealth. The immediate context starts in Matthew 6:19. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth.” Oh terrific, this is about treasure again. Perhaps it will confirm my earlier research.

Here’s the whole thing (Matthew 6:19-21). “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Oh sure, this is good confirmation. He is talking about a heavenly treasure again, and this gives the context for “these things shall be added unto you,” as well. This is another treasure! One heavenly treasure, and he has just added the earthly material things.

Whoa, this is awesome, two treasures now!! And this confirms the verse I found days ago (Matthew 13:44). Terrific, the talk I had with mom was right on target. Just as I thought, this gospel is about a treasure, it really is. All right, I have to call Sarah on this one. “Hey Sarah.”

“Yes.”

“I wanted to let you know that it’s official now. I’m a treasure hunter.”

“Philip, what are you talking about?”

“Sarah, you asked me to keep you up to date on my Bible research. I just found good confirmation that the gospel is about a treasure and you wanted me to keep you informed. Don’t you remember?”

“Oh yes, I’m sorry. Things are a little chaotic around here. I had something else on my mind. Please go ahead; I want to hear about it.”

“Well, the overall picture is that Jesus was sent to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God. And as I checked out the life of Jesus, this is exactly what he was doing. It was his main theme. He was preaching this gospel of the kingdom to just about everybody. He described the kingdom as a treasure hidden in a field, and he went on to say that the kingdom is within you. So I found it, this is the gospel.”

“Wait a minute Philip. Are you sure about that?”

“Well of course--this is the gospel Jesus Christ was preaching, so this is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

“But this is different than the gospel I know about. I never heard that gospel before, and I’ve been in this Bible study group for years now. Philip, what about the problem of sin, how about that? How is sin forgiven?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen anything on forgiveness yet. But I can look it up for you.”

“All right, go ahead. I want to see what you come up with.”

“Okay, this shouldn’t be very hard. Here is something from the sixth chapter of Matthew, verse fourteen. ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.’ Sarah, that’s right here in the Sermon on the Mount. So when we forgive others, God will forgive us; that was easy. This is how forgiveness comes. Now, doesn’t that answer your question? Sarah, are you still there?”

”Yes I’m here. But Philip, there has to be more; it doesn’t sound complete to me. Aren’t you overlooking a few things? Where’s the rest of it?”

“The rest of it? Sarah, what are you talking about? You asked how to be forgiven, and Jesus says in here that if we want to be forgiven, we need to forgive others. If we forgive others, then God will forgive us. So what’s the problem?”

“Philip, your research sounds so different to me; just give me a moment to think. Is that verse on forgiveness complete? What about God’s justice? Doesn’t justice have to be served? The law has been broken. Doesn’t somebody else have to pay the price for the sin so the sinner can be forgiven? What about God’s justice?”

“Sarah, what in the world are you talking about? Explain your idea of justice.”

“Well, If someone commits a crime, then a person who didn’t do anything wrong has to suffer. Wait a minute; that didn’t sound right. Let me try again. If someone commits a crime, then someone else who is perfectly innocent has to suffer for the crime. That’s God’s justice.”

“Sarah, you are describing injustice. If a person goes to court and gets punished for a crime they did not commit, it would be a travesty of justice. Justice means that if a person commits a crime, they themselves are the ones who have to suffer the consequences.”

“But Philip, how is a person forgiven? If justice means they have to be punished, then how can a person be forgiven if they are guilty of a crime?”

“Oh, that’s simple. This kind of forgiveness comes with mercy, and since we are talking about God, it would be by the grace of God. So God forgives sinful behavior through the mercy of God. And according to what Jesus is saying here, this mercy comes when we forgive those who commit crimes against us. If we forgive others, God will forgive us. God extends his mercy to those who forgive others. See how it works?”

“Gosh Philip, I’ll have to think about this one. I understand your explanation, but it doesn’t fit my lessons. Give me a little time to think. This is almost like a shock to me.”

“Don’t you want to play with your toys?”

“Toys? What are you talking about?”

“Oh, Katie just walked into my room. She wants me to read to her. Katie, I’m busy right now. I’ll get one of your toys.”

“Oh Philip, I have to go now anyway. Katie is so sweet. Why don’t you just go ahead and read to her? She’s your little sister; give her some attention.”

“Okay, you’re right. She really is a good kid. I’ll let you go for now and read to her.”

“That’s fine. And say hi to Katie for me.”

“Sure thing, bye now.”

“Bye.”

“Sarah says hi.”

“Hi.”

“But Katie, she’s already gone. Okay now, get me one of your books.”

“Read to me from your book.”

“Oh, this is the Bible. It’s too hard for you.”

“Is Jesus hard to understand?”

“Well no, Jesus is not hard to understand. Actually, he isn’t difficult at all. He seems to be very simple and straightforward.”

“Will you read it to me?”

“Hmmm, maybe we can give it a try. Katie, let me know if you can understand this. It’s called Matthew six, verse fourteen. Can you say that?”

“Yes.”

“Well go ahead.”

“Matthew six.”

“That’s close enough. Now just listen to this: ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.’ Katie, I know you are just a small child, but do you know what that’s about?”

“It’s about forgiving people.”

“Do you know what it means?”

“Say it again.”

“If you forgive people when they sin against you, God will also forgive you.”

“It means if I forgive, then God will forgive me.”

“Good, you seem to understand it. Now Katie, what about this? A person does something bad, and the judge punishes someone who didn’t do anything bad. Is that justice?”

“No. Justice is the bad person gets punished, not the good person. If the good person is punished, it’s not fair.”

“Good, so you really did understand it. That question wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“No, it wasn’t hard.”

“Gee, I wonder how Sarah got it wrong. She had the whole thing turned upside-down!”

“What?”

“Oh Katie, I was just thinking to myself.”

“Was Sarah bad?”

“No, Sarah wasn’t bad. She was just confused about something.”

“Philip, am I a good girl?”

“Yes, I think you’re good. Do you forgive others?”

“Yes.”

“Then you’re in great shape; you don’t have anything to worry about.”

“Good. Thanks for reading to me.”

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THOUGHTS FROM CHAPTER THREE

-- Seek ye first the kingdom of God (from Matthew 6:33),
and ‘first’ certainly means first.

-- The Gospel of Jesus Christ is indeed a treasure gospel
(Matthew 13:44, 4:23 and 6:20).

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CHAPTER 4

A GENUINE TRANSFORMATION

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“Hi Philip.”

“Oh, hi Sarah.”

“Listen, I want to ask you a favor.”

“Go ahead.”

“Do you mind if I stop by for a visit? I need to get out of the house. Mom and dad are having a little disagreement and I just want to avoid the whole thing.”

“Sure, come on over. My dad can pick you up.”

“That’s not necessary. It’s a short walk, and I could use a little fresh air.”

“Okay, see you soon.”

“Bye now.”

“Dad, Sarah is coming.”

“Great. What’s the occasion?”

“Nothing really. I think it’s problems at home. She wants to get away for a while.”

“I see. Maybe she’ll stay for dinner.”

“Is it okay mom?”

“Sure thing. I’ll be ready if she wants to stay.”

“I’m glad she thought to come here. Sarah is always welcome.”

“Good.”

“Oh, and by the way son, Katie said she understands the Bible. It was a proud moment for her.”

“Yeah, Katie is so little, but she understands the part about forgiveness, and she has a good sense of justice too. I could probably read the whole gospel to her. Jesus did speak very plainly. It’s the older part of the Bible that gives me a problem. And dad, you told me to remind you about the ‘word of God.’ Mr. Peterson brought it up. He said that the four gospels have to be seen in the context of the whole Bible, because the Bible is the ‘word of God.’ Buford said that very same thing.”

“Yes, I remember the conversation. Philip, you have the right idea on context. This other thing is open to challenge. Jesus used the phrase ‘word of God’ with his own disciples (Luke 8:11). So the term is legitimate, but the way this term is being used is questionable. Most experts feel comfortable saying that the Bible is the word of God, but they don’t agree on what the term actually means. Some think it means that every word in the Bible comes directly from God, and therefore every word in the Bible is of equal importance to every other word. With that point of view, the letters of Paul are elevated to a level equal to the words of Jesus. And with that same logic, this group may go ahead and use the entire Bible as if it is being spoken by the same person. Many people believe that they can move about from one book to another and still remain in context.”

“Hmmm, isn’t that like being in a library and shelving the book I’m reading to pick up a different book to look for the context?”

“It might be that bad, but that’s just one extreme side of the issue. The other side takes a more pragmatic stand, saying that these books are just what they appear to be. They are simply the written records of men passed on to us from a bygone era. And of course there are points of view all up and down the two sides. But your understanding is the safe ground. This ‘word of God’ phrase can be used carelessly, so I would caution you about putting every word in these many books on equal footing, or assuming that the verses contained in all these books are contextual. If it’s right, that’s fine. But if it turns out to be wrong, you would have a complete distortion of meaning on your hands.”

“I’ll stay away from it.”

“I’m with you son. Something rather odd is going on here. I think this ‘word of God’ phrase is being abused. Jesus used that term with his own disciples. I would advise you to do a little research and dig up what he said to them.”

“All right, I’ll look into it.”

“Good. Now Philip, do you think Sarah got delayed?”

“She’ll be here. Maybe I can meet her along the way.”

“Can I go too?”

“Is it all right dad? Can Katie come along?”

“Okay, but make it a short trip.”

“I understand. Come on, take my hand.”

“Is Sarah far away?”

“I don’t know. Just a minute, I think that’s her. Why is she coming from that direction?”

“Is Sarah lost?”

“I don’t know. Hey Sarah!”

“Yes, I’m coming.”

“Why did you take the long way?”

“I had to make a detour. Hi Katie. I’m so happy to meet you.”

“Hi. What happened?”

“Oh Katie, I had to go around the block to avoid this guard dog. Philip, you should have seen him! He was huge, with long straggly white hair. At first he looked a bit sheepish, but then he swung around to threaten me, just like a big wolf. I had to turn around. He didn’t follow me, so everything is okay now. You two just left the house. Do you want to do some walking? It’s a pretty day.”

“That’s fine with me.”

“Let's go home.”

“Katie, we just got started.”

“I better go home.”

“She’s worried about that wolf. I better take her back. She has this old book; the wolf eats the grandmother. It’s called Goldilocks or something.”

“Red Riding Hood!”

“Yeah, that’s it. I wonder why that story was written for children. It’s quite rough for kids. Katie likes the book, but the wolf scares the heck out of her.”

“You have to remember, that’s an old story. There were packs of wolves out in the woods back then. I think the story was there to warn the children not to wander far from their own home. It would keep them safe from harm.”

“Sounds right. Hey mom, Katie is back and Sarah’s with me. We’re going to walk a bit more.”

“Sure, have fun.”

“Which way do you want to go?”

“I’ll follow you. Now Philip, I want to hear more about this thing we were talking about yesterday; it was about forgiveness. You quoted a verse saying God forgives us when we forgive others.”

“Yeah, but are you sure it’s all right? You weren’t very comfortable with that verse.”

“Oh, that was yesterday. I was thinking it over, and since you were quoting Jesus himself, I didn’t want to ignore his words. But I have more questions. That statement on how sins are forgiven is too simple. God forgives us when we forgive others? It’s too short or something. What about forgiveness and the Lamb of God. And what about the people who have a hard time forgiving others? It’s not always easy to forgive. And what in the world does this kind of forgiveness have to do with seeking a hidden treasure?”

“Sarah, that’s a lot of questions. You really have been thinking about this.”

“Yes, I just want to check my understanding of scripture. So Philip, why are you looking for treasure? I thought the first thing we had to do was to be saved from our sins.”

“I just want to pay attention to what Jesus was teaching. I’m simply following his advice. He said ‘seek ye first the kingdom of God,’ and he described the kingdom as a treasure, so I’m after the treasure. He said to do that first, so that’s what I’ll do first.”

“All right, so you’re just following his instructions. Hmmm.”

“Sarah, maybe we should think about your questions in the context of this treasure to see what happens.”

“Yeah, how would it all work out?”

“Let’s see, 'kingdom of God.' Now since this is about God's eternal kingdom, I do suspect that once something eternal is gained, it can never be lost. Not only that, but I just learned yesterday that God’s kingdom will provide the earthly things we need as well as heavenly things. It’s from the Sermon on the Mount.”

“Now Sarah, since Jesus was talking about worldly things, it means that this is something we need to find right here on earth. This wasn’t about the afterlife. This is something we should be seeking right now. It covers the inner spiritual life, and the outer material things we need as well. It takes care of everything. And once gained, these treasures cannot be lost. Do you follow this so far?”

“Yes, I got it.”

“Good. So if I gain both treasures, I would have nothing to worry about. Others may want to steal the treasure or remove it, but since it cannot be lost, it will never be taken away or stolen. This means I will remain happy regardless of what others try to do. That’s perfect security, and a secure person should find it easy to forgive. It’s the vulnerable people who have a hard time forgiving others. They are anxious because they have never found the eternal treasure. On the other hand, a person who is happy and secure finds it easy to forgive others. So there you have it; this answers the question about forgiving others. If a person finds it difficult to forgive, just go after the treasure first, and the problem of not being able to forgive will simply disappear.”

“Gosh, it all fits together.”

“Of course it fits. Sarah, the treasure comes first, then everything else can get straightened out. The eternal treasure changes a person, and with this change they will find it easy to forgive. They forgive others and God will forgive them. So it seems that everything gets resolved once we take the advice Jesus was giving. Seek the kingdom of God first. Just find that treasure, and everything else will fall into place.”

“But Philip, what about the Lamb of God. The justice and the grace of God is covered when the Lamb of God suffers for my sins.”

“Sarah, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m reading the gospels right now, and I haven’t come across anything like that. And besides, we got into this yesterday. Justice means the person who does the crime is the one who takes the consequences. If an innocent person is punished for something they didn’t do, it’s not fair. That would be an injustice.”

“Well yes, but what if the innocent person volunteers to take the punishment on my behalf. Isn’t that different?”

“Why do you keep talking about the innocent being punished?”

“Philip, I have to. It’s the gospel.”

“It is?”

“Yes, that’s the gospel of Jesus Christ; it’s the good news.”

“Really? Are you sure about that? Jesus preached the gospel, and the gospel he preached is nothing at all like that. Sarah, is this the thing Mr. Peterson has been teaching you?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“Did Jesus teach it? Was he teaching this to his own disciples?”

“I’m not sure, but it’s the gospel.”

“Hmmm. Sarah, is this kind of gospel found by taking verses from various books of the Bible and bringing them all together?”

“Well yes, we cover the entire word of God looking for it.”

“Now Sarah, that kind of thing is quite unusual. Normally, context is established by staying in the same book. Dad and I were just talking about this. It’s very odd to assume that the written records from different places and different periods of history provide context for one another.”

“But that’s the way it is. It’s the word of God.”

“Sarah, did Jesus say that the innocent suffer for the guilty? Is that the way he spoke about the law?”

“I don’t think so.”

“And did you check to see what Jesus said about the lamb?”

“Not really.”

“I’m going to look it up. I’ll check out what he said about the law, and I think I’ll look up his comments on the lamb as well. These things about justice and the lamb don’t sound right to me.”

“Philip, what’s the problem? Out of love, the Lamb takes on my sin debt. What’s wrong with that?”

“Maybe I should start by asking a question. Now, is it better for a person who commits a crime to change from criminal behavior to law abiding behavior? Or would it be better for the criminal to have an innocent person take the punishment for them? Which is best?”

“Well, a change in the person would be best. A change in behavior would be best for the community and best for the criminal as well.”

“And wouldn’t it be best for this change to take place without anybody suffering?”

“I guess so.”

“So that’s why I’m following the instructions Jesus gave. Finding this treasure first is the path most likely to change a person. If the criminal finds tremendous wealth, there would be no need for criminal behavior. People break the law out of dissatisfaction, so if a dissatisfied person becomes satisfied, they would experience a change in their own behavior. If they find great wealth, they would simply forget their old criminal ways. And if a criminal goes through a real transformation, then the judge is very likely to suspend the sentence and give the person a second chance. That’s the normal way of justice and mercy.”

“And Jesus was speaking about this very transformation. He said we have to change.”

“So there you are. Jesus himself was preaching about a transformation. Sarah, a change in the person is the proper way to go. Just passing the punishment on to the innocent isn’t going to solve the problem. In fact, that might actually undermine the normal system of justice. If a criminal thinks someone else is going to pay for the crime, why should they change anything? There’s no consequence to their criminal behavior.”

“But Philip, the consequence would be that the criminal would feel more guilty about doing the crime since it is their loved one who is being punished.”

“Isn't that loading more guilt on a person who is already in bad shape? It could cause them to feel even worse than they did before, especially if they continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. Wouldn’t it be better for them to find God’s treasure so that they can be lifted up and forget those old problems?”

“I guess so. Philip I have to think about this. It’s all new to me.”

“Hey, look here, we’re right back at your house. Guess I got caught up in the conversation.”

“Oh, this is good. I’ll go to my room. Things have probably settled down by now.”

“Are you sure? Mom and dad were looking forward to seeing you.”

“This is best.”

“And I hope our talk wasn't too serious.”

“Oh, the talk was good. I feel much stronger now. And say hi to your mom and dad for me.”

“For sure, bye now.” Sarah’s thinking sure is surprising. She must be under a lot of pressure these days. And not only that, but these are the things she is being taught! I’m going to have to reconsider the idea of attending Peterson’s class. All this about the lamb and the innocent being punished, it doesn’t sound right to me. Understanding the law is important. Jesus will cover that topic, and he may talk about the lamb as well. I want his viewpoint on these things. He speaks clearly, and he’s not afraid to say what he thinks either. Hmmm, I’ll look into it for sure.

“Hi Son, where’s Sarah?”

“Oh dad, we were out walking and ended up at her house. She just decided to go back inside.”

“We were looking forward to having her, but this might be best. Maybe her problems at home are not so serious. You can just remind her that she’s always welcome here.”

“Good, she’ll be happy to hear that. Mom, it looks like we’re going to have some extra food.”

“It’s all right Philip, leftovers are no problem.”

“Hey Katie, maybe we can go out late tonight and feed that wolf.”

“No thanks. I’ll eat it.”

“You’re too little to eat all this food.”

“Just watch me. And don’t feed that wolf.”

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SIMPLE STRATEGY FROM CHAPTER FOUR

-- Restore the normal understanding of
context and justice.

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CHAPTER 5

SUMMING UP THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS

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Little league today, but maybe I can fit in some research. All right, what’s this thing about the lamb? Sarah was talking about the lamb and the law yesterday, time to check it out. Let’s see, this is from Luke 10:3. Jesus is speaking and says, “behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.” He’s sending a big group of his own disciples ahead of him to every city. He is talking about lambs, but this is not about himself.

Jesus was not speaking of himself as a lamb, but as the protector of lambs. He is the good shepherd; the disciples are in his care. He was warning them about the wolves out in the cities. Wolves are the people who get together to devour those who get in their way. The Romans ruled at that time, so they had the power to do what they wanted. Jesus was concerned about the safety of his disciples. The lambs he was talking about were to be protected, not sacrificed.

The other reference is from John 21:15-16. Jesus appeared at the sea of Galilee and said to Simon Peter, “Feed my lambs,” and a moment later he said, “Feed my sheep.” Again he was speaking of himself as the shepherd. Considering his point of view, those lambs were not to be punished. This is not about lambs taking punishment for sinners. On the contrary, these lambs were getting the best of care.

Sacrifices were taking place in Jerusalem. I don’t think Jesus got along with the ones who were in charge of those things. The two sides looked at things differently. All right, so now I need to know how Jesus felt about those sacrifices at the main temple.

What about those doves? They were sacrificed too. Let’s see, Matthew 21:12. says, “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves.” Not so favorable. He overthrew the seats of those who sold doves for sacrifice. Jesus was not very pleased with this thing. He may have wanted these salesmen to move to another location, but overturning benches is quite a strong reaction. “Hey mom, listen to this.”

“Yes, I hear you.”

“Remember the sacrifice thing?”

“Not really?”

“Mom, you told me about some people who were teaching the old covenant, and you felt uncomfortable with the idea of sacrifice.”

“All right, now I remember.”

“Well, it looks like you have some pretty good company. I think Jesus had a similar point of view. He was kind to the lambs and doves. He was speaking of kindness and protection with regards to lambs, and I just found that he got angry with the people selling doves at the temple. It appears to me that he didn’t like this tradition of sacrifice.”

“I’m not a bit surprised; it’s a normal reaction. Sacrificing animals in the name of God is offensive. Everybody should know that by now. Philip, I have a quick chore to do. Can you watch Katie for me?”

“Sure. Come and read with me Katie.”

“Okay.”

“Guess what this is about.”

“What?”

“This is about your favorite topic; it’s about wolves! Do you want to hear it?”

“Did the wolf eat anybody?”

“I don’t think so. Jesus was protecting his seventy two lambs from the wolves. They were in his care, and they all came home safely.”

“Oh good.”

“Jesus has always been known as the good shepherd. A shepherd protects his lambs, so this is about kindness. But there was also a warning.”

“What kind?”

“Well, he warned his friends to stay away from the wolves. Those were the people with the political power in this case.”

“Philip, where did the wolves come from?”

“I don’t know exactly. I think they were imported to the area by outsiders. This Palestine was taken over by a foreign country, and outside rulers who are not welcome have to use force to stay in power. They usually have a corrupting influence on the lands they rule.”

“What’s corrupting?”

“Well, they give money to the people who do what they want. And if the outsiders don’t get their way with money, they get together with the people they corrupt and use violence. It’s just like a pack of wolves; they eat up those who get in their way.”

“Did Jesus kill the wolves?”

“No. Jesus is peaceful in here. His disciples called him ‘rabbi,’ which means teacher. So as a teacher, he was there to teach, not to hurt anyone. I think he wanted people to love each other and be kind to the animals. And it seems that a great many people in Palestine liked this message of peace and kindness.”

“Philip, is Jesus a Christian?”

“I don’t think so. I think he’s Jewish. Jesus is a rabbi in here, so he is Jewish.”

“When did he change to Christian?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think he ever changed to Christian.”

“So what happened?”

“Katie, you're now asking about thngs that happened later. I don’t know anything about that. I’m researching the gospel Jesus preached, not what happened after he was gone. And it appears to me that those who came later may have picked up on a different kind of gospel. But this is an important topic, so we need to move ahead carefully. Let’s look up the law he taught.”

“Philip, what about the treasure? I thought you were looking for treasure.”

“Oh sure, I am looking for treasure. Seeking a treasure is the gospel Jesus actually preached; it was called the gospel of the kingdom. We’ll get back to that as soon as I clear up this thing about the lamb and the law. Come on, we’ll look it up together. Sarah was talking about the law and how punishment can be passed on to an innocent lamb.”

“Why did she say that?”

“I’m not sure. She called it the gospel, so I need to find out if Jesus taught anything like that. But hold on, wait just one minute.”

“Wait for what?”

“Katie, I forgot to look up the word ‘sacrifice.’ Maybe Jesus said something about it. Sacrifice, sacrifices, here is something.”

“What does it say?”

“Matthew 9:13 says, ‘But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.’ Whoa! Out of all the ancient writings, Jesus picked out this statement. I think he was quoting from an old scripture.” (Hosea 6:6)

“Philip, what did you find?”

“Well Katie, all morning I was wondering about this idea of passing punishment on to the innocent. Back in the old days, people bought lambs and doves to have them sacrificed at the big temple. I had to find out how Jesus felt about that. And just this very minute, we found something.”

“What?”

“Well, out of the thousands of verses in the old books, Jesus picked out a negative.”

“What’s that?”

“Negative means no. ‘Not sacrifice’ means no sacrifices. He selected this from all the old teachings: ‘I will have mercy.’ Mercy is kindness, so this supports the verses on lambs and doves I found earlier this morning. And this fits his personality too, love one another, no violence. I think his lessons on kindness are good. What do you think?”

“Yeah, it’s good.”

“And the people of Palestine thought so too. They liked the message.”

“Philip, are we finished?”

“Hold on, just one more thing. This idea of the innocent taking punishment for the sins of others is about the law. Jesus taught the law, so I want to see if it supports what we already found. Katie, if his description of the law fits what we just read, then I think we have this thing all sewed up.”

“Sewed up?”

“Oh, it means we did our homework, and we deserve the conclusion that comes from our study. Then we can celebrate.”

“We'll get some ice cream.”

“Yeah, great idea. We’ll celebrate with ice cream.”

“It’s a birthday.”

“Yes, the birthday of kindness. We’ll celebrate the good news of kindness and the good news of the treasure--a rebirth of the gospel of treasure and kindness.”

“So where’s the ice cream?”

“Katie, we have to look up the word ‘law’ first, remember?”

“Hurry up. I’m ready to celebrate.”

“All right, I’ll try to do it fast. Katie, look at this one, it’s about the law and the prophets. Dad told me to look for references that would give us the historical context. So we have Jesus talking about these old prophets and the law right here.”

“Good.”

“It’s from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:12). Oh sure, I know this one. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That’s a famous verse. And look here, this little statement is a summary of the law and the prophets too. Whoa, this is big!

“What’s the matter?”

“This is awesome! Do you know what just happened?”

“What happened?”

“Katie, I just realized that I don’t have to read those old books.”

“What old books?”

“Oh, the Bible has lots of old books that are hard to read, but here we have Jesus himself summing up the law and the words of the prophets by making one simple statement. That’s terrific. He says, ‘this IS the law and the prophets.’ Do you know what this means?”

“No, what?”

“It means that Christians who read the old part of the Bible have to come up with an interpretation that will support his conclusion--Jesus is the boss you know. So this one little statement takes care of all the old prophets and their books. Katie, Jesus is summing everything up right here, and this is the very thing experts have been trying to do for centuries. Bible experts read these old books to come up with a conclusion to preach to the people. And just think, they’ve been digging up all these things about sacrifices and such. But Katie, there was no need for all that extra work since Jesus already did the work for them. He wrapped the whole thing up on his own. He gave the conclusion right here.”

“And he’s smarter than anybody.”

“You got it, and this is so simple. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. He is speaking of kindness, not the innocent taking punishment for the guilty. Experts pick up on all these sacrifices and such. But on the other hand, Jesus recalls the old books and prophets, and says, ‘do unto others.’ He is simply speaking about good behavior. Quite a difference, don’t you think?”

“Yeah. Philip, is it time to celebrate?”

“Okay, let’s go.”

“I’m home!”

“Whoops! It’s mom, bad timing.”

“So, what are you two up to?”

“Well, we were just on our way to celebrate with some ice cream.”

“Philip, isn’t it a little early for that kind of thing?”

“But mom, we just hit a milestone. I got right to the heart of this Bible study. Jesus summed up all the old books and the prophets, it’s Matthew 7:12. He did most of the work for me, so Katie and I were just about to celebrate when you walked in.”

“Well all right. It sounds like something nice, but we need to think this over. Let’s cook up a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches, and on the side we’ll try a banana, some walnuts and a little ice cream on top. How about that?”

“Should we take it Katie?”

“Yeah, I’m hungry. It’s a deal.”

“And maybe a little ice cream while we’re waiting?”

“Philip, I have a better idea; you can do the cooking. It’s not so hard.”

“Okay, I’ll try.”

“Can I help?”

“Katie, you can get the stuff from the fridge. Hey dad, grilled cheese over easy?”

“Sounds tempting, but do you know what you’re doing?”

“No, but mom is watching me.“

“Well then, I want my grilled cheese nice and crispy, and put in a slice of tomato before you fry it.”

“Really? I’ll try that too.”

“Plain cheese for me.”

“Katie, did you study with Philip today?”

“Yes daddy.”

“And what did you learn?”

“Stay away from the wolves and no sacrifices.”

“Oh, that’s very clear honey. Did she get it right Philip?”

“Yeah, she got it right. Sarah was talking about the lamb of God yesterday, and when I looked it up she turned out to be all wrong.”

“Be careful Philip; don’t say Sarah is wrong. The story you read may simply look different to you. Everyone is entitled to come to their own conclusion on what they read. Discuss it with her if you want, but don’t say she’s wrong. Be tolerant of the opinion of others.”

“All right, I’ll be careful.”

“And son, that gospel from Paul has been very dear to the hearts of many people. It has given hope to millions down through the ages. I don’t want you to criticize a belief that has been such a big help to so many people.”

“I understand.”

“And besides, just think about how little you’ve done so far. Did you finish up the four gospels yet?”

“No sir. I just got started.”

“Then perhaps Sarah read some things you haven’t seen.”

“Oh sure, that’s very possible. She has been studying for a long time.”

“Well then, you should ask her to show you the gospel verses that back up her views. I’m sure she’ll have something to say.”

“Yeah, and I might just see her today. Which reminds me, I have to put on my uniform.”

“Son, you’re not finished.”

“Sorry, but I have to go now. I’m already late.”

“Who’s picking you up?”

“Jeff’s mom.” Now, where’s that uniform? Oh no, I forgot to put it in the hamper! This is not a pretty sight. Well, I’m still the same player on the inside; it’s the inside that really counts in the end.

“Philip, where are you going dressed like that?”

“Little league.”

“Oh no you don’t!”

“Mom, it’s too late to do laundry.”

“Philip, I’m not happy about this.”

“Sorry, it won’t happen again. There they are, they’re waiting for me. Got to go, see yah.”

“That uniform, it looked so dirty.”

“Don’t be concerned honey. It’s baseball, not a fashion show.”

“But I always want him to look his best.”

“His performance out on the field will make up for any little imperfection on the outside. And besides, it looks like interpretation is his game. I never saw anyone dive into the Bible the way he has.”

“I hope his independent views don’t get him into trouble. Religion is a very touchy subject.”

“He can take care of himself; he’ll be fine. And besides, the inquisition is over. Those old days of extreme intolerance are long gone.”

“We still have politics. A person’s beliefs do make a difference.”

“Yeah, but our son is going to think for himself. He has a bright future. And this is probably just another phase he is going through. This month it’s the Bible, next month it will be outer space or something. You know how he is.”

“Maybe we can get him a cookbook. I wouldn’t mind having a French chef in the house.”

“I wish you luck, but I don’t think it’s going to work. You have a bright son, and he’s looking for treasure. What more do you want?”

“You don’t really think he is going to find anything, do you?”

“I don’t know, he might find something. I’ve always had a feeling that the really important things in life are the least understood. Life holds so many hidden mysteries. Good luck is a mystery. Everyone wants it, but the real key to good fortune is unknown. Contentment is another example. It’s so important to life, and yet no one seems to know how to dig up that treasure.”

“Contentment is a nice one.”

“You see? Everyone wants these things, not to mention vitality, creativity and self-confidence--those are the abstract pearls of life. But what does a person do to dig up those treasures? They are hidden, and yet they are so vital to a good life. The inner abstract qualities are the real treasures.”

“I think you’re right.”

“Sure. And our modern culture is only set up to support the superficial things. These important subjective qualities are being neglected. If Philip could pick up on the key to that kind of treasure, he would really have something. He might find it. These gospels may hold the secret.”

“I guess he could come up with the key to those inner treasures. Yeah, that would be something.”

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SIMPLE REFERENCE FROM CHAPTER FIVE

-- “I will have mercy, and not sacrifice”
(from Matthew 9:13).

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CHAPTER 6

NEITHER LAMB NOR DOVE BUT SPIRIT

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“Philip, are you all right?”

“Oh, hi Sarah. Yeah, just a sprained ankle. No big deal, I played two innings on it.”

“You didn’t.”

“It wasn’t smart to keep on playing, but we won the game big time. I thought you might be there.”

“Yes, I wanted to come, but it was impossible. I’ll make it next time. Did you see a doctor?”

“No. Really, it’s nothing.”

“All right then, I just wanted to check. Is it okay if I call again later? I can’t talk much right now.”

“Sure, call back anytime.”

“Great, bye now.”

“Philip, do you want some breakfast?”

“Thanks mom, but I can get it for myself. And I might spend the day reading in my room.”

“Good. That’s perfect.”

So now’s the time to move through the whole life of Jesus. And I’m not going to use this “word of God” kind of context either. It’s too risky to assume that the thousands of verses in these many Bible books provide context for one another. On the other hand, these four gospels should give the information I need to fit everything together.

Jesus was certainly capable of giving his own disciples what they needed to know. I’ll simply go by his words. And as I move along in the story, all the pieces of the puzzle should come together to give one clear picture. The final fit will show me if I got it right or not. This is the correct way to think about context; everything spoken by the same person should fit together. Good plan. Now it’s time to get to work.

The gospel starts in John 1:1. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Aha, this Word is not a reference to the Bible, so this mix-up is already showing itself. Hmmm, but I also need to hold off and see how Jesus used the term “Word of God.” He is sure to talk about it later.

Look at this, John 1:9 is already making a hopeful declaration. “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” Light removes the darkness. All right, this gospel is off to a very good start. Moving right ahead, I don’t see any preaching in this big introduction. The first part is about the birth and early years of Jesus and John the Baptist. These two seem to have a deep connection to one another. John plays a major role in this gospel. I think his activities pave the way for the later entrance of Jesus.

Here is something. Sarah brought up the topic of forgiveness of sins, and Mark 1:4 says, “John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” Water is used in baptism, and water could be symbolic of that kind of cleansing. Unfortunately, this section does not describe John’s baptism in detail. I don’t know the words he spoke as he baptized, so I don’t know how John’s baptism of repentance helped people with the forgiveness of sins. For now, all I can do is move ahead.

John is speaking in Luke 3:16. He said, “I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.” Jesus steps forward right here. This is his grand entrance, so I better pay close attention. Matthew 3:13 says, “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.”

Hmmm, he came to John to be baptized. Whatever John was doing, Jesus was sure pleased with it. But John was embarrassed by the situation. Matthew 3:14-15 says, “But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?” Jesus replied, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.” So they went ahead with it. All right, the very first act of his was to be baptized by John.

Now, why is this happening? John’s baptism was for the remission of sins. I don’t think Jesus needed anything like that. Here is more from Mark 1:10, “And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him.”

Whoa, just look at all these things: repentance for the forgiveness of sins, heaven being torn open, and the Holy Spirit descending. Something big was going on here, and I have no idea how it all fits together. But one thing I can say for certain--Jesus very clearly connected himself to John.

“Here, hold my frog.”

“Katie, he’s just going to hop away.”

“Put your other hand on top like this. Don’t smash him.”

“But Katie!”

“Just hold my frog. I’ll be right back.”

“All right, but don’t be gone too long.” Oh boy, how am I going to study like this? I’ll just stop and think for a moment. Now what’s going on in here? Let’s see, the location of this baptism is interesting since there was a great temple in Jerusalem not far away from the Jordan River. But Jesus and John were conducting their business away from the temple, out in the countryside. It sounds as if they had no connection to the activities at the temple. In fact, John even decided to scold some of those Pharisees (Matthew 3:7-10). So the division between these two groups is already showing up.

Now, I need to keep in mind that both sides claimed a Jewish heritage, but they appear to be divided and in separate camps. It looks as if they wanted nothing to do with each other. And these foreign rulers probably had a hand in this situation. Romans would have supported the Pharisees and teachers of the law who co-operated with them. Foreign domination would have had a big effect on those who held the prominent positions. I suspect that many of the great spiritual leaders of this period were pushed aside during this foreign occupation.

Well, in any case, animals were being sacrificed at the temple in Jerusalem. That side was promoting the idea that God wanted sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins. But on the other hand, John was out by the Jordan River preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. These two groups sure had different ideas on how sins are forgiven, and it appears to me that Jesus made the choice to be with John.

Now where’s that Katie? I want to get back to the story. Maybe I can turn a page with my elbow. Oh yeah, here we go. After the baptism, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit out into the desert for forty days. It's from the fourth chapter of Matthew. The tempter came along to offer worldly things, but Jesus rebuffed the temptation.

Whoa, look at Matthew 4:6! Could it be that the tempter is the first one in this story to quote scripture? This may serve as a good lesson. It shows that these books can be abused. The devil has just taken the word of God and turned it into the word of the devil. And he did so by simply opening his mouth and quoting scripture. This is like turning a prince into a frog! “No offense intended little one. How are you doing in there? I’ll do my best to get you back outside soon, don’t worry.”

So, back to the story. The very next day John was speaking with some people from the temple and confirmed that Jesus is “the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost” (from John 1:33). Now, this is the second reference to the baptizing ministry of Jesus. And look here. In this same section Jesus made another public appearance. He approached the area and John said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

Aha! This is the verse Sarah was talking about. It’s about the lamb and taking away sins. Jesus didn’t say it, but this is a quote from John the Baptist. Okay frog, I need these hands to make a call. You’re on your own. “Hi Sarah.”

“Oh, hi Philip.”

“Do you have a few minutes?”

“Not really, I’m cutting tile. Mom and I are finishing the kitchen. The job wasn’t getting done, so we just decided to do it ourselves. But go ahead, I can take a little time out. What’s on your mind?”

“Well, I just found that verse on the Lamb of God, John 1:29. It’s a quote from John the Baptist.”

“Yeah, that’s it. ‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ Oh good. So now you can see what I’m talking about.”

“I guess so. I can see where you got the idea, but why did you think this was about sacrifice and passing punishment on to the innocent?”

“Philip, it’s obvious. It’s about the Lamb of God and taking away sins, so it must be about the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. Don’t you see the connection?”

“Well, I’m not so sure. Sarah, I need to be careful with this verse. I don’t want to end up questioning your beliefs. Dad just told me to be careful with this kind of thing.”

“Philip, don’t worry about it, I’m not that sensitive. Just go ahead and say what’s on your mind.”

“All right. It’s just that Katie and I were reading about this yesterday (Chapter Five), and there are many verses in which Jesus was preaching about the law. He even spoke directly about sacrifices, and it appears to me that he favored kindness. On top of that I noticed that every time he made a reference to lambs, he was talking about his disciples, not himself. Jesus was referring to a ‘lamb’ as something to be safeguarded. His lambs were to be protected, not sacrificed. And I think John would have used the term just as Jesus used it.”

“Oh, I see. That's very possible.”

“Then it’s okay?”

“Of course.”

“So I can finish up the idea?”

“Sure.”

“Well you see, when John said ‘behold the Lamb of God,’ I think he was saying that Jesus is like an innocent lamb who was about to be sent out among the wolves. This is about the safety and innocence of Jesus, and the dangerous situations that lie ahead.”

“Maybe so.”

“Sarah, in all probability, John and Jesus were using the term ‘lamb’ in a similar sense, and that was with reference to protection and innocence. John was concerned about the safety of Jesus, just as Jesus was concerned about the safety of his own disciples. So these two close associates were probably thinking along the same lines. If you want to pick up on the idea of lamb for sacrifice you would have to associate John’s quote with the thinking of the Pharisees. That kind of connection doesn’t sound right to me. John and the Pharisees didn’t get along with each other. I don’t think you should assume that John was thinking about lambs in that same cruel way. Connecting John the Baptist with the Pharisees isn’t right. It’s the wrong association.”

“Gosh, that makes perfect sense. Jesus and John didn’t get along with the Pharisees. But they sure got along with each other.”

“Of course, they were close associates. They formed a tight connection right here in the beginning of these gospels. I just finished reading this section on the baptism of Jesus by John. Baptism plays a major role in this story. I’m looking forward to the next section, since John has just announced that Jesus is about to start baptizing. I want to see how he does it.”

“Oh Philip, I hate to disappoint you, but Jesus didn’t baptize anybody.”

“He didn’t? Are you sure?”

“I think so. Mr. Peterson told us that Jesus didn’t baptize.”

“Hmmm. But why did John the Baptist announce that Jesus is coming to baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire? It’s from Luke 3:16.”

“I don’t know.”

“And something similar came up in John 1:33. John said Jesus is ‘he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.’ So naturally I was looking forward to the baptisms Jesus was about to perform.”

“I understand, but I’m simply repeating what I was taught. Mr. Peterson said that Jesus didn’t baptize. But I do think there’s a puzzle in here. It’s common for people to get confused in this section. Perhaps you can work this out so all the pieces fit together. You seem to be good at that.”

“Maybe I can.”

“Philip, give me a moment to show you the verse at the heart of this confusion. Here it is, John 4:2. On the basis of this verse, Mr. Peterson thinks he didn’t baptize. The Bible starts out by reporting that Jesus was actually baptizing in both John 3:22 and John 3:26. But then the fourth chapter of John says that it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. Some people point this out as a contradiction, but Mr. Peterson said the gospel writer left in the two earlier statements and later tried to clarify it with John 4:2.”

“Oh, that does sound strange. Why didn’t the gospel writer just clarify his original statements?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well anyway, I took some notes. I’ll look at these verses later.”

“And Philip, I also have to warn you about the confusion going on with regard to baptism. It’s a hot button topic. Raise the subject and you might end up with a big debate on your hands.”

“What’s the problem?”

“Well, the dispute is about everything. For example, some groups baptize tiny infants. Other denominations say that a person has to reach the age of accountability so that they can reason for themselves before being baptized. Not only that, but there’s a disagreement on how baptism is to be performed. Some do it by dipping people in water, and others by pouring water over the head. That’s another hot issue. And simply with regard to the general topic, there are those who think baptism is of vital importance, and the other side feels baptism is not so important.”

“Gosh, that’s something.”

“Yeah, so here’s my advice: don’t even mention the word. Everyone has already taken a firm position, so getting into the baptism debate is just a big waste of time.”

“Okay, I hear you. I’ll just study it on my own. Thanks for the advice.”

“You bet. So I have to go now.”

“Oh and Sarah, one last thing. I’ll make it short.”

“Sure.”

“My dad suggested that I ask you about the verses on sacrifice for sin. Where are those gospel references?”

“Oh, that’s easy. Just check out John 3:16, and also look up the last supper. Jesus spoke about the blood sacrifice in Matthew 26:28.”

“I got it. Terrific, thanks again.”

“Sure enough, take care.”

“Bye now.”

“Philip, where’s my frog?”

“Oh Katie, good timing. I was just about to look for the little guy.”

“He got away?”

“Well, not exactly. Oh, there he is. Now, you stand on that side.”

“I got him!”

“Good, now let’s take Mr. frog outside.”

“But Philip, he’s my pet.”

“Now Katie, listen to me. Living in a house is not a frog’s life. This little fellow is a creature of the outdoors, so let’s get him back outside. Frogs are very special you know. They have a deep connection with the heavens. At night they like to sit in a puddle of water under the stars. That’s where they’re happy. Have you ever heard them singing?”

“Singing?“

“Yes, they sing to each other all night long. It’s a special kind of frog song. Only they can understand it. Now, you don’t want your frog to miss out on the evening concert, do you?”

“Oh no! I’ll take him outside.”

“Great idea.” All right, so much for the frog. Now back to my own connection to the heavens. These four gospels are pulling my attention to the kingdom of heaven, but this sacrifice thing is holding me up. I want to move along to the hidden treasure.

Sarah gave me John 3:16 and Matthew 26:28. I’ll just look up those two verses and move on. After all, it appears to me that I just found good evidence that Jesus and John the Baptist had their own way of dealing with the forgiveness of sins.

But anyhow, here’s the first one; it’s John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Hmmm, so where is the part about sacrifice? I’ll check the context. Maybe the sacrifice part is in the surrounding verses. Okay, this is the discussion with Nicodemus about being born again. This is about the Spirit of God and the light of God.

Now, here is something. Jesus says in John 3:17, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” Okay, the idea of saving the world is here, but I can’t find what she was talking about. Why did Sarah gave me this verse? This whole section is about being saved by God’s Spirit. Nothing about a sacrifice in here.

But this section has been a help to me. I’ve heard people say: “I cannot save myself,” so this third chapter of John is important in that respect. It shows that the saving grace comes through the Spirit and light of God. And this fits in perfectly with Luke 4:43. Jesus was sent to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God and along with his preaching, he must have been passing out the key to the saving grace and the light of God. I have yet to figure out how he did it, but at least the pieces appear to be coming together.

So on to the next verse. These things from Peterson’s class don’t seem to be going anywhere, but thankfully, this is the last one. Matthew 26:28 says “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Oh yeah, this is it. Blood is being shed for the forgiveness of sins.

Now on to the context. This is from the last supper, and Jesus took bread and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink ye, all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (from Matthew 26:26-28). This is about eating his body and drinking his blood. Hmmm, a very unusual statement. This needs to be explained. Maybe I can find something similar to this elsewhere.

Oh yes, John 6:54. “Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” This is very much like the last supper statement and the disciples spoke up in John 6:60. “This is a hard saying; who can hear it?” So the disciples were just as puzzled by the idea of eating his body and drinking his blood as I am. All right, this is leading up to something.

And sure enough, Jesus cleared the whole thing up in John 6:61-63. With reference to his flesh and blood, Jesus said, “Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Aha! So just as in John 3:16, this is about the Spirit of God.

Yeah, this explains the whole thing. Life comes from his words, and he is not speaking of physical flesh and blood. Jesus is giving the picture of his body and blood as spirit, and spirit is that which is unseen. So the blood he was speaking about cannot be seen with the physical eyes.

And this explains why he overturned those benches at the temple as well. “Flesh profiteth nothing.” Those doves were mere physical flesh and blood. That didn’t count for anything. Those old sacrifices were just cruelty without a purpose. Jesus endorsed the spiritual things, not the physical. Gosh, no wonder he got rid those dove sellers. So Jesus went right back to speaking about the Spirit of God. He sure was consistent. He returned to the topic of spirit time and time again.

All right, that resolves the issue surrounding this reference to blood in Matthew 26:28. And something else just fell into place. The treasure I’m seeking is hidden. And now I know exactly why it’s hidden. This is about a spiritual treasure, and spirit is unseen. This is why Matthew 13:44 says, “treasure hid in a field.”

Okay, but now I’m faced with an even bigger question. If the treasure cannot be seen, how will I find it? Whoa, that is a problem!

Well, I just got started. If the answer is in here, I’ll track it down. I’m going to find this hidden spiritual treasure. Nothing left to stop me now.

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SIMPLE THEOLOGY FROM CHAPTER SIX

Restore the original context:

-- John 3:16 is about the Spirit of God.
And likewise, Matthew 26:28 is about Spirit.

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home

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CHAPTER 7

GIFT OF GOD AND INNER CLEANSING

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“Philip, is Katie with you?”

“No mom. Did you check outside?”

“I’ll go look for her.”

“Okay.” Time to finish the first chapter of John. Most of the followers were called disciples, but the ones closest to Jesus were called apostles. He is gathering a few of them right here. That was simple, so on to the next section.

The second and third chapters of John recall the early days of Christ’s ministry. Looks like we have a wedding and a shortage of wine; Jesus performed his first public miracle, changing water into wine. There are many references to miracles in these four gospels, but I’m looking for the treasure, so my attention will be on his teaching. Next is the story of Nicodemus, but more information is needed before I tackle this thing about being ‘born again.’

Let’s see. As I move along in John’s gospel (John 3:22-26), quite a lot of baptizing is going on here, and it appears to be taking place over a period of several months. This section contains a general description of the ministry of Jesus with his disciples in the Judean countryside, and John the Baptist with his disciples in Aenon. Baptizing was going on in both camps. These activities seem to parallel one another, and since the Holy Spirit is associated with baptism, I can rest assured that something quite important was going on. Jesus is baptizing right here in John 3:22. It says “After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them and baptized.” So yes indeed, he was baptizing.

The very next verse (John 3:23) starts off by saying, “And John also was baptizing,” giving evidence that the previous verse is correct. And just beyond it (from John 3:26), a group came to John the Baptist and spoke about Jesus: “Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.” So now I have two verses declaring that Jesus is baptizing, and just this morning I found two verses in which John the Baptist said that Jesus is coming to baptize (Luke 3:16 and John 1:33). Four verses that support each other, and Mr. Peterson is teaching Sarah that Jesus didn’t baptize? Something isn’t right.

John 4:2 is used to show that he didn’t baptize. Here are verses one through three: “When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) He left Judaea and departed again into Galilee.” Now, looking back at the two verses that say Jesus is going to baptize and the two saying Jesus is baptizing, I’m going to start by assuming that he did baptize and see what happens. Maybe I’ll find a way to accept the truth of all five verses without saying that the gospel writer got it wrong and later tried to clarify his statements in John 4:2 as Sarah mentioned.

I need to look for something in the context of these verses. Good, here’s a clue. John 4:1 says, “When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John.” This verse comes just before the one used to change the meaning of the other four. It seems to indicate that the number of people coming to be baptized by Jesus was increasing. So now I can just imagine what was happening. As more people were coming, it seems likely that Jesus did the baptizing at first, and as time went on he simply taught the disciples how to baptize so that they could help him with the increasing numbers. Eventually he gave the entire job of baptizing to the disciples.

This supports the truth of all five verses, as well as eliminating the prospect of a contradiction. But even without this, even if I want to accept the idea that he didn’t baptize, I still have to assume that Jesus was involved in the activities of his own disciples. His disciples were baptizing and as their teacher, he was there to oversee the whole operation. So without any question, Jesus was quite involved in this early baptizing. The most likely idea is that he was baptizing and simply passed the job on to his disciples as the crowds grew larger.

“Young man, we need to have a talk!”

Uh oh, this doesn’t sound so good. “Yes mom, I’m on my way. What’s up? I see you found Katie.”

“But Philip, it wasn’t so easy to find her. She was all the way down the hill. When I asked about it, she said something about a frog concert and finding the right puddle under the stars. So what’s this all about?”

“Mom, she was keeping a frog in the house. I wanted her to take it outside, so I just explained how frogs love singing under the stars. I guess I did dress up the idea just a bit.”

“Philip, you know how impressionable she is. She really loves that little frog.”

“I’ll be more careful from now on.”

“All right, and help me keep a closer watch on her. She should never be outside by herself.”

“Okay. Come on Katie, let’s go study together.”

“Good, I like to study.”

“Oh mom, can I ask a question? It’s about baptism.”

“I don’t know if I can help, but I’ll try.”

“There seems to be a lot of confusion on the topic.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Well, this first section of the gospels shows large numbers of people being baptized over a long period of time, and a normal reading would strongly suggest that Jesus was very involved in these baptisms. John said twice that he was coming to baptize, and another two verses say that he was actually baptizing. Now, here’s the puzzle: Sarah said her study group is thinking that Jesus didn’t baptize anybody, and I can’t figure out how they came to that conclusion. Mom, what’s going on here?”

“Oh, I might be able to give the general picture. Philip, you have to remember that a great many religious denominations view the crucifixion as the central event in the history of mankind. They call it the crowning sacrifice. I suspect that the early history of baptism in these gospels could be an awkward subject for them.”

“What’s the problem?”

“Well, just think about it. First of all, sin is what separates us from God, so any reference having to do with a cleansing of sin has to be important. Solving the problem of sin is a central theme for all the big denominations.”

“Yeah, Sarah and I went back and forth on this very thing. She was talking about how sacrifice has fixed the problem.”

“Right, and that is called the ‘gospel of Jesus Christ.’ Jesus died for my sins.”

“But mom, that’s not the gospel Jesus preached. He taught the gospel of the kingdom. It’s about seeking a hidden treasure.”

“Okay, I understand you found a different gospel, but you asked me about resistance to the idea that Jesus baptized.”

“Right.”

“So I need to finish up.”

“Oh sure.”

“Well, first of all, water is used in baptism and water represents a cleansing. The spiritual implication of that kind of ceremony would be a cleansing of sins.”

“Yeah, John’s baptism was called the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”

“Good. So you’ve already made the connection. Now, if the cross becomes the focal point with regard to the forgiveness of sins, then why in the world would Jesus be involved in a ceremony suggesting that a person is being cleansed of their sins at such an early date? The timing isn’t right. Most people are comfortable with the baptizing taking place after the crucifixion, after the price of sin was paid, but those baptisms prior to the cross become a kind of puzzle. In fact, there are large groups who hold the position that the people baptized by John had to do it over after the crucifixion took place.”

“Oh boy, that is strange. Especially since John is the one who baptized Jesus.”

“So, can you see the dilemma? People who feel that this early baptizing was nothing more than a ceremonial washing, or perhaps a model of things to come, find it difficult to accept the idea that Jesus could have baptized anyone. If they do accept it, they would be saying that the baptisms Jesus himself performed had no particular purpose other than an example of things to come.”

“Okay, I get it. These early baptisms don’t fit the idea of sacrifice for sin; the timing isn’t right. Well, that’s not a problem for me. I just found good evidence that Jesus didn’t like the idea of sacrifice anyway. A closer look at this early baptizing is now in order. And besides, this baptism had something to do with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God, so it had to be more than just symbolic. Now mom, did the disciples continue baptizing people?”

“Yes. Jesus sent them out at the end of the gospels. I think it was called the great commission. So the baptisms did continue, and I think the early church did it as well.”

“Hmmm, something special was going on here; too bad about all this confusion. These early baptisms had to be more than a bath. A lot can be forgotten in two thousand years.”

“Yes indeed. The details on baptism may have slipped away.”

“Yeah. Well anyway, thanks for the help mom.”

“You bet. Now, where is that little girl? Looks like we both lost her this time. Katie!”

“Here I am. Philip, when are we going to study?”

“Right now. And thanks again mom.”

“Sure thing.”

“Now Katie, I have another nice puzzle for you. I want to see if you can put two and two together.”

“Four!”

“Oh, not that two and two.”

“Which one?”

“Hold on, just listen to this. We know the disciples were students of Jesus. He taught his own disciples, and the Bible starts off by saying that Jesus baptized people. Do you understand this so far?”

“Yes. Jesus taught the disciples, and he baptized too.”

“Now, a bit later the Bible appears to say that more people were coming to be baptized and it was the disciples who baptized, and not Jesus. Can you tell me what happened?”

“Not yet. Give me another hint.”

“Well, Jesus was their teacher. Right?”

“Right.”

“He knew how to baptize, and he was the teacher of his own disciples. Do you follow this so far?”

“Yes.”

“And more people were coming to be baptized.“

“Oh, I know! Did he teach the disciples how to baptize so they could help?”

“Terrific Katie!”

“Did I win?”

“Well, you said the very same thing I was thinking. I’m not absolutely certain, but it sounds right to me. I don’t think the gospel writer would intentionally leave misleading statements behind him. His job was to say things clearly, and if the gospel writer knew that Jesus didn’t baptize, he would have said so right from the start. I think we have the right idea Katie. I get the strong impression that Jesus himself was baptizing, and we also know he was baptized by John. This baptizing activity went on for quite some time, and Jesus was an enthusiastic supporter of the whole thing.”

“What’s baptizing?”

“Katie, I have to say at this point that I really don’t know. Nothing is said about the actual procedure. But I do know it has something to do with water and the Holy Spirit. So we certainly have to look into it.”

“What’s the Holy Spirit?”

“The Holy Spirit is God. John was told that Jesus is coming to baptize with the Holy Spirit--so it has something to do with bringing God to the people. This early baptizing sounds important to me. What do you think?”

“Oh yes, God is important. Everybody should know that.”

“Well Katie, mom just explained something to me. It seems like the big scholars are not so inclined to put much emphasis on the early part of this story, but I’m with you. I think the Holy Spirit is important. And all these early baptisms are clearly linked to the Holy Spirit, so we need to move ahead to figure it out”

“Yeah.”

“Here comes a very well known event. Maybe we can find something in here. Jesus meets a woman at Jacob’s Well. He is talking about the ‘gift of God.’”

“Oh good, I like gifts.”

“It’s John 4:10. This gift of God sounds like a treasure.”

“Is that the treasure Philip?”

“I don’t know. Jesus had a name for this gift of God; he called it ‘living water.’ The term ‘living’ has a nice sound to it. Hmmm, this might be the treasure.”

“Katie, I wonder if this is another one of those spiritual things people cannot see. Yep, here it is; living water is spiritual. The context shows me that the woman didn’t know what Jesus was talking about. She thinks he meant water from Jacob’s Well. But in John 4:13-14, he corrected the woman and said, ‘Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.’ So Katie, this ‘gift of God’ is spiritual water. It can’t be seen with the eyes. Living water is invisible.”

“Philip, how can this be the treasure if we can’t see it?”

“Oh, that’s a great question. Invisible things can be very important. Happiness is invisible. You want happiness, don’t you?”

“Yes. Is living water happy?”

“I don’t know, but let’s think about this. And maybe some ideas about ordinary water will help us understand this living water. Now, how does water help us in our everyday life?”

“Philip, I drink water when I’m thirsty.”

“Right, so water maintains our life when we drink it. What else does water do?”

“I clean with soap and water.”

“All right Katie, I think you got it. Water maintains life when we drink, and water comes to our rescue for cleaning. So now we need to think about this ‘living water.’ It’s the ‘gift of God.’ This is very special water. Spiritual water from God would clean us on a very deep level. I’ll bet Jesus was giving out spiritual water to maintain a vibrant life and clean a person from the inside. We clean our body with soap and water every day, so why not use God’s water to clean the whole person, including the soul. Do you understand this Katie?”

“The gift of God is soap and water for the soul.”

“Sounds right to me. Soap and water for the soul, and a battery charger for the spirit.”

“A battery charger for the spirit.“

“Katie, you’re really sharp today; I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks, I have to go now. Mommy! Mommy!

“Yes honey, what’s up?”

“Jesus was giving a gift. Living water cleans the soul and charges up the battery too.”

“Oh honey, how exciting. I think you’re getting close to the treasure.”

“Yes, this could be the treasure!”

“Terrific, you two make such a good team. My two little theologians.”

“Mommy, what’s a theologian?”

“They’re the people who read the big books and try to understand them. Oh and Philip, how is your ankle?”

“Fine, but I need get out for some exercise.”

“Yeah, that would be good.”

“And mom, I’m not so little. I am almost as big as you.”

“Yes, I understand. But you’re both growing up so fast.”

All right, time to wrap this up. Let’s see now. Jesus was talking about this living water, the “gift of God” that brings everlasting life. Sounds important, and he had to be giving out this gift, or he wouldn’t be talking about it.

Hmmm, this has something to do with baptism. There had to be something special going on to attract all those people. The gift of God sounds special, and water was used at baptism. There must be a connection. I’ll bet this baptismal water is symbolic of the living water. This is the time he would talk about it; the baptizing just took place. The timing is right.

Now, Jesus continued speaking with the woman at Jacob’s Well. In John 4:23-24 he said, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” He went on to say, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” Of course, this is a perfect fit. Worship in spirit, and we already know John was told that Jesus is coming to baptize with the Holy Spirit. Yeah, I got it now: Jesus was teaching the people how to worship in spirit, and the water used in baptism represents this “living water.”

It all fits together, but unfortunately, a couple of things are missing. What is this living water, and how does a person worship in spirit? These are big questions, and I think there’s a connection to baptism as well. This early baptizing was not a symbolic washing, nor was it a rehearsal of things to come--these baptisms were real!

Jesus was in charge. Baptism was the real thing right from the start, but where are the details? I don’t know what happened during this ritual. John was preaching “the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” Living water is spiritual, and as the name suggests, it would have a lively cleaning action. I’ll bet God’s living water could clean up this sin problem. Whoa, this is really big, but I need a break. “Hey Katie, let’s take a walk.”

“Where are we going?”

“Let’s look for your frog.”

“Yeah, let’s go!”

“Mom, Katie and I are going for a short walk.”

“All right, but not too far.”

“I understand. Here Katie, take my hand. We need to walk together from now on; no more journeys on your own. What about that big wolf? Weren’t you afraid out here by yourself?”

“I forgot about the wolf. I was thinking about my frog.”

“Oh I see. Pure love dispels all fear.”

“What did you say?”

“Oh Katie, I was just thinking to myself.”

“You sure do think a lot.”

“Yeah, I like to investigate and analyze, and you like to love that little frog. We make a good team. I pull things apart, and you bring everything back together again. We’re a good team.”

“Yeah. Philip, what’s impreshable?”

“Say it again?”

“Impreshable.”

“Oh, impressionable. It just means that you believe what you’re told. It’s not so bad; you’ll get over it. When you grow up you’ll realize you cannot believe everything you hear. Even the experts get things wrong. Boy, do they ever! But that’s okay, we’re a great team. We’re going to figure this whole thing out on our own.”

“Yeah, we’ll figure it out. Philip, what are we figuring out?”

“Well, we’re thinking about life, and that’s an important topic. Everyone needs life. Living water sounds like the flow of life; it sounds like the flow of energy and vitality. Living water sounds like a treasure that anyone would be happy to own. It’s the gift of God, so it has to be something special. I think these people were coming to get baptized so that they could have this living water.”

“Is living water invisible?”

“Yes, the gift of God is invisible. Jesus speaks a lot about invisible spiritual things. That’s his favorite topic.”

“There’s the puddle. Philip, my frog is gone!”

“Oh, he’s just out swimming with some friends. This is a nice spot. He’s doing fine; don’t worry. Now let’s head back home.”

“Philip, are we still looking for treasure?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Is the treasure invisible?”

“It’s starting to look that way.”

“How are we going to find something we can’t see?”

“I don’t know Katie. This life of Jesus might tell us. He was bringing the gift of God to the people, so he will know how to find invisible things. Are you ready to get rich?”

“Yeah!”

“Me too. We’re a great team. We’ll find it.”

“Can I help?”

“Oh Katie, you’re already helping. Dad told me that I need to keep things simple. So when I explain things to you, I have to simplify everything. You’ve been a big help all along.”

“Good, I like to help. I like to look for treasure.”

“Me too Katie; me too.”

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SIMPLE THEOLOGY FROM CHAPTER SEVEN

-- Early baptizing was not a symbolic washing,
nor was it a promise of things to come.
It was the real thing.

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CHAPTER 8

TEACHER-DISCIPLE AND PRIVACY

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“Is that dad? Is he home?”

“It’s me all right.”

“Can you help with these gospels?”

“Sure son. What’s the story?

“Well, there’s a lot of baptizing going on in this third chapter of John, but no details. This is a big thing and people are coming from all over to be baptized, but no one is talking about it. Shortly after this, Jesus spoke to a woman at Jacob’s Well, and that leads up to my question.”

“Go ahead.”

“It’s about worship. The woman was thinking that as a holy man he would want people to worship in Jerusalem. But Jesus didn’t agree with her and said that true worshipers worship the Father in spirit and in truth. He went on to say that these are the kind of worshipers God seeks (John 4:19-24).”

“And you want to know how to worship in spirit and in truth.”

“Exactly”

“Son, I'm in that same boat.”

“So you don't know how to do it?”

“Right, and I’m not a bit embarrassed to say that I don’t know. Worshipping God is an intimate subject, so we shouldn’t be a bit surprised to find that the details on this important topic are shrouded in mystery. But now is the time to put some attention on it. I’m enjoying your fresh enthusiasm, so perhaps we can make some progress on it together.”

“Good. And dad, the answer should be in these gospels. It's important and Jesus had many disciples. They all needed to know how to worship in spirit, so I'm thinking he had to teach them how to do it.”

“I like your logic son. He just had to teach them how to do it. Jesus just said to the woman, the Father seeks those who worship in spirit and in truth (from John 4:23). And I think we can assume that he was capable of giving his own disciples instructions on how to become the worshippers God seeks. This is the very reason disciples come to a teacher. They want to know God, and they want to know exactly how to worship. So considering both the responsibility of a teacher and the intention of the student, we can certainly expect that Jesus taught his own disciples how to worship in spirit and in truth.”

“Okay dad, let’s go find it. You’ve read the gospels; you probably know right were to look.”

“Yes, I’ve read the gospels along with millions of others, but I don’t know of single person who has discovered the detailed instructions on how to become intimately familiar with the Spirit of God. Philip, we’re not going to find those instructions in these gospels.”

“Why not? Did the gospel writers leave something out?”

“I don’t think so. I think these gospel authors did a great job.”

“So let me get this straight. You’re saying that Jesus taught his disciples how to worship in spirit, but the things he taught them cannot be found in the gospels. And taking this into account, you’re also saying that the gospel writers did a great job?”

“Exactly. You expressed my point of view perfectly.”

“But dad, what about the Bible readers? Aren’t we left out in the cold? How can we learn how to worship in spirit if the gospel author didn’t write it down for us?”

“Another great question. Now Philip, this is the perfect opportunity to take a look at something quite important. It’s common for people to pass right over this central topic, and I think you missed it too. How about the teacher-disciple relationship?”

“Never gave it a thought.”

“And how many teacher-disciple relationships have you come across in your entire lifetime?”

“Not a one. But what’s so special? This all looks very ordinary to me. These disciples found someone who is very smart and they just started following him around. Jesus was teaching them, so what am I missing?”

“You’re doing fine so far. You just gave me the western point of view, and this is exactly where people fall short in their understanding. They assume that the teacher-disciple relationship is not much different than the experience they had in their own schools. That’s a mistake, and it’s a big mistake too. There is more to this ancient method of teaching than the lecturing and reading we think about with regard to our current education system.”

“So what am I looking for?”

“You’re looking for something that cannot be seen. It’s private.”

“So Jesus shared private things with his disciples?”

“In all probability, yes. Worshipping God is a delicate subject, and the personal nature of a spiritual practice means--those who learn from their teacher, keep what they learn to themselves.”

“Oh, I know what happened. The gospel writers were disciples, and any personal instruction they got was private. They wouldn’t say anything, and they wouldn’t put it down in writing. Boy, this is rather unfortunate for Bible readers. The details on how to worship God in spirit are not in here. Dad, why were they so secretive?”

“Let’s put off the ‘whys’ for a little while. We can talk about that later. You simply need to be aware of the personal nature of this relationship. And moreover, these private lessons may have been tailored to each individual. So certainly, any spiritual practice a disciple received was for that person, and that person alone. So in summary we could say that this was just a private matter.”

“All right, I guess it makes sense. But I never heard of such a thing before.”

“Philip, this is an eastern custom. It’s called a ‘living tradition.’”

“What does that mean?”

“It means the knowledge passed along from teacher to disciple is living knowledge. It’s like passing along a living seed. The living word is lively in the person who is teaching, and immediately comes to life as the student receives it. Or to put it more simply, instruction is passed along personally from one living human being to another. And since the instruction can be customized, these lessons are not intended to be written down. Do you understand it?”

“Oh sure. The teaching was tailored to each disciple and passed along in private. I understand it. But dad, this was two thousand years ago! How did you come up with this?”

That’s a fair question. Philip, this teacher-disciple thing has been around for thousands of years. It still exists in some of the more remote parts of this world. I lived in the Far East for quite some time and took that opportunity to look into it.”

“So tell me more. I’m curious about this thing.”

“All right. I can give you the essence of this ancient tradition in three simple words: privacy, ritual, and tradition.”

“Okay, we just covered the private part. What about the rest of it?”

“The rest is easy to discuss since there’s a good chance that you’ve already noticed the ritual and tradition in these gospels.”

“Oh sure. What about baptism?”

“A likely candidate.”

“And everyone was being quiet about it too, so the privacy seems to be there as well. I was looking for the details on this early baptizing, but all I could find was the water and a connection to the Holy Spirit.”

“That’s fine son, you did a great job. The only important thing to notice right now is that both the privacy and ritual are a normal part of this very ancient method of teaching. Now what about the tradition? Did you notice that part?”

“Maybe I can think of something. I got it! John the Baptist was baptizing people, and it seems that Jesus and his disciples picked up where John left off.”

“Excellent, but there's more. Now just think back to the beginning of this gospel story. Did you notice anything a bit out of the ordinary or maybe a little unusual?”

“Not really. Oh, except for one thing, Jesus had John baptize him. I thought it was unusual since John’s baptism was called the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. I couldn’t figure out why he would need anything like that.”

“Very good. Jesus was baptized by John and there appears to be no reason for it. But there was a reason, and Jesus himself said it was proper (Matthew 3:15). He was simply following the standard practice of recognizing the teacher who preceded him. That’s one of the hallmarks of this teacher-disciple tradition. So there you have it. Both Jesus and John used this ancient method of teaching, and it looks to me as if both of them followed the very standard practice of privacy, ritual, and tradition.”

“Hmmm. So I did slide right over it. I didn’t even give it a second thought.”

“Well son, you’re not alone. Perhaps the subject has been researched somewhere, but I have yet to come across any careful consideration of this very special tradition of teaching. It was very clearly used by both Jesus and John, so it has to be quite important. Don’t you think so too?”

“Yeah. But dad, how was this overlooked?”

“Oh, that’s not so hard to explain. I suspect it’s the eastern nature of this relationship that has limited the research. There’s a popular saying: ‘East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet.’ I think it was Rudyard Kipling.”

“Yeah, I heard that one before.”

“Well, it’s my opinion that this saying is especially true in theological circles. I don’t think the eastern connection would be very popular in a western spiritual tradition, so this aspect of teaching method would not get the attention it deserves. In fact, it seems to me that the fundamental practices used in the teacher-disciple relationship are just generally ignored.”

“And Jesus and John were living in the Middle East too.”

“Of course. Ignoring the characteristics of this traditional method of teaching is a huge oversight--I think it’s the most fundamental feature of this gospel story.”

“I’ll say it is. And I’m not going to overlook it. Thanks dad.”

“And remind me to talk about the private part. We can do that some other time.”

“All right.”

“Hi daddy.”

“Hi honey. Come on over and give me a hug.”

“What are you doing?”

“Philip and I are talking about the old Bible days. Jesus lived back then, and teaching methods were very different two thousand years ago. We want to get a feel for what was going on, so we’re thinking about some of the traditions left over from those early days. Honey, there are remote areas in this world that haven’t changed much in the past two thousand years. Some of those ancient spiritual groups are still out there.”

“Are they looking for treasure?”

“Spiritual people want to tap into God’s treasury. So yes, you could say they are looking for treasure.”

“Daddy, is God a ghost?”

“A ghost? Honey, are you puzzled by the word spirit?”

“Maybe.”

“Oh dad, I have a question about that too.”

“All right, but let’s take these questions one at a time. Katie, you start. What’s this about ghosts?”

“Well, a spirit is a ghost, so God is a ghost.”

“Oh, I see. But if you’re thinking of a ghost as something small, then God is not a ghost. Honey, there’s nothing wrong with your thinking. This word ‘spirit’ has a mixed up history. It means different things to different people. When Jesus said God is spirit, he was talking about almighty God, not a ghost. Does that make sense to you honey?”

“I guess so.”

“Maybe we can just say that the word ‘ghost’ means ‘small’ to some people, so in the common sense of the word, God is not a ghost. Katie, you may be too young to understand much of this, but I need to say more for Philip.”

“Okay, but I want to hear it too.”

“Sure honey. Well, it’s just that people have been using the word ‘spirit’ improperly. There are many things people cannot see with their physical eyes, so when they carelessly start to assemble all these invisible things into one basket, they might say ‘spirit’ or ‘spirits.’ Mixing God and a small entity together under the same description isn’t right. When we look at these gospels and see the word spirit, it’s a reference to the influence of God, unless it’s preceded by the word ‘unclean.’”

“So dad, the confusion came up when people dropped the word ‘unclean.’”

“Exactly. Out of ignorance the prefix ‘unclean’ was left out, and thus the term ‘spirit’ came to represent both that which is clean and that which is unclean. Certainly a very strange situation. But my understanding is that the single word ‘Spirit’ in these gospels is a reference to the influence of the omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent God. Now Katie, do you have any more questions?”

“Yeah, but I forgot.”

“Oh, that’s normal honey. Just go out and play for a little while and it might come back to you.”

“Okay.”

“And Philip, you had a question.”

“I want to know why the word ‘spirit’ is capitalized some places in the Bible and not capitalized in other places.”

“Oh sure, that’s an easy one. The original documents were written in one case, not the upper and lower case we see today. I think the distinction came from the translator, so I would be very cautious about reading anything into those differences.”

“All right.”

“Time for a break?”

“Yeah, I could use a snack right now.”

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CHAPTER EIGHT, PART TWO

“Thanks mom.”

“Sure.”

“And son, can you really appreciate the central role of this teacher-disciple relationship in the gospel story?”

“Yeah. it's at the very heart of the story.”

“And just consider this: we have thousands of theologians who have been searching through this 1600 page book for the key to a better life, not realizing that the most important information on how to become familiar with God was traditionally passed along in private. That’s a careless oversight and comes from the western habit of not wanting to recognize any eastern influence. I can give you another example of the very same thing; it’s about sackcloth and ashes.”

“What’s that?”

“Well, there’s a verse in which Jesus is speaking about repentance and mentions ‘sackcloth and ashes.’ Understanding the term repentance is of the utmost importance, so it would be foolish to ignore the one place in these gospels that gives a rather vivid description of the word.”

“Where is it?”

“Right here, Luke 10:13. And here it is again in Matthew 11:21. Jesus is speaking and I’ll paraphrase the statement. It goes something like this: ‘They would have repented a long time ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.’ I read this many years ago, and it made an impression on me. So when I traveled in the Far East and actually saw a person who was sitting right in front of me in sackcloth and ashes, it just jarred my memory. I was thinking to myself: now here is a living picture of the very thing I read about in the Bible. There he was, all smeared up with ashes, and his body was clothed in a simple rice sackcloth.”

“Did you speak with him?”

“Yes, but the conversation was rather short. I simply asked, ‘what are you doing?’ It seems that the question was understood and he responded, but with only one word. He said ‘tapas.’”

“Tapas? What does that mean?”

“It’s the Sanskrit word for heat or fire. I think it means renunciation.”

“Does tapas mean repentance?”

“I think so, but I’m not absolutely certain.”

“And dad, John the Baptist mentioned ‘fire’ when he announced the kind of baptism Jesus was going to perform (Matthew 3:11). Do you think this fire might have something to do with the word ‘tapas’ and the ashes on that man?”

“I never gave it a thought. Boy, you sure are after those connections.”

“Yeah, I like to see how things fit together.”

“Well anyway, this chance meeting with a wandering monk just sparked my interest in these eastern traditions. It led me to look more carefully at the teacher-disciple thing; the sackcloth and ashes just got the ball rolling. Now, this kind of reference doesn’t appeal to the western mind, but if you want to understand what’s going on in these gospels, you just have to consider the implications of the eastern influence. Just look at baptism as an example. It has everything: the living tradition, the privacy, the ceremony. And look at who’s doing it. It’s John and his disciples, and Jesus and his disciples. Both were using this very ancient teacher-disciple method of teaching. And just look at John! His clothing was made of camel hair, and he ate locusts and honey. Not quite sackcloth and ashes but pretty darn close.”

“Okay, I get the point. But dad, I don’t want to smear myself up with ashes or wear a sackcloth. I’m looking for treasure. I don’t like that other stuff.”

“Symbolism son, remember this is symbolism. Baptism has water, but it doesn’t mean you have to live in water for the rest of your life. My guess is that the ashes are symbolic. Don’t let it throw you off the track. Those things simply represent the unseen treasure. The physical symbols are just superficial things, and likewise, the monk I met may have been living the life those symbols represent, or he may have been putting on a show, with no real substance behind the costume he was wearing. Who is to say if it was genuine or not.”

“The ashes we see with our eyes are symbolic of something we can’t see.”

“You got it.”

“So now we have to uncover what's behind those symbols.”

“Right.”

“Okay, but I still feel a bit uneasy. Dad, just the thought of this teacher-disciple thing makes me feel uncomfortable. I don’t want anyone telling me what to do. I like my independence. This disciple thing doesn’t sound good to me.”

“So you have no desire to become a follower. Is that your thinking?”

“Exactly. I want to be strong and self-sufficient. I don’t want to follow anybody.”

“All right, your point of view sounds rather normal to me. And moreover, if a person is truly spiritual, they are gaining strength from within. The need to follow should diminish over time for a spiritual person. So this bit of confusion means we need to look more carefully at this teacher-disciple thing. Was Jesus recruiting followers, or was he making strong self-sufficient leaders?”

“Yeah, that’s it. What was he doing?”

“Philip, I think it might be good to recall the gospel conversation that started our discussion. Remember the woman at Jacob’s Well?”

“Sure.”

“Now, do you recall anything about ‘gifts’ in that conversation?”

“Yes, Jesus spoke to the woman about the ‘gift of God.’ He called it living water and said it will become a well of water springing up into eternal life.”

“So Jesus was giving gifts.”

“Yeah, it sure looks that way.”

“And how do you think people would respond to such a gift? Now keep in mind, this is the ‘gift of God.’”

“Well, if this is as good as it sounds, they would appreciate the gift and feel gratitude towards the one who gave it to them.”

“Excellent, so there you have it--a teacher giving gifts is doing so out of love for the people. And those who receive that gift feel gratitude for what they have been given--this is the real essence of the genuine teacher-disciple relationship. Now son, do you see any weakness or dependence in that kind of relationship.”

“No, that’s fine. A real gift has no strings attached.”

“Right, and you may have heard this verse before: ‘And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’” (John 8:32).

“Yeah, I know that one.”

“So he was bringing freedom. He was not recruiting followers. Jesus was giving a gift that bestows freedom and eternal life. And the disciples showed their respect out of gratitude for the gift they were given.”

“Okay, I got it. These disciples were not followers. The label of ‘follower’ doesn’t fit what you’re talking about, except for the apostles. Dad, the apostles left their homes and ended up doing just what he wanted them to do.”

“That’s very true. But remember, you’re now speaking about a small number of apostles. Disciples probably numbered in the thousands, but there were only a handful of apostles. And those apostles chose to volunteer for a job. They wanted to help with his mission. The apostles were being groomed to represent Jesus, so certainly they had to do as he said. But generally speaking, the disciples simply came for a gift, and just as you said about genuine gifts, ‘no strings attached.’ So the word ‘follower’ doesn’t apply to the real teacher-disciple relationship as I understand it.”

“All right, so these disciples were simply picking up a gift that would make them stronger. And now I know why so many people were coming to Jesus and John. They came for a gift, no strings attached!”

“I think so.”

“Good. I feel much better about this. Thanks.”

“Sure thing.”

“Daddy, I’m back. I remember now.”

“So a little play and relaxation helped. I sure do want to hear your question honey.”

“Daddy, the treasure is invisible. How can we find the treasure if we can’t see it?”

“Yeah dad, that’s the big mystery now. Jesus keeps talking about the kingdom of heaven and all the invisible things. That seems to be his favorite topic. How can we uncover the spiritual things that can’t be seen with our physical eyes?”

“Oh sure, we need to think about that one. And Philip, this fits right in with your original question about worshipping in spirit, since the spirit of God is invisible.”

“It sure does.”

“Katie, I’m a bit surprised you would think of a question like this at such a tender age. How did you come up with such a thing?”

“I don’t know. I’m thinking with Philip. We’re a team.”

“Aha. You’re a team now.”

“Yeah dad, remember? You told me to keep things simple.”

“Sure, I remember.”

“Well, Katie just started asking questions. I had to come up with simple answers, and those answers helped me simplify things for myself. So we’re working together now.”

“Oh, I see. And the team needs to know how to see that which is unseen. Boy, you two can sure come up with the questions. I’ll have to think about that one. And I might speak with some friends of mine as well. I don’t know if I can help, but I’ll give it a try. How to fathom the unfathomable, hmmm. Katie, that sure is some question!”

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A SIMPLE POINT FROM CHAPTER EIGHT

-- Both Jesus Christ and John the Baptist
favored the teacher-disciple relationship.
In that living tradition,
instructions on how to worship
are customarily passed along in private.

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CHAPTER 9

LIGHTING UP WITH OMNISCIENCE

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“Let’s call Sarah.”

“Katie, that’s a great idea, but what’s up?”

“I have some news for her.”

“All right, I’ll get her.”

“Hi. Got time to talk?”

“Oh, sure Philip. What’s on your mind?”

“First of all, Katie wants to speak with you.”

“Wonderful, put her on.”

“Hi.”

“Hi Katie. How are you?”

“I’m fine.”

“Is there something you want to ask me?”

“Yes. Do you know what I am?”

“Well, I know you’re a little girl, and I know your name. I’d like to know more. Tell me about yourself. What do you like to do for fun?”

“I like to dance.”

“Oh, I like to dance too. I wanted to be a ballerina when I was your age.”

“You did? I want to be a ballerina too.”

“You know what, I have some little dance slippers in the closet. I was wondering who was going to get those. They’re brand new. Would you like to have them?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, it’s a deal. They’re made of satin and very pretty.”

“Good.”

“What else do you like to do?”

“I like to read with Philip. Mom said I’m a thea, thea something. Philip, what’s that word?”

“Theologian.”

“Yes, I’m a theologian.”

“Whoa, that’s something! You’re a theologian at such a tender age, and a ballerina on top of that. Katie, you have a bright future ahead of you.”

“I’m going to be busy reading and dancing.”

“Oh, that’s a good combination, some study and some exercise.”

“I have to go now.”

“Okay, bye.”

“Philip, Sarah has dance slippers for me!”

“Oh really?”

“Philip, she is precious. You’re so lucky to have her as a sister.”

“Yeah, I’m starting to appreciate her more as time goes by. She’s a good kid and quite smart. She comes in from time to time when I’m reading. As I explain things to her, it helps me simplify everything. This Bible could spin a person around in circles without some simplification.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. It’s too big and complicated. I don’t understand it, and sometimes I think the experts don’t get it either. Lot’s of things just don’t seem to fit together. Oh, and by the way, did you look up those two verses I gave you? Did they fit what I was saying?”

“I checked it out, but I need to say something first.”

“Go ahead.”

“Well, I looked them up and they didn’t fit at all. It led me to think about something dad said. He was talking about tolerance and how everyone has their own way of looking at things.”

“Yes, go on.”

“It’s just that I’m putting you in the middle. Mr. Peterson is teaching you one thing, and I’m saying something else. Is that all right with you?”

“Well, it might look like I’m in the middle. But remember, I asked for your point of view, so you’re just filling a request. I want to hear your side. In fact, I want to hear all sides. That’s how I learn. Philip, don’t worry, and besides, I’m about to turn the tables on you.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Just go ahead, I’ll talk when you’re finished. So tell me what you found on those two verses.”

“Okay, here goes. The first one is John 3:16. It comes during a discussion with Nicodemus. Jesus was preaching about being born of the spirit. I couldn’t find anything about a sacrifice. This whole section is about the world being saved through the Spirit and the light of God.”

“I understand. So what about the next one?”

“The other verse was Matthew 26:28. That one appeared to be quite promising until I looked up an earlier reference giving a description of the body and blood of Christ. The whole thing is explained in John 6:54-65. Jesus started by saying that anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and of course the disciples didn’t understand what he was talking about. So Jesus went on to explain that he was not speaking about the physical body or blood, but about the Spirit of God” (John 6:63).

“All right. I’m just going to let this go for now and look it up later.”

“Yeah, check it out and see what you think. Let me know if I made a mistake.”

“Okay, and thanks for giving me your thoughts.”

“Sure. Now what was this about turning the tables?”

“Oh yes, and your're in on this one. It doesn't fit the big picture either.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re reading scriptures, aren’t you?”

“Of course.”

“Well Philip, guess what. I don’t think the disciples were Bible students. They were under the direct supervision of Jesus Christ, but I can’t see any evidence that they studied scripture. Everybody is doing it these days, including you. But I don’t see the disciples reading anything in these four gospels.”

“They didn’t have to. Jesus was saying everything in person.”

“But Philip, just think. We have so many conversations with different individuals and groups in these gospels. None of the disciples were in on all those meetings.”

“Well, maybe they added some scripture reading to their direct contact.”

“Philip, you don’t understand. There were no printing presses in those days, and not everyone could read. Books didn’t even exist back then. There were some scrolls in the temple, but I think that was about it. If Jesus wanted his disciples to read scripture, he would have needed the help of dozens or even hundreds of scribes to prepare the scriptures for the people. It took a long time to copy just one book, so Bible study wasn’t an option for the common person back then. We get so involved with these Bible books, but I’m wondering if this is the right thing to do. Jesus was in charge of everything, and I don’t see the disciples doing any of this. I can’t see the connection between what we’re doing now, and what was going on under the Lord’s careful supervision. There’s something very different about it.”

“You know Sarah, I was thinking about the same thing. It’s like the apostles of Jesus were just wandering around with no job, no family, no scriptures, no nothing. So what were they doing? And look at John the Baptist. He was like a wandering monk.”

“And Philip, they weren’t building churches or temples either.”

“Right. So what did Jesus have them doing? You know, my dad was talking about this teacher-disciple thing. He might have something to say.”

“Good. And I want to hear it too. I’ve been thinking about this for quite some time now, and it’s the very reason I’m so fascinated with your independent study. You’re looking for treasure. A treasure hunt sounds different than studying scripture. People might actually drop everything to seek out a treasure. It would explain what I’ve been reading in these four gospels.”

“Philip, I just don’t think the disciples were studying the old testament. In fact, it was Pharisees and teachers of the law who did that kind of thing, and Jesus had a running debate with them. They were on opposite sides on all kinds of issues. The other side was memorizing scripture, interpreting the law, and judging others on what they read. I don’t want to follow their example. It worries me to see religious people doing the very thing Jesus was complaining about. Sometimes I wonder if I’m on the right track with all this study and memorizing.”

“But Sarah, Jesus himself quoted scripture.”

“Yes, but if you check out the context of those verses you’ll find that most of the passages he quoted were used to debate the Pharisees and teachers of the law. He was simply dealing with them in their language. Philip, I just want to know more about what Jesus and the disciples were doing. I would like to follow their example. Jesus was teaching, and I don’t think he was teaching the disciples to memorize scripture.”

“I see. Well now, you got me on that one.”

“Philip, I want to talk now.”

“Katie is back. Just like a butterfly, sometimes she’s here and sometimes she’s gone.”

“Go ahead, put her on.”

“Hi.”

“Hi again.”

“What color are they?”

“Oh, the slippers. They’re white, kind of like silk.”

“Okay, bye.”

“Oh boy, she’s excited about that gift. I don’t think she’ll settle down until she has them. Can I make a pickup right now?”

“Well, I’ll be gone in a minute, but I can leave the box out on the front porch.”

“All right, I’ll pick it up shortly. And thanks, you really got her number on that one.”

“Good, so I have to go now. And don’t forget the question. Jesus gave the disciples something to do, but I don’t think they were memorizing Bible verses.”

“Sure thing, I’ll let you know what he says. Take care.”

“Bye now.”

“Do you want to pick up that gift?”

“Yeah, let’s go!”

“Dad, Katie and I are walking to Sarah’s to pick up a pair of dance slippers.”

“Hold on. I could use a little exercise. How about the whole family?”

“Yeah. Hey mom, come and walk with us.”

“I’m ready.”

“Katie, do you want to ride on my shoulders?”

“Okay daddy, but don’t step on my picture.”

“Oh, you’ve been drawing on the walkway, Very pretty.”

“Come on Mom.”

“I’m coming. And look at how nice it is out here. We need to do this more often. This is such a charming neighborhood. Don’t you just love these old sidewalks?”

“Honey, they need some repair. It’s the big trees. The roots are lifting this concrete.”

“I still love these sidewalks. The uneven surface gives some extra character. I can see the influence of the long passage of time. Just think of what has happened here. A little seed fell on the ground and grew up to be this big tree that has the power to lift heavy concrete slabs. It’s really amazing.”

“Watch out everybody. I think mom is getting into her ‘Sound of Music’ mood again.”

“Come on guys, it’s really quite wonderful. Just take a look at this seed. it’s so small and unnoticed. A seed is just a little packet of intelligence. It gets wet, a tiny sprout comes out, and the living sap starts to flow. Years and years go by, and the flow of that sap keeps building up the tree, cell by cell, until it has the power to lift up these huge concrete slabs. It’s just the seed, the sap, and the passage of time. I’ll bet those construction workers thought this concrete would never move. But here it is, moving all over the place!”

“Honey, there’s an old saying in the construction industry: ‘water always wins.’ It’s the ice and snow, and the sap in the roots. It’s the powerful nature of water.”

“Living water.”

“What was that son?”

“Oh, I was just thinking. If ordinary water does this, what about the living water Jesus was talking about? He called it the ‘gift of God.’ I wonder what that would do. I’ll bet it could move mountains.”

“Sounds right to me son.”

“Oh mom, I can see the box from here.”

“Philip, don’t run fast, remember your ankle.”

“Daddy, let me down.”

“Sure honey.”

“Yeah, this is it.”

“Philip, please don’t run.”

“Here it is Katie. Do you want to look inside?”

“Yeah.”

“Ah, look at these, heavenly!”

“Mommy, are they for heaven?”

“Let’s say very special. Custom made to look like real ballet slippers with the ribbon and all. But made for a child, soft and flexible.”

“I’ll try them on.”

“Better wait till we get home.”

“Let’s hurry.”

“Relax Katie, those slippers are not going to run off anywhere. That sure was a nice gift from Sarah.”

“Oh dad, Sarah gave me something to think about. We both want your thoughts on it.”

“Sure.”

“Did the disciples have scripture study like we see today?”

“I don’t think so. There were no printing presses back then. Most of the population couldn’t even read in those days.”

“So what about the disciples? What were they doing for spiritual growth?”

“Good question. I think this teacher-disciple relationship is about the inner life. And of course you remember that both Jesus and John used this method of teaching.”

“Yeah, but what were they teaching? What were the disciples learning?”

“Well, it was certainly different than the education we have today. There was no memorizing, no tests, and not many lessons either.”

“Education without memorizing or tests? I don’t think so dad.”

“But I think it’s possible. I don’t know the details, but I can give you the general idea.”

“Good. I got to hear this one.”

“Oh sure, it’s really quite simple. The teacher-disciple relationship is about becoming familiar with God, and since God is omniscient, they’re after the brilliance that comes with exposure to omniscience. It’s like opening up to the light of God. It’s a very simple system, so neither memorizing nor testing is needed.”

“Dad, I like that system. What do you think mom?”

“I don’t know Philip. Honey, do you really think it’s possible to brighten up like that?”

“I think it’s possible. This very thing has been the aspiration of monks and yogis for thousands of years now. In the old system, the key of knowledge is simply passed along from one generation to the next through the teacher-disciple tradition (also reference Luke 11:52). Entering God’s kingdom is like direct exposure to the light of God. This is the light that brings inner revelation.”

“Knowledge without memorizing or tests. It comes from the inside, not from reading old manuscripts.”

“That’s the way I understand it son.”

“Whoa, this is great. I want that kind of knowledge. Hmmm, and this would explain the division between Jesus and the teachers of the law who memorized scripture verses. One side used the old manuscripts, and the other approach was to become familiar with the intelligence at the source of all scripture, and everything else for that matter. This also supports that yoke thing; ‘my yoke is easy.’ God is all knowing, so knowledge by way of God’s omniscience would certainly be easier than memorizing. Boy, I want to know more about this.”

“Now that you’re bringing it back to my attention, I have a longing to know more myself. I regret not having followed up on it many years ago. Honey, I think you’re trespassing! What is she doing?”

“Smelling the neighbor’s flowers. Hey mom, this is the yard with that big dog.”

“Philip, let’s go home!”

“Oh Katie, I don’t see the dog. I think we’re safe.”

“Honeysuckle.”

“What?”

“This is honeysuckle, my favorite.”

“Come on, it’s getting dark.”

“Okay, Okay.”

“Katie, better take your mom’s hand so she doesn’t run off again.”

“Oh hush.”

“Here mommy, take my hand.”

“Sure honey.”

“Stay with me now. Who’s got the box?”

“Here it is.”

“Don’t lose it.”

“Dad, how did they do it?”

“Do what?”

“How did they get to know God. How did they get to know omniscience?”

“Science, hmmm.”

“What?”

“Oh son, I was just thinking about the word ‘omniscience’ after you said it. The root word in omniscience is ‘science.’ Omniscience means all science; I think it means the ‘science of everything.’ Sometimes I feel these words know more than we do. We sure could use a science of everything. The science we have right now appears to be a bit dangerous. I don’t know if today’s science is leading us ahead, or to our own destruction. It’s down right scary. We could use a little omniscience as this scientific age progresses. If it comes, it better come quickly.”

“But how did they do it?”

“Oh sure, back to your question. I don’t know exactly, but I think it has something to do with stillness and learning to be perfectly quiet inside. There’s something from the Psalms. ‘Be still and know that I am God’ (Psalm 46:10). Just be still.”

“Dad, I can’t do that. My mind is always chattering.”

“Well, that’s the whole idea behind this teacher-disciple thing. The teacher shows the student how to do something which would otherwise be impossible. This is a gift that turns a chattering mind into a quiet mind. And that’s why they show appreciation to the ones who preceded them. It’s an expression of gratitude for what has been passed along from generation to generation. And if this is the key to gaining some familiarity with omniscience, it would be quite a gift. It has something to do with stillness; familiarity with omniscience comes with stillness.”

“Dad, Jesus was talking about the gift of God. Doesn’t that mean he was giving out something?”

“Of course. If he spoke of a gift, he was probably giving it out.”

“Omniscience, the key to knowledge, and a gift of living water. I wonder how it all goes together?”

“That’s a great question.”

“Now dad, I can connect the teacher-disciple thing to the light of God, but what about this living water? How does that gift of God fit into the picture?”

“This might be a good challenge for me son. Do you want me to take on that part of the puzzle?”

“Terrific. It’s a deal.”

“So I’ll keep it in mind: living water and the light of God. Yes, they fit together somehow.”

“Oh, look at our house. It’s so beautiful late in the evening.”

“What did I tell you, ‘Sound of Music.’”

“Oh stop. I’m just a happy mom, that’s all. Now watch your step honey. Let’s get those slippers out so Katie can try them on.”

“Okay, here. What’s the ribbon for?”

“It holds the back part on.”

“Which is which?”

“No left or right, they’re both the same. Here Katie, slip these on. This part goes around like this. And the knot goes right here. Tuck it under like this. Wow, look at those! What do you think Katie?”

“I like it.”

“Well made, and they fit good too. Are they comfortable?”

“Yes.”

“Now let’s go find a place for this box.”

“Okay mommy.”

“They don’t appear to be wealthy.”

“What did you say son?”

“Those disciples, they don’t appear to be wealthy. Dad, I don’t get this idea of renunciation and going out into the desert. It doesn’t sound like wealth to me. How can these people be receiving the gift of God and not be wealthy?”

“Philip, I think words like ‘renunciation’ and ‘repentance’ have been misunderstood. And besides, no one can evaluate the life a person by looking at the outside.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. Just like mom, she has happiness on the inside. Something special is going on with her, and I don’t know what it is.”

“Yes, your mom has her own world. And it’s the same with everybody; everyone has their own inner world. For some it’s good, and for others it’s not so good. You can’t evaluate a life by looking at the outside. Some people are finding fulfillment in life, while others seem to be in a difficult struggle at every turn; the outside doesn’t tell the story. A person may have everything on the outside, but they could be dying on the inside. It’s the life on the inside that really counts in the end.”

“So the real wealth of a person cannot be measured by where they live, what they wear, or how much money they have.”

“Right son. Those are all superficial things. Sometimes people accumulate money out of a feeling of insecurity. They are not rich at all. They are living in fear; it’s a miserable way to live. But the people who are seeking God are after real wealth, not just superficial things. They want fulfillment in all aspects of life. They want wealth inside and outside. They want it all.”

“I want both treasures. Dad, that’s exactly what I want. I want it all.”

“Yes, like omniscience, the science of everything. The key to knowledge in one simple step.”

“Yeah, so now I’m starting to get the picture on this teacher-disciple thing. Those disciples didn’t have to memorize anything. They were after God’s omniscience and the brightness that comes from being in the light of God.”

“Yes, I think that’s it.”

“You’re right dad. I did slip right over the teacher-disciple thing. I didn’t even give it a second thought. Imagine that, slipping over the most important part.”

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THE ESSENCE OF CHAPTER NINE

-- Revelation comes from the inside.

-- The smartest people go after inner wealth,
a treasure that is never lost or stolen.

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CHAPTER 10

DISCIPLES ALREADY HAVE THE LIGHT

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“Come on Katie, we have all day today. Let’s move ahead with this project.”

“Are we almost finished?”

“I don’t think so. I’m only on the fourth chapter, and there are lots of chapters in these gospels. But we’re going to move ahead quickly because I don’t think Jesus was asking people to read the Bible. Maybe this book will tell us what he wanted them to do, so let’s get going. Look here, John the Baptist is already in trouble. He’s in jail now.”

“What did he do?”

“I think he spoke against King Herod. And on top of that, Herod’s wife hates John, so they locked him up. Let’s see what happens. Gosh, Jesus was speaking very highly of John while he was in prison. Luke 7:28 appears to say that it’s possible to be greater than John, but look what he said in the first part of this verse. ‘Among those that are born of woman there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist:’ sounds like the highest kind of praise.”

“Jesus likes John.”

“You bet he does. And this could be important to our research, so we need to give it some thought. This statement brings up a very interesting question. Katie, let’s pretend that you are a great theologian.”

“I am one of those already.”

“Oh sure. Now as a great theologian you are carefully studying the life of Jesus and notice that he just said that there is no greater prophet than John the Baptist. Now, from that point on, what will you be thinking?”

“I want to know more about John.”

“Right. And look at this. Our wish is already fulfilled. We have more information on this great person. This next part tells us about the power of John’s baptism. It explains that even the tax collectors were able to acknowledge God because they had been baptized by John the Baptist (paraphrase of Luke 7:29). Katie, this means that the people who were coming from all over to be baptized by John were coming for a very good reason. They had their eyes opened. His baptism even helped the tax collectors think more clearly.”

“John was nice to help all those people.”

“He sure was. And collecting taxes is a tough job, so he was out to help everybody. The broader statement in Luke 7:29-30 generally says that those who were baptized by John were able to accept the counsel of God, but the people who were not baptized by him rejected God’s role in their own lives. These verses confirm that John’s baptism was the real thing, and powerful too. His baptism prepared the minds of people to accept the truth. Katie, I think John was doing more than dipping people in the water.”

“Me too.”

“It sounds like he was giving something to clear up their understanding.”

“So they can think better.”

“Right. And dad explained how things can be passed along privately in that old teacher-disciple tradition. John was a recluse. He was an expert in the quiet life, and there are some words from the Psalms that say: ‘be still and know that I am God.’ Maybe John showed the people how to enjoy stillness so that they could think better in God's light, but that's just a guess. Well, in any case, these verses do suggest that his baptism had the power to change the way ordinary people think. But unfortunately, we don’t know what he gave them. Oh, look at this.”

“What.”

“Jesus said something else about John, ‘And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come’” (Matthew 11:14).

“John is Elias? Who is Elias?”

“He was one of those great prophets. This is a surprising statement.”

“Why?”

“Well, it sounds like Jesus is saying that Elias lived his life long ago and then came back to live another life as John the Baptist. But Katie, this is just one verse. I don’t think we need to put much attention on it unless it comes up again.”

“Okay. But Philip, what happened to John? Did he get out of jail?”

“Let’s see what happened. Oh no!”

“What!”

“Herod had John killed. They cut off his head” (Matthew 14:1-13).

“And John was so nice. What did Jesus do?”

“It says ‘he departed.’ I guess he went out to be alone or something.”

“Philip, I don’t like this part. I’m going to do something else.”

“Where are your new dance slippers?”

“In the box. I like to look at them.”

“Okay.” Now, this beheading of John jumped way ahead of the story. I need to back up and see what Jesus did after that talk with the woman at Jacob’s Well. All right, this section is about his ministry in Galilee. He was popular there, and this is what he said to them (Mark 1:15). “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Gospel, gospel, hmmm, so this is about the kingdom gospel. He wanted people to hear and accept the treasure gospel he was preaching.

But what does this "repent" mean? He gave a picture of repentance when he spoke of “sitting in sackcloth and ashes” in Luke 10:13, but I don’t know what a person does in sackcloth and ashes. A fire makes ashes, and John the Baptist announced that Jesus was coming to baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:11). Jesus came to bring the light of God, and I suspect that that this “fire” has something to do with the powerful light of God. Fire gives light, and fire makes ashes. It all fits together, but the whole thing is not so clear. And Jesus just added this thing about repent. “Hey mom, what does repent mean?”

“Well, the common understanding of repent is to feel sorrow or regret. But Philip, your father did some research on this word and ended up feeling quite uneasy with the common interpretation. In fact, I think he was planning to get some help from a Greek scholar.”

“So what happened?”

“I don’t think he got around to it.”

“What was the problem?”

“He thought that if the Greeks wanted to speak about regret or sorrow, they would have used a different word.”

“So repent may mean something else.”

“That’s my understanding.”

“And this idea of feeling sorry doesn’t sound right anyway. Regret doesn't fix anything.”

“Right, feeling sorry doesn’t solve problems.”

“All right, thanks mom.”

“You bet.”

Hmmm, feeling bad over things from the past is not so useful. There’s an old saying: “no use crying over spilt milk.” I don’t think Jesus would have wasted his time telling people to feel sorry. He was after a big transformation, so whatever he gave the people had to bring about a tremendous change.

Aha, the “gift of God.” God is the light of omniscience, so maybe repent had something to do with that gift. The gift of God would have been powerful enough to transform them. And I seem to remember something else in here. Oh sure, Jesus said to the woman at Jacob’s Well that those who worship God must worship in spirit and in truth (from John 4:24). If he spoke of the importance of worship, he would surely teach his own disciples how to do it.

A lot of things to think about now, but in one sense this gospel story is quite simple. It’s as simple as putting these two close associates together--Jesus and John. Jesus was speaking highly of John and insisted that John should baptize him. They were both enthusiastic proponents of baptism, and now I know from Luke 7:29-30 that the baptism of repentance had the power to change a person’s life. Something really big was going on here.

“Philip, will you help me with these slippers? The ribbon doesn’t work.”

“Katie, watch this. Around like this, and around like that. And tie them together right here. If you want to get real fancy, just pull this part over the knot like this.”

“Let me do it.”

“Sure.” Now on with this first tour of Galilee. Here is one of my original discoveries. It was a clear declaration that Jesus was sent to preach. And here we have Mark 1:38 making a very similar statement. This is good confirmation of Luke 4:43. So moving right along, more about gathering the twelve apostles and more healings. So what’s next? “Oh Katie, look at this!”

“What?”

“We just got to this famous Sermon on the Mount. Do you want to read it with me?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s see now. It starts in the fifth chapter of Matthew, and here in the sixth chapter of Luke, verse seventeen. It was a big gathering, and since Jesus was sent to this earth to preach, this is going to be important. People were coming from Jerusalem, and even along the sea coast.”

“California.”

“No, not California. Katie remember, we’re reading about the Middle-East in here, but coming from the coast of Palestine was still a long way to travel back in those days.”

“What did he say?”

“Let me look it over first.”

“Don't take too long.”

“I got it now. In the introduction Jesus said that those who are pure in heart will see God. And Matthew 5:9 went on to say that the peacemakers will be called the ‘children of God.’ Hmmm, stillness is peaceful, so maybe the ones who worship in spirit are those peacemakers. They sure have a bright future ahead of them.”

“They sure do.”

“And look at this. Jesus made a declaration in this sermon. He said, ‘Ye are the light of the world’ (from Matthew 5:14). This is interesting, and a bit puzzling as well. How could these people be the light of the world? I thought they were just a group of ordinary people. Oh, I know, he already gave them the gift of God! God is the light of the world, so he must have given God to them somewhere along the way.”

“Philip, why are you so happy?”

“Oh, this is good news. Dad told me about this teacher-disciple thing. If people got personal instruction on how to know God, it would probably light them up with God’s light. God is very bright you know. God is all knowing, so knowing God would give a person light on the inside. These ordinary people are lighting up the world with the light they have within themselves. And this supports the good things we noticed about John’s baptism too.” (Luke 7:29-30).

“You found something.”

“I sure did. Now, this light of God would help people brighten up on the inside, and over a period of time it would change them forever. So Jesus said right off the bat, ‘Ye are the light of the world.’ This is terrific. Katie, I think this means that Jesus already gave these people the gift of God.”

“Philip, is that the treasure?”

“I’ll bet this is the treasure. I think we’re on to something.”

“It’s about time.”

“Hey, what’s all the excitement?”

“Mom, we just got to the Sermon on the Mount.”

“Oh, that’s nice. I want to stay for this. I looked at this sermon years ago, but I want to hear it again.”

“Sure.”

“Honey, come and sit with me.”

“Okay.”

“Katie, did you understand what Philip was reading?”

“Yes. People came from far away to listen to Jesus. They have the inside light.”

“Good honey. Is that the story Philip?”

“Yeah, I think they already got the ‘gift of God.’”

“I see. So Jesus was there to give the light of God to his own disciples. Oh sure, that's simple. And it makes perfect sense too.”

“Now, where does this go from here? Oh, this next section is quite long. It’s about the law and how people should behave. He also says you must be as perfect as your heavenly Father.”

“Who's that?”

“Oh Katie, Jesus calls God the heavenly Father.”

“God is a father?”

“That’s right. God is your father.”

“My father.”

“Right.”

“Philip, is this where Jesus is teaching about kindness?”

“Yeah.”

“And this is where he says to love your enemies, and if someone strikes you on the cheek, you are to turn the other cheek.”

“Yep, that’s right; ‘do good to them that hate you’ (from Matthew 5:44). ‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which in heaven is perfect’” (from Matthew 5:48).

“That’s nice, but how is that possible? Who is perfect in this world?”

“Mom, the light of God is omniscience. Omniscience is the all knowing light. If a person could tap into God’s light, they could use it to change their own lives forever. I think this is the very treasure Jesus has been preaching about.”

“Philip, I don’t think it’s possible for people to be perfect; not unless God does it for them.”

“Well, that’s it exactly. If these people got some help from God they could do anything because God is all powerful. That’s why Jesus gave God to them in the form of a gift. The ‘gift of God’ is certainly help from almighty God.”

“Sure, but how can anyone give God. How is that done?”

“I don’t know, but I’m quite certain it’s not done by reading Bible verses. Sarah reminded me that there were only a few bulky scriptures back then. And on top of that, a great many people didn’t even know how to read. I don’t think they were memorizing scripture to have the light of God. But on the other hand he was talking about this gift. And he said in here that you have to be perfect, so now he has to explain how to do it. Let’s see where this goes. All right, here’s something from Matthew 6:6. He wants people to go into the closet and shut the door to pray to your father in secret. Mom, why is he talking about a closet?”

“Oh, I was wondering about this verse years ago. Philip, the newer translations say to go into your room and shut the door to pray. But even the newer version is a bit puzzling since this ancient society didn’t have the big homes we have today. The idea of big closet space and a private room for each person is a modern reality. I don’t think the general population had that kind of privacy two thousand years ago.”

“‘Kingdom is within you.’ Mom, this is about the inner life.

“The private inner chamber of stillness. Hmmm, I guess that’s possible.”

“And look here! This is exactly what I’m looking for. It’s about light. This might show me how people got that light. Jesus said in Matthew 6:22-23, “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” Yeah, and Katie, I think this covers your question too.”

“What question?”

“Oh, you asked dad: ‘how can we find a treasure if we can’t see it with our eyes?’ The treasure we’re looking for is invisible.”

“What did he say?”

“He said the body shall be full of light if your eye is single.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know. People see with two eyes, but this verse says ‘single,’ and it uses the singular word ‘eye’ twice. So what was he talking about? Mom, what is this single eye?”

“I don't know. It all sounds a bit foreign to me.”

“So he says, ‘If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.’ ‘Single eye,’ ‘full of light.’ Jesus is talking about the light of God right here. The light of God would change the way people think. If it changed their thinking, it would change the way they act as well. So this could be the key to everything. And understanding this eye would answer Katie’s question about seeing invisible things, but I don’t know what it means.”

“These verses certainly are mysterious.”

“Yeah, ‘The light of the body is the eye.’ This is not about the physical eyes.”

“Katie, I have a few more things to do. Are you ready to help me?”

“Yes mommy, I’ll help.”

“We’re going to leave now Philip.”

“Okay, and thanks.”

“Sure thing.”

The light of the body is the eye, hmmm. This is important because Jesus just called these ordinary people the “light of the world.” And then in this same sermon he said “thy whole body shall be full of light.” I have to read this again. “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” It sounds like everyone has this single eye. In some people the eye is evil or dark, and in others the eye fills the body with light. Everyone has it, but what is this eye? And if this eye is dark, how can it be brightened up? Hmmm, quite a puzzle, but at least I have a clear question now.

And this Sermon on the Mount is so important. After all, it appears that Jesus was addressing the largest gathering of his own followers. So what was his main topic? This is about personal behavior. He was looking for perfection in behavior. Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, turn the other cheek, give in private without making a show of it, and give without expecting repayment. Don’t judge others and reconcile with your brother. He sure was asking a lot.

Now, I can’t imagine Jesus placing all these demands on his disciples without giving them a way to change their own lives. It would not be nice to say to someone, ‘you must be perfect,’ without giving them a way to do it! He must have given them the gift of God.

People could not have made these changes on their own. They needed some help from God. Jesus gave them something. It changed the “eye” from darkness to light, but what did he give them? The eye fills the body with light and gives a person the inner vision to see that which cannot be seen with the physical eyes. So what in the world is this single eye?

I’m going to figure it out. Nothing’s going to stop me now.

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SIMPLE THEOLOGY FROM CHAPTER TEN

-- Jesus spoke to the crowds
at the Sermon on the Mount and said,
“Ye are the light of the world”
(from Matthew 5:14).
Something very important
had already happened.

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CHAPTER 11

YOUR REAL FATHER AND THE BIG PUZZLE

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“Oh Katie, you’re back. Did you tie those dance slippers by yourself?”

“Yes.”

“Nice job.”

“Philip, how many fathers do I have?”

“Well, dad is your father, so you have one father.”

“You said God is my father.”

“Oh, now I understand your question. I guess you have two fathers. But wait, that doesn’t sound right either. It would be confusing to have two fathers. Gosh, that’s a good question.”

“I have to go now.”

“Wait a minute. Don’t you want to figure this out with me?”

“Philip, I’m a dancer. I have to practice now.”

“All right, but stop by when you’re finished.”

“Okay.”

“Mom, who is Katie’s father?”

“I beg your pardon. Would you run that by me again?”

“Oh, she asked how many fathers do I have.”

“How many? Katie has one father. She’d have to be born again to claim someone else.”

“Born again, hmmm. That reminds me, I need to review the section I passed over.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It was Nicodemus. Mom, give me a couple minutes. I need to back up to something.”

“Sure. Take some time to sort out your thoughts.”

Yeah, this is it (John 3:3-6). “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” And Nicodemus said, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mothers womb, and be born?” Jesus answered, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

Oh, now I get it. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh” is a human birth. That’s like being born to our mom and dad, but the second part is about a spiritual birth. Before this new birth, a person believes that the human dad is father, and after this transformation they realize that God is their real father. Yeah, that’s it. And this fits right in with the part about perfection in the Sermon on the Mount; that was about a transformation too. So along with perfection comes the understanding that I am a child of God, not a child of the flesh. Boy, what a difference, from mortality to immortality. Oh, and this is that eternal life Jesus promised. Whoa, this born again thing is big.

Now, this transformation had to come from something. Jesus said to worship in spirit, so being in God's spirit might do it. And to continue in this section, the world is saved by God’s Son. He is the light and brought light to this world (brief paraphrase of John 3:16-21). So just as Spirit gives birth to spirit, light gives birth to light. Our human birth ties us to mortality, but being born of the Spirit raises a person up to live in God’s eternal light. Whoa, this is some transformation! And it’s the light of God that does it. “Mom, I understand that father thing now.”

“And weren’t you asking about Katie’s father?”

“She was confused when I said God is her father.”

“Oh, I see. So some reading helped you out?”

“Yeah. Nicodemus was puzzled by that born again thing too. And mom, this happens over and over again. Jesus talks about the spirit of God, and people around him continue to think in terms of physical things. Many of them are not able to understand these lessons about the invisible spiritual things.”

“It depends on experience.”

“Experience?”

“Right. Your dad explained this whole thing to me. First of all, everything we know depends on experience. Love is abstract and cannot be seen with the eyes. But most people have experienced it, so even though love is invisible, they have a way to understand it. Jesus must be preaching about things these people have never experienced, and that’s why they don’t understand him. Philip, everyone needs the direct experience of abstract things before they can grasp the intellectual discussion.”

“So mom, anything abstract has to be experienced before it can be understood. And Jesus was talking about the invisible spirit of God, the light of God, and the gift of God. Every one of those topics is unseen."

"Exactly. So this means that Jesus had to give the experience first, and with the direct experience, the people would have a way to understand him."

"Oh, and this solves the mystery of why the people baptized by John were the ones who were able to accept God (Luke 7:29-30). It also explains why John said that Jesus was sent to baptize with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11 and John 1:33). The Holy Spirit is God, so it appears that Jesus was there to give the direct experience of God’s light to each person who came for baptism.”

“So this fits the story?”

“It sure does, and it supports Matthew 5:14 as well. Whoa, this explains everything!”

“And it’s nice and simple too--the light of God brings God to light.”

“Yeah, they got the light.”

“A perfect fit.”

“It sure is. I wonder if this same idea might work for the woman at Jacob’s Well. She was simply coming to the well for water. Jesus was talking about ‘living water,’ and she thought he was speaking about ordinary water. She was not a disciple and didn’t receive the Holy Spirit. She didn’t have the light of God to understand what Jesus was talking about. Awesome, it fits!”

“This is a wonderful insight mom. The experience of God had to come first. This was the only way people were going to understand what Jesus was talking about. And not only that, but with the direct experience of the light of God, these people would begin to realize that they are not merely children of their mortal parents, but children of God. Aha! So in reality, Katie has only one father. God is her father. She is a child of God, and so am I.”

“I don’t know about that one father thing. That’s a bit much for me to accept all at once, but I’ll get it eventually.”

“Mom, it takes the light of God to know for certain.”

“I’m sure it does. Hey, it’s the phone. Oh hi there. Philip, take this call, it’s Sarah.”

“Hi, what’s up?”

“Philip, I have only a minute to speak, but I want to see if I can talk you into something.”

“Go ahead.”

“Well, when was the last time you were boating on Lake Oliver.”

“It’s been a while. Do you want to go there? We can take our bikes.”

“Yeah, I’m thinking about tomorrow. I’ll split the rental with you.”

“Great idea. What’s a good time for you?”

“Can we leave at one?”

“All right, see you then.”

“Bye.”

“Mom, we’re going boating tomorrow.”

“Fine, but wear those safety vests. Don’t throw each other in the lake, and of course Katie stays here.”

“Sure, we’ll be careful. Now, where did that little girl go? Katie!”

“Here I am.”

“Oh, you’re still practicing. That’s a march. You need better music.”

“Mom will get me some pretty music.”

“Oh, good. Now Katie, would you like to help me for a few minutes?”

“Is it time to read?”

“Not yet. We’ve covered quite a lot of ground so far. I just want to see if I can explain it to you.”

“Okay.”

“There are so many things to consider now. I need to gather up the main points. You know some things too, so let’s start with you. What have you learned from our Bible study so far?”

“God is not small like a ghost, and no sacrifices.”

“Yeah, that sacrifice thing didn’t even hold up to our simple research. After all, if sacrificing was important, Jesus would have endorsed it right from the start. But on the contrary, he was for kindness. Jesus and John were not involved in those cruel things. They were simply out on the Jordan river baptizing people.”

“They were doing nice things.”

“Right. So that was a good review.”

“Philip, when are we going to dig up the treasure?”

“Well, that’s why I’m talking to you. I want to recall a few things to make sure we’re on the right track to find the treasure. Katie, we are theologians, and every step we take has to be absolutely right. We have to be careful not to make a mistake, especially here in the beginning.”

“Beginning? I thought we were almost finished.”

“Oh, I say beginning, but we’re well along in our research. Mom just gave us a great clue today, so things are really coming together. But let’s go back to check everything out.”

“Let's do it.”

“The first thing we found was the genuine gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s the good news Jesus himself was preaching. We know from Matthew 4:23 that Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom, and he also said, ‘I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore I am sent’ (Luke 4:43). So our conclusion was that Jesus was sent to this earth to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now, does that make sense to you?”

“Jesus taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yes, I understand. But Philip, that was too easy. How could anybody get that wrong?”

“Oh, you’d be surprised how many people get mixed up on that. Katie, there are lots of teachers who insist that Paul is the one who preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. I think they skip over the gospel Jesus taught. Maybe they don’t understand it.”

“Who is Paul?”

“Well, it’s just enough to know that Jesus trained twelve apostles for over two years and Paul was not one of them.”

“He wasn’t with them.”

“Right, he came along later. So Katie, we are completely safe in our conclusion. Jesus Christ is the one who preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. What do you think?”

“Sounds right to me.”

“Okay. Now the next thing we found was about the treasure, it was Matthew 13:44. Jesus said, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. We know from this verse and a few others that the kingdom Jesus was speaking about is very valuable, and he wanted people to find it. This is confirmed in Matthew 6:33: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’”

“What does he mean by ‘these things?’”

“It means that Jesus was talking about two treasures, not just one. He wanted people to go after the heavenly treasure first, and then the earthly things would be taken care of as well. This treasure includes earthly things. So Katie, this is not about waiting for the afterlife. This treasure is about our life right here and now, and this treasure has everything in it.”

“Good, that’s what I want. I want everything.”

“Me too, so we’re right on track. Oh, and I forgot to mention that in this same verse we find the very thing that Jesus wanted people to do first. He said, ‘seek ye first the kingdom of God,’ and I think everyone should know what ‘first’ means. What do you think?”

“Oh yeah, first means first. Who wouldn’t know that?”

“Well Katie, there are lots of people who are not seeking this gospel treasure. It seems that many of them have decided to wait.”

“What are they waiting for?”

“The end times.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m not sure. I just didn’t look into it because Jesus wasn’t asking people to wait. He wanted them to seek out something that’s hidden.”

“Yeah, and he knows best.”

“Of course he does. And you know, I’m beginning to suspect that this idea of waiting rather than seeking came along to fill in a gap. This hidden spiritual kingdom Jesus wanted everyone to seek is quite abstract.”

“What does that mean?”

“Abstract means that not everyone can see it. And if a person can’t see something, it would leave an empty space. I think people had to fill in that gap with something they could understand. But Katie, this idea of waiting is not for us. We’re just going to pay attention to what Jesus taught. And even though these abstract things are difficult to understand, we’ll be successful by keeping everything very simple.”

“Good.”

“So that review wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“It wasn’t hard. Jesus taught his own gospel, and first things come first.”

“Right.”

“Philip, that was so easy I want to figure out the rest myself. But I can’t read yet, so you have to read it for me.”

“Interesting thought Katie. You’re just like me. You like to figure things out on your own.”

“Yeah, so what’s next? I’m all warmed up now.”

“Your question is next.”

“I can’t remember. What was my question?”

“You asked how can we see the treasure if it is invisible? The kingdom of God is unseen, so we have to figure out how to see something which cannot be seen with the physical eyes. I think we have some hints on this puzzle now.”

“Give me the hints.”

“Well, just a little while ago I found that Jesus said in John 3:3, ‘Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ So in order to see this kingdom, we must go through a transformation.”

“What’s that?”

“A transformation is like a big change.”

“How can I do that?”

“I don’t know exactly, but it has something to do with light. As Jesus was talking with Nicodemus he said, ‘light is come into the world,’ and in that very same section he was talking about seeing the kingdom of God. Jesus keeps talking about light, and we need light to see. Light and seeing go together. Katie, I think Jesus was talking about a special kind of light. We cannot see invisible things without this special light.”

“Is this the light we need to see the treasure?”

“Exactly right--we need the light of God to see God’s kingdom--that’s the whole thing in a nutshell.”

“How can I have that light?”

“Oh, this brings us to the tricky part. This is where the eye comes in.”

“What eye?”

“Well, we read this verse before, but I guess you forgot. Here, I’ll read it again. I want to see if you can understand it.”

“I’m ready.”

“So listen carefully this time. I think Jesus was speaking to the largest gathering of his own disciples at the Sermon on the Mount. This is where he described the light of God to all of them. It’s from Matthew 6:22-23. Jesus said, ‘The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!’ Okay Katie, did you get anything out of that?”

“It’s too long. Make it short.”

“All right, how about this? ‘The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.’”

“What’s the ‘eye be single?’”

“We have to figure it out. If we are in darkness we cannot see the treasure, but if we have this light we can see the treasure. So it says here if the eye is single, the whole body will be full of light. We need this bright eye to see.”

“So what’s the eye?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then how are we going to find the treasure?”

“Well, that’s just it. I wanted to see if you could understand the puzzle. I think you got it. Now Katie, what do we need to know?”

“The eye. Is that about God’s light?”

“I think so. This eye has something to do with the light of God. So, you really did understand the puzzle.

“Yeah. But Philip, we don’t know the answer.”

“That’s all right, we just started thinking. Sometimes it takes a while to discover important things.”

“Okay.”

“Katie, you’re such a good thinker. Do you want to take on a challenge?”

“What’s that?”

“Hmmm, you don’t understand the word ‘challenge.’ All right, here is something you might understand. We’ll make a deal. You figure out the puzzle, and I’ll buy you a whole quart of ice cream.”

“Chocolate?”

“Any kind you want.”

“How big is a quart?”

“Oh, it’s about this wide and about this tall.”

“That’s not very big.”

“Come on Katie, this is a sweet deal. How can you can pass this up? How about half a gallon?”

“How big is that?”

“Well, it’s about this high and this wide.”

“Okay, it’s a deal.”

“Do you know what to figure out to win?”

“Yes.”

“Well, go ahead and tell me.”

“What’s the eye? It’s like light or something. We need this light to see the treasure.”

“You got it!”

“If I figure it out, I get the ice cream.”

“Right.”

“Okay Philip, a gallon of chocolate ice cream.”

“That was half a gallon.”

“Oh yeah, I’ll figure it out. This won’t take long.”

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SIMPLE THEOLOGY FROM CHAPTER ELEVEN

-- Even a young child can understand:
Jesus taught his own gospel,
and first things come first.

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THE QUESTION RAISED IN CHAPTER ELEVEN

-- The light of God brings God to light,
but how can I have the light of God?

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home

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CHAPTER 12

WHO BAPTIZED AND WHAT DID THEY DO?

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“Philip, look at the boat with the red stripe.”

“Sir, we’ll take that one.”

“Ten an hour, twenty deposit.”

“All right.”

“And use these vests. Pull the buckles tight.”

“How does it look?”

“Very sheik. Orange is you.”

“Oh, and I want to hear what your dad said about those disciples?”

“Sure, but push us off first; we need to clear the dock. That’s fine. Ah, pulling these paddles feels good. I can sure use the exercise.”

“Gosh, this is nice. Philip, there’s a grove of willow trees over there. Let’s go that way.”

“Your wish is my command. Boy, the air smells clean out here. This is a great place.”

“My parents brought me here when I was little. I have some good memories. There was swimming for kids right over there. They had some sand on the beach, but I always got into the mud. Daddy had to rinse me off before I could get back in the car. It seems like yesterday.”

“I had a friend. He was a little wild. We got over this fence for one of these boats. It might have been this one.”

“Philip, that doesn’t sound like you.”

“Oh, the boat had already broken loose. We eventually got it back to the boat corral and tied it up. It was during the flood, the place was deserted. This was all backwater up in here. We paddled around for a couple of hours and almost got lost.”

“Philip, show me how to row.”

“You never did it?”

“Never. Let’s switch places.”

“All right, come around like this. That’s got it.”

“Yeah, I like your seat much better. Now, how do I do this?”

“Just start paddling, you’ll get the idea. Go deeper and a little higher on the return.”

“Oh yeah, this is easy. But I can’t see where I’m going.”

“Come on, let’s go faster.”

“Forget it! I’m the captain now. You’ve just been demoted. Just sit there and behave yourself.”

“Okay captain.”

“Now, tell me what your dad said.”

“Are you sure you want to talk about the Bible out here?”

“Remember, I’m the captain now. And besides, I’m real interested in where you’re going with this. Bible talk is usually very serious, but with you it’s like an adventure.”

“Yeah, I think our whole family is getting into it. Katie said she wants to figure out the rest of the story herself. We talked about the biggest puzzle of all. Just for fun I offered her a prize if she could solve it.”

“Philip, she’s not even old enough to read.”

“That didn’t matter to her. I just explained it, and she understood the question. If she solves the puzzle, she gets the ice cream.”

“Oh, how cute. So, what’s the puzzle?”

“Are you after a prize too?”

“I wouldn’t mind a little treat. Are you ready to make an offer?”

“Okay, a pint of your favorite.”

“It’s a deal.”

“Boy, you ought to take some lessons from Katie. She got me up to a half gallon.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m not.”

“So what’s the puzzle?”

“Oh, that’s simple. How can we see the invisible?”

“Invisible?”

“Yeah, you know, the kingdom of God is invisible. So how can we see something that cannot be seen with the eyes? I gave her some hints.”

“Give me the hints too. Don’t leave me in the dark.”

“That’s it! Jesus was speaking about light and darkness. I think he was saying that if we are in the light we will see the kingdom of God, and if we are in the dark, we will not see the kingdom. So what’s this light?”

“A certain kind of light.”

“Exactly, a special kind. Daylight gives the light for our eyes, but he was not speaking about sunlight. Our physical eyes see things, but this is something else. It must be like a spiritual sense to see spiritual things, whatever that is. So this is the puzzle: how can we see God who is unseen? Oh, and Sarah, there’s one more clue. Jesus brought up something very mysterious at the Sermon on the Mount. He was talking about light and darkness, and said to be in the light, our eye has to be single. I forgot the exact quote, but it’s right there in the sixth chapter of Matthew.”

“Yes, I remember a verse about an eye.”

“Mom and I were thinking about it. We need this bright eye to see God’s kingdom. So what was he talking about?”

“And that’s the puzzle you gave Katie?”

“Right.”

“Philip, that’s not fair. Theologians have been on that one for centuries. I don’t think anybody knows what it means. How is a little girl going to figure it out?”

“I don’t know, but it has to mean something. If Katie and I can’t figure it out, dad will help. He has some smart friends too. We can handle the question, and don’t worry about Katie. She’ll get her ice cream one way or another.”

“Yeah, I bet she will. She got you up to a half a gallon.”

“She sure did.”

“Oh Philip, you didn’t tell me what your dad said about the disciples.”

“He started out saying the very thing you were thinking. The disciples were probably not studying scriptures. Dad thinks they got a gift. He was talking about the teacher-disciple relationship and how a great teacher can pass along the light of knowledge in one simple lesson.”

“Are you saying that they learned everything all at once?”

“Well, not exactly. I think it was like a key to knowledge (Luke 11:52). I’ll give you the logic behind it. Now, God is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. Isn’t that right?

“Right.”

“So Sarah, this is about God’s omniscience. God is all knowing, so familiarity with God gives a person access to a perfect kind of intelligence. Knowing God and brilliance go together. And likewise, a dark mind means that the connection to the light of God is weak. But these disciples got the key to perfect knowledge. With this key they could use God’s omniscience to brighten up. It’s like coming out of the dark and into the light.”

“Hmmm, and this ties right back to your puzzle about the eye. That’s about light and darkness too.”

“You got it.”

“Well Philip, the logic sounds reasonable.”

“Yeah. It’s just as simple as two and two. If God is all knowing, then familiarity with God will bring the brightness of God’s knowingness. So if a person is growing in God, they have to be growing in brilliance. This kind of progress just has to bring more intelligence and understanding.”

“That’s like a special education.”

“Exactly. Because dull people never learn, but bright people pick up on things without even trying.”

“And Jesus himself demonstrated that kind of intelligence in the gospel story. Hmmm, it sounds right. And the light of God would give us a way to become familiar with God as well.”

“Of course. Mom said it like this: ‘the light of God brings God to light.’”

“Perfect, your mom said it right. And now I’m starting to catch on to what your whole family is doing. You’re simplifying everything! I know the secret now, and this is what you’ve been doing all along.”

“Right. If things get too complicated, mistakes can come up and no one will be able to detect the mistakes. But if we keep things simple, it becomes much harder to hide a mistake. My dad gave me that advice. This simple approach makes it exciting too, because Jesus was sure talking about some extraordinary things.”

“Okay, keep it simple to avoid mistakes. And this is why you’re sticking with the four gospels.”

“You got it. If a person starts to pick out verses from various sections of the Bible, they could come up with just about anything. There’s no discipline to it. Staying in the four gospels forces me to come up with an interpretation that will actually fit what Jesus was talking about. After all, he should know more than anybody else. He started the whole thing.”

“So you’re just simplifying everything. I like that.”

“Sarah, let’s switch places again. I want some exercise, and besides, you’ve just been going around in circles.”

“Hey, that’s about all a person can do in here. This lake is not very big.”

“Come on, let’s switch places.”

“Well, all right.”

“Mom didn’t want us to end up in the lake. I didn’t think about it until she gave me the idea.”

“No baptisms today please. And besides, I can’t swim.”

“Oh that’s right, you were busy playing in the mud.”

“Philip, stop fooling around, let’s do this carefully. I don’t want to fall in.”

“Ah my paddles, this is better. Now you can watch a real captain take charge of his ship.”

“You’re going into those tree limbs. Captain, you’re already off course.”

“Sarah, you’re facing the front. You can give me a signal for turns.”

“Sure. I can see the captain needs some help.”

“Hush little girl. You don’t want to lose a chance for the ice cream, do you?”

“You can’t back out now. We already made the deal, and I’m going to get the answer first. What’s the single eye? And Jesus said ‘in thee’ also.”

“Yeah, he did say the eye is ‘in thee.’”

“And this is from the Sermon on the Mount.”

“Right.”

“You know, Christians have a hard time with that one. I know people who would rather not read the Sermon on the Mount. It makes them feel uncomfortable. Jesus was placing big demands on people in that sermon. He said you have to be perfect, just as God is perfect. It sounds impossible.”

“Sarah, connect the two things together. Keep it simple. Connect this thing about perfection with the light of God.”

“I don’t follow you.”

“You’ll get it. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, ‘You are the light of the world.’ He was talking to a large group of his followers.”

“Right, but go ahead, I’m still not with you.”

“Sarah, if Jesus told those disciples to be perfect, he had to give them a way to do it. The only way those people were going to make a big change is with the light of God to help them change from what they are to what they should be. This is why the ‘eye’ is so important.”

“Oh, now I get it. Jesus said you must be perfect, so he had to give them a way to do it. Philip, that makes perfect sense. People read the Sermon on the Mount these days and feel uncomfortable because they have no way to make those changes. Okay, now I see why you’re talking about this eye. Making the eye bright is the key to changing our own lives.”

“That’s it.”

“This has to be right because Jesus loved those disciples. He wouldn’t have asked for perfection without giving them a way to do it. Jesus lit them up on the inside. Philip, is this the omniscience you were just talking about?”

“Exactly. He gave them the key to God’s light somewhere along the way, or he wouldn’t have said, ‘Ye are the light of the world.’ He already gave the key to God’s omniscience. And now he can ask them to be perfect, since they were already given the light of God with which to make the necessary changes.”

“I see. Philip, it all fits together!”

“Great, you got it.”

“But when did he give them this light of God?”

“I’m not certain, but I’m thinking about baptism. Sarah, keep in mind, this is just a guess. It all has to be checked out.”

“Hmmm baptism, I don’t know. Mr. Peterson told us Jesus didn’t baptize anybody. Why did you pick baptism?”

“Lots of reasons. First of all, this is the only record we have of a special one on one meeting of teacher and disciple. The ritual is first, then the private instructions; the two go together. This is the way the teacher-disciple thing works. In this case I think the key to God’s treasure was passed along with the ritual of baptism. But like I said, this is all just speculation. I have to see how this idea fits the rest of these gospels. The fit will tell me if there is something to it or not.”

“I guess it’s possible. You know Philip, there’s no record of what went on during that early baptizing, so it’s quite possible. And John’s baptism was called the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Learning how to light up on the inside with the light of God would certainly overcome the darkness of sin. And surely Jesus would have taught his own disciples how to know God. One on one instruction could have happened at baptism. Gosh, this is interesting. Hey, watch out! We’re going right into those willow branches. Philip, what’s that dark thing?”

“Duck down, and stay down. Those are hornets. Whoa, this is a big nest! Don’t move.”

“Are we safe yet?”

“Stay down. Wait till we drift away a bit. All right, we’re okay now.”

“Well captain, where are you going to take us next, over a waterfall?”

“Hush, or I’ll make you walk the plank. Sarah, you warned me about bringing up the subject of baptism, but I sure didn’t expect a threat from a swarm of insects!”

“Yeah, baptism is a touchy subject. You see? Better listen to me from now on.”

“Well anyway, it would be interesting to know the complete story on baptism. After all, the subject is introduced as the ‘baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,’ so there had to be something to it. Jesus just had to be giving his disciples something. He was talking about the gift of God. If a person says ‘I have a gift,’ it probably means that they’re giving something out.”

“But Philip, wasn’t the gift of God about living water? You’ve been talking about the light of God. What’s the connection?”

“That’s a great question. This light of God and the living water fit together somehow. My dad wanted to take on this part of the puzzle. I hope he can come up with something. But regardless of that, we already know the gift of God is about God, and God is omniscient. So if you give omniscience to someone, you are giving the light of God. I think John and Jesus were passing this gift along as they baptized. This would explain the stream of people coming to see them.”

“So you think Jesus baptized people.”

“Of course, and as the crowds grew larger, he just passed the job on to his disciples. That’s the most likely idea. He must have passed the job on to them because he was their teacher, and we know for certain that his disciples were baptizing.”

“Mr. Peterson told us that John the Baptist taught the Lord’s disciples how to baptize.”

“I don’t think so Sarah. Jesus taught his own disciples, and John taught his own disciples. That’s the way things work, and besides, just read the story. The activity in John’s camp was declining, and the activity in the camp of Jesus was increasing. In the unlikely event that John taught the disciples of Jesus, it would mean that those people were favoring the students of John over John himself. That doesn’t make any sense. No Sarah, Jesus taught his own disciples how to baptize, and he was probably doing it before them. The notion that Jesus was just watching from the sidelines is simply ridiculous. He was very involved in baptizing. He was an enthusiastic supporter of the whole thing.”

“I think you’re right. Baptizing was an important part of his early ministry. And now I’m starting to understand why it was so important. This was the one opportunity to give personal one on one instruction on how to be in the light of God.”

“Yeah, and this is why I was thinking about omniscience, since worshiping in spirit would be like bathing in the light of God. The people could use this light to brighten up and change their own personal lives. He had to teach them how to be in God’s light, and this would have been the perfect time to take care of this very personal matter. Everything came together when they were baptized.”

“Hmmm. I'd like to know more about this kind of baptism. Jesus had to teach his own followers how to worship in spirit, he just had to.”

“Yeah, and just think about this. Nearly everything Jesus preached was about God, and God is invisible. People had no way of understanding him unless they had the direct experience.”

“Run that by me again. It sounds important but I didn’t get it.”

“Oh, mom was talking about this yesterday; it’s really cool. She said ‘the experience comes first.’ She was talking about the abstract things people cannot see with their eyes. God cannot be seen with the eyes, so God is abstract to the average person.”

“Philip, God is not an abstraction. God is real.”

“Of course God is real. Abstract doesn’t mean ‘not real.’ God is Spirit and God is certainly real. Spirit is abstract to us because we cannot see Spirit with our physical eyes. But just because we cannot see God with our physical eyes doesn’t make the spirit of God unreal. This is exactly what mom was talking about, the experience comes first. God is real. God is spirit, and spirit is unseen. Jesus had to give his disciples the experience of God so that they could have a way of understanding the Godly things he was talking about.”

“Okay, I understand. Experience comes first.”

“Right. And what was the first thing John and Jesus did?”

“They baptized everybody!”

“Sure, and if you remember, John announced that Jesus was coming to baptize with the Holy Spirit. So Jesus was simply bringing the light of God to the people. One by one, he and his disciples were passing along the key to the knowledge of God. And in turn, each person could use the increasing brilliance of God’s light to understand what he was preaching. In a spiritual education, the experience comes first.”

“Oh, this is great, I like it. Philip, I’ve never had a spiritual education. All we did was listen to sermons and read. I got baptized, but there were no instruction on how to worship in spirit. We just had to profess our faith. I guess the actual content of baptism is missing. I didn’t get instructions on how to be in the light of God at my baptism. It wasn’t like the original.”

“Whoa, hold on just a minute. I don't think we've done enough to draw any conclusions. I don’t know what was going on two thousand years ago. This is just a guess, but I want to go ahead and see if it fits in with everything else. I can only say that it does look promising. Everything seems to fit together. And I get the impression that you understand it now. When you said ‘the actual content of baptism is missing,’ I realized you picked up on the whole idea.”

“Yeah, something is missing. My baptism was a nice experience, but I don’t think it actually did anything.”

“Now Sarah, I’m getting hungry. Do you want to go in for a snack?”

“Yes, I’m starved. Philip, let me paddle back to the dock.”

“All right. Maybe we can switch places without rocking the boat. Good, that was perfect. You know, the missing part could account for the big debate that’s going on these days.”

“Are you still talking about baptism?”

“Yeah. Especially the division between those who think baptism is important, and those who think it’s not important. The missing content would explain that whole thing.”

“Okay, let’s hear it.”

“Well, when people think things over, some go by what they read, and others go by what they experience. So in this case, I think both sides are right.”

“How can both sides be right on the same issue?”

“Well, if the real content of baptism is missing, the people who go by their own experience will feel that there’s not much to it, and they are right. On the other hand, the people who rely on what they read will come to the opposite conclusion, since baptism is such a prominent part of the gospels. And they are right as well. So if the original content of baptism is missing, it would create the very situation we see today. It would divide the people who go by experience, and those who go by what they read.”

“I’m in the first camp. I go by experience. Yeah, it all makes sense. It sounds like the real content of baptism was lost somewhere along the way.”

“Sarah, maybe you can get the boat into that empty slot.”

“Of course. Just watch this. Oops.”

“Take the paddles out of the oar locks. Just push on one side. Here, give me one. All right, we got it.”

“Did you two enjoy the lake?”

“Yeah, it was fun.”

“That was two hours, so we're even. And come back again sometime. It’s been a dry season. The lake is much bigger in wet weather.”

“Yeah, I know. How did your boats make it through the flood?”

“Well, we didn’t lose any. But we had to bail water, all except for one. One boat was high and dry. It was sitting up on top of the water just as pretty as could be. I don’t think we ever figured that one out.”

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COMMON SENSE FROM CHAPTER TWELVE

-- Jesus called for change at the Sermon on the Mount.
He simply had to give the disciples
a way to make those changes.

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CHAPTER 13

LIGHT OF THE BODY IS THE EYE

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“Oh Katie, I have another clue for you. Sarah thought of something yesterday.”

“A clue?”

“Don’t tell me you forgot already.”

“Forgot what?”

“The puzzle. You know, if you figure out the puzzle, you win the prize.”

“Oh, the puzzle. I forgot.”

“Sarah was right, you’re just a small child. That question was too hard for you.”

“Philip, tell me again. I’ll get it this time.”

“Maybe I can simplify the question, but I have to look up something first. Katie, I’ll explain this to you in just a minute. And by the way, I like your new music. Did mom buy it for you?”

“Yes.”

“Look here, he is talking about the treasure right before this mysterious verse. This section may hold the key to finding our great treasure. Are you ready?”

“I’m ready.”

“All right, this is Matthew 6:21-22. Jesus said, ‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ Then he went on to say, ‘The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”

“Oh yeah, now I remember.”

“Katie, that question about the eye was too hard. I think we can simplify this. Now, he went on to say in Matthew 6:23, ‘If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness.’ In thee, there it is! This light that can be dark or light is ‘in thee.’ Sarah thought of this. She gave us a great clue. So here is the new question: what is the light on the inside? Can you remember that?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

“A gallon of ice cream if I win.”

“I see you remembered the sweet part of the deal. Hey, wait a minute! That was a half gallon.”

“Okay, it’s a deal.”

“Katie, sometimes I think you know more than you let on. And the question is easier now.”

“Philip, I haven’t figured it out yet, but I’ll get the answer.”

“You better hurry. Sarah is working on this too.”

“Okay, I’ll hurry.”

“Hey mom, where’s dad?”

“Out in the garage.”

“Somebody want me?”

“Dad, did you hear about the puzzle?”

“Not a thing.”

“Well, a verse in the Sermon on the Mount says our eye has to be single so the body can be full of light. I think this is the light we need to see the treasure. I was wondering if you know what it means.”

“Show me.”

“Right here.”

“I don’t know about the eye, but I understand the importance of this verse. It’s about coming out of the darkness and into the light.”

“Yeah, and I promised Katie some ice cream if she could come up with the right answer. Not much chance of that, but Sarah knows about it too. I just need to solve the puzzle. I don’t care who gets it first.”

“Hi Daddy!”

“Hi sweetheart. Come on over and give me a hug.”

“What are you doing?”

“Philip and I are trying to figure something out. This is a difficult verse. I don’t think anyone knows what it means. But let’s think about it for a while. Katie, do you want to sit and concentrate with us?”

“Okay.”

“But you have to be quiet. Can you sit still for a few minutes?”

“Yes daddy, I’ll be quiet.”

“Philip, I don’t know about this verse on the ‘eye.’ It sounds eastern, but that’s about all I can say at this point.”

“Daddy, Daddy!”

“Katie remember, you promised. Philip and I need a little time to think.”

“Dad, maybe you can call one of your friends for help.”

“Daddy, can I talk now?”

“Just a minute honey. Philip, those friends of mine are not so big on Bible study, but I should be able to come up with somebody. Sorry, I’m drawing a blank right now.”

“Daddy, please let me talk.”

“Sure honey. And what are you so excited about?”

“I know the answer. I know about the inside light.”

“The light? Are you talking about this verse on the light of the eye?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful. We could use a little help right now. So go ahead, give us your thoughts.”

“Well, when I close my eyes the light stays on, and then the light goes off.”

“All right honey, but what kind of light are you talking about?”

“It’s my light daddy. Philip said we’re looking for a light on the inside. It comes on in the morning. The light goes off sometimes too.”

“Dad, I know what she’s talking about. Katie, does this happen when you go to bed at night?”

“Yes. I close my eyes but the light stays on, and then the light goes off. The next morning the light comes on. The light comes first, and then I open my eyes. After that, I get out of bed and here I am. It happens every day.”

“Whoa, I think she did it!”

“Sweetheart, are you talking about consciousness?”

“Maybe. Is that my inside light daddy?”

“Yes, consciousness is your inside light. Hmmm, could Jesus be talking about consciousness in here? Philip, show me that verse again.”

“Here it is.”

“Thanks son. Oh, and Katie, that was terrific. I’m so proud of you. This may turn out to be the golden key. Thanks for your help honey.”

“Your welcome. Philip, did I win?”

“Hold on Katie. This is special, but we have to check it out first.”

“Mommy, mommy, I found something special!”

“Oh, that’s wonderful honey. Do you want to help me cook?”

“Okay. Can I run the mixer?”

“Well son, Katie sure made an interesting observation. A little girl. She just noticed a light come on when she woke up in the morning, how innocent. I wonder if there could be something to it. This might be important, but we have to be careful not to jump to any conclusions. If Jesus is talking about consciousness in here, it would shed a whole new light on this gospel story.”

“Dad, I’m going to call Sarah. She’ll want to be in on this.”

“Maybe she can eat with us.”

“Great idea. Hey mom, can Sarah come for lunch?”

“Sure, we can work it out.”

“Okay, who’s got the phone?”

“Over there.”

“Hi Sarah.”

“Hi. Hey, thanks for the boat ride. It was fun.”

“Thanks for coming up with the idea. Sarah, you’ll never guess what just happened.”

“Katie figured out the puzzle.”

“How did you guess?”

“You sound excited. I just put two and two together.”

“Oh, very good. Katie’s idea was rather surprising. I wanted you to be in on our research. Dad suggested you stay for lunch. And by the way, that big guard dog is gone now.”

“Good, I’ll take the straight path. I’m on my way.”

“Okay, see yah.”

“Son, I just read these verses a couple of times (Matt. 6:21-23). It seems that the light of the body and the preceding words about treasure are related somehow. The question we have facing us right now is about consciousness. When Jesus spoke about the light of the body, was it a reference to consciousness or not? And if it appears to be so, we still have to check to see if this connection supports the rest of these gospels.”

“Sure, I can do that part, but I have a question first. Dad, if Jesus was talking about consciousness, why didn’t he just say consciousness, rather than speaking about this ‘eye’ and the ‘light of the body?’”

“Oh, the term became popular in the seventeenth century, so you’re not going to find the word consciousness anywhere in these first century documents. If the subject came up in the old Bible days, the expressions would have been different. But consciousness could be this inner light, so Katie might be on to something. And it’s nice that Sarah wants to help. I don’t think we’ll be able to verify anything today, but we can sure do a little brainstorming.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Philip, let’s consider the idea. Now, consciousness is wakefulness and consciousness is awareness, so we can easily speculate that consciousness is the inner light. If a person is very awake and lively, we might say the person is ‘bright.’ On the other hand, if someone has a tendency to be dull and not so awake, we could say, ‘not so bright.’ So expressing consciousness in terms of bright light and dim light is a common practice even in today’s culture. The inner light sounds like consciousness to me. What else could it be?”

“Nothing I can think of."

“And just like Katie said, the light in me is there sometimes, and sometimes it’s gone. So consciousness can be the light of wakefulness, or it can be the drowsiness just before sleep, or it can even seem to vanish during deep sleep. The consciousness of an average person changes, in fact, it seems to change all the time. Now, if our own personal consciousness could only be brightened up and stabilized.”

“Brightened up. Yeah, that would be something.”

“Well anyway son, we already know that consciousness in a person can be light, darkness or anything in between. Consciousness is the light in you, so this just might work. Gosh, Katie did a great job. Don’t you think so too?”

“Terrific. How did she do it?”

“Perhaps her innocent mind just picks up on the obvious. A child’s point of view can be helpful from time to time.”

“Yeah, don’t overlook the obvious. I think we’re on to something.”

“Maybe so, but we have to move along carefully. Let’s not take any chances. If this is right, we should be able to fit the rest of these gospels into this idea of inner light. It all has to come together somehow. The door, is she here already?”

“I’ll get it dad. Hey, that was quick.”

“My bike was handy.”

“Hi Sarah.”

“Mr. Wells, nice to see you.”

“Come and join the research party.”

“Hi Sarah.”

“Mrs. Wells, thanks for inviting me.”

“Sure, we’re so happy to have you. I hope you can stay for lunch.”

“Yes, thanks. And Katie, I understand you’re the big hero today.”

“Yeah, I figured it out. It was easy.”

“Oh Sarah, Katie loves those little dance slippers. She had them on, but sometimes she just sits and looks at them. It’s like she’s waiting for a special occasion.”

“How sweet, I’m glad you like them honey. So Philip, I haven’t heard the story. What happened?”

“Oh, it started with the clue you gave me yesterday. You brought my attention to the phrase ‘in thee.’ It’s near the end of that single eye verse, remember?”

“Right, I checked it out too.”

“Well, that was a terrific clue so I passed it on to Katie. From there she started thinking about the light inside herself and told us about it. She was talking about consciousness.”

“Consciousness?”

“Well yeah, what other kind of light is there inside a person? What else could it be?”

“I guess it could be that simple. ‘The light in thee,’ it might be consciousness. Hmmm, but what about this eye thing? Why was he talking about an eye?”

“Sarah, Philip and I were just getting to that. Now keep in mind, this word ‘consciousness’ wasn’t in common use until the seventeenth century. If Jesus spoke about consciousness, he would have described it in a different way. Talking about an eye is really quite interesting. Most people think the two eyes give us our sight, but that’s a very superficial understanding of the process of seeing. Perception also depends on wakefulness. Consciousness sees, the two eyes simply collect the image. For perception, the image falls on the screen of the mind, and the mind can only see when it’s awake. So wakefulness or consciousness is the most fundamental aspect of perception. You have two eyes, but only one consciousness. So this singular term ‘eye’ seems rather appropriate if a person wants to look more deeply into the actual process of perception. The eye of wakefulness is single, not dual. It is singular, not plural.”

“Okay, I got it. Philip, it sounds like Katie might be in for a little treat.”

“Well dad, what do you think, did Katie win? Will the light of consciousness help us see the kingdom of God?”

“I don’t know. Stepping up the light of consciousness may do wonders to improve a person’s insight, but I don’t know about seeing the kingdom of God. We could say that the light of God’s consciousness would allow us to see the kingdom of God. But who has God’s consciousness?”

“God’s consciousness?”

“Well sure, God is all knowing, so surely God is awake and aware. God is certainly conscious, so I think we can safely speak of God’s consciousness. But God’s consciousness is God’s consciousness, and man’s consciousness is man’s consciousness. The difference between the two has to be like day and night. So now the question becomes: what makes human consciousness as dim as the night, and what makes God’s consciousness as bright as the day? Here she comes, maybe Katie can figure it out for us!”

“Daddy, what are you talking about?”

“Honey, do you want to help us concentrate again?”

“I’m ready.”

“Come on Philip. You, Sarah, and I should be able to come up with a question simple enough for a child to understand. A simple question may give a boost to our brainstorming.”

“What’s that daddy?”

“Oh honey, brainstorming is used to solve hard puzzles. We will be throwing around thoughts of all kinds. It doesn’t matter how silly they may sound at first, since the idea is to break up the tired old patterns of thinking.”

“Okay dad, let’s do it. How do we start?”

“Well, I think we can say that God is conscious. And I think we can say that we are conscious. I am awake, how about you?”

“Yes sir, I’m awake.”

“So let’s try out a question. God is omniscient and we are not. So what makes God’s wakefulness different than our own? But I think this question is too hard for Katie.”

“Yes daddy, that’s too hard.”

“Mr. Wells, maybe we can start by talking about the light we can see. I don’t know about God’s light, but I can see the light of the sun. If we talk about visible light first, it may help us understand the light of God.”

“Great idea Sarah. So Katie, you know about the light of the sun, don’t you?”

“Yes. I see the sun every day, except when it’s cloudy.”

“Cloudy, cloudy. Well team, think about the clouds. Is that going to help us?”

“Dad, a human being might have a cloudy wakefulness. Cloudiness would make our consciousness different.”

“All right son, sounds reasonable. It might make sense because we already know about the stain of sin. Sin has a role to play in darkness. We might think of sin as the dark clouds hiding the light of God. Sarah, what do you think? The sun is very bright, so let’s say the sun represents the light of God.”

“What about the night? The moon shines with the light of the sun. The glow of the moon is not from it’s own light, but the moon glows anyway. And the moon continues to be the moon even without it’s own light. It’s not as bright as the sun, but it does have some light.”

“Another excellent thought. Sarah, you’re good at this. The brightness of the moon depends on the reflecting quality of the moon. The sun is the source of light in our solar system, and that could represent the role of God’s light in the universe. It may be a valid analogy. I wonder if humans simply reflect the light of God as best they can.”

“Mr. Wells, the Bible says that God created man in his own image (Genesis 1:27). An image is like a reflection.”

“Good. Now Sarah, this thing about the moon is very interesting. I like the idea.”

“Yeah, I like the idea too.”

“And son, you’re the one who has to consider the validity of these ideas. Maybe they can help, and maybe not. In any case, whatever you take on has to fit in with the theme Jesus preached in these gospels. His teachings come first.”

“Right, I’ll check it out.”

“So Sarah, any more thoughts before we break for lunch?”

“Well, I was just wondering about this consciousness thing. Mr. Wells, are we talking about religion? What is this about?”

“This doesn’t have to be seen in terms of religion. Everyone is awake, so this is about the normal wakefulness everyone experiences every day of their life.”

“All right, I can feel comfortable with that. Oh, Mrs. Wells, you're joining our discussion.”

“Not me, I’m just here to ring the dinner bell. It’s time for all you deep thinkers to chow down. Come on Sarah, have a seat in the dining room. We are shrimp lovers, all except for Katie.”

“I love shrimp.”

“Here’s the cocktail sauce, and your salad. Katie is not so keen on seafood. She prefers the simple combination of soup, bread and butter, so I helped her whip up a creamy dessert for herself. She just loves to watch that mixer spinning. This rich dessert doesn’t go with shrimp, but you’re welcome to try it if you like. The rest of us usually end up with fruit for dessert.”

“Sounds good to me. Oh, this is delicious.”

“So Sarah, anytime you want to stop by for a visit, we’re happy to have you.”

“That’s very kind of you Mrs. Wells. I just might take you up on that. My dad works for commission, so we have our ups and downs. Things can get pretty serious at times. You have such a nice family. I feel comfortable here.”

“Good. Now, did you scholars make any progress today?”

“Honey, I think Philip has his work cut out for him. He got a real curve ball today when the subject of consciousness came along.”

“What does consciousness have to do with the Bible?”

“Oh, God has always been associated with light. Jesus was speaking about the inside light, and light removes the darkness--light is actually the most fundamental Bible topic.”

“And mom, Jesus said to his followers, ‘ye are the light of the world.’ We’re simply trying to figure out what he did to brighten up his own disciples.”

“Well anyway, Katie is the one who provided the spark of genius. Our daughter is a bright little girl.”

“Daddy, did I win?”

“I think it’s fair to say you won. Philip, you need to work this out with your mom. I’m not so sure about this ice cream deal, but you promised a reward, so perhaps you two can come up with something nice for her.”

“Philip, you need to explain this to me.”

“Oh mom, I promised Katie a prize if she solved the puzzle. She came up with a great answer, so I guess it’s time for me to pay up. How do you want me to handle it?”

“Well, first of all, I don’t feel comfortable with the idea of payoffs for Katie’s thoughts. But putting that concern aside for now, how about this: I pick out the family ice cream every week. Why not just let Katie pick out her own favorite flavor for a while? Will that work for you sweetheart? You’ll get any kind you want.”

“Okay, it’s a deal.”

“And honey, you’re not playing poker with me. How about just saying ‘yes mom.’”

“Yes mom, it’s a deal.”

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FROM MATTHEW 6:22

The light of the body is the eye.

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CHAPTER 14

THE WORD, YOKE, SCATTERING SEEDS (and Luke 8:10)

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It was the great Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus was speaking of light. This “light that is in thee” is the essential light, and could very well be consciousness. What else could it be? Some people think in terms of thoughts and inspiration as the inside light, but thoughts are not as basic as wakefulness. Who could have just a single thought without being awake?

And the words “In thee” sound familiar. Going back to Luke 17:21, “behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” And coming again to Matthew 6:23, “If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness.” "In thee" and "within you," hmmm. Yeah, things seem to be coming together right here. The kingdom is within you points to the location of the treasure, and this light in thee could very well be the key to changing our own lives so that we can live up to those high standards given in the Sermon on the Mount.

But time to move ahead. Let's see, this eleventh chapter of Matthew is where Jesus declares the greatness of John the Baptist. It also holds that verse on sackcloth and ashes. Now, if I had to connect sackcloth and ashes to anyone in this gospel story, it would be John. He was a spiritual recluse, spending his days out in the wilderness. This kind of thing shows up in the Far East, but is not a part of western culture. I never met a reclusive monk, nor have I seen anyone dressed in sackcloth and ashes, so this chapter of Matthew certainly has an eastern flavor to it. Now, how does this eleventh chapter come to a close?

Here is the last part, and Matthew 11:28-30 sounds familiar as well. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Aha! So for sure, Jesus was giving something out. He said, “take my yoke.”

This “burden is light” is important too. He was setting high standards in that Sermon on the Mount, and yet he is proclaiming, “my burden is light,” “my yoke is easy.” All right, so what’s this yoke? “Hey mom. Can you hear me?”

“Yes, I’m right here.”

“What’s a yoke?”

“It holds two oxen together.”

“If a yoke is for oxen, then why would Jesus say that he has a yoke for people?”

“I’m not sure, but it reminds me of the word ‘yoga.’ Yoga means ‘to yoke.’ Yoga is a reference to divine union. It’s a very old spiritual term.”

“Two thousand years old?”

“Oh, at least two thousand years. But Philip, I have to add that I don’t think Jesus was teaching yoga.”

“Yeah, this is not about postures and exercises. This has to change a person from the inside.”

“There are many kinds of yoga and if done properly, they all benefit mind and body. I had yoga lessons to move the body around, but there is also a quiet yoga for the mind. The quiet yoga unites mind and spirit.”

“Mind and spirit?”

“Yes, it yokes to spirit. That’s why it’s called ‘yoga.’ People use it to settle down on the inside. It’s like a rest. like resting in spirit.”

“He did say “I will give you rest.” Could this quiet yoga be that worship in spirit?"

“Don't jump to any conclusions. These gospels do have an eastern flavor, and I brought up the connection to yoga. But to say Jesus was teaching yoga doesn’t sound right to me.”

“All right, but one more question.”

“Go ahead.”

“Do these yoga people dress up in sackcloth and ashes? That’s right here in the same eleventh chapter of Matthew.”

“Well, some of those yogis smear themselves with ashes and wear a simple loincloth.”

“This sounds like yoga to me. Does yoga change people, so they can improve their own lives?”

“Yes of course, but yoga is not so easy. It takes tremendous dedication to become advanced in yoga. I don’t think the followers of Jesus were doing yoga.”

“Oh, so that part doesn’t seem to fit. His yoke is easy, not difficult. This is not falling into place, and it’s an important part too. His yoke had to be easy, since he was criticizing the people who put a heavy load on others. Okay, thanks mom.”

“Sure enough.”

Now, moving ahead, the twelve apostles traveled around with Jesus, along with Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna and many others (Luke 8:1-3). People were coming from all over to listen to him.

Oh, look at this, it’s the parable of the sower. And Jesus says “The seed is the word of God” right here in Luke 8:11. Terrific. This might be my chance to clear up this thing about the word of God. But I should read the whole parable first.

This was a spontaneous gathering. The crowd was so large that Jesus had to move away in a boat to address the people along the shoreline. A description of the parable of the sower starts in the thirteenth chapter of Matthew, the fourth chapter of Mark, and the eighth chapter of Luke. So it’s covered quite well by three gospel writers.

In the parable he tells a story about a farmer who went out to sow seeds. Some of the seeds fell along the path. They were trampled and eaten up by birds. Some fell on the rocks, and when the plants came up they withered for lack of moisture. Other seeds grew up with thorny plants which choked them out. But some seeds fell on good soil, which came up and yielded a crop a hundred times more than was sown.

Later on, Jesus was with his disciples. They asked him about the parable, and he replied in Luke 8:10. “Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables.” Aha! They had secrets! They had private mysteries they kept to themselves.

All right, dad spoke about this very thing. In the teacher-disciple relationship, things can be passed along in private. And these mysteries of the kingdom of God seem to sit at the very heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Now, if this kingdom of God is such a good thing, why keep it a secret?

Hmmm, and to add to the puzzle, Luke 8:10 goes on to say, I am speaking in parables so “that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.” Perhaps Jesus shared these mysteries and the experience of God’s light with those who were seeking it, but did not share it with others. So I guess the parables were meant for those who didn’t bother to look into these secrets. The outsiders didn’t go for it and had no way to experience God’s inner kingdom.

And here is more on the word of God. Luke 8:19-21 says, “Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press. And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. And he answered and said unto them, ‘My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God and do it.’” Sounds like the disciples were his real family. Gosh, and it appears that he left his mother and brothers standing outside! Boy, that’s a surprise.

Well anyway, Jesus is again speaking about the word of God. His real family are the ones who “hear the word of God and do it.” He is sharing these secret mysteries with his disciples, and he said that they “do” the word of God. These secret mysteries could be a spiritual practice of some kind. Perhaps doing this word of God is that “worship in spirit” he was talking about. But getting back to Luke 8:11, Jesus describes the word of God as a seed, and the very next verse (Luke 8:12) is about being saved. Whoa, a seed that saves!

This little seed is so important, and he was sowing these seeds out and about to all kinds of people. The word of God, and they ‘do it,’ hmmm. And that’s not all. Oh, this is awesome! “Hey mom, can you hear me?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Jesus used the term ‘word of God’ right here in the gospels, and Mr. Peterson said that the Bible is the ‘word of God.’ This brings up a super question. Are you ready?”

“Of course.”

“Did the Bible exist when Jesus was speaking?”

“Well, some of the Bible books were written before Jesus spoke, but many of the books were not yet composed. The New Testament manuscripts didn’t exist when Jesus was speaking.”

“Thanks mom, that’s just what I thought. Now mom, are you sure that the letters of Paul did not exist when Jesus was speaking?”

“Yes, I’m sure. His letters came much later.”

“Okay, thanks.” Jesus is talking about the word of God in the parable of the sower (Luke 8:11). This means that the word of God Jesus was sowing could not have included Paul’s letters because those letters didn’t exist back then. Aha! So, Mr. Peterson is using the term “word of God” in a different way. He’s not using the term to describe this same seed. Hmmm, this is not good. Mr. Peterson is not thinking clearly.

If Christians use the phrase “word of God,” surely they would want to use the term just as Jesus used it with his own disciples. It would be confusing to do otherwise. Why would Mr. Peterson make a change like that? Time to make a call. “Hey Sarah, it’s me.”

“Hi. What’s going on?”

“I was doing some research and came across something important. Do you remember the time Mr. Peterson was giving instructions to read the whole Bible because the Bible is the ‘word of God?’”

“Yes, I remember.”

“Well guess what. The New Testament didn’t even exist when Jesus used that term. Sarah, the word of God could not have included the letters of Paul or any of those later books, because Jesus was talking about the word long before those things came along. Whatever the word turns out to be, it sure didn’t include Paul’s letters. I don’t think Jesus was talking about the New Testament.”

“Well Philip, he did speak about the word, and he did describe the word of God as a seed. I always thought he was talking about the Bible, but now that you mention it, that would be impossible. They had the Old Testament, not the New Testament. And those Old Testament scrolls were in the temple, not in the hands of ordinary people. Seeds were being sown, but I don’t think Jesus was passing out those scrolls to anybody, hmmm. Philip, this is quite interesting.”

“So it looks like my Bible study load is lighter once again since my intention is to use words just as Jesus used them. I’m not about to switch the meaning to something else. He spoke about the word of God and set a meaning for that phrase. I’ll just stick with that.”

“Okay, that’s fair. Just like you said, keep it simple. If Jesus preached about the ‘word of God,’ it would be wise to figure out what he was talking about, and then hold on to that same meaning all the way through. Changing the meaning along the way would be a mistake, and a change like that would mess up the entire interpretation. Jesus knew what he was talking about, so why not use the term ‘word of God’ just as he used it with his own disciples. Why change the meaning?”

“But Sarah, we still have to figure out what he was talking about.”

“Philip, Jesus said the word of God is a seed (Luke 8:11). A seed is something small.”

“Right, and yet a big tree can grow from a little seed. My mom likes to talk about this. She was amazed that a concrete sidewalk can be moved about by the roots of a tree. It all starts with a tiny little seed and as the sap flows, it eventually builds up the big tree. The sap reminded me of that gift of God. If ordinary sap can lift concrete, what about the ‘living water’ Jesus was giving? We know seeds were being sown. I think Jesus was giving out this powerful gift in the form of a seed. But what was that seed?”

“I don’t know.”

“Luke 8:21 says, God’s word is heard and people ‘do it.’ This ‘do it’ thing sounds like a spiritual practice to me. And since the New Testament books didn’t exist when Jesus spoke, this ‘word of God’ he was speaking about is certainly not the Bible.”

“Yeah. And on top of that, those old scripture scrolls were too big and cumbersome for Jesus to be passing them out. Philip, I have to agree with you. Jesus was talking about the word of God in this parable of the sower, and he was not speaking about the Bible. He was giving something out, but what was the seed he was sowing?”

“Sarah, I have no idea.”

“I’m going to ask Mr. Peterson about this. I haven’t been speaking up in class, but this is something I want to clear up. We have Bible study tonight. I’ll just ask why this mysterious but important reference to the word has been neglected.”

“And you’re still going to those lessons?”

“Oh yes. The whole thing is a lot more interesting. I’m watching the contrast between your thoughts and the traditional interpretation. I like to look at both sides.”

“Good.”

“And I’m going to stick with it too. I haven’t been talking much, but this is one question I want to bring up: the ‘word of God.’ Yes, I want to make sure I understand what the phrase actually means. It might be important.”

“A seed that saves--of course it’s important! We have to dig up the original meaning, not this idea that the word of God is 1600 pages of reading. That’s not right.”

“Philip, I hope you can figure it out, and I’ll ask about it too. Now, I’m going to let you get back to your studies. Will that be all right?”

“Sure, see yah.”

“Bye now.”

Well, what do you think of that? Jesus was preaching about the word of God, and he sure wasn’t talking about the books of the New Testament. That’s a relief. I don’t mind reading, but 1600 pages is a bit much. And now I’m starting to appreciate the thing Jesus said about his yoke. He said “my burden is light.” I think this is part of it.

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A SIMPLE POINT FROM CHAPTER FOURTEEN

-- The New Testament books did not exist
when Jesus used the term “Word of God,”

-- In the parable of the sower
Jesus spoke about a tiny seed.
What was he scattering about?
It certainly wasn’t the Bible.

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CHAPTER 15

WHY THEY HAD SECRETS (MYSTERIES, Luke 8:10)

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“Katie, let’s have a theological conference.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s like a meeting. We have to figure out where to go from here. Jesus and his disciples have secrets” (Matthew 13:11, Mark 4:11, Luke 8:10).

“Oh boy, tell me about it!”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I think it has something to do with this teacher-disciple thing. When dad comes home I’ll ask him, but I just had to tell you. This is not so good.”

“What’s the matter?”

“Oh, this is a big problem for us. Maybe you can figure it out for yourself.”

“Yeah, but give me a hint.”

“Well, these things about the kingdom of heaven make up the genuine gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s about the treasure we want to dig up. Do you follow this so far?”

“Yes.”

“Now, if Jesus was talking about ‘the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 13:11), and he said that these mysteries were given to his disciples and not to the others, would we know anything about it today? Keep in mind, this was two thousand years ago.”

“Did anybody tell?”

“I don’t think so. That’s the whole idea. The disciples wouldn’t tell because this was a private mystery. It was like a secret.”

“Philip, if the disciples didn’t tell, then we can’t know the secret. Oh, and this is about the treasure!”

“That’s right. I think you understand the problem now. Our search for this treasure is not going to be easy. Jesus was keeping private mysteries about the kingdom of heaven, and if I had to take a guess, I think this may be at the very heart what we need to know.”

“Why did Jesus have secrets?”

“Gosh, I was wondering that very same thing. Pirates bury treasure and keep secrets, but they are selfish people. Pirates don’t want anyone else to find the treasure. But Jesus wasn’t like that. He wanted people to have this treasure, so why was he keeping secrets?”

“Philip, what are we going to do?”

“We’ll just continue reading. You just needed to know about this. I didn’t want you to be disappointed if we can’t find the treasure.”

“Don’t worry Philip, we’ll find it. Don’t give up.”

“Oh, I’m not going to give up. Dad will help when he gets home.”

“Yeah.”

“And Katie, you already gave us some big help. We have these mysteries to deal with now, but your discovery about inside light might be important. Jesus wants the light on the inside to be bright, and he continues to speak about the people who can see, and those who cannot see. Dad said that we see with our inner wakefulness, so a bright consciousness just may be the key to unlock this secret mystery. Consciousness is single, so that might be the ‘eye’ Jesus was talking about. But now it’s time to get back to work. Are you ready to move ahead?”

“I’m ready.”

“Good. And as I was looking at this parable of the sower, I noticed another verse on light. Luke 8:16 says, “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.” Katie, I think this confirms that Jesus already lit their candle. He ‘lighted’ the disciples up somehow.”

“Light on the inside.”

“Right. And Katie, look at this one (Matthew 13:31-32). A man planted a mustard seed in his field. Jesus said the mustard seed is the smallest of seeds, and yet this herb becomes so large that the birds can come and make their nest in it. He is talking about seeds again, and a tiny mustard seed doesn’t sound like a written copy of the scriptures. I don’t think it’s spoken scriptures either. If the scriptures were preached it would be thousands of words. On the other hand, a mustard seed is very tiny.”

“Philip, why are you talking about scriptures? He’s talking about a seed.”

“Oh, some people think that the seed Jesus was speaking about is the Bible. That’s not possible, and now he’s emphasizing the small nature of this seed. Whatever was being sown is very tiny. This seed is the word of God, and we know light is important too. Light and seeds, light and seeds. I wonder what it all means?”

“Keep on going. We’ll figure it out.”

“Okay. So now we’re up to one of our first discoveries. This is from Matthew 13:44. ‘The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.’ And the next two verses tell a similar story. Matthew 13:45-46 says, ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.’ Katie, a pearl is a hidden treasure, so this confirms our quest. No doubt about it, Jesus wanted people to be seeking out this treasure. We are definitely on the right track.”

“Good.”

“And to make sure everybody got the information about this treasure, he sent the apostles out to teach (Luke 9:1-2). Jesus taught the gospel of the kingdom of God, and now he is sending the apostles out to do it too. I think this was on the job training for the twelve. They will carry on with the mission after Jesus is gone, so he has them getting in some practice. And I’ll bet he was testing them to see how they carried out his mission of preaching the treasure gospel.”

“Did Paul go along?”

“Paul didn’t go. These twelve were being personally trained by Jesus to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God to the whole world, but Paul was not one of them.”

“Why didn’t Paul go?”

“Katie, I don’t think he was around at this time. And even if he was, Paul didn’t have the time to be trained by anybody. He was too busy rounding up Christians to put them in prison. Later on in his life, Paul got converted and wrote some letters. These days, many people believe that God wrote those letters using Paul’s hands. Over time, these same letters became known as the ‘word of God,’ and also in time, Paul’s letters were declared to be the ‘gospel of Jesus Christ.’ But Katie, these things about Paul don’t sound right to me. My mind doesn’t work like that. I just think that Jesus preached his own gospel. Does that sound right to you?”

“That’s right, it’s about a treasure.”

“And Katie, I also believe that Jesus was smart enough to select and train the twelve he wanted to preach for him. What do you think?”

“He picked out the twelve?”

“He approved every one of them, and trained them for well over two years.”

“Yeah, it’s them. The ones he picked.”

“That’s what I think.”

“Philip, why didn’t the apostles write letters like Paul?”

“I don’t know. Maybe they were too busy doing what Jesus asked them to do. I think the apostles were out sowing seeds. If Jesus wanted the apostles to write letters and organize churches, he would have given those instructions. But it seems to me that Jesus was not setting up churches, so the apostles didn’t have write to churches that were not being built.”

“Where did the people go without churches?”

“I don’t think they had to go anywhere. If the apostles were sowing seeds, then a seed is all a person needs to grow a big tree and enjoy the fruit from that tree. I think Jesus and the apostles were out sowing seeds, not building churches.”

“Then we have to figure out that seed.”

“Yep, that’s the problem. You got it now.”

“Yeah, I got it.”

“And you know, I seem to recall something else about temples in here. Oh yes, this is from John 4:21-24. Jesus is talking to the woman at Jacob’s Well. She thinks that since Jesus is a rabbi, he would want everyone to go to Jerusalem to worship God. Jerusalem is where the big temple was located. But Jesus didn’t agree with her and said, ‘But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.’”

“Katie, I once heard that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, so this section on worship might be about the quiet inner life. I don’t think people needed temples or churches for that kind of worship. But we could use more information to sort this all out. We still have to research those seeds and how to worship in spirit.”

“Philip, what’s that noise?”

“It’s the garage door. Dad is home. Boy, I have a lot of questions for him.”

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“Honey, where are the kids.”

“Look in Philip’s room. I think they’re reading together. Did you have a good day?”

“Yes, it was a conference with our best engineers. We got a lot done and had an interesting conversation over lunch. They’re fascinated with our kids and their Bible project. So honey, how was your day?”

“Good, you know me, I was born to be a mom. Now, the kids are waiting for you. Maybe you can help them out.”

“I’ll give it a try. Philip!“

“Right here.”

“Hi son. And here’s my little Katie too. Have you been thinking with Philip today?”

“Yes.”

“And what’s the big topic?”

“Daddy, it’s the tiny seed. We have to figure it out.”

“Sounds like the parable of the sower.”

“Yeah dad. I read the parable and told Katie about it. I also said something about Paul, but I wasn’t so sure about him. I just heard some things and passed it on to her.”

“What did you hear?”

“I heard that as a young man Paul was throwing Christians in prison. But as I was saying it, I thought to myself, that can’t be right. Mr. Peterson wanted me to study the gospel of Jesus Christ by reading Paul’s letters. So maybe I got something mixed up.”

“Well, I think you heard the correct story. And there’s more about his early life. Paul was known as Saul back in those days. He was there when a group got together to stone Saint Stephen to death.”

“They killed him. Was Stephen doing something wrong?”

“I don’t think so. It appears to me that Saint Stephen was a very real saint. As Steven was being stoned, he pleaded with God not to bring any harm to those who killed him (Acts 7:59-60). I think Steven was actually living the life Jesus preached. It reminded me of something: God forgives us when we forgive others” (paraphrase of Matthew 6:14).

“Oh yeah, Sarah and I were talking about that. She was surprised and thought it was too difficult to live out in real life. But here we have Steven doing the very thing Jesus recommended. He showed that it can be done.”

“Right. He was a Christian right down to the core of his being. In modern terms this is called ‘walking the talk.’ Too bad Paul and the others felt that they had to take his life.”

“Dad, I think you’re talking about Saul now.”

“Son, as far as I know, Paul and Saul are different names for the same person. People do change, but I think it’s only fair for you to know about his past without shuffling these two names around. Well anyway, after the stoning, Paul went out from house to house looking for Christian men and women, so that they could be thrown into prison (Acts 8:3).

“Okay, so it was true. Hmmm, I think there was no chance that Paul was being trained by Jesus to preach the gospel to the whole world along with the other twelve apostles.”

“Not a chance, but in time he was converted and eventually wrote those letters that make up a major portion of the New Testament.”

“How did Paul’s letters come to be known as the word of God?”

“Important question, but I have no idea how that came about.”

“But dad, Jesus talked about the word of God, and he is the highest authority on that term. What was he talking about? You wanted me to figure this out on my own, but I haven’t made much progress. It’s just not possible for the ‘word of God’ to include Paul’s letters since they didn’t exist when Jesus was speaking. And on the contrary, Jesus preached about seeds and light. We made some progress on that inner light, but this tiny seed still remains a puzzle. Katie and I want to know more about that seed. It’s the word of God.”

“Yes, that’s a mystery all right (Luke 8:10). Seeds were being scattered about here and there. It sure does sound like Jesus was giving something out. Is that how you see it son?”

“Oh, for sure. In the parable of the sower he described the results of sowing these seeds in great detail. The word of God was being sown, and in some it produced a bountiful crop, while in others the plant just withered away. They didn’t believe and were not saved (Luke 8:11-12). Jesus was scattering a seed that saves. So without any question, he was giving something out.”

“And dad, there are more verses suggesting that very same thing. When he spoke with the woman at Jacob’s Well he was talking about the gift of God. I figure he must have been giving out a gift of some kind. On another occasion, he mentioned something about a yoke (Matthew 11:28-30). He said ‘take my yoke.’”

“So Jesus was giving a gift, asking people to take his yoke, and he was scattering a seed that saves--no question about it--he was actually giving something out.”

“Right, and he also wanted people to worship in spirit. Now, as their teacher, wouldn’t Jesus have shown his own disciples how to worship in spirit?”

“Of course, this is exactly what a teacher does. He gives instructions on how to become familiar with God and how to worship. And as we discussed before, this part was probably done in private. That was the traditional way to pass along spiritual instructions.”

“And dad, speaking of privacy, Jesus was keeping secrets about the kingdom of God. That’s quite a problem for us, since this kingdom is at the very heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why was he keeping secrets? He wanted everyone to have this kingdom, so keeping secrets in this case doesn’t make any sense to me.”

“Philip, that’s an eastern tradition. It’s just the way they do things.”

“But there had to be a reason.”

“Oh sure. Now son, I might be able to help you with this part of the puzzle.”

“Great, and this better be good. Katie and I are stumped on this one.”

“And by the way, where did she go? Katie!”

“Here I am.”

“Oh honey, come and sit with me. Do you want to hear about secrets?”

“Yes daddy. Do you know why Jesus had secrets?”

“Maybe so, and I think this is something both you and Philip will be able to understand. It’s not very hard. Are you all settled in now?”

“I’m ready.”

“All right, so here we go. Secrets, secrets, why keep secrets if you want everyone to know something good? Well, the first thing we need to consider is the spiritual nature of this instruction. Spiritual means delicate and refined, very deep and personal, so we already have a good reason to keep things quiet. But there is more to this puzzle. We also need to consider the logic behind keeping a secret, and I’ll start by asking a question. If a person is about to give you a key to the kingdom of heaven, would you want the key to work? How about you Katie, would you want a perfect key so you can use the key to open the door?”

“Yes. A bad key won’t open the door.”

“Not only that honey, but a key can have just a little defect and it will not work.”

“Yeah dad, a key has to be just right. But what does this have to do with keeping secrets?”

“Philip, the two things go together. I need to explain, so let’s talk about a game.”

“I like games.”

“Katie, you may not know about this one, but I’ll bet your brother knows. It uses about six people. The game starts with a story. You whisper a story to the first person and after completing it, you tell that person to whisper the story on to the next person. And of course the game continues until the story has been told to the very last of the six people.”

“Oh yeah, I know what happens dad. The last person tells the story they heard, and they all end up laughing.”

“Philip, why are they laughing?”

“They are laughing because the story the last person tells is nothing like the original. Every time the story is passed along from one person to the next, things get lost and things get changed. So by the time the last person tells the story, it’s nothing like the original.”

“Good son. So now you both understand that things get mixed-up when information is passed along from one person to another. Now, just imagine this. Let’s say that Jesus is teaching something very delicate and personal, so he decides to pass the information along in private. This is very much in keeping with the teacher-disciple tradition. And considering that the instructions are private, a unique kind of dilemma comes up. If Jesus teaches a person something wonderful, something very useful that will make life so much better, what do you think is going to happen when that person gets home?”

“Dad, I think they will want to share what they learned with other people.”

“That’s right. They are excited and thrilled with the new gift, and they want to share it with friends and loved ones. So what do you think is going to happen next?”

“Well, the person who got the gift has a choice. They can try to teach their friends what they learned, or they can tell their friends to go out and get the same instruction for themselves. Oh, I get the idea.”

“Go ahead son, explain it to me.”

“Well, If Jesus wanted everyone to get a perfect key to the kingdom, he would have set it up so that they got instruction directly from him, or from someone trained by him to teach. That way he would know that everyone got proper instruction. If the key to the kingdom started to move out by word of mouth, things would get so mixed up it would become useless. This is like the example of passing a story from one person to another. Eventually, the story is nothing like the original. If the key to the kingdom had to be just right to open the door, then it would have been necessary to keep the personal instruction a secret so that everyone had a chance to get the key directly from Jesus or from one of his trained apostles. Yeah, this explains the whole thing.”

“And Katie, did you understand any of this?”

“Yes. Get teaching from the teacher, not from other people.”

“Wonderful, you’re so smart. I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks daddy. But what about the seeds?”

“Gosh honey, I don’t know if I can help you with that one. Do you think we can know about the seeds if Jesus was keeping secrets?”

“I guess not.”

“Dad, can a secret be recovered if it’s lost?”

“I think so, but first we have to exhaust all other possibilities. Don’t you two have more research to do?”

“Yeah, I’m only on the thirteenth chapter of Matthew. Hope I don’t have to ask this same question when I’m finished. There might be enough information in here to solve the puzzle and find the treasure.”

“Well son, I’m with you all the way.”

“Me too Philip, I’ll help.”

“Well dad, I’ll be asking the questions all right. And Katie, you’re quite an encouragement, you really are.”

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A THOUGHT FROM CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Jesus and the apostles held secrets,
and for good reason.

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CHAPTER 16

LOSE YOUR LIFE TO FIND IT (mysteries of the kingdom, Luke 8:10)

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The apostles were out on a mission, and Mark 6:30-31 speaks of what happened on their return. It says, “And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said unto them. ‘Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while.’” And they needed the rest too, because so many people were coming and going that they didn’t even have time to eat! Gosh, those apostles were sure busy doing something.

Nothing is said about baptizing in here, but I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to find that the apostles just continued to do whatever they had been trained to do. I suspect this coming and going is taking place inside a home now. The apostles were dealing with a stream of people, and yet not a word is said about what they were doing. So another example of private activities. Hope I can dig up more on these private mysteries (Luke 8:10).

Jesus eventually got the apostles across Lake Galilee by boat for some rest (Mark 6:32). The private time didn’t last long because a crowd of five thousand soon caught up with them. And since there were no provisions for feeding the huge crowd, Jesus asked his followers to distribute five loaves and two fishes which miraculously fed the entire gathering with seven baskets of food left over (Mark 6:33-44). By this time, the people were convinced that he was the prophet who was promised to them, and they wanted to force him to be their king. He would have none of that and went out to be alone. That same evening, the disciples reported seeing Jesus walking on the waters of the lake to rejoin them (John 6:14-21).

Now, this free food was a big hit with the crowds, and many people had the mistaken idea that he was there to take care of them (John 6:22-71). But on the contrary, Jesus took this opportunity to remind them of the spiritual intent of his mission. He said, “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have not life in you,” On hearing this, many turned away and no longer followed him. I suspect the ones who understood this statement in terms of the unseen spiritual body and blood were able to continue, but those who were thinking of physical blood and physical body could not accept what he was saying.

“Philip, what are you reading?”

“Oh Katie, Jesus just multiplied two fish to feed five thousand people. Isn’t that wonderful?”

“I don’t like fish.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot. Let’s see if there is something in here you might like.”

“What about the light?”

“Nothing on light. But wait just a minute, here is something. Jesus was talking about some of those people who co-operated with the Romans to run the big temple. He described them as ‘blind leaders’ (from Matthew 15:14). So again, this is about darkness and light.”

“What happened, why were they blind?”

“Oh, they could see just fine with their regular eyes, but they didn’t have the light to see invisible things. This kind of blindness is about the eye. It’s the lack of inner light. And leading up to this comment on blindness, he was complaining about the attention people put on unimportant things, like ceremonial washings (Matthew 15:1-3). Katie, I think this whole section supports a couple of our earlier discoveries. First of all, Jesus was again talking about the light to see spiritual things; they didn’t have it. These people could see with their physical eyes, but their inner light was weak. So in that sense, they were blind. And this brings us right back to the single eye thing.”

“That's the one I figured out.”

"Exactly. So again, this appears to be about the light on the inside, some people have it and some don't. See what a great hint you gave us when you noticed the light inside yourself?”

“Yeah, I was thinking good that day.”

“And one more thing. Jesus said that these washing rituals belong to the laws of men, and have nothing to do with the laws of God (Matthew 15:1-9). That’s another clue for us.”

“What kind of clue?”

“Well, he didn’t like those ceremonial washings. This probably means that the ceremony itself didn’t do anything. I don’t think he was very enthusiastic about the rituals that can only clean the outside. And this leads me to one simple conclusion: I’ll bet this early baptizing ceremony was accompanied by some private instruction on how to worship in spirit and clean up the inside.”

“Soap and water for the soul” (Chapter 7, and also refer to Matthew 23:25-26).

“Good Katie, you remembered. You’re wide awake today.”

"I remembered that one."

“Well, now that you’re all warmed up, let’s see what else we can find in here. Oh, here is something about ‘keys of the kingdom’ (Matthew 16:19). Jesus gave the keys to Peter.”

“Who is that?”

“One of the apostles; he had a lot of trust in Peter.”

“Good.”

“But hold on just a minute; I may have spoken too soon. Just a few verses beyond this (Matthew 16:23), Jesus said to Peter, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan: thou are an offense unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.’”

“Did he get his keys back?”

“I don’t know. It doesn’t say any more about the keys. I guess he had mixed feelings about Peter.”

“Jesus likes John the best.”

“John the Baptist. Oh yes, he only had good things to say about him. And I’ll bet he’s missing John right about now. Let’s move ahead and see what happens. Here’s another puzzle.”

“I like puzzles. Let’s figure it out.”

“This is from Matthew 16:24-25. Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.’ Katie, this one has several puzzles in it. First of all, he wants people to take up their own cross.”

“Carry your own cross.”

“Right, and look at this part: ‘whosoever will lose his life for my sake.’ Now, does Jesus lose his life for me, or do I lose my life for him? Which is it? Hmmm, it looks like the meaning of this phrase has been flipped around.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Katie, it appears to me that Jesus speaks clearly, but people take his sayings, flip them around and end up teaching something else.”

“Philip, I don’t understand this. It’s time for me to practice dancing.”

“Oh sure, bye now.” So, back to this verse. “Whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” What in the world does that mean? Aha, I have it! Jesus was sent by God to preach. And since he was teaching the people to recognize God as their own Father, this “lose his life” is like letting go of the old idea that dad is my father, and coming to know God as my real father. The old material life is lost, and the new spiritual life is gained. That would be like losing my life for him. It’s like seeing things in a new light. It happens when the light of God gets very bright on the inside.

Losing the old life and finding the new life is that big transformation. An ordinary person is born with the understanding that mom and dad are the parents. But after this transformation, they come to realize that God is the true parent, born again! And I suspect it’s the light of God that brings about this change. Now, Matthew 16:26 goes on to say “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” All right, so what does a person do to keep their soul? Perhaps the soul can be polished to reflect God’s light. People need to brighten up somehow.

Luke 9:23-25 has a similar series of verses, but there are some differences in here. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” This “take up his cross daily” could be a reference to a spiritual practice of some kind; it’s something that’s done “daily.” Aha! This would be the way to “lose his life for my sake.” And it would be a way to brighten up as well. Hmmm, it all seems to fit together, but as I continue on to verse 25, something else comes up. Why does Jesus say, ‘lose his own soul’ in Matthew 16:26, and ‘lose himself’ in Luke 9:25? Is the ‘soul’ and the ‘self’ the same thing? “Hey dad, are you out there?”

“Yes.”

“I’m working on another puzzle.”

“What’s the problem?”

“I have a verse from Matthew about losing the ‘soul’ and a similar verse comes up in Luke, but the second one is about losing ‘himself.’ Does ‘self’ mean the same as ‘soul?’”

“In some sense, it does mean the same thing. Philip, this is another one of those East-West things. The West uses the term ‘soul,’ but the East commonly uses the term ‘self.’ And son, this very topic came up in a conversation I had with some of my engineering friends. I was talking about your project and mentioned the word consciousness. One of my associates from the Far East spoke up and said: ‘Oh, the self!’ His comment reminded me that the East identifies the innermost existence of every person as the ‘self,’ and it’s rather common for them to connect the light of consciousness to the deepest aspect of that innermost self. To many people in the Far East, consciousness is the self; consciousness is the soul.”

“And that's the same in the West too.”

“Not really, it’s not the same. The West is more likely to connect the concept of the eternal soul to the emotional nature of man. And to be quite honest with you, that viewpoint has always seemed a bit odd to me. Emotions are in a constant flux. Eternal means ever the same and never changing. I don't think emotions belong in that eternal category."

"So the West might be stuck on the idea that the soul is made of emotions?"

“Maybe so. I just think that the immortal basis of a human being should be like the foundation of a building, rock solid and eternally the same. Setting up feelings or emotions as our spiritual foundation doesn't sound right. It’s easier for me to picture stability in the eternal light Jesus was talking about."

"Me too."

“But more than just light, the eastern point of view is that real progress only comes with the knowledge of one’s own self. The great mystery of life is resolved when the secrets of the soul are uncovered. They are after the light and the awakening of that innermost self.”

“The attention goes to the inner life. That’s like making a turn. I wonder if this could be the repentance Jesus and John were talking about?"

“Perhaps. Well anyway, I might be able to summarize this eastern approach for you in one simple phrase. They are just very keen on one fundamental question, ‘who am I?’”

“Dad, this fits in perfectly with that father thing.”

“What father thing?”

“You know, Jesus spoke of God as our heavenly Father. That’s about ‘who am I.’”

“Indeed it is. Am I a child of human parents, or a child of God? Am I a child of mortal parents, or a child of immortality. A person certainly needs to know. Is my heritage death, or is my heritage eternal life? Yes indeed, the father thing is about ‘who am I.’ Very good son.”

“Dad, so maybe you can help me with the next part.”

“Where are you?”

“Right here. It’s called the transfiguration” (Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8, Luke 9:28-36).

“Oh yes, this is where Moses appears to Jesus and a couple of disciples. He is shining like the sun.”

“Right. He is now showing the very light he’s been talking about. Dad, I have to read this first.”

“Sure, take your time.”

“Oh, here is something on Elias. That name sounds familiar. Elias, Elias. Whoa, this is John the Baptist! Katie, come quickly, John is back. John got his head back!”

“Hold on son. What are you talking about? Moses and Elias just appeared to Jesus. This is not John the Baptist.”

“Philip, what happened.”

“Oh Katie, John is alive and well. Dad, Elias is John the Baptist.“

“Are you sure?”

“I think so. Now, where was that verse? Katie and I just read about this. Here it is. Jesus is talking about John the Baptist right here, and he goes on to say, ‘And if ye will receive it, this is Elias which was for to come’” (Matthew 11:14).

“Let me look at that. Yes, I’ve seen this before, but for some reason I just never connected the dots. So Elias at the transfiguration is John. He came back.”

“Daddy, did John get his head back?”

“It sure looks that way honey. Now, what do you think of that? This is news to me, and it’s just as simple as putting two verses together. Looks like another resurrection! John came back, and this is the first time I noticed it. Boy, you kids are finding everything. I think it’s time for me to slip away so this crack team of theologians can get back to work.”

“Daddy, what does that mean?”

“It means you’re doing good honey.”

“Dad, how did you miss this?”

“I don’t know. Philip, my guess is that this connection gets overlooked out of enthusiasm for a particular point of view. I suspect there are many who would prefer to avoid anything that elevates the status of John the Baptist. He was a wandering monk. A rise in John’s importance wouldn’t do anything to support traditional theology. Yeah, another resurrection; that wouldn’t help the old theology one bit. But listen, I have to go now.”

“Sure. Thanks dad.”

“Philip, daddy likes it, we’re doing good. So what’s next?”

“Oh, there’s more on this transfiguration. The disciples were asking questions. And look here, our discovery has already been confirmed. Yep, it was John the Baptist all right. He just appeared with Moses up on that mountain. Our verification comes from Matthew 17:10-12. The disciples asked Jesus, ‘Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed.’ This is about John and how he was abused. So John was Elias. And he came back twice, once as John the Baptist and one more time at the transfiguration. What do you think of that?”

“I think John is busy. And nobody can hurt him.”

“Yeah, Herod had his head cut off, but that didn’t stop John. He just came back to show everybody he was doing fine. And now I know how Jesus and John can be so kind to everyone. They are much more powerful than the people who are against them. No one can harm them; they are invincible.”

“What’s that?”

“Invincible means others cannot kill you no matter what they do. Elias is like that, and I think Jesus is like that too. Aha! This is that ‘eternal life’ Jesus has been promising. And now Elias showed it can be done. John and Jesus were demonstrating everything they promised. Awesome! Eternal life means invincibility. That would change a person forever.”

“I’ll bet Jesus is happy. John is safe.”

“Oh, I think he knew about this all along. Remember, he was talking about the greatness of John long before the transfiguration. Oh and Katie, I forgot to tell you about this light. It says that Jesus was shining like the sun; he was shining with the light of God. I think this is the light he was giving out to everybody.”

“Keep on going. Look for more on that light.”

“I don’t see any more on light. He is now warning the disciples that he is going to be betrayed into the hands of men and killed, just as John was killed (Matthew 17:22-23). But don’t worry Katie. He is going to be raised up and come back just like John. Jesus and John are simply more powerful than the men who try to hurt them. They can come back any time they want. I’m not worried about either one of them.”

“Me neither. John got his head back, so I think Jesus will be all right. Philip, what’s next?”

“Oh, this next part is about fish (Matthew 17:24-27). But this is a fish story you might like. A tax collector came to Peter demanding the temple tax. Jesus told Peter to throw out a fishing line and take the payment for tax out of the mouth of the first fish he catches.”

“Fishing for taxes. That’s funny.”

“Yeah, Jesus has a good sense of humor.”

“So what’s next?”

“Ah, here is something about his brethren. This is a reference to his brothers.”

“Jesus had brothers?”

“He sure did. In John 7:1-9 they are advising him to go to Judea. I think these brothers knew he could get into trouble there, but they didn’t seem to care. Katie, I don’t think Jesus got along with these brothers. But this human relationship wasn’t important to him anyway. God is his father, so I don’t think he was concerned about these earthly matters. His idea of family was well established in God.”

“And those brothers didn’t like him.”

“Well, I’m not absolutely sure about that. These human family things just didn’t seem to be a big part of his agenda. And these verses on the brothers are not very clear anyway. But look at this next section, it’s about the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:1-35). Now we’re getting back to the important things. This is a long one, so let me look it over first.”

“Are you finished?”

“Katie, this is about being like a child. It’s a good thing.”

“I want to grow up. What’s so good about being like a child?”

“Aha! This is that father thing again. It’s about being a true child of God. Now Katie, these are the family values Jesus wanted people to be concerned about--God is your father. He was speaking about being a child of God. This is about that big transformation again.”

“What’s a transformation? I forgot.”

“It’s a big change, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.”

“From a worm to something pretty.”

“Well, kind of like that, but this is for people. It’s a complete change from thinking dad is my father, to knowing God is my father. Jesus said in Matthew 18:3-4, ‘Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’ No question about it, Jesus wanted change. People had to be transformed to enter the kingdom. Gosh, he just had to give them a way to do it.”

“I want to be the greatest. Say it again.”

“If you want to be greatest in the kingdom, you have to humble yourself like a child. Katie, I think this is about those secret mysteries again (Luke 8:10). There was a stream of people coming to Jesus and his disciples. At first they were meeting on the Jordan river for baptism, but in this section the people are coming to a different meeting place. I’ll bet those disciples were privately showing people how to make this big change. He called it humbling yourself in this section. It was called deny himself in Matthew 16:24, and Jesus called it worship in spirit in another section (John 4:24). This was the part they kept to themselves. They didn’t tell anybody what they were doing.”

“I wish somebody would tell me. Philip, how are we going to figure this out?”

“Don’t be discouraged, we’re making good progress. Now, Matthew 18:21-35 is about forgiveness again. Jesus was very strong on this point of forgiving others because this is the way a person is saved from punishment. God treats us just as we treat others. If we forgive others, God will forgive us.”

“Yeah, I know that part already.”

“That’s good. But being forgiven by God is important, so I just wanted to make sure you remembered.”

“Philip, do we have to read the whole thing? This book is so big!”

“Oh Katie, let me show you something. I want you to notice the first big part of this Bible.”

“Okay, I see it.”

“Well, this is over one thousand pages we don’t have to worry about. Jesus summarized this whole thing for us (Chapter Five). I’m going to accept his conclusion rather than try to figure it out for myself. He knows more about interpreting these old laws than anyone else. So I trust his summary completely.”

“What did he say? Is it hard?”

“No, it’s easy. I’ll paraphrase it for you. Jesus was speaking in Matthew 7:12 and said, do unto others, as you would have them do unto you. And he went on to say that this sums up the law and the prophets. So this little verse takes care of everything in just a few simple words.”

“You said that before.”

“Right, but I noticed you were worried about reading this whole book. Katie, the first time I saw this verse I thought to myself: now why should I read the Old Testament and try to summarize it? As a Christian researcher, I would be foolish to do it myself if Jesus already did it for me.”

“Because he knows better than anybody.”

“Exactly. And Katie, look at this part. It comes right after the four gospels. This is another two hundred pages we don’t have to worry about. Most of this was written by Paul. He was in the bunch that killed Saint Stephen. I just don’t feel comfortable with his dark background. Paul may have changed his ways, but I’m certainly not going to use his gospel to replace the one Jesus taught. He sure started out as a troublemaker.”

“Yeah, don’t read it. I don’t want any trouble.”

“And besides, we already have the very words of the founder of Christianity right here. Why should I start reading something else? Look here, we only have this much to go.”

“Philip, this paper is so thin. Look at all those pages.”

“Just hang in there. Remember what dad said, we’re doing real good.”

“But I’m tired of reading.”

“Katie, just give it a few more days. I think we’re almost finished.”

“Good, I’m ready to sew this thing up.”

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FROM CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Whoever loses his life for me
will find it.
(from Matthew 16:24-25)

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CHAPTER 17

GREATEST MEANS GREATEST

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“Sarah?”

“Oh, hi Philip. What’s going on?”

“Just called to see what happened. Did you talk to Peterson?”

“I sure did. Our conversation started out with some small talk. But I finally spoke up and said that the word of God couldn’t be the Bible, since the New Testament didn’t even exist when Jesus was sowing the word of God. I used Luke 8:11 and Mark 4:14 for reference.”

“What did he say?”

“He said that Jesus was talking about the Old Testament, but he also advised me to think of the word of God as both the New and the Old Testament.”

“Hmmm, that’s interesting, but it doesn’t make any sense. The New Testament manuscripts didn’t exist, and the Old Testament was too bulky to be handed out to crowds of people, many of whom couldn’t even read. Sarah, that wasn’t a good answer.”

“I don’t think so either. But Philip, maybe I’m supposed to take these lessons on faith.”

“Maybe so.”

“Well anyway, I noticed he was feeling a bit uneasy, so I just accepted the answer and sat back down.”

“Right. No use getting into a debate. My guess is that he’ll think about this on his own. Thanks for letting me know what happened.”

“Sure thing. And did I tell you about our trip? We’re going by bus to the state capital tomorrow.”

“What’s the deal?”

“We’re after a prominent display of the ten commandments in the capital building.”

“Oh yeah, I heard about that on the news. Sarah, why is your study group promoting the ten commandments?”

“Why? What do you mean by that?”

“Well, after reading the Sermon on the Mount, I just got the impression that Jesus didn’t teach the ten commandments in their original form. He made some modifications; he repeated the old law first and then made his changes. Why not just support the commandments as Jesus taught them to his own disciples?”

“Fair question. And I know just what you’re talking about. Yeah, this is from Matthew 5:21-22. ‘Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.’ That was the sixth commandment. He changed it! He extended the meaning of murder to include anger. Philip, that’s a good point. Why are we returning to the old law if he decided to make a change?”

“And there’s more in that same section.”

“Let’s see, he went on to extend the meaning of the seventh commandment as well (Matthew 5:27-28). Hmmm, very interesting. Philip, how did you catch this?

“Oh, I just enjoy looking at the Sermon on the Mount. I think this was the time Jesus had the disciples all together in one place. He declared that he came to preach, and I suspect that he took this opportunity to highlight the most important points. The law in this sermon has to be important, and one basic part of that law came to mind when you spoke about your project. Do you want to hear it?”

“Philip, let me see if I can figure this one out for myself.”

“Oh sure.”

“Okay, I have my answer now.”

“Go ahead.”

“Well, I started looking in that Sermon on the Mount, but then I thought of something else. It’s called the greatest commandment. In my opinion, that’s the most authentic Christian commandment. He came up with it on his own and moreover, he did say ‘there is none other commandment greater than these’”(from Mark 12:31).

“I haven’t seen it yet.”

“Here it is, Matthew 22:36-40. A man was trying to test Jesus and said to him: ‘Master, which is the great commandment in the law?’ He replied: ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’”

“Gosh, he put everything into a couple of sentences. Yeah, your group should travel around promoting the greatest commandment, it covers everything.”

“It sure does. ‘On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ Philip, that’s a good point. Why in the world are we trying to post the ten commandments when he said ‘there is none other commandment greater than these.’ And I sure would like to ask Mr. Peterson about this one, but now I’m afraid to bring it up. I could get into hot water if I ask another tough question.”

“Sarah, you don’t have to say anything.”

“Right, I don’t think so either. Now Philip, you’re next. You had something from the Sermon on the Mount.”

“Oh, you found the best reference; I can’t top that one. All I noticed was this emphasis on kindness, and of course the thing about forgiving others. It was the part about forgiveness that caused me to question the value of your trip to the capital.”

“I don’t get the connection.”

“Well, if the commandments are used properly, everything is okay. But if they are not used properly, then it’s the fundamental Christian law of forgiveness that gets trampled.”

“But how can the ten commandments work against forgiveness?”

“When they’re abused. The proper way to use the commandments is to make changes in my own life. But if I use them to condemn others, then the whole idea of good behavior goes down the drain. I think Jesus had to come up with something else so that the people couldn’t set themselves up for God’s punishment.”

“Hmmm, let me think about this. Now, the greatest commandment is love God and love thy neighbor. Yes, that one can’t be used to judge others. And on top of that, the greatest commandment supports the principle of forgiveness. Aha, I see why he made the change!”

“Right. Matthew 6:14 says ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’ Yeah, he changed emphasis from the ten commandments to the greatest commandment to protect the people from God’s punishment.”

“Philip, this is important. If I want God’s forgiveness I have to forgive others. That’s the law Jesus taught. If our intention was to set up these commandments to punish people, it would undermine the very law Jesus came to preach! Whoa, this is quite serious. Hmmm, I think I’ll make different plans for tomorrow.”

“Now Sarah remember, these are just some thoughts. I only suspect that he came up with this change for a reason.”

“There had to be a reason. Oh, the woman who was about to be stoned, she is part of this too.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“That woman. There was a group of people who were about to stone a woman to death, and they were using the seventh commandment as justification. Jesus talked them out of it by saying, ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her’ (from John 8:7). Just that one little comment broke up the whole incident. And finally he said to her, ‘Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?’ She said, ‘No man, Lord.’ And he said, ‘Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more’ (John 8:10-11). Philip, this is a perfect example of what you were just talking about.”

“It sure is. I think your group should be teaching forgiveness and the greatest commandment, not the ten commandments.”

“Exactly right.”

“Philip, it’s my turn to talk.”

“Katie just walked in and wants to talk."

“Sure, put her on.”

“Hi.”

“Hi Katie. What’s on your mind?”

“Can you help Philip? I want to go faster.”

“Honey, is this about your Bible project?”

“Yeah, I’m ready to sew this thing up. I want that light.”

“Here, give me the phone; I’ll explain it to her. Sarah, Katie wants to move faster. She thought we would be finished by now. Katie, is that what you wanted to say?”

“Yes. Can Sarah help?”

“Maybe she can. So what do you think Sarah? Do you have any ideas on how to speed this up?”

“Gosh, we spend years reading the Bible. You two are already moving faster than I thought possible. Philip, your approach is so different. The crucifixion and the implications of that blood sacrifice would be the main focus of our studies. But your attention is on the message Jesus was sent to preach, so perhaps you’re almost finished.”

“Yeah, I think so too. We need more verification and a few more clues. That’s about it.”

“Philip, the light.”

“Katie is tugging on my shirt again. She just reminded me that we need to brighten up the inner light. It’s about that ’eye’ thing. I think it has something to do with consciousness. Katie, you’re right. That’s the last big puzzle, and this light is right at the heart of everything. Jesus was preaching a change in behavior, and the light of God appears to be the way to bring about that big transformation.”

“We can see the treasure too.”

“Oh, and Katie just spoke up to remind me that this is the light we need to see the treasure. She sure is on top of this thing.”

“I’ll say. Philip, let me speak with her again.”

“Here Katie, Sarah wants to say something.”

“Hi.”

“Katie, I want to congratulate you on your success as a theologian. At first I thought you were too young to be a theologian, but I was all wrong. You’re doing a wonderful job. And I’ll bet you’re still dancing too.”

“Yes.”

“Well, keep up the good work.”

“Okay. Sarah, did you hear about John? He got his head back.”

“What? What did you say?”

“Katie, give me the phone; I’ll explain it. Sarah, I think we just discovered another resurrection in the gospels.”

“Philip, there’s only one resurrection in these gospel. What are you talking about?”

“Just look up these two verses and figure it out for yourself. Are you ready?”

“Go ahead.”

“Look up Matthew 11:14, and then check out the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8). Just put the two together.”

“It sounds unlikely, but I’ll take a look. Philip, is Katie still there?”

“She just ran off.”

“Oh well, I have to go now anyway.”

“Sarah, before you go I want to know if you would like to take a bike ride tomorrow? We can pick up a couple of sandwiches and go to the park. My treat this time.”

“Yeah, a picnic. That sounds nice.”

“I’ll stop by tomorrow at noon.”

“Great, so I have to go now.”

“Bye.” All right, and I still have some time to cover this next section. It’s about Jesus at the Feast of the Tabernacles. In the midst of the feast, he went up to the temple and taught. The people at the temple were amazed and were saying among themselves, “how did this man learn so much without having studied?” (paraphrase of John 7:14-15) This is just the kind of comment a person might expect from those who rely on memorization of scripture for knowledge. On the other hand, dad described the light coming from the inside (Chapter Nine). This is about the light of God. Jesus had the key to this inner knowledge (reference Luke 11:52). He is showing his brilliance right here, and no one knows how he got it. This is about the light of God’s omniscience. Whoa, this secret light is so cool!

And here is more on light. John 8:12 says, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” So the disciples did follow him, and just as I noticed in Matthew 5:14, they were already glowing with this “light of life” as he was addressing them at the Sermon on the Mount. A perfect fit. And Katie was right on target too. We definitely have to figure out how to brighten up this inner light.

Luke 10:21 describes the situation. Jesus is experiencing the joy of the Spirit of God and says, “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” The kingdom of God is hidden, and the influence of God’s Spirit is coming from the inside; this light of life is that glow that brings joy and dispels the darkness. His inner light is very bright, and Jesus is speaking about the influence of this light coming from within himself. He has that open door.

Aha! And here is what it takes to open that door--persistence. Luke 11:5-8 is a parable about a man who knocked on his friend’s door at midnight asking for bread. The friend was reluctant at first, but as the man persisted, he got all the bread he wanted. So two things are needed to enter God’s kingdom: persistence and a proper key. Yep, it sounds like Jesus passed along a spiritual practice of some kind. He gave them a way to brighten up. And for this spiritual practice to pay off big time, the disciples had to persist with it.

And yet another verse on light. This thing about the ‘eye’ comes up again in Luke 11:34-36, but in a different context. Jesus says, “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.”

Whoa, the light of God fills the whole body with brilliance! Yeah, this is the way to get the job done. And there’s only one light I know of “which is in thee.” It’s consciousness. Jesus was emphasizing the importance of being awake and alert, and did so again in Luke 12:35, when he said, “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning.”

No doubt about it. This “light of life” has to be bright. The spiritual alertness Jesus was after is brightness on the inside. Light up the eye, and keep that light burning.

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FROM CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The greatest commandment
is the greatest commandment.

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CHAPTER 18

ETERNAL HAS NO STARTING POINT (mysteries of the kingdom, Luke 8:10)

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“Mom, we;re back.”

“Hi, Mrs. Wells.”

“Sarah, how was your picnic?”

“Nice. The ducks followed us everywhere. It was so cute.”

“They were after those hamburger buns.”

“So what’s on the agenda for you two today?”

“Katie wants Sarah to help with this Bible project. We’re going to finish up and put everything together. Now, where did she go?”

“Here I am.”

“Hi there Katie.”

“Hi. You came to help.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Sarah, will you teach me how to dance?”

“Sure Katie, I would be happy to teach you. Are you asking me to do it right now?”

“Yes.”

“I think Sarah came to work on our study project.”

“Philip, I can do both. Let me show her a couple of steps and come right back. I’d like to help her if it’s all right with you.”

“Oh sure. I need to figure out where to go from here anyway.”

“Let’s go Katie. Show me where you practice.”

Now, where was I? Oh, this question came up in my mind. “Hey mom!”

“Yes.”

“What does eternal mean?”

“Eternal means forever.”

“Oh sure, but I want to know if ‘eternal’ can start at some point in time, and then go on to last forever. Does eternal have a starting point?”

“Eternal means no beginning or end, always true, timeless and unchangeable. I don’t think eternal has a starting point. Eternal has no beginning and no end.”

“No starting point, thanks Mom.”

“But Philip, now I’m curious to know why you’re asking such a question. Come into the kitchen so we can talk.”

“Okay. I ask because Jesus keeps bringing up the subject of eternal life. I’m wondering how he can promise everlasting life if eternity has no starting point.”

“Boy Philip, you sure can come up with the questions. But I understand the problem. Eternal is eternal, so either a person has it, or they don’t have it. Hmmm, how can Jesus start up something that has no beginning?”

“You know mom, I think this is about that father thing again.”

“What father thing?”

“Oh, Jesus preached that God is my Father and God is your Father. I think he was reminding everyone that we are all immortal beings. A person is either a child of mortal parents, or a child of the immortal eternal God. It’s one or the other, I don’t think it can be both. And he sure made a strong case for the eternal side. If God is my Father, it means that I have inherited eternal life from my own real Father.”

“Are you saying we are not children of our human parents?”

“Mom, I’m not saying anything. I’m just trying to figure out what Jesus was preaching.”

“Yes, of course. But that sounds so radical to me.”

“Yeah but Mom, Jesus was talking about a radical change. He wanted people to be perfect. If this is radical, it would support the big changes he preached about. And with regard to human parents, it seems that Jesus set an example that fits right in with this surprising position. He was talking with his brothers and didn’t seem to give a hoot about what they did or said (John 7:1-9). It also appears that he ignored his mother and brothers when they came to visit him. He went on to tell his disciples that they are his family” (Matthew 12:46-50 and Luke 8:19-21).

“Philip, I still have a hard time with this. Our family is important. Don’t you think so too?”

“Yes, family is important to me, but I’m just wondering why Jesus treated his family the way he did. And not only that, I think the disciples left family members behind to join him (Mark 10:29-30, also reference Luke 9:59-62).

“Hi, I’m back.”

“Oh, you’re finished with Katie.”

“Yes, we tried a few steps, but then she appeared to be a little sleepy. I thought it would be best to turn off the music and leave her alone so she could take a nap. Was that all right Mrs. Wells?”

“Oh sure. She was up so early this morning. I guess it just caught up with her.”

“And Katie’s music is absolutely wonderful. Isn’t that from ‘The Sleeping Beauty?’”

“Right. I just picked it up for her.”

“Sarah, you're talking about that feature cartoon.”

“No Philip, you picked the wrong century. Katie’s music is from the original Sleeping Beauty, not the screen version. I just love that original story. The music is from a nineteenth century stage production, a beautiful ballet with music from Tchaikovsky. He wrote the score for ‘Swan Lake’ first, then ‘The Sleeping Beauty,’ and finally ‘The Nutcracker.’”

“Oh yeah, I know that last one.”

“So you two were discussing something. Philip, did I miss out on anything?”

“Sarah, I think we have a couple of mysteries that support each other. Jesus was promising eternal life, and of course he continued to remind the disciples to think of God as their Father. The last part means a child of God would certainly have eternal life, since that is the life of the parent. If God is eternal, then a child of God would be eternal as well. Does it make sense to you?”

“It makes sense, except the adopted part.”

“Who said anything about adopted?”

“It comes from Paul’s letters (Romans 9:4 and Ephesians 1:5). Those letters are central part of our Bible study. And adoption sets Christians apart from the rest of the human race. So considering what Paul said, we are taught to think of God as our adopted parent.”

“Sarah, that doesn’t fit anything I’ve read so far. Would it be all right to challenge that idea?”

“Yes, of course. Let’s hear it.”

“Well, the word ‘adopted’ implies a meaning directly opposed to what Jesus was preaching. Adopted means the parent who is adopting the child is not the biological parent. In this context, ‘adopted’ would mean that we are not real children of God, but that God can adopt us from our real parents. Jesus wasn’t talking about adoption. He was saying that God is our real parent. You are a child of God, and a child of God is a child of God.”

“Hmmm. Adopted does mean something else.”

“It sure does. Sarah, Jesus was big on this topic. God is our Father. And not only that, but this father thing fits in perfectly with Genesis (1:26-27), which says we are all made in the image and likeness of God.”

“Yes, it does support Genesis. Then God is my real Father.”

“Exactly. And likeness of God means those Godly attributes are already there. Eternal life is one of them, and eternal has no starting point. So according to Genesis and the gospels which declare that God is our Father, we must be genuine children of God. We’re not creatures who live for a little while and then die off. Jesus simply came to remind everyone that we are really God’s children.”

“So Philip, this makes Jesus is the prince of the gospel. He came to wake people up. We are children of immortality, not merely children of our mortal parents. Some people were able to accept what he said, while others were so fast asleep that they were unable to hear him.”

“Sarah, that prince thing is from a fairy tale.”

“‘Prince of the Gospel.’ Sarah, it’s a delightful thought.”

“Thanks Mrs. Wells.”

“How did you come up with the idea?”

“I don’t know. It just popped into my head. Jesus is already known as the prince of peace.”

“‘Prince of peace.’ But how can peace wake anybody up?”

“I don’t know Philip. I’ll have to think about that one.”

“Oh, I just thought of an answer to my own question. God is light, and the light of life would certainly wake a person up. And according to these gospels, Jesus was doing just that. He is known as the light of the world, and he was bringing God’s light to the people. The light came to wake them up.”

“So the prince came to awaken everyone from a long sleep. Philip, this is such an intriguing thought to me. Sleeping Beauty slept for a hundred years. How long do you think the human race has been sleeping?”

“Just a minute Sarah. This thing about a prince is a nice thought, but we don't know if it fits the original story. Let’s just get back to these gospels.”

“Oh, sure.”

“Mom, do you mind if we head back to the living room?”

“Not at all.”

“Yeah, this is more comfortable. So what’s the next topic?

“It’s the story of the Prodigal Son” (Luke 15:11-32).

“What does prodigal mean?”

“It means wasteful. Jesus told the story. The prodigal son was the wayward boy of two sons who asked the father for his portion of the inheritance. He left home for a distant land and squandered all that wealth on wild living. A famine came to the land and as the boy was starving to death, he came to recall the wealth of his own father. In his desperate condition he thought to himself: even my father’s hired hands are better off than me. I am no longer worthy to be called my father’s son, but maybe I can return home to get a job as one of my father’s workers.”

“Did he go home?”

“Yes, he simply turned around and went home. But instead of finding a job as a servant, the boy was greeted by his Father with open arms and a celebration.”

“Sarah, that’s such a simple story The son woke up. He just turned around and went home to be welcomed by his wealthy father.”

“Gosh Philip, the son made a turn, and I was taught in Bible class that repentance means ‘to turn.’ This is the first time I noticed the repentance in that story. Making a turn is so simple.”

“So repent means to turn. The prodigal son was stirred by the memory of his father’s wealth. That turned him around. And the wealth in this story reminds me of the treasure Jesus was promising.”

“Me too. This is about the kingdom of God; this is just what Jesus had been preaching all along. He was again reminding the people of their heavenly father’s wealth in this prodigal son story.”

“Exactly. And Sarah, I don’t think this son was being adopted.”

“Right, this is not an adoption. This is the son’s real Father.”

“Did Jesus ever speak about adoption?”

“Not to my knowledge. So you’re right. This thing about ‘adoption’ seems to be opposed to what Jesus was preaching. Let’s just stick with what he said. I want to understand this from his point of view.”

“Yeah, and Katie came to the same conclusion. She said ‘Jesus is smarter than anybody.’”

“She’s right. And he was very clear on this too. God is our Father; God is my real Father. Whoa, this is good news in itself! Oh, and Philip, I forgot to say that Jesus quoted the father of the prodigal son by saying, ‘For this son of mine was dead, and is alive again: he was lost and is found’” (from Luke 15:24).

“So mankind is living in a field of death.”

“Living in death? Why did you say that?”

“You just said it yourself when you quoted Jesus. He said ‘for this son of mine was dead and is alive again.’ His viewpoint seems to be that earthly life separated from our heavenly Father is not a life at all, but a kind of death. And that would explain why there are so many unhappy people in this world. Even the very wealthy people are not living a real life. They are lost in this physical world, and don’t even know who they are.”

“Lost in a physical world. Hmmm, so people are unaware of their inheritance by birthright as a child of God. And Philip, I think this supports your hunt for hidden treasure as well.”

“It sure does. This is about the kingdom of God; it’s about the gospel.”

“Gospel? Which gospel?”

“Sarah, there’s only one gospel of Jesus Christ, and that’s the one Jesus was preaching.”

“Okay, I just want to be clear about this. So Paul didn’t know what he was talking about.”

“I don’t know anything about Paul’s letters. But I’m quite certain that Jesus would have known his own gospel. I can only say that if Paul’s gospel is different than the one Jesus taught, then it’s not the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

“Hmmm, so Paul took a different position on two topics. He said we can be adopted by God, and Jesus said we are actually children of God. A real child of God and an adopted child sounds like a different position on our relationship to God. And on top of that, Paul was not preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God as Jesus taught it. He came up with something else!”

“That’s more than just two topics. This ‘kingdom of God’ is the primary gospel theme, and this lesson on God as our Father is a central part of that original gospel message.”

“Gosh Philip, this is quite a revelation to me. If Paul preached a different gospel and a different kind of relationship with God, he was way off track. I wonder how his letters got in here.”

“Sarah, who selected these New Testament books?”

“I don’t know. And I think it’s a murky subject for even the best historians. I wanted the story, but I never found an expert who could document the process or even come up with a clear history of it.”

“And what about this book called ‘Hebrews?’ My dad couldn’t name the author. Do you know where it came from?”

“I don’t think anyone knows who wrote Hebrews. Philip, we’re just told that this is the ‘word of God,’ and I think we’re supposed to accept these books on faith.”

“No one knows who wrote Hebrews, and yet it’s called the word of God. Hmmm, something isn’t right. Sarah, Jesus understood that ‘word of God’ phrase, and we have his preaching right here. I think we can just move ahead with his words to figure it out.”

“But how are we going to do that?”

“Let’s start collecting the pieces of this gospel puzzle so we can put everything together. We have the way to do it now.”

“All right, let’s hear it.”

“It’s the story of the Prodigal Son. You just mentioned the repentance in that story. The boy made a turn to his real Father. Jesus told the story, and I’ll bet he’s the one who was whispering in the boy’s ear: ‘Don’t forget, you have a wealthy father. You are suffering right now, but don’t forget about your real father.’”

“Yeah, that makes perfect sense. Jesus came to earth, and for those who were ready to hear it, he was reminding them of their own heavenly treasure. It’s there, just waiting to be discovered. And this fits Genesis too.”

“Right, because if we are made in God’s image, we simply need to turn within to find the eternal life that has always been there. And this supports the declaration that ‘the kingdom of God is within you’ as well. Having God as a Father is having eternal life, and eternal life is God’s kingdom. Jesus simply came to wake everyone up. It just seems as though the vast majority of people were in a deep sleep and unaware of their divine inheritance. They knew nothing about it.”

“And Philip, this brings us back to that hidden part. The treasure is already there since we are made in God’s image, but the treasure is not visible. This spiritual treasure is hidden from our human eyesight.”

“Right, Jesus came to preach, and in his preaching he reminded the people that they are really children of God. He also had to give them a way to make a turn to God, a way to transform themselves with God’s light. John and Jesus called it ‘repent.’ They were simply showing the people how to make this turn. The kingdom is within you, so this is a complete turn from the material life outside, to the light of life on the inside. The light of God lifts the blindness Jesus spoke about, and gives the insight needed to remember God as our Father. This is also the light we need to see God’s spiritual kingdom.”

“Philip, it all fits together!”

“Of course it fits. Jesus is coherent; he was giving a coherent message. Everything he taught has to fit together. This is why I wanted to stay within these four gospels. And considering the fit, I think we can have some confidence in our interpretation.”

“Yeah, and now I understand your approach. If the interpretation is correct, all the things spoken by the same person come together to give one clear picture. Now I can see why you avoided those other Bible books. They were penned by different people. If a person starts to mix those books together, they would have no way to verify the interpretation.”

“You got it.”

“Yes, I understand it now. Jesus is coherent, so his message has to be a coherent message. All the pieces have to fit together. Boy, this is great!”

“Hey listen. Katie just woke up. I can hear the music playing again. What’s that one? I like it.”

“It’s called ‘Panorama.’ This is the river scene. The prince is on a boat looking for the castle. It’s hard to find since the grounds have been neglected, no yard work or house cleaning in a hundred years!”

“Dark and nasty.”

“The prince didn’t care. He just went ahead in spite of the darkness and danger. Oh Philip, look at the time. I have to go now.”

“Do you want to come back tomorrow and pick up where we left off?”

“Yeah, right after lunch. Is that all right?”

“Sure. And look here, it’s my little sister.”

“Yes, our sleeping beauty is back with us. How was your nap honey?”

“Fine. Sarah, what are you doing?”

“We’re talking about the prince who came to earth to wake up all the people.”

“What happened?”

“Well, some people listened and woke up, while the others kept on sleeping.”

“Is the prince coming back?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know if I would recognize him. Philip, how could a person recognize the prince if he came back?”

“Light the light of life, and keep it burning (Matthew 25:1-13). So waking up would help. But this means that we have to seek the light of God first. Make that inward turn to find our real home. The kingdom is within you. And Sarah, I don’t think this gospel is about waiting for anybody.”

“Yeah, I’m starting to get the picture now. This gospel is about the light of God. It’s about the inner life, and seeking God’s kingdom. This is not about waiting; it’s about waking up!”

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SIMPLE THEOLOGY FROM CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

-- “Eternal” has no starting point.
Your eternal life has always been there.

-- God is your Father means God is your real Father.
You are made in the image and likeness of God.
This is the genuine good news.

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home

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CHAPTER 19

NARROW DOOR (mysteries of the kingdom, Luke 8:10)

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“Katie, we have this many pages to go.”

“Let’s go fast.”

“Okay. Sarah and I put things together yesterday. That will help us go fast.”

“Is Sarah coming?”

“Yeah. She’ll be here soon, so let’s get off to a good start. Look at this verse (Luke 13:24). ‘Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.’”

“What does that mean?”

“Oh Katie, I heard something about this one. This is now translated as the ‘narrow door.’”

“Narrow door?”

“Yes, the door to the kingdom of God. A person was asking Jesus about the number of people who will be saved. Being saved is important you know. And he said you have to come in through the narrow door. This is another puzzle for us. Let’s look ahead and see if we can find an explanation. Okay, nothing here. And nothing on it here.”

“What does this say right here?”

“Oh, that part is about wealth; it’s a different topic. He is saying, you cannot serve both God and money (Luke 16:13). I guess a person has to make a choice. Let go of one, and you can have the other. Let go, let go, hmmm. Katie, I think these two things go together. If a person wants to pass through a narrow door they can’t take anything with them, nothing at all. They have to let go of everything.”

“Only poor people go through the narrow door.”

“That’s good thinking Katie, but ‘poor’ is not the right word. God’s kingdom brings abundance. It’s a heavenly treasure and holds the promise to provide everything we need to be happy on earth too. The kingdom brings more wealth, not less.”

“So why not bring some money?”

“He said not to serve money. You have to let go of everything to pass through the narrow door. Oh, now I get the idea. This is about that turn.”

“What turn?”

“Jesus and John were asking people to ‘repent.’ Repent means to make a turn. If a person turns towards God, it means they are turning away from worldly things. The attention moves away from material to the spiritual.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Well, let’s open the door and try it out. Stand here on our front door sill so you can look at everything outside: the cars, the trees, and the sidewalk. Now, if you want to look at the inside of our house, what do you have to do?”

“Turn around.”

“Go ahead, turn around. That’s good, you’re now looking inside. Can you see the cars and sidewalk anymore?”

“No Philip, I turned around.”

“You see? When you turn, you let go of one side to open up to the other side. If you didn’t want to lose sight of the sidewalk, you could not make a complete turn. So without holding on to anything, you can make this turn and pass through the narrow door. This is especially interesting because Jesus was promising that physical needs would be provided, even with this turn away from them. He didn’t want people to worry about material things” (Matthew 6:24-34).

“Don’t worry, that’s good.”

“Yeah, that’s good advice for anybody. Katie, Sarah told me a story about the prodigal son. The boy ran away from home and spent his whole fortune on wild living. Later on as he was starving, the boy remembered the wealth of his father. This little thought inspired him to turn around and head back home.”

“He is going home to his father.”

“Right. Now Katie, just imagine this. As the young man is making his turn, he starts to get concerned about the things he will leave behind. Do you think he is going to make it home to his father?”

“I don’t think so. He has to forget those other things.”

“So there you are. If you make a turn, just forget about the old life and make a complete turn. This sounds a bit like that lose your life to find it thing again. He was advising people to make a perfect turn, and that means letting go of everything else to enter in through the narrow door.”

“How can I make that turn?”

“That’s a good question. And I’ll bet those people long ago wanted to know the same thing. What do you think?”

“Yes, they wanted Jesus to teach them how to make that turn.”

“Exactly. And if you remember, people were coming from all over to be baptized, and during that very same period Jesus was preaching repentance. He was advising everyone to make this turn. He must have taught them how to do it. But our problem is that no one wrote it down for us. I think this is the part they kept to themselves.”

“Oh yeah, the secret.”

“Right. That’s the part we have to figure out.”

“Keep on going.”

“Aha! We finally got up to this ‘within you’ verse (Luke 17:20-21). Jesus wanted people to turn away from worry about money and the like, so making this turn from the outer life to this special inner life fits right in.”

“There’s that turn again.”

“Yeah, so let’s take a look at the whole thing. It starts like this: ’And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.’ Observation is looking out to see, and the kingdom is within. So Katie, there’s our turn. Terrific! This ‘within you’ verse fits in perfectly.”

“It’s a perfect fit.”

“Right. Now moving ahead, here is something for you. To enter the kingdom you must receive it like a little child.”

“Read it to me.”

“Sure. Luke 18:15-17 says, ‘And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it they rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, ‘Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.’ Receive the kingdom like a child. That’s a nice verse.”

“Yeah.”

“And we need to think about this. Now, a child behaves in a simple way. In this incident Jesus wanted those little children to come straight to him. He welcomed them just as a father would welcome his own child.”

“Jesus was pretending to be a father. A father loves his children.”

“Exactly right. God will happily receive those who are simple and childlike. So thinking of God as a real loving father is very important. Katie, I just don’t see where the idea of sacrifice for sin fits into this innocent kind of relationship. Jesus welcomed these children unconditionally. And likewise, there were no conditions placed on the boy in the story of the prodigal son either.”

“Just go home to daddy.”

“That’s it. Just turn around and go home.”

“Philip, this book is easy!”

“Yes. When you stick with these four gospels, the reward comes with the simple good news Jesus was actually teaching.”

“Going home is easy.”

“I think so. And Jesus said that very thing about his yoke (from Matthew 11:30). He said ‘my yoke is easy.’ This word ‘easy’ certainly sounds encouraging. Katie, I think we’re going to be able to figure this out.”

“Good.”

“And look at this. I just found another verse on light.”

“More on light. That’s what I want.”

“Yeah. And remember, bringing the light was the theme of the life of Jesus, so finding our way home is about making a turn to be in the light.”

“Light on the inside.”

“Yes, I think so. People might have a hard time believing this because of the darkness they experience within themselves. But we know this bright shining kingdom is within, because this is what Jesus was teaching. And I think he knows better than anybody.”

“Me too.”

“And Katie, just look at how it all fits together. Turn away from the dark outer life. Let go of everything else, so that you can pass through the narrow door to the bright shining kingdom of God within you. You have to repent, or turn away from the outer life to find the inner life. This nice fit is a very good sign.”

“But Philip, you forgot to read that new part on the light.”

“Oh yes, back to our new verse. Jesus is speaking right here. This is from John 12:35-36. He was addressing a crowd and said, ‘Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.’ Hmmm, ‘children of the light.’ Katie, that little phrase is even more evidence that Jesus was giving those disciples a way to brighten up.”

“Yeah.”

“But this passage on light is different than the others. Jesus is talking about the near future. He was saying that the light is only going to be with you a little while longer. Does that sound like good news to you?”

“No, it’s not good news. The light is going away.”

“That’s what I think. And he went on to say that the people were going to be walking in darkness soon. This is not a rosy forecast.”

“I hear somebody outside.”

“I’ll go check, it must be Sarah. Hi, come on in.”

“Thanks. Hi Katie. Oh, what a cute outfit.”

“I picked it by myself.”

“Nice, you picked a pretty one. So you two got off to an early start on me.”

“We were just winding up this last section.”

“You’re getting close to the end of the story. This next part will lead up to the good news I’ve been hearing about all these years.”

“Sarah, Katie and I just read a comment on things to come, and Jesus was speaking about the future. He didn’t sound very optimistic to me. Here, take a look at John 12:35, and let me know what you think. I already got Katie’s reaction. Katie, do you want to tell Sarah what you just told me?”

“About what.”

“The dark is coming and the light is going away.”

“Oh yeah. What did I say?”

“You said it was not good news.”

“Now I remember. Sarah, this is not good news.”

“Oh, of course Katie. Now that I read it for myself, it doesn’t look good to me either. Good news would sound like this: the light is coming and the dark is going away. I can see it now. Jesus is predicting bad times ahead in John 12:35. This doesn’t sound good, but keep on going. The story is now closing in on the supreme sacrifice, so let’s just move ahead.”

“Sure. Do you want to cover preparations for the last supper and the incident with Judas?”

“Philip, I don’t think we need to spend time on that. Let’s see now. We already covered this section on the Last Supper.”

“So you checked it out.”

“Yes. And just as you said, Jesus was not speaking about physical blood at the Last Supper. He was talking about his spiritual body and blood (Chapter Nine). I think you got it right. Philip, let’s start right here. He is in the upper room with his disciples. This is known as the ‘farewell discourse.’ I was looking at this recently, and it really does support your approach to Bible study.”

“How so?”

“Well, Jesus is speaking in John 14:23. He said if someone loves me, they will hold on to my words, they will have my Father’s love, and we will come to live in that person. So Philip, this is not about the crucifixion. This is about listening to his words. And this is just what you’ve been talking about.”

“Exactly. He simply wanted people to listen to him. Jesus was sent by God to preach (Luke 4:43). He didn’t come to die, he came to teach.”

“Yeah, I’ve been trained to think the other way, but now I’m beginning to see the other side of this. Jesus wanted his preaching to be understood and accepted. Why am I putting so much attention on an event that put an end to his public teaching? Just like Katie said, the light was going away. The bright light was about to be extinguished. Philip, keep on going, I want see how you handle the rest of this.”

“Oh, my approach is not going to change. I’ll just continue to go by what Jesus was teaching. He knows better than anybody. Isn’t that right Katie? Where did she go?”

“I don’t know.”

“Just like a butterfly, she comes and goes. Well anyway, back to this farewell discourse (John 13:30 to 16:33). Farewell, farewell, hmmm. Jesus is leaving his disciples and giving his farewell address. I don’t think he wanted to expose those disciples to the crucifixion, so he’s saying good bye to them right here. Isn’t that the way the story goes?”

“Well, not really. I was taught that the disciples showed their weakness in these last days when they were absent from the crucifixion. In our Bible discussions, the apostles are usually criticized for missing the most important event in the history of mankind.”

“So the most favored disciples of Jesus didn’t show up.”

“That’s right. They were not there, except for the apostle John.”

“Sarah, I don’t think he wanted them at the crucifixion.”

“Why not?”

“Well, just think about the gospel story. Jesus just spent well over two years training those apostles. and now all the political types are upset and they are in a killing mood. Why should Jesus risk losing the apostles when he just spent so much time training them? They are the ones who are going to teach on his behalf when he’s gone. So I think he would have every intention of protecting them during this dangerous period.”

“Hmmm. That’s right, why should he risk losing them?”

“And remember the lambs? Remember that?”

“The Lamb of God?”

“No, not that. Jesus had a very clear point of view on lambs, so when you think about the word ‘lamb,’ just think of it as Jesus described it (Chapters Five and Six). His disciples are the lambs, and he is the good shepherd. Keep it simple. Don’t mix in things that were spoken by different people.”

“Okay, keep it simple. And the job of a shepherd is to protect his flock. Of course, I had this mixed up because I was taught to think of Jesus as the lamb. But Jesus never described himself as a lamb. He is the good shepherd, and the disciples are his lambs. Now he wants to protect his lambs from the wolves.”

“Great Sarah. You got it now.”

“So the apostles did what the shepherd wanted them to do. They hid themselves for safe keeping. And if I’m not mistaken, Jesus made this very statement. Yes, here it is, John 16:32. Jesus said, ‘Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.’”

“So there you are. He was protecting the apostles and didn’t want them to worry. He is saying ‘I am not alone, because the Father is with me.’ Sarah, if Jesus had wanted the apostles to come to the crucifixion, he would have given the instructions to accompany him. After all, the apostles were the ones he was training to teach on his behalf. If the cross had been so important to their training, he would have had them there to witness the whole thing. But as we can see, he had them going to their homes to hide. The apostles were not at the crucifixion because Jesus didn’t want them there. That’s all there is to it.”

“The apostles were not supposed to be there. Philip, that has to be right. And this fits the way he was speaking about the lambs as well. Boy, I had this lamb thing all mixed up, but I do understand it now.”

“Terrific. And here is more evidence on the same topic. He is praying right here and makes a very clear declaration.”

“Philip, let me read this one for myself.”

“Sure.”

“Okay, Jesus is praying to God before the crucifixion and says, ‘I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do’” (John 17:4).

“Now Sarah, he wouldn’t say anything like that if he felt that his mission on earth had not been completed. So in general, I think these verses are fitting together very well.”

“Gosh, the fit is excellent--seeing things as Jesus saw them allows everything to fall into place. Those apostles weren’t perfect, but I really think they would have come to the cross if he had asked them to come. Boy Philip, this puts a whole new light on this thing.”

“It sure does. And look here, our little butterfly is back.”

“Oh Katie, you changed to another pretty outfit.”

“I picked this one too.”

“Very nice.”

“Bye.”

“Look at her run. She’s up to something.”

“Katie is so cute. I think she wants to be a fashion model.”

“Right, and I’ll bet you are about to see her whole wardrobe as she changes from one outfit to another.”

“Oh gosh, maybe I should spend a little time with her. Is that all right?”

“Sure.”

“Katie can show me her things so she doesn’t have to keep changing. And Philip, why don’t you just go ahead and check out the crowning sacrifice. We are taught that people are saved by the crucifixion, but I want to see what you come up with.”

“Sarah, Jesus already gave instructions on how to be saved.”

“He did?”

“He sure did. Katie and I read about it just before you came (Luke 13:24). A man was asking about being saved and Jesus said, strive to enter in through the narrow door. And Sarah, this is what Jesus has been preaching all along. You’ve read the gospel, haven’t you?”

“Of course I have. And we talk about the story in class too.”

“Don’t you discuss how to make this turn and let go of everything so that you can enter in through the narrow door? This is how a person is saved. Don’t you talk about salvation in Bible class?”

“Of course, but not like that. We don’t put those things together. We focus on Christ suffering for us. Philip, why don’t you just move ahead. I’ll be right back.”

“Sure, I’ll see what I can find.”

“Good, see you in a few minutes.”

Whoa, that was interesting. What in the world are they teaching in those schools? Jesus has been talking about God’s kingdom all the way through these gospels. Why aren’t people seeking out this heavenly treasure? God’s kingdom would save them. He talks about it over and over again. It’s about the light of God for heaven sakes. And God’s light would be bright enough to overcome the darkness and save everybody.

Oh well, let’s just look into this crucifixion. This is the event Sarah has been talking about. I want to see if Jesus declares the good news as she has been taught. If anyone knows about the crucifixion, it will be Jesus Christ himself.

Let’s see now. Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane and knows about the coming events. He is asking if this cup can be removed from him, and his sweat came down like drops of blood, but an angel was there to strengthen him (Luke 22:43). Aha! So God sent an angel from heaven to help him out. Good, I feel much better about this now.

Now, the apostles were exhausted from sorrow and fell asleep. He had to wake them up. Finally, Judas came to betray Jesus. At this point the disciples wanted to draw their swords to protect him and one of them actually cut off the ear of a servant. So it appears to me that the disciples were not afraid. They were ready to defend him and fight on his behalf. But Jesus didn't want a fight, so he proceeded to heal the man who was hurt. After a short exchange with the officers and priests, he was taken away (Luke 22:42-54).

This next part is about the interrogation and building up a case against him so he could be executed. Officials had a hard time trying to figure out how to justify the execution since he didn’t commit any crime. Finally he was charged with calling himself the “Son of God” which was considered to be blasphemy against God by some, and a crime against the sovereignty of Caesar by others.

Now I’m getting close to the end. Hmmm, this is interesting and quite important too.

“Hey, I’m back. Katie and I had a great time. After showing me her special outfits, she settled in with one of her own books. She’s busy looking at the pictures right now.”

“Oh yeah. She likes to make up her own story from the pictures.”

“So how about you? Have you made any progress?”

“Yes. I’m almost up to the crucifixion. Sarah, I want you to listen to this. Are you ready for something important?”

“Sure, go right ahead.”

“Well, Jesus is on his way to the cross and says: weep for me, for I am about to suffer greatly. But be glad for yourselves and for your children. You are about to be saved from your sins. Now, how does that sound to you?”

“It seems to be correct. Weep for Jesus because his is about to endure great suffering, but we can be glad for ourselves and for our children. It sounds right, but Philip, I don’t remember that verse. Where did you find it?”

“I didn’t find it. I made it up from the things you’ve been talking about. Here, I wrote it down for you.”

“Hey, wait a minute, that wasn’t fair. Philip, why did you do that?”

“I just had to get your attention. Please take this and give me a moment to explain.”

“All right, but what do you want me to do with this piece of paper? This is not a real verse.”

“Just take it and compare it with the real verse. Let’s go ahead and see what Jesus actually said.”

“Yes of course.”

“Good. So now we are about to read Luke 23:28.”

“Okay, but I’m going to read it for myself this time.”

“Sure. It starts right here.”

“I got it. Now, Jesus is on his way to be crucified and the verse is saying that a number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.’ Okay, that was the real verse.”

“Now Sarah, look at the words I gave you, and then compare it to the genuine scripture.”

“Oh gosh, what a difference. Philip, this whole thing has been turned upside-down! Why would anyone turn this statement around? But wait just a minute. I seem to recall something about this verse. Oh yes, now I remember. I think this is predicting the destruction of the temple which will be taking place forty years later.”

“I don’t think so Sarah. Just continue reading. Look at the very next statement.”

“All right, this is Luke 23:31. Jesus is speaking and says, ‘For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?’ Hmmm, so you’re right. When Jesus says, ‘if they do these things,’ he is making a reference to what is happening to him right now. They have abused him and are about to kill him. The ‘green tree’ is a reference to the time before the crucifixion, when Jesus was teaching the people. And ‘In the dry’ is a reference to the upcoming period when he will be gone. Well, this is quite obvious. The mistreatment and crucifixion is about to usher in a dry period. The tree is about to dry up! And this supports John 12:35-36 about the light being extinguished as well. Philip, no doubt about it, this is not good news.”

“Of course not.”

“But how did this get turned around?”

“I have no idea.”

“Hmmm, ordinary people like us did not have a Bible to read in the old days. Everyone had to rely on what the theologians told them. Maybe this mix-up started a long time ago.”

“Maybe so.”

“And Philip, perhaps these things have been around for so long that people have just come to accept it.”

“Yeah, that makes perfect sense. People hear the same thing over and over again, and in time it just becomes the standard way of looking at things.”

“Right, but I don’t have to accept all this old theology without thinking about it. All right, I’m just going to have to reconsider this whole thing. But Philip, that’s going to take some time.”

“Of course.”

“On the other hand, I really do want the light of God. I’m absolutely certain about that part.”

“Me too. The light is the most important part. So that puts us on the same track now. And look here, she's back.”

“Sarah, I finished my book. Are you finished with yours?”

“Oh honey, you’re so fast. Philip and I are not finished yet, but we’re close to the end.”

“Yeah Katie, only this much to go. We’ll look at the resurrection tomorrow. And beyond that, we’ll put our attention on what Jesus taught before the crucifixion. That will give us the light, and with the light of God we will find the treasure of God’s kingdom.”

“Good, I’m ready. Philip, what took you so long? What were you reading?”

“We were reading the part where the light goes away.”

“That’s not going to help us.”

“Katie, we had to read it because we are good theologians, but I think you’re right. The part where the light goes away is not going to help. The onset of darkness is not good news.”

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PREDICTION FROM CHAPTER NINETEEN

You will have the light
just a little while longer
(paraphrase from John 12:35-36).

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CHAPTER 20

COMING FULL CIRCLE

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“Stop that! Stop tugging on my pajama shirt.”

“Let’s start reading.”

“Katie, it’s five o'clock in the morning. This is too early to read. Go back to bed.”

“Philip, I want the inside light. We need the light to find the treasure.”

“Yeah, I want the same thing. Katie, you just woke me up; this is not good. I’m wide awake now. Okay, I’ll read to you, but you have to promise not to wake me up like this again. So what do you say? Is it a promise?”

“I promise.”

“Oh, and one more thing. We are theologians, so we have to finish this gospel story before coming to any conclusion on the inside light. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Read the whole story.”

“Right, and you might not like this part of the story either. Maybe I can soften it up a bit for you. You like Jesus, don’t you.”

“Yes.”

“Well, the Roman soldiers have just taken over to punish him. They are about to end his life on earth.”

“What did he do?”

“He admitted that he is the Son of God” (Matthew 26:63-66).

“What’s wrong with that? God is my father too.”

“Right, and he taught us to pray just like that (Matthew 6:9). We are all made in God’s image, so Jesus was simply telling the truth. Katie, this thing about our close relationship to God appears to make some people angry. But beyond that, I don’t know how to explain it to you. Let’s just go ahead and see what happens.”

“I’m ready.”

“Oh, here comes a very good lesson. Jesus did the right thing. The soldiers and others were very mean to him, but he said in Luke 23:34, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’”

“That was nice.”

“Yeah, he used this bad situation to teach by example and remind everyone how to be forgiven by God and saved from God’s punishment. He taught this very same thing at the Sermon on the Mount. So this was a clear message about the forgiveness of sin right here on the cross. He sure wanted to get this message out.”

“He sure did. He was teaching people to forgive others.”

“Yes, by example. But remember, the light of God has to be shining bright on the inside for a person to be strong enough to forgive others. Without the light of God this kind of forgiveness would be difficult, if not impossible.”

“Make the light bright.”

“Right. And then you can forgive others no matter what they do.”

“Philip, look for more on that light.”

“Oh Katie, the light is put out in this part of the story. And that very theme is repeated here in Luke 23:44. ‘And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over the earth until the ninth hour.’ So even the sky was announcing the oncoming darkness. This certainly was a dark day in human history. And finally, Jesus said in John 19:30, ‘It is finished.’”

“No more light. Philip, I wish this didn’t happen. He was helping people just like John.”

“Oh, do you remember how John came back as Elias to meet with Jesus (Chapter Sixteen)? Moses was there too, it was called the transfiguration.”

“I remember.”

“So now Jesus is going to come back too. He was preaching eternal life, and just like John he is going to demonstrate eternal life so that the disciples can know that he was preaching the truth.”

“Oh good. Let’s read that part.”

“Hold on just a minute. I need to make sure we don’t skip over anything important. Let’s see now. After he passed away, there was an earthquake and saints from the past came out of their graves” (Matthew 27:50-53).

“That’s scary.”

“Yeah, especially to the ones who were mean to him. I’ll bet they started to realize that they had done something terrible. Katie, things were scary, but Jesus is about to come back to give encouragement to some of his disciples.”

“Good. I don’t want them to worry. So what’s next?”

“Well, the body was prepared and buried in a tomb. Finally some guards came to stand by the tomb. They wanted to make sure that no one came to steal the body and claim a resurrection (Matthew 27:57-66). But there was another earthquake, and an angel rolled back the stone that sealed the tomb (Matthew 28:2).

“Were the guards afraid?”

“You bet. It says that they were shaking and became as dead men. Later on some women came to anoint the body with spices. They found the stone had been rolled back and the body was gone. The angel told them ‘He is not here: for he is risen’” (Matthew 28:4-6).

“Jesus came back.”

“Not right away. But eventually he appeared to Mary Magdalene (John 20:10-18). She was alone and weeping. Mary Magdalene was the first to see him.”

“Was she surprised?”

“Well, at first she thinks he’s the gardener.”

“That’s funny.”

“Yes, Mary Magdalene thought Jesus was just an ordinary caretaker, until she turned around and looked straight at him. Finally she cried out ‘Rabboni!’ I think that means teacher. He spoke up and said, ‘Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God and your God (John 20:17).

“Who is the brethren?”

“Brethren means brothers in the old language. He is talking about the apostles. It is as if Jesus is saying: God is my Father, and God is also the Father of the apostles. That makes them all brothers. And this supports the book of Genesis which declares that we are all made in the image and likeness of God.”

“God is my Father too.”

“You got it.”

“Philip, how many more pages?”

“This many. We’re almost finished. Now we have Jesus appearing to his apostles. I think he came to them at least three times” (John 20:19-29, John 21:1-23 and Matthew 28:16-20).

“What happened?”

“Well, at first the apostles had their doubts, but as time went on they realized that Jesus had actually returned. He showed hands and side to prove it was him and said, ‘Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you’ (John 20:19-21). This means Jesus was giving the apostles the authority to teach on his behalf. These are the ones he chose to send out all over the world. He trained them for well over two years, and now it’s like he was saying to them, ‘you got the job.’”

“Good luck.”

“Oh, they needed more than luck. It says he gave them the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). The Holy Spirit is God, so the special light of God is going to help them do a good job. And look at this. He even arranged another meeting with them at a mountain in Galilee” (Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:15-18, and Luke 24:44-49).

“A meeting on the mountain. What happened?”

“I think this was the last meeting, and of course he went right back to his favorite topic of the ‘good news.’ So Katie, our story has now come full circle. Jesus was sent to earth to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God (Luke 4:43), and now he is sending his disciples out preach this very same gospel to everyone else. This is what he said, ‘go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature’” (Mark 16:15).

“He wanted them to teach everybody about the treasure.”

“Right. Just as he taught it to them.”

“Philip, this must be the end of the story. Let’s figure out how to dig up the treasure.”

“Hold your horses Katie, just a few more verses to go.”

“Does this story have an end? I’m getting hungry.”

“Just a few more minutes. I think you’ll make it. Let’s see now. It says he opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures (Luke 24:45).

“What does that mean?”

“Well, we can’t really say what this means because ‘opened their understanding’ is an inner experience.”

“It came from the inside.”

“Right. Only the apostles had this revelation. No one else can say for sure what this was about. But maybe this next sentence will give us a hint. Jesus said unto them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem’” (Luke 24:46-47).

“Philip, we already read about that.”

“Yeah, so it looks like Jesus was simply wrapping everything up. We already know he was treated unjustly, and we know he rose from the dead. We just finished that part. Nothing new in here, and beyond that he is speaking about repentance and forgiveness of sins. We already know about that too. Hmmm, I’ll bet he just opened their minds to the tradition of great teachers who appear in the old scriptures. That would be Moses and Elias and all the rest of them. Katie, this thing about repentance and forgiveness of sins is from a very old line of teachers. Jesus spent a long time training the apostles to carry on this ancient tradition. And now I’ll bet he just opened their minds to the significance of it all.”

“What’s a tradition?”

“A tradition is the standard way of doing things. I think it was the old educational system. These great teachers had very specific ways to pass important knowledge from one generation to the next. Now, you might remember that Jesus was baptized even though he didn’t need to be baptized.”

“I can’t remember.”

“Well, Jesus was baptized by John because it was proper. That was the tradition. Passing things along from one teacher to another is the hallmark of this ancient teacher-disciple system of teaching. It’s called a ‘living tradition.’ Jesus was baptized by John as sign of respect for John and his teachings. And do you remember how close they were?”

“Yeah, they were good friends.”

“Right. And John the Baptist was ‘preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins’ (Luke 3:3 and Matthew 3:2). Jesus preached repentance too, so he carried on the tradition (Matthew 4:17). Jesus and John were simply showing people how to make a turn from the material outer life to the inner spiritual life. And right in here, Jesus is sending his disciples out to preach this very same ‘repentance and remission of sins’ to all nations (from Luke24:47). So can you see how the tradition was passed along from one teacher to another?”

“Yes.”

“And Jesus said he came to preach, so teaching was his mission (Luke 4:43). Katie, we are simply getting a glimpse into the way people got the highest kind of education back in the old days. People were given a key to the treasury of God’s light, and with a brighter light on the inside, they would make fewer mistakes. And if these same students persisted in lighting up the treasure of God’s kingdom within themselves, Jesus said that they would become perfect, just as God is perfect.”

“That’s a good education.”

“I’ll say. It was the key to the light of life, and God’s kingdom. Boy, this really sounds good to me.”

“Me too. Philip, read this part right here.”

“Oh yes, we need to finish up. Well, Jesus is speaking and it says, ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost’ (Matthew 28:18-19). Katie, this supports our idea about tradition. Jesus is sending the apostles out to teach all nations just as he taught them. All right, so this part was quite easy. Did you understand it?”

“Yes. Jesus wanted them to go out and teach the same gospel he taught.”

“Exactly. And that was called the ‘Great Commission.’ So these verses were simple and straightforward. Jesus just wrapped the whole thing up for them.”

“Is that the end?”

“Well let’s see. We have just a little bit more. This is from Mark 16:16: ‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.’ Hmmm, this is about being saved again. Katie, it sure looks like the key to God’s kingdom was passed out at baptism. These early Christians got instructions on how to worship in spirit, and if they persisted with this spiritual practice, they would be saved.”

“By the light of God.”

“Right. So Jesus is sending the disciples out to do it now. And all he had to say was ‘go ahead,’ because they already knew how to baptize and pass out the key to God’s hidden kingdom. They learned how to baptize right near the beginning of these gospels, and they probably got in plenty of practice during those years of training. But remember, this baptism was the private part. This is the mysterious part we have to figure out.”

“Oh yeah, the secret” (refer to Luke 8:10).

“And here’s the end of the gospels. This same group followed Jesus to Bethany where he rose up to join his heavenly Father. After this, the disciples went out and preached everywhere (Mark 16:20). So it looks like the apostles did what Jesus trained them to do. And here we have the closing declaration” (John 21:24-25).

“What does it say?”

“Generally speaking, the author of this book says my testimony is true and many more things happened which were not written down. So Katie, guess what?”

“What.”

“That’s the end of the story. Let’s go get something to eat.”

“Yeah.”

“Hi honey. Are you ready for some breakfast?”

“Yes mommy.”

“Philip, do you want some french toast?”

“Yes please.”

“So, you two were up very early this morning.”

“I was reading to Katie. Mom, we just finished the four gospels.”

“Oh how wonderful. And Katie, did you understand the story?”

“Yeah, it was easy.”

“Do you want to tell me about it?”

“Philip, will you help me?”

“Sure. Do you remember how the story started?”

“Yes, Jesus and John were helping people. They gave special secrets to the ones who came to see them.”

“Honey, do you know why they were keeping secrets?”

“So the people could get a perfect key to open the door to the treasure.”

“Is that right Philip?”

“Mom, I think they kept secrets so valuable information would not go out by word of mouth and get all mixed up. So Katie said it right. The secrecy was to keep the most important instruction in the hands of those who had been trained by Jesus to teach, probably the apostles.”

“All right, I understand. Now go ahead honey. Do you know anything else about the secrets?”

“I forgot. Philip will you help me?”

“Katie, you know this part. Remember the light?”

“Oh yeah, Jesus was giving the light to people. It’s the inside light.”

“Right. And after he gave the light to everybody he said at the Sermon on the Mount, ‘ye are the light of the world.’ And much later he told them to be prepared with extra oil to keep their lights burning (Luke 12:35 and Matthew 25:1-13). I think Jesus and John were showing people how to make an inward turn so they could brighten up the inner light. It was called repentance. And the people were going to need this light of life too, because there were others who didn’t like the light. So Katie, do you remember what happened next? Jesus said, the light will be with you just a little while longer.”

“Yes. The light went away, but Jesus came back to help his brothers.”

“Exactly. His apostles were sent off to teach the gospel of the kingdom of God. So, we just came full circle, from the time Jesus taught the gospel of the kingdom of God, to the ‘Great Commission,’ when Jesus sent the apostles out to teach this very same gospel of light to everyone else. All right, time to call Sarah. She doesn’t know we completed the story.”

“Fine, but don’t wake up your father. He’s getting extra rest to prepare for a long work day.”

“Sure, I’ll use the phone in here.”

“Hello.”

“Sarah, do you have few minutes?”

“Yes, hi Philip. What’s on your mind?”

“I just wanted to let you know that Katie and I finished the gospels this morning. I hadn’t planned on it, but she woke me up and wanted to read.”

“Oh how cute.”

“I didn’t think so at the time. Well anyway, we read the rest of the story. It was very straightforward. Jesus simply sent the apostles out to preach the very same gospel he preached.”

“Wait a minute Philip. Are you sure about that? Didn’t you notice the new covenant? The old covenant ended when the ‘curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom’” (Matthew 27:51).

“Oh sure, we read about the earthquake. Everything was getting torn and broken, even the rocks split open. It was an earthquake. Tombs broke open and holy men were raised to life. Sure, we read it. The whole thing created quite a stir.”

“So this is when the old covenant ended, and the new covenant started. The old covenant was in effect until the temple curtain was torn. Didn’t you see that part?”

“The covenant? I didn’t notice it. Sarah, did Jesus talk about this covenant when he returned to his apostles?”

“I don’t think so. But it was revealed to them when he opened their minds to the scriptures” (Luke 24:45).

“Gosh Sarah, no one can know what Jesus revealed to those apostles. That was an inner revelation. They were the only ones who had their minds opened. I was thinking about it also, but no one can really say what happened. Sarah, are you suggesting that Jesus made some kind of a monumental switch right at the end of the story?”

“Well, the new covenant is certainly different than the old one. It’s the gospel.”

“Oh, I thought we got past that long ago. Sarah, are you saying that after preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God to the apostles for well over two years, Jesus now wants them to go out and preach a different gospel?”

“Hmmm, that does sound rather unlikely.”

“Of course it does. And with regard to opening the minds of the apostles, I think it would be safe to say that any revelation Jesus gave the apostles at this late date would simply support the very same gospel he’s been teaching all along. He wouldn’t change anything that important at the very end. And I don’t recall Jesus speaking about these different covenants. What did he say about it?”

“He spoke of the new covenant, so it means by inference that he recognized the old covenant.”

“Sarah, Jesus was speaking as if he was against those covenant sacrifices (Chapter Five). And I don’t remember anything about a covenant in the King James Bible. Where did you find it?”

“Philip, it’s in a different Bible, and we have to turn back to the last supper to find it. Here it is, Matthew 26:27-28. It's a reference to the upcoming crucifixion.”

“Good, give me a second to check it out. All right, this is it: ‘And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.’ This says ‘testament,’ not ‘covenant.’ I guess the word was changed in the newer translations. And look here, the phrase ‘which is shed for many’ is written in present tense. Something is happening right here at the Last Supper. And this supports what we found before on the body and blood. Don’t you remember?”

“Oh yeah. This is not about physical blood.”

“That’s it. Jesus is making reference to something spiritual (Chapter Six). And on top of that, the King James Bible doesn’t even use the word ‘covenant’ in this verse.”

“Philip, this is confusing.”

“It’s not confusing to me. I’m just going to stick with the gospel Jesus has been preaching all along. It wouldn’t be right to move away from the original gospel. And besides, we’re about to clear everything up in our final brainstorming session.”

“Good. When is that happening?”

“Not today. Dad has a big meeting today, but he wants you to come and join us tomorrow.”

“Terrific. How about after lunch?”

“Great. See you tomorrow.”

“You bet. So I have to go now.”

“Take care.”

“Bye.”

“Philip, come finish your breakfast.”

“All right mom.”

“Morning son.”

“Oh dad, you’re up. I know you’re in a hurry, but I have some news.”

“Sure, let’s hear it.”

“First of all, Sarah just agreed to join us tomorrow after lunch.”

“Wonderful. Sarah is so bright. I’m glad she can make it.”

“And did you hear that Katie and I finished the gospels?”

“Your mom just told me about it. Congratulations. And Katie, you did a great job too.”

“Thanks daddy.”

“Dad, we really need this brainstorming session to sort out some leftover questions. One thing in particular has to be settled. Katie, do you want to tell dad about the big puzzle?”

“Oh, the secret. We need the light to find the treasure.”

“That’s it dad. How does a person brighten up on the inside? This light of life seems to be the key to everything" (John 8:12).

“The ‘light of life,’ hmmm. That just has to be about the inner light; it’s about consciousness. You know, this very thing has been the mysterious realm of monks and yogis for centuries, even millenniums. I’ll bring up the topic with my friends at work. They might have something to say.”

“Terrific. We can use the help. And Katie, we’re going to do some brainstorming tomorrow. Do you want to help us?”

“Yeah, I like storming. Please pass the sugar.”

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SIMPLE THEOLOGY FROM CHAPTER TWENTY

-- Jesus preached the Gospel of the kingdom of God
and spent years training the apostles to do likewise.
No one was switched over at the last moment
to preach a different kind of gospel.

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CHAPTER 21

SPIRIT AND THE LIGHT (mysteries of the kingdom, Luke 8:10)

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“Katie, this is the big day. Are you thinking good?”

“Maybe. Is Sarah coming?”

“Yeah, I just talked to her. She’s on her way.”

“Is she going to help us dig up the treasure?”

“Well, we should be able to come to some kind of conclusion today.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means we’ll work up a plan to find the treasure.”

“Good. What’s that paper?”

“These are my notes. I wrote down the puzzles we have to solve. This is the part we have to figure out.”

“Give me a puzzle. I’m ready to figure it out.”

“Let’s wait for Sarah. We invited her to help us, so I want her to hear everything right from the start.”

“Okay. But don’t forget to give me a puzzle.”

“I won’t forget. Hey mom! Are you going to sit in on our brainstorming session?”

“I might join in, but you’ll need refreshments along the way. I want to keep the team well nourished.”

“I’m sure not going to argue with that, thanks mom. Can I have one of these?”

“Let’s wait for our guest.”

“I think that’s her already. Hey there.”

“Hi Philip. Hi Katie! Whoa, you look so pretty today.”

“I smell good too.”

“You’re wearing some perfume. I like it.”

“Welcome Sarah. Make yourself at home. There are snacks out there, and drinks are in the fridge.”

“Thanks Mrs. Wells. Philip, is your dad here?”

“Yeah, he’ll be down in a minute. His client didn’t show up.”

“Client?”

“There was a big meeting at the office yesterday. All the big wigs were there to work on a project. They were at the conference table waiting for a client who didn’t make it, a travel delay or something. Well anyway, that whole big group of thinkers was looking for something to talk about, so dad got them on to a couple of our leftover questions.”

“Aren’t they engineers?”

“It’s kind of like an international team. They like to talk about everything. Dad didn’t give me the details. He wanted to hold off till you got here.”

“Terrific, I can’t wait to get started. Oh, Mr. Wells, nice to see you.”

“Hi Sarah. How is everything with you?”

“Good.”

“I just overheard you two talking. It sounds like you’re ready to go.”

“I sure am.”

“And Sarah, I’m very interested in your point of view. What have you been thinking as Philip made his way through these gospels?”

“Well, this has been quite an experience for me. To be honest with you, Philip’s interpretation of the Bible has been rather surprising.”

“And what was the surprise?”

“Mr. Wells, this is nothing at all like what I hear in class. It’s completely different. I was puzzled by these differences at first, until I noticed a different approach.”

“What was the different approach?”

“Well, Philip is simply giving the words of Jesus Christ the attention they deserve. Katie is doing the same thing. Do you know what I mean Katie?”

“No.”

“What did you say about the things Jesus taught?”

“I can’t remember.”

“You said, ‘he knows better than anybody.’”

“Oh yeah.”

“And Katie, I think you’re right. If we have the words of a person in the Bible saying one thing, and Jesus saying something else--Jesus wins. With regards to Christianity, his words are the most authoritative. Oh, and Mr. Wells, I want to mention something else. It was like a shift from one end of the gospel to the other.”

“Like a shift in your attention?”

“Yes, that’s it. It was a complete shift from the back to the front. In the beginning I was focused on the crucifixion, but as Philip pointed out the early part of the life of Jesus, my attention moved back to the beginning where he was teaching. Does that sound right to you Philip?”

“Sure does. He clearly said that God sent him to teach.” (Chapter Two).

“Yeah, so this shift in my attention brought me back to the beginning of the gospel story. Jesus was an enthusiastic supporter of John and his baptism. John’s baptism is described in the Bible as being for the forgiveness of sins, and people were coming from all over to be baptized by John and later by the apostles of Jesus (Chapters Six and Seven). I’m just looking more carefully at this early period. That’s when Jesus and the apostles had the freedom to do as they pleased.”

“Right. And the last part of the gospel is about the forced shutdown of his ministry by those who had the political power.”

“Yeah. I’m not interested in the shutdown of his preaching. I’m interested in what Jesus came to say. This change in my thinking has helped me. I now feel closer to the people who were supporting him, rather than the ones who were out to stop him. To be honest with you, I’m beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable with those who have been pulling my attention to the crucifixion and the suffering at the end of the story.”

“That’s when the light went away.”

“Katie, you are absolutely right. Jesus was speaking about the future and said that the light was about to be extinguished (Chapter Nineteen). Now Philip, isn’t that the way you see it?”

“Exactly, and just look at those crowds. Take notice of the disciples and supporters. It seems that these people knew when to gather for important events. They were there in full force for the Sermon on the Mount, and they were sure there for the parable of the sower. People were coming from all over to take advantage of the light while they had it. And most of those crowd-stirring events were taking place near the beginning of the story, not the end. Sarah, this shift in your attention makes perfect sense to me.”

“Yeah. Why not go for the light just as the disciples went for the light?”

“Of course. Now Katie, why are you tugging on my shirt?”

“Philip, you promised.”

“Oh I forgot, you want a puzzle. Well, maybe I can think of something.”

“Make it a hard puzzle.”

“All right, here goes. Now listen carefully. Who would know more about what was going on two thousand years ago? Would it be the people today who read about it, or would it be the people who were there in person?”

“The people who were there, they know more. Philip, that puzzle was too easy.”

“But Katie, we’re not trying to think of hard questions. We want to come up with answers today.”

“Oh, then that’s my answer. The ones who were there know more.”

“Good honey. You gave a great answer.”

“Thanks daddy.”

“And son, you and Sarah are on an interesting track here. Who would know more than those who were there? They could ask questions any time they wanted, and I’m sure Jesus would have filled them in on what was going on. They were his beloved disciples. And just like you two, the disciples were not interested in the shut down of his preaching. They wanted to hear what Jesus came to say. Yes indeed, our study has to take into account the movement of the crowds and the intelligence of those who were smart enough to recognize a good thing when they saw it. That’s a good point. So Sarah, thanks for sharing your point of view; it was a thoughtful response.”

“Can I add something?”

“Of course.”

“Mr. Wells, I have some classmates who think they know more than the disciples. They feel that with all the resources we have today, the Bible training along with those letters written by Paul, we are better informed than the disciples. I don’t agree with them, but I was wondering how you feel about that.”

“Yes, I’ve heard similar things. And this point of view sounds a bit odd to me as well. It’s almost like saying, ‘I’m glad I wasn’t there when Jesus was teaching. I have the advantage over those who were there.’ Sarah, this unusual position is more likely a result of misinformation, rather than good instruction. If a person is reading these gospels and gets the impression that the disciples didn’t have a clue as to what was going on, I would suspect that it is the reader who is being misled, rather than the disciples who had Jesus Christ as their own personal teacher.”

“Exactly.”

“So Sarah, are you ready to move ahead?”

“Yes, I want to hear what you have to say.”

“Maybe we should start with Philip.”

“Oh sure.”

“All right son, I’m turning this over to you. What do you need to finish this up?”

“Well, Katie is sitting right here, so I better start with the inner light. Jesus keeps talking about people who can see, and those who cannot see. His lessons are about light and darkness. I think the light is our central question (Chapter Ten). We need to brighten up on the inside to see the kingdom of God. How can we do it? Isn’t that the main question Katie?”

“Yeah, I want the treasure. We need the special light to see it. Daddy can you help us?”

“Maybe so honey. We spent some time on this subject at the office yesterday. This is a very ancient realm of research. The bright inner light has been the aspiration of monks and yogis for thousands of years now. Our group went back and forth on this topic for quite some time, but one man came up with something quite special.”

“Something special.”

“Right, and very basic as well. He simply said, ‘I know that I do exist.’ From his own personal experience he can surely say that ‘I am.’”

“Daddy, I can say that too. I am.”

“Excellent honey. And this is a statement that every living person can make; ‘I do exist.’”

“Dad, I don’t get the point.”

“This is just the beginning. The man was leading up to something. I might be able to help you along by asking a question. Now, we are different than God, and God is different than us. But what is that one thing we have in common with God? Are you able to follow this Sarah?”

“I think so. This is about our relationship to God. We are looking for some common ground for a spiritual relationship. Is it existence?”

“Exactly.”

“Oh good Mr. Wells, I got it. I am, and God is. So we do have something in common. Hmmm, I never thought about this before.”

“Did you understand it son?”

“Yeah, it’s simple. I was just sitting here wondering why I didn’t think of it myself. But dad, even though we have some common ground, how are you connecting this with the light of God? Our original question was about light.”

“Oh sure, we can make that connection. First of all, spiritual growth has always been associated with light, as in ‘I see the light.’ So spiritual growth is about an awakening. And do you remember our last brainstorming session (Chapter Thirteen)? We all came to the conclusion that God is awake; God is conscious.”

“Yes, and we came to the conclusion that we are awake as well.”

“Of course. And the light we have within ourselves is consciousness. Consciousness is our own wakefulness, and the very essence of wakefulness is the ‘I am.’ Who can make the declaration, ‘I exist’ without the light of consciousness being there as well? So how about it son, did you pick up on the connection of the ‘I am’ to light this time?”

“Yes, but God’s consciousness is different than our own. We talked about that too.”

“Right. God is all knowing and we are not. That’s the whole idea. If we want more light, just settle into this common field of life. I am, and God is. So just be. Be who you are.”

“And I am a child of God.”

“Exactly. So just be who you are. And this ‘just be’ is none other than the ‘I am.’ It’s the common ground for a spiritual relationship. This ‘I am’ is the essential spirit of every human being.”

“The ‘essential spirit.’ Oh dad, this is about ‘worship in spirit!’”

“It just might be so. Many people consider ‘praising God’ to be worship. But who can lift God up? God is already supreme.”

“Oh sure. Nobody can lift God up. We are the ones who need the lift.”

“Right, and for that kind of lift our attention has to turn to ‘spirit.’ Spirit is the light, and spirit is the ‘I am’ of every person.”

“Mr. Wells, that just reminded me of something; God is the ‘Great I Am.’ Will you hand me the Bible? I want to look it up.”

“Sure Sarah.”

“Thanks.”

“And my little Katie, you want to be in on this too.”

“Yes daddy.”

“Here, I can give you two nice expressions to look over. I’ll write them down for you, one on top of the other. Here is one, ‘Supreme Being.’ And here is the other one, ‘human being.’ Now honey, take a look at these and find the word that looks the same in both.”

“This one daddy.”

“Wonderful. That word is ‘being.’ Look here--you just found the common ground for God and mankind! ‘Being’ means existence, and this existence is the ‘I am’ my friend at work was talking about. You did a great job honey.”

“Thanks daddy.”

“Hey mom, you heard some of this. What do you think?”

“Oh, this is nice. God is, and I am. We both exist, so that gives us a place to meet now. I like it.”

“Here it is, I have the verse.”

”Go ahead Sarah.”

“Mr. Wells, this is from the third chapter of Exodus. You know the story, it’s about Moses and the burning bush. This is where God is promising to deliver the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt to a land of milk and honey. Right in this same story Moses asks for God’s name, and God said to Moses in Exodus 3:14, ‘I AM THAT I AM.’ So according to this verse, God prefers this title. People should think of God as ‘I am.’”

“That was excellent Sarah. God wants the children of God to recognize God as the ‘I am.’ And there is a good reason for this title. The ‘I am’ is useful because this is the meeting place. We can meet God in the field of life we both share. I exist, God exists. I am and God is. Come together there, and bask yourself in God’s exulted light. Make the inward turn and just be. Enter the land of milk and honey.”

“The ‘land of milk and honey.’ Dad, this is that spiritual treasure!!”

“I think so.”

“Where’s Katie? She’ll want to hear this.”

“I think she took a break.”

“Oh, she missed a good one. And dad, you just used the term ‘field of life’ with reference to this meeting place, and Jesus said ‘treasure hid in a field.’ Could the “I am” be this same field?”

“I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to discover that they are one and the same.”

“All right, so how can we do it? This is that ‘worship in spirit,’ and I’ll bet this is the field in which the treasure is hidden. So what’s the secret? How can I seek out this ‘I am?’”

“Son, perhaps the secret was somewhat revealed in the old psalm which says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God’ (from Psalms 46:10). And Sarah, you may notice that the great ‘I am’ is embedded in that psalm.”

“Oh yes, the ‘I am’ is in there all right.”

“Whoa, this is awesome, and it's so simple. Just be still.”

“Right. So how does it sound to everybody?”

“I understand it Mr. Wells, but I would prefer a personal relationship. This ‘I am’ is a bit too abstract for me. I don’t feel comfortable with abstractions. I want a personal relationship with God.”

“Dad, let me say something.”

“Sure son.”

“Sarah, remember that thing about being saved. Jesus said you have to pass through the narrow door” (Chapter nineteen).

“Yes, I remember.”

“Well, a doorway is an entrance. A doorway is simply an empty space. An empty space is abstract. You pass through the doorway to walk into God’s kingdom. I don’t think you need to be concerned about the abstractness of a doorway, since that’s just the entrance to God’s kingdom. You walk inside to have a personal relationship. After all, God is your Father. We pray to God as our Father. That relationship is already there (Chapter Eleven), and the abstract part is just the opening. It’s the way inside.”

“All right, I understand. Mr. Wells, does that sound right to you?”

“Sounds right.”

“And Mrs. Wells, what do you think?”

“It all comes together for me. We need the special light to see God’s kingdom. The ‘I am’ is our own abstract light of consciousness, and God is the ‘Great I Am.’ So this field of ‘I am’ is something we appear to have in common. This would be the meeting place. Yes, it sounds good to me as well. Philip, what are you getting into now?”

“Just looking over my notes to see how the ‘I am’ and this ‘be still’ fits in. These phrases are simple, and Jesus was talking about an easy yoke. It just might work. And just think, both Jesus and John liked to go off to those quiet places. They may have wanted to get away for the stillness of the ‘I am.’ Yeah, lots of things are coming together. Jesus and John were asking everyone to repent. They wanted people to make a turn. This turn could be letting go of our busy human activity for the restful experience of stillness.”

It’s a turn from the outer life to the inner life.”

Oh, and I’ll bet Luke 9:23 has something to do with this too. Here it is, ‘If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’”

“But Philip, is ‘deny yourself’ like repentance?”

“I think so Sarah. This is some kind of spiritual practice, and this verse suggests that it’s done daily. What do you think dad?”

“Deny yourself sounds like a turn to me. We are ‘human beings,’ so to let go of our human entanglements is a turn away from the ordinary ‘human’ side, to dwell in the simple wakefulness of ‘being.’ This same turn could be expressed as a denial of those human entanglements. And putting my time aside each day to turn my own attention inward and rest in stillness is a spiritual practice. The discipline of a regular spiritual practice would certainly be like taking up my own cross. This turn of repentance could also be called ‘deny yourself.’ It’s the process of letting go of our material life for a time. Yes, it all fits together quite well.”

“And dad, here’s another connection. We have to let go of everything to pass through a narrow door” (Chapter Nineteen).

“So it sounds exactly right. Repentance is an inward turn to the restful experience of the ‘I am.’ It’s a turn away from the usual worrisome rush of human activity. And since this is just a simple spiritual practice, we let go of everything for a while, but then go back to our normal routine for the remainder of the day. How does it sound son?”

“Taking time out to be perfectly quiet sounds right. We just leave everything else behind to be in the light. We don’t know how to do it yet, but I think we might be on the right track. Sarah, what do you think?”

“Well, I was just sitting here trying to fit this into the whole gospel story. We’re talking about that easy yoke now. And over a long period of time this yoke would bring about the changes Jesus was talking about in that Sermon on the Mount. This easy yoke is the regular routine of giving up everything for some time on a daily basis. So Philip, this is not about giving up everything we own.”

“Of course not. It’s just about setting time aside each day to become familiar with the light of God. This is about resting in the field of the ‘I am.’”

“So son, it all sounds quite reasonable. Sarah, how are you feeling with everything now?”

“Good. And I’m a lot more comfortable with these abstractions. The ‘I am’ is a doorway. This stillness is simply an entrance. The abstract part comes first, and the relationship proceeds from there. And since this is consciousness, the light is there as well. Yeah, it sounds right, and it all fits together too. Actually, this is great!”

“Sarah is happy. So how about a time out.”

“Yeah, time for a break.

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A THOUGHT FROM CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

-- I exist,
and God is the “Great I Am.”
We have a place to meet now.

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home

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CHAPTER 22

FROM ISOLATION TO UNIFICATION (mysteries of the kingdom, Luke 8:10)

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“Come on son, let's finish up.“

“Me too daddy.“

“Sure honey. And Sarah, are you still comfortable with our discussion?“

“Well, I can appreciate the value of stillness and that inward turn, but I want to connect everything more clearly to what Jesus was talking about. I know he said that the kingdom is within you, and I understand the importance of increasing the light. We also have to lose our life to find it, and that’s taking some time out to turn away from our busy everyday life to be in that light. But I'm still a bit fuzzy on this stillness and the ‘I am.’ I don’t understand that inward turn.”

“A normal reaction Sarah. A spiritual practice like this is nearly impossible to understand without the direct experience Jesus and John were likely giving the people at that time (Chapter Ten). This special kind of instruction would satisfy many of the questions we are struggling with right here. But keeping that in mind, I can offer one more analogy.”

“That might help.”

“All right, so we’re talking about an inward turn to the ‘I am.’ It’s the key to passing through the narrow door. I think this special kind of turn can best be described with the help of some elementary sentence structure. A simple example would be, ‘I see the mountain.’ This sentence describes an ordinary human experience. ‘I’ is the subject, 'see' is the verb, and of course the object of sight is the ‘mountain.’ Are you with me so far?”

“I think so.”

“So this simple sentence describes an ordinary human experience. The person and the mountain are not united. The person sees the mountain, but the person knows the mountain is not myself. Now, let’s think about this special turn with reference to experience. This inward turn would bring about a different situation. A complete turn like this would allow a person to move out of the world of isolation and into an intimate world of unification.”

“Unification means everything comes together.”

“Right, it's the ultimate coming together experience.”

“Mr. Wells, that sounds helpful, but where can I find that unification in these gospels.”

“How about the greatest commandment.”

“We looked into it.”

“That’s right Mr. Wells. Both Philip and I ended up wondering why people are so busy trying to promote the ten commandments when Jesus himself decided to introduce something called the ‘greatest commandment.’ He said, ‘on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets’” (Matthew 22:40).

“Not only that, but he said, ‘There is none other commandment greater than these’” (Mark 12:31).

“Good. So you’re both familiar with the preeminence of this greatest commandment. Now let’s add a little something to what you already know. Take a look at Mark 12:29. Take note of how the greatest commandment starts. It says, ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.’ Notice this ‘God is one.’”

“Oh sure, that means there is only one God.”

“Fine Sarah. That’s a valid interpretation, but there is more. ‘God is one’ is a declaration of God’s eternal unification. God is all together; God is one. There is no division in God.”

“Unification sounds important. Mr. Wells, another verse came to mind as you were talking. Will you hand me the Bible?”

“Sure.”

“Oh, look at this, I found it already. This is from that farewell discourse. It’s John 14:19-20. Jesus was speaking of the help the apostles were about to receive from the Holy Spirit. He went on to say, ‘Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you’” (another reference on unification, John 17:22-23).

“Excellent Sarah. Your reference appears to confirm the unification presented in the greatest commandment. God is one, and knowing God brings everyone together. As Jesus said to the apostles, ‘I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.’ He was obviously quite familiar with the unified nature of God which brings everything together into one wholeness. Wholeness or unification is the real essence of holiness. Everything comes together in the direct experience of God.”

“All right dad, but why did you bring up that sentence?”

“Oh sure, that’s our next step. We already discussed the ordinary human experience in ‘I see the mountain.’ The ‘I’ is here and the ‘mountain’ is out there. This particular sentence shows no unification since it expresses the isolation of subject and object. Now, since God is one and since God is unified, any genuine experience of God has to be a unified experience. And here comes the big question: how can we turn a simple sentence which describes the division between subject and object into a sentence which describes unification?”

“I don’t know.”

“Daddy, what are you talking about?”

“Hold on just a minute honey.”

“Dad, I didn't get the question either.”

“No problem. Let’s just back up to the sentence spoken by God to Moses. Remember that one?”

“I AM THAT I AM” (from Exodus 3:14).

“Sarah, that’s it!”

“Oh, Mr. Wells, I got it. The sentence spoken by God has no object. The subject is the object of that statement.”

“Exactly. In this case, the subject is not looking away to see. In this statement the subject is folding onto it’s own nature to see. The subject is experiencing and yet remains completely unified. God is one and undivided; ‘I AM THAT I AM.’ Subject, verb and object are all together. All three are there, but the three are one.”

“So dad, unification is God’s nature and if we want to become familiar with God, we have to become familiar with unity.”

“That's it exactly. And the experience of unification comes about in stillness.”

“Hmmm, sounds simple, but almost too simple.”

“Mr. Wells, this unification is like taking a dip in wholeness. The ‘I am’ moves a person into a special realm of experience, like a perfect connection. This is about the power of stillness.”

“Right.”

“And dad, I wonder if this might explain why God is unseen. God is the subject, not the object. We cannot see God by looking out with our eyes; we have to turn our attention within. Whoa, the single eye!! Yeah, this explains everything. The ‘I Am’ is that mysterious eye. That’s why Jesus said ‘eye’ rather than ‘eyes.’”

“Sounds good son, and for more clarification one of my associates came up with a beautiful statement that expresses the reality behind our entire discussion. He simply said--‘by virtue of God’s light, I see.’”

“So the inner light we need to perceive anything comes from God. We have to make an inward turn to be in God’s light. Good, and this supports the statement Jesus made about the kingdom (Luke 17:20-21). ‘The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.’”

“Right, since an observation is looking away to see, and God cannot be seen by looking outside because God is not an object. God’s light is the subject, or the ‘I Am’ of every person. It’s the light within you.”

“So the light we need to know God comes by making this perfect turn. Aha, no wonder repentance is so important. It’s about the inward turn that brings the direct experience of God’s unified kingdom. Awesome, this is great!”

“Very good. So this puzzling ‘within you’ verse is clear now. Are you still with us Sarah?”

“Mr. Wells, I was taught that it’s arrogant to think God is within me.”

“Sarah, I can understand the feeling behind that sentiment. But it is likewise arrogant to think I can see without the light of God.”

“Oh sure, I can appreciate the other side of that as well. God is the creator. Who can see or even exist on their own? And how can an omnipresent God not be within me? All right, it makes perfect sense. And now I can just imagine what Jesus was doing. He was simply teaching the people how to make a turn from looking out, to looking in.”

“Right, he was giving those disciples a way to turn the ‘I’ back on to itself. And please keep in mind that a mere discussion of these things could never be a substitute for the direct experience from a skilled teacher.”

“So that direct experience of unity is the key to a personal relationship with God.”

“A likely connection, and this personal relationship is on God’s level of unification, not man’s level of suffering and isolation. So Sarah, it appears that things might be coming together for you.”

“I think so. This kind of instruction moves us out of the usual experience of isolation and on to God’s level of unification. Yeah, I think I got it now.”

“All right, so maybe we can move ahead. Is everybody ready?”

“Yes daddy.”

“Oh honey, I’m so proud of you. You have been sitting here so quietly. I hope we can come up with something you can understand. What’s next son? Where do you want to go from here?’

“What about ‘the word?’ Katie heard about that, and this has been a puzzle ever since the beginning. The first chapter of John describes the Word as God’s very own nature” (John 1:1).

“And God’s nature is the Great I Am.”

“So dad, the ‘word’ is not an object or a book. I think it has something to do with this turn and unification.”

“Sounds right to me. The word was planted in each disciple, one by one. It was the key to making that inward turn to the subject, the ‘I am’ of every person. It was the key to God’s kingdom.”

“And Jesus was sowing this word of God. He wasn’t passing out Bibles (Chapters fourteen and fifteen). Sarah, are you still comfortable with that?”

“Oh absolutely. Jesus was sowing a seed that saves. He called it the word of God (Luke 8:11-12), and it couldn’t have been the Bible.”

“Philip, the word is that tiny seed.”

“Very good Katie. You have a good memory.”

“Yeah, I remember. It’s that little seed.”

“Gosh dad, and a seed is unification in a tiny little package.”

“Right. The plan for everything is in a seed, and the fruit that comes along later cannot be seen in the seed itself. It all starts out as something which appears to be of little value.”

“So we just have to come up with this word of God. It’s the key to everything, and Jesus was scattering those seeds all over the place.”

“But son, this was two thousand years ago, and the word of God was probably an aspect of those private instructions” (Chapter Eight).

“This little sister of mine is tugging on my shirt again. I’ll bet you want to be in on this one.”

“Yes.”

“You sure do like puzzles. All right Katie, here’s the question. What’s the word of God?”

“It’s the seed.”

“Katie, that was good thinking, and you’re absolutely right. But we need to know exactly what that seed was.”

“Oh. Daddy, can you help us? Do you know the word?”

“No honey. I think they kept it to themselves.”

“Oh yeah, the secret.”

“Dad, are we going anywhere with this?”

“Probably not--it would be absolutely foolish to try to come up with a private word that was being scattered about two thousand years ago--especially if this personal instruction was custom tailored to each individual.”

“So what do you think? Are we stuck? I promised Katie some kind of conclusion today. Where did she go?”

“She took a break. It’s time for her nap.”

“So dad, how am I going to come up with a plan to find this gospel treasure without those private instructions?”

“No need to dig up private matters. That all comes from a teacher.”

“Yes, but this was two thousand years ago. They aren't here to teach us.”

“Son, this was a living tradition, and teachers continue to teach.”

“Mr. Wells, do you really think that this same kind of instruction is available today?”

“Maybe not the same, but similar things exist today. Sarah, this basic principle of turning inward to kindle the light of God is the bedrock essence of the spiritual quest. Christians have moved off in a very different direction these days. But expressions like ‘deny yourself,’ ‘lose your life to find it,’ ‘take my yoke,’ and so on, these are all very basic monastic sayings. There is nothing new about these things, nor were they new when Jesus was speaking two thousand years ago. I only suspect that the yoke he was giving out was quite exceptional in its simplicity and power. But we should be able to come up with something.”

“So Dad, what are we looking for?”

“We’re looking for results.”

“Oh, that’s simple.”

“Of course it’s simple. If something is real, it has to bring real benefits. And Philip, I have to add that I need to do this part of the research for you.”

“Sounds fair to me. What do you think Sarah?”

“It’s good. I wouldn’t know what to look for anyway.”

“What else are we looking for?”

“Well, since this is about waking up to our status as a true child of God, I think it would be wise to avoid institutions or people who may want to stand between us and our true Father. There is no one in the middle. We are after a one on one personal relationship to create a strong, self-sufficient individual. So here is my conclusion: we simply need to find something that delivers genuine personal growth.”

“All right Mr. Wells, that fits the story. I don’t think Jesus and the disciples were setting up big institutions. On the contrary, it seems that they were simply moving around from place to place sowing seeds. A little seed is all a person needs to grow a big tree and enjoy the fruit from that tree.”

“Right, a good seed and persistence. Some people did not persist, and those were the seeds that didn’t take root. On the other hand, some people persisted, and produced a bountiful crop. They were the ones who eventually established an intimate connection to their heavenly Father. This seed just has to be a reference to a spiritual practice of some kind.”

“But Mr. Wells, I don’t see how you’re going to find anything like that these days.”

“I think it's just a matter of finding something that works.”

“Okay dad, that’s our plan. Find something that works. I like the idea. How about you Sarah?”

“I’m still thinking about this one. Mr. Wells, this is such a different approach. It doesn’t fit my Bible training. I was always taught that Jesus is the Savior.”

“I understand Sarah, and everything you said is perfectly fine. A person has to feel comfortable with their own beliefs. And besides, it appears to me that this gospel from Paul has been an important source of hope for millions people down through the ages.”

“Yeah, it has given me a good sense of security.”

“All right then. So in this case I think it would be completely wise for you to hold on to that which has been a genuine help to you.”

“But Mr. Wells, I don’t want to shut our discussion down simply because I was taught something else. I made it this far, so I want to hear the rest of this. Will that be all right?”

“Oh of course, this is simply a discussion. No one has to act on a discussion. You are welcome to stay as long as you like. Both Philip and I enjoy hearing your point of view.”

“That’s right Sarah. You’re an important part of our team.”

“Oh good, just give me a little time to pull everything together. I have a hard time keeping up with you two.”

“Take all the time you want.”

“This is a big change for me. Everything you’re talking about is different. I never thought about repentance in terms of seeking the light of God. And the word of God you’re speaking about is new to me as well. Boy, this is quite a change.”

“Sarah, perhaps we need to slow down a bit.”

“Oh no Mr. Wells, keep on going. I want to hear the rest of this. I think I’m ready for a change anyway. Gosh, and my parents!”

“Your parents?”

“Yes, they’ve been reading the Bible since childhood. Their beliefs have gotten them through some hard times, but they continue to have serious problems. Reading the Bible hasn’t really changed them. I think their current troubles may have something to do with the mix-up we’ve been talking about. Repentance is not about regret or feeling sorry; regret doesn’t help anybody. If repentance was about feeling sorry, Jesus would have encouraged those women at the cross as they were weeping for him. But on the contrary, he warned them about their future, and the future of their own children (Luke 23:28). Jesus didn’t come to die, he came to teach. I’ve been taught that the crucifixion was a great benefit to mankind, but Jesus spoke just prior to the crucifixion to say that the tree was about to dry up (Luke 23:31). Philip, this whole thing has been turned upside-down. It’s all backwards!”

“Right, the tree was green before the crucifixion, not after.”

“Of course. Jesus was teaching the disciples how to be in the light of God. He was helping the disciples by teaching them, so the tree eventually dried up after he was killed. Hmmm, and he was urging people to seek God’s kingdom.”

“Exactly, ‘seek ye first, the kingdom of God.’”

“And first means first. Oh sure, I need to find a way to be in the light of God. God is Spirit. God is unseen, and unseen is abstract. This is the very abstract spirit we’ve been talking about. Make that turn, curve back on to the subject and be still. The stillness of the ‘I am’ is the doorway to the kingdom of God. Does that sound right Philip?”

“I think so. This gospel is about seeking the kingdom of God. God is spirit, so this is about seeking the spirit of God.”

“Hmmm, spiritual seeker.”

“That’s the way I see it.”

“And Paul preached something else. It appears to me that he taught a different kind of gospel. Gosh, it’s not fair to switch gospels like that. And this switch is based on the idea that this 1600 page book is actually the word of God, that’s not right either. Jesus was sowing the word long before the Bible ever came along. I want the original word of God. It was that tiny seed. Mr. Wells, this is still a big change for me. Can we take another short break?”

“Great idea Sarah.”

“But I want to stay for the rest of this.”

“Of course. We’ll come back shortly to wrap everything up.”

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BEHIND THE GREAT MYSTERY

-- “I am in my Father, and ye in me,
and I in you” (from John 14:20).

-- “that they may be made perfect
in one” (from John 17:23).

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CHAPTER 23

FIRE, LIVING WATER AND A BRIGHT FUTURE

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“Light, light, light. Mr. Wells, that's the key. And just think, all I've been hearing is promises of things to come!"

“No light in promises. Anyone can offer a promise, but only a genuine teacher can deliver consistent improvements in the quality of life for the people they teach. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

“Yeah, and the light of God should make some great pudding.”

“Right son. So let’s take some time to think about the influence of God’s light.”

“The light of God has God’s qualities in it.”

“Exactly. How about a list of those qualities. That list should describe the kind of pudding we want to enjoy. Any ideas?”

“Creativity. Dad, God is the Creator, so the light of God has to bring creativity to anyone who is becoming familiar with God.”

“Nice. And Sarah, do you get the idea?”

“I think so. I’ll try one. God is all knowing, so anyone promising the light of God has to deliver more brilliance to those who come for that light.”

“Very nice. This light has to brighten us up. How about another one?”

“God is all powerful. Power gives energy and strength. Oh, and self-confidence too. Dad, this light would solve a lot of problems.”

“You bet. We've already listed the cure for low self esteem, anxiety and depression. So these benefits are really enormous.”

“And I want to add stability to the list, since God is immovable and eternal.”

“Good one.”

“Mr. Wells, Jesus talked about this very thing in the Sermon on the Mount. He said that the one who puts my words into practice is like a man building a house on a firm foundation of solid rock. Nothing can shake it, because it is well built” (from Luke 6:48).

“So there you are. We’re on the right track.”

“Dad, Jesus said I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). Does that belong on our list?”

“Of course. God’s nature is perfectly restful. It has to be so, or how could God carry on for eternity? Now, any more additions?”

“I have another one Mr. Wells. God is love, so the influence of God brings more love and tolerance.”

“Excellent.”

“And light overcomes the darkness, so the problems that come from darkness will tend to vanish.”

“Wonderful. So every good thing comes from the light of God.”

“Then good instruction simply brings a better life.”

“Of course. A legitimate teacher has to deliver substantial benefits; that’s all there is to it. And I want to add a note to the end of our list. Any person who receives the key to the light of God should not have to work hard to become a better person. God’s light has God’s power is behind it, so these changes come about without any hard work. A legitimate spiritual practice has be easy, since the benefits come by the grace of God.”

“Yeah, and that fits this yoke thing; ‘my yoke is easy.’ But dad, if this is so easy, and gives such great benefits, why did Jesus point out all those people who would not be producing a bountiful crop?” (Luke 8:12-14)

“Persistence. Most people are not capable of persisting with a spiritual practice over a long period of time. They get bored and distracted, they don’t have the patience to see it through to the end. The average person wants instant results. And as you might imagine, it takes a long time to come to the final stage of enjoying the fruit if you are starting with a seed.”

“So this born again thing doesn’t happen right away. This big transformation comes at the end of a long process, not at the beginning.”

“Sounds right to me son.”

“And Mr. Wells, this was the case in the story of the prodigal son. The boy had to walk home from a distant country before he was greeted by his father.”

“Right. The son had many small steps in his journey. So this is not about an instant transformation. It takes time to mature to the point where a dramatic change can take place, and we have yet to discuss this purification process. As a person is growing, they would be purging all those old dark things from the past; a kind of cleansing would be taking place over a long period of time. And we have no idea what this process of purification would feel like.”

“That would be like a big clean-up. Dad, this reminds me of that ‘living water,’ the gift of God.”

“Oh yes, spiritual water. And that was my project. I was looking for the connection between the light of God and living water.”

“Yeah, what about that?”

“I think the light of God moves the living water. Light initiates the cleansing.”

“Hmmm. But dad, what about the rest of it? I need the big picture on all these things. There must be a way to tie them all together.”

“Maybe we can do it. Where’s the confusion?”

“Well, this gospel is about light, and Jesus also spoke about the spirit of God and living water to the woman at Jacob’s Well. On the other hand we have John the Baptist announcing that Jesus is coming to baptize with fire. Fire might represent the light of God, but I can’t figure out how water fits into this. Water cleans, but water also puts out a fire. The two don’t belong together.”

“Son, I suspect you’re right about fire. That sounds like a reference to the powerful light of God. So now we have to pick up on the relationship of fire to water.”

“Right.”

“So maybe we can use an analogy from God’s own creative handiwork. What about this great ball of fire that moves all the water on earth? Just think about the power of the sun.”

“Well, the sun moves the water on earth. And water gives life and cleans everything. Oh, I get it. The light of God is the fire, and the fire moves this living water. But how does that apply to a human being?”

“All right, on to the next step. To apply this same kind of relationship to a living human being, you have to think about the great gift Jesus was bringing. A perfect gift would benefit the whole person: body, mind and spirit.”

“Body mind and spirit.”

“That’s it. So just assign each one to the proper aspect of the whole person. Sarah, are you still with us?”

“I think so. This sounds like a puzzle, so I'm writing everything down. We have three on each side. Spirit, living water and fire is on one side. Body, mind and spirit is on the other. The Spirit of God would be for the spirit of man, but I don’t know how to assign the other two. I guess the living water cleans the physical body.”

“Excellent Sarah.”

“Dad, that leaves only one alternative for fire, it’s the mind.”

“Perfect, so we have all three in place. Now, does that settle the matter?”

“What about the ashes? Oh, and fire makes ashes. Hmmm, I can associate fire with light, and fire makes ashes, but what’s burning?

“Son, you must be thinking about that sackcloth and ashes verse” (Luke 10:13).

“Right. They would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.”

“So maybe this one vivid picture of repentance will bring everything together for us. Now, just pull up this picture of a person sitting in sackcloth and ashes. What’s going on, what is this person doing? How about you son?”

“Well, if it’s absolutely genuine, this would be that ‘worship in spirit.’ ‘Be still and know that I am God.’ Dad, this is that inward turn. It's the easy yoke. The sitting part is taking time out to make this turn, and being still represents the ‘I am’ we spoke about earlier today.”

“Sounds reasonable.”

“And I have another connection.”

“Go ahead Sarah?”

“I think ‘sitting in sackcloth’ supports the statement, ‘whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.’ It’s like a turn away from superficial things.”

“And the sackcloth could be symbolic of that ‘deny yourself.’”

“All right, some good connections there. Just keep in mind that these statements are describing an ‘easy yoke,’ so in that context would not require any extreme monastic choices.”

“Now dad, what made those ashes? What’s burning?”

“That’s a very good question, but I can’t think of anything right now.”

“Mr. Wells, how about the purification coming from the light of God? People are very set in their ways, so if a big change has to take place, this change has to start in the mind. Perhaps the powerful light of God burns up the old ways of thinking. Burning up the remnants of the old person and all those old habits makes the ashes.”

“Sarah, that was brilliant. Look here, you and Philip just put the whole thing together. Sitting represents a turn away from our usual routine to be in the light of God. Sackcloth represents those material attachments left behind, and the ashes represent whatever is left after the powerful light of God burns up the old mindset that was holding us back. A cleanup like that would give a person a fresh new start.”

“It would bring a new way of life, ‘born again.’ Sackcloth and ashes is for repentance, and repentance remakes the whole person.”

“Sounds exactly right son. And this big transformation doesn’t take place at the beginning with that little seed, but at the end of the process, after the fruit matures.”

“It takes a long time for a person to prepare themselves for this big transformation.”

“I’m with you Sarah. This complete change is preceded by a long period of small changes. Getting big results from a spiritual practice takes lots of time and persistence.”

“Dad, let’s get back to the water. How does that living water fit into the picture?”

“Well, the mind is cleansed by the fire, and the energy from the light of God moves the living water. The living water sweeps through the body to heal the infirmities and problems that have collected there. So that’s it, the spirit of God brings light to the mind for more intelligence. Fire burns up the old mindset to prepare the person for a new life. And finally, living water cleans the body to restore good health.”

“Whoa, that repentance does everything!”

“Yes, of course. The light of God just has to be powerful enough to do it all.”

“So the Great ‘I am,’ or spirit of God starts this big cleanup. And the brightness of God’s light would bring more intelligence too. Gosh, this is a perfect gift.”

“Right son, and it all starts with the instructions on how to make this inward turn. So, does that take care of it? Are you still with us Sarah?”

“Mr. Wells, I was just thinking about the gospel story. I have a good picture of the situation now. There were two sides to religious life back in the old days. The Pharisees and teachers of the law may have had good intentions, but those washing ceremonies and the scriptural studies they offered didn’t give the people a way to change themselves. And that’s why Jesus was so upset with them.”

“I think so. A way to change, that’s the key. A legitimate teacher backs up the ceremony with a gift. A ceremony without this gift is just an empty seed casing without the living seed inside. Ceremony sets the tone and makes a statement. The use of water says, ‘I am about to give you something which will clean you from the inside.’ Then comes the personal instruction on how to worship in spirit. Who can make changes without knowing how to tap into the light of God? A way to change is the key to everything.”

“Okay Mr. Wells, I really do understand it now. This gospel story shows the difference between those who bring the real gift of God to clean up and change a person, and those who simply perform rituals and make promises. The second group doesn’t know the way because the ceremony alone doesn’t show the people how to worship in spirit. They end up with no way to change themselves.”

“That’s it. They simply need a way to brighten up.”

“A way to brighten up, and we already know the kind of changes to expect as well.”

“Son, did you write those qualities down for us?”

“Yeah. Those who pick up the gift of God and use it should expect more vitality, brilliance, stability, and self-confidence. There were more, but it just sounds like this fixes everything.”

“Of course it does. Opening up to the light of God has to change everything for the better. This is genuine repentance.”

“And the picture Jesus gave was ‘sitting in sackcloth and ashes.’”

“Right, and that seems to be a picture of some kind of spiritual practice, something done on a regular basis.”

“‘Carry your own cross.’ Oh, and Jesus was also teaching about persistence. People have to persist with this spiritual practice, since it takes lots of time for a seed to grow up to be a big tree and produce good fruit.”

“Exactly. But with persistence, the changes Jesus spoke about in that Sermon on the Mount will come to pass. Change is necessary, so a way to change is a basic requirement. Without this special gift, a ceremony is just an empty shell.”

“Honey, can you help me with something?”

“Of course. Philip, I’m going to help your mom for a few minutes. I’ll be back shortly.”

“Okay.”

“So what do you think? Are we almost finished?”

“I think so Sarah.”

“Oh, and I need to say something in private.”

“Go ahead. No one can hear us.”

“Buford stopped me yesterday. He gave me a warning.”

“A warning?”

“Yes. He wants me to stay away from you. He says you’re a heretic.”

“What’s a heretic?”

“I don’t know exactly. That word was used as the Christians were coming together to get better organized. People were accused of heresy when they didn’t agree with standard theology.”

“Who set the standard?”

“The Romans set the standard.”

“Sarah, didn’t the Romans have a hand in that crucifixion?”

“Well sure, it was the Roman soldiers who carried out the order of the state.”

“So the ones who carried out the execution now want to set the standard for the Christian gospel?”

“I guess so. Gosh, I never put the two together before. And along in that same period, those official Bible books were being collected and approved. It was called it the ‘canon.’”

“Now, let me get this straight. The Romans carried out the crucifixion, and now the Romans are getting together to decide which books will be included in the official canon?”

“Well not exactly, I think the Romans financed it.”

“So those Christians were looking for financing. Sarah, the disciples didn’t need financing. Jesus told them not to be concerned about worldly things. And he gave them a warning as well: ‘No one can serve two masters’” (from Matthew 6:24).

“Oh that’s right. He didn’t want them to worry about material things.”

“Exactly. Jesus wanted his disciples to depend on God, not the emperor of Rome. So these Christians made an alliance with the state.”

“But Philip, this is not the same Roman Empire. This is now the ‘Holy Roman Empire,’ and Constantine was the emperor.”

“Was Constantine a holy man?”

“I think he was a military man.”

“Hey, I’m back. What’s this about Constantine?”

“Oh dad, we’re talking about the early Christians now. Did they make an alliance with the Roman Empire?”

“It does seem that the Christians and the empire came together somehow. Emperor Constantine was a smart military leader.”

“Dad, that doesn’t sound right to me. Military people use weapons to get what they want, and Jesus never used violence. I think he was against it.”

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (from Luke 6:27).

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. Dad, this doesn’t sound right. And Sarah, weren’t the Romans persecuting the Christians?”

“Oh sure, they did persecute Christians for a very long time. But it didn’t work out for the Romans.”

“Son, the general population admired the strength of the people who were not giving in to the Roman brutality.”

“So now the Roman Empire wants to become holy.”

“It does sound a bit odd, doesn’t it. Sarah, what do you think about this period of history?”

“Well, I was taught that some real changes were taking place because the persecution of Christians came to an end. And of course Constantine helped the Christians get rid of those heretics.”

“Now again, who were the heretics?”

“Oh Philip, they were the ones who did not accept the new theological canon.”

“So this military empire got a new canon.”

“Right.”

“Dad, what do you think about the Romans and Christians getting together?”

“I’m not so sure, but it brings up an interesting question. Did this military Roman Empire become holy, or did these names and titles just get shuffled around?”

“But Mr. Wells, the persecutions came to an end. The Christians didn’t have to worry any more. They are legal now.”

“Except for the ones who were declared illegal.”

“Who is that?”

“The heretics.”

“Oh yeah, they were unacceptable. Philip, what do you think?”

“Sarah, how did the heretics deal with the situation? Did they give in to the state?”

“No, they didn’t give in. I don’t know what happened to them. I think they were eliminated or something.”

“Gosh dad, those heretics responded just like the Christians. They refused to give in to the state, and the Romans probably did away with them.”

“Sheep’s clothing.”

“What was that, Mr. Wells?”

“Oh, there’s an old saying: ‘the more thing change, the more they remain the same.’ Now Sarah, did you ever consider the possibility that in reality, nothing changed at all?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“The state is still persecuting people. And the Roman military is still marching, but under a different banner. So what is different here? Did Rome become holy, or were these names shifted around so that the political officials could just continue doing the very same thing they had been doing all along.”

“And Mr. Wells, if this conversion of the Roman Empire actually took place, wouldn’t it bring the dawn of a beautiful new day?”

“I would think so.”

“Yeah dad. A genuine holy empire would be giving the light of God to their own people, and to the rest of the world as well. So Sarah, what happened next?”

“Well, the empire eventually collapsed, and that was followed by what many people call the ‘dark ages.’”

“Hmmm. That doesn’t sound so good.”

“It sure doesn’t.”

“Dad, Jesus made the right prediction.”

“What did he say?”

“He said the light will be with you just a little while longer.”

“That was a good prediction. Constantine wasn’t known for his holiness. He was just a Roman military leader doing his job.”

“Mr. Wells, I think Constantine was a sincere convert to the faith.”

“That may be true, but now we have to consider the kind of Christianity that might appeal to him. I don’t think the original gospel would have been helpful to a military leader.”

“You’re right dad, ‘Forgive others and God will forgive you’ wouldn’t work for Constantine. He had to win wars.”

“For sure. He had to motivate his men. Constantine was not going to send the troops out to battle with the motto ‘turn the other cheek.’ He had to convince his soldiers that they might have to sacrifice themselves. He had to make promises about things to come, a better life after the battle is won.”

“Gosh, that all sounds so familiar.”

“Sarah, it's the promise of something better after the sacrifice.”

“I’m tired of promises. Those promises are not going to work for me anymore. I want to brighten up my future with the light of God.”

“Dad, I think the Romans should have held on to the original gospel. Jesus said it was easy, and the light of God he offered would have improved things right away.”

“That would have been nice. But I don’t think Constantine was a sackcloth and ashes kind of guy. And I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to find that he wanted to uphold the reputation of his Roman predecessors as well. This is just speculation, but my guess is that he would want to exonerate the actions of those early Roman soldiers.”

“Mr. Wells, what does exonerate mean?”

“They would be declared ‘free from blame.’”

“What did they do wrong?”

“Sarah, the Roman soldiers carried out the crucifixion, and now the Romans want to take up the Christian banner. If Jesus was sent by God to teach as he declared, then the Roman soldiers would catch the blame for killing a teacher sent by God. If on the other hand, the crucifixion could be seen as bringing salvation to the world, then the state could not be criticized for what they did in the past.”

“Oh, and dad, a military Roman Empire would have to downplay the early teaching ministry of Jesus as well.”

“I would think so. It’s just like the story we hear today. Public attention has been shifted to the end of the gospel story. But keep in mind, this is all just speculation. No one can know the motivation of political leaders who lived so long ago.”

“Yes, but Mr. Wells, it sounds exactly right. And that would explain how we ended up with two gospels.”

“So perhaps it’s time to leave the old crusader mentality behind us.”

“Yeah dad, those dark days are over. It’s time to get back to the light.”

“Honey, I need your help again.”

“Sure, I’ll be right there. Hey, listen you two, it looks like my time is up.”

“Thanks dad.”

“And Sarah, I’m so happy you were able to come. You made a great contribution to our discussion.”

“Oh, I really enjoyed it.”

“So stay as long as you like, and come back again soon.”

“I will, thanks Mr. Wells. Gosh Philip, too bad we don’t have more details on this early Roman history.”

“It doesn’t interest me. How did we get off on this subject anyway?”

“Heretic.”

“Oh right. But I’m not a heretic. And I’m glad we don’t have to consider the past anymore. Dad had the right idea. It was so simple.”

“Yeah--something good has to give good results--that’s all there is to it.”

“We’re just spinning our wheels thinking about Constantine and all that old history. I don’t care what happened seventeen hundred years ago. I want to dig up God’s treasure today. We just need to find someone who knows how to make that inward turn. The right instructions will give the right results. The proof is in the pudding.”

“By their fruits ye shall know them. Jesus said it (from Matthew 7:16). It means exactly the same thing. Good fruits come from a good teacher.”

“Yeah, I heard that one before. It does mean the same thing. So we’re on the right track Sarah.”

“And by their fruits ye shall know them is not heresy either.”

“Of course not. So the problem is solved, just find a teacher. A good teacher will give the right results. It’s the only way.”

“‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me’” (from John 14:6).

“What was that Sarah?”

“Oh, I was repeating something Jesus said. But the original gospel is about seeking the kingdom of God, so I need to back up and put this verse into proper context. Using Paul’s letters and all that emphasis on the crucifixion was off the mark. Jesus didn’t need Paul to explain anything. He was certainly capable of coming up with his own context. I’ll probably just stick with his words from now on.”

“And let me know if I can help.”

“Philip, I need to go over this on my own. But I have a good foundation now. You’ve been a big help already. And just like you, I think my future Bible study will focus on one teacher. With reference to these scriptures, Jesus knows better than anybody.”

“I like to say that too!”

“Oh Katie, you’re back with us. We really missed you. Did you have a nice nap?”

“Yes.”

“Come and sit with us.”

“Okay. Philip, will you give me new puzzle?”

“I can’t think of anything right now.”

“Sarah, can you give me a puzzle?”

“Honey, I have to leave in just a few minutes, and I can’t think of anything right at the moment. Hmmm, but perhaps I can come up with something.”

“I’m ready.”

“Well all right, let’s try this one. Jesus made a statement a long time ago. He said I am the way, and he said no man comes to the Father but by me. Who was he talking to?”

“What does the book say?”

“Well, if I remember right, the Bible says he was speaking to his apostles.”

“Sarah, I think you just answered your own question.”

“Gosh Philip, I guess it could be that simple. I wasn’t in the upper room two thousand years ago!”

“Of course not.”

“And he was speaking to the apostles as their own personal teacher.”

“Sounds right to me.”

“Okay, so everything makes sense now. Thanks Katie, you gave me a great answer.”

“Your welcome.”

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THOUGHTS FROM CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

-- A promise doesn’t change anyone.

-- A genuine teacher brings positive change.
The proof is in the pudding.

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CHAPTER 24

MULITPLE METHODS OF VERIFICATION

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“Katie, it’s just you and me now, and we have a plan. I’ll fill you in on what happened.”

"Let's do it."

“The first part of this gospel is the most important. This is the part Constantine skipped over.”

“Who’s that?”

“Oh, we don’t need to get into it, because the real gospel has nothing to do with him anyway. He and his friends are probably the ones who turned this whole thing upside-down. The genuine gospel is for people who want to live in harmony and good will. Constantine needed a gospel for warriors, so they put their attention on the roughness at the end of the story. They also wanted people to think the Roman brutality against Jesus served a good purpose. But we’re not going to pick up on their teachings.”

“They had it all mixed up.”

“Yeah. But Katie, we think for ourselves. So we’re not going to be influenced by what that old military government was doing. Jesus is certainly the highest authority on the crucifixion, and he said that the tree was about to dry up. The tree was green when Jesus was teaching, so we did the right thing by going back to the original gospel Jesus was preaching.”

“About the hidden treasure.”

“Right. And we did another smart thing by not mixing teachers together. Jesus is the best authority on these things, and I feel confident that he was giving his own disciples a complete message (John 15:15). So Katie, there was absolutely no need for us to get into those other Bible books. We didn’t want to run the risk of assuming that these different Bible manuscripts from different periods of history provide context for one another.”

“What’s contex?”

“Well in this case, context is what Jesus chose to do and say so that his gospel message would be clear to those who were willing to accept it. I think Jesus was smart enough to make his own context.”

“Me too.”

“And I can give you a good example of this very thing. Jesus could have connected himself with those people at the temple who taught forgiveness of sins by blood sacrifice. But on the contrary, he made a clear choice right from the start to put the story of his ministry into a different context. He chose to connect himself to the peaceful desert dweller named John the Baptist. Do you remember him?”

“Yeah, I like John. Philip, what did John do in the desert?”

“I don’t know, but a good teacher will practice what he preaches. John preached the gospel of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and Jesus described repentance as ‘sitting in sackcloth and ashes,’ so it all seems to fit together. Dad also mentioned something from the Psalms, ‘be still and know that I am God.’ A desert would be the perfect place for that kind of thing, since there is nothing to do out there but sit and be still. Oh, and the word of God came to John in the desert (Luke 3:2), so he was certainly out there for a reason. Katie, if I had to take a guess I would say that John was in the desert to make this inward turn to God which is called ‘repentance.’ And with the light of God he was able to see God’s kingdom and receive the word of God.”

“He found the treasure!”

“Oh yes, I think John got into God’s treasure trove. And this is the very treasure Jesus was talking about when he said that the kingdom of heaven is within you. John knew about it too.”

“That’s why Jesus and John were good friends.”

“Right, they had something in common. Both of them knew about the secrets of the kingdom of God. I think John had this kind of expertise because of the respect Jesus had for him. And since they were both familiar with God’s kingdom, we can at least start to understand why so many people were coming to see them. People back in those days were just like you and me. They heard about a treasure and wanted the key to that kingdom. So you see, the first part of this gospel is quite important. It holds the key to the treasure we both want to find.”

“Did you get the key?”

“Katie, I think this gospel story is describing a living tradition, so the key has to come from a living person. We have to find someone who can teach us how to be still, and rest in the light of God” (for reference, the key is all spelled out in the last 2/3rds of Chapter 21).

“How can we find somebody?”

“By their fruits ye shall know them. A good seed produces good fruit, so the proof is in the pudding. And since we’re talking about the powerful influence of God’s light, everything should get better.”

“Everything?”

“Absolutely everything. Jesus was sowing seeds, and he wanted those seeds to produce a bountiful harvest. A bountiful harvest is the abundance and nourishment that comes from a good seed.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means--life gets better. Katie, this gospel story is about the light of God coming into this world. And the light of God just has to bring fulfillment to life. People get brighter with God’s light, and a brighter person is more intelligent and is certainly better off. Light is important, and light dispels the darkness too. So let’s move ahead and use the subject of light as a foundation for our wrap-up.”

“What’s that?”

“Wrap-up means to bring everything back together. This is a very careful check to make sure our interpretation is correct. Everything has to fit together. I think light would be a smart way to start our wrap up, since the gospel we just read begins with light.”

“A bright beginning.”

“Yes, light is coming into the world. This is the promising announcement made right near the beginning of John’s gospel. It says Jesus is coming and he is bringing the light.”

“Philip, how did he bring the light?”

“Well, Jesus said that God sent him to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God, so the light came to the world through his preaching and teaching. Many people think that Jesus came to suffer and die, but that was the gospel Paul preached. We didn’t bother with that suffering gospel; we went right for the one Jesus preached.”

“Yeah, he knows better than anybody.”

“Of course he does. And he certainly loved his disciples enough to give them the correct gospel.”

“That’s right.”

“And we have powerful evidence to back up our basic understanding that Jesus was sent by God to preach the gospel.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“Well, first of all, we have those bookends.”

“What’s that?”

“Bookends means there is a statement in the beginning, a statement at the end, and all the supporting evidence that sits between the two ends.”

“Show me.”

“All right. Now here is one side of the bookends. It’s about the gospel of the kingdom. Luke 4:43 says, ‘I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.’ The other side is found in this prayer right here. Jesus is talking to God and says, ‘I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do’ (John 17:4). So God sent him to preach the gospel and when his preaching came to an end he said: I finished the work you sent me to do. Those are the bookends, and supporting evidence that Jesus came to preach comes up each time he makes reference to the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven. He brought up the subject over thirty times.”

“That’s a lot.”

“Yes, it was his main theme. So we simply picked up his main theme and made it our own.”

“That’s why we got it right.”

“Exactly.”

“So what’s next?”

“Well, we need to move ahead with our wrap up. This interpretation is going to stand on two strong legs. Our powerful bookends are on one side; that told us why Jesus came. And these bright verses on light give us the other leg.”

“I want that light.”

“Me too. And light overcomes the darkness; this is exactly what we want. So here are the verses on light in chronological order.”

“What does that mean?”

“We just learned this in school. Chronological means arranged according to time. The first one is John 1:9. It said the true light was coming into the world. And sure enough, Jesus made a similar announcement to Nicodemus (from John 3:19). He said, ‘light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.’ This means the people who were doing dark things didn’t want the light.”

“They wanted the light to go away.”

“Right, but Jesus didn’t come for them. He came for the ones who wanted the light, and those fortunate people got just what Jesus promised. Our verification comes during the Sermon on the Mount as Jesus said to a large group of ordinary people, ‘Ye are the light of the world.’ So you see, he already gave them the light.”

“That was fast.”

“It sure was. And this is why we’re looking at these verses on light in chronological order. They point us right to the early part of this gospel. Jesus was there only a few months and his disciples were already glowing with the light of God. Something very important had already happened.”

“Jesus lit them up.”

“Right. And the next verse on light helped us figure out what he was doing. You might remember Matthew 6:22, ‘The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.’”

“‘Full of light.’ Philip, that’s what we want.”

“Exactly. And this is why we spent so much time on that verse (Chapters Thirteen and Fourteen). Now, for even more verification on this theme, we have to move ahead. Jesus said in Luke 8:16, ‘No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed.’ So there’s no question about it; he already lit them up with the light of life.” (also refer to John 8:12)

“He showed them the way.”

“Yeah, he showed them how to be in the light of God. And the people who learned the way had to be patient and keep their light burning (Luke 12:35). Katie, Jesus was urging these people to keep their light burning because of what he was about to say in John 12:35: You will have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtakes you.”

“Something bad was going to happen.”

“Exactly. This was the prediction. Jesus knew what was coming, and it certainly wasn’t good news. The people who loved the darkness were about to extinguish the light. And after the crucifixion, those who loved the light were sad, but those who loved the darkness were glad.”

“Some people wanted the dark.”

“Right. Jesus said that those who have dark secrets want to keep everything hidden (John 3:19-20). They didn’t want more light. They wanted to stay in the darkness.”

“But Philip, people fall down in the dark.”

“Yeah, that’s the problem. People make big mistakes in the dark. And each time a person makes a mistake, they plant a seed in their own garden. Eventually the crop from that bad seed returns to the person who made the mistake. These people then start to wonder why bad things are happening to them.”

“Bad things happen.”

“Right. They may start to wonder, ‘why do bad things happen to good people?’ They have good intentions, but make mistakes in the dark. And all this misery comes about when these important verses on light are ignored and people end up with the wrong gospel.”

“But we got the right gospel.”

“We sure did. And this is why I wanted to review these verses on light in chronological order. It shows us when the light was shining, and it shows us when the light went away. It also gives a second verification that Jesus came teach, not to die. The tree was green when he was teaching. He came to bring the light with his teaching, and life is better in the light.”

“We stayed with the light.”

“Yeah, and we know from our research that the light is ‘in thee,’ the kingdom is ‘within you,’ and ‘I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.’ These topics of ‘light,’ ‘kingdom,’ and the ‘Father’ cover quite a lot of ground, and they all have something in common. Each and every one of these treasures is ‘in you.’ No question about it Katie, the kingdom Jesus was speaking about is within you.”

“Philip, I can’t remember how to make the light bright.”

“I think it comes with attention. I’ll give you an example. If a person wants to improve their math and geography, they put more attention on math and geography. So if a person wants more light, they simply put their attention on the light.”

“How can I do that?”

“We still have to learn that part.”

“Oh yeah.”

“And we’ll look into that soon Katie. Dad will help us.”

“Good. Philip, are we finished?”

“Well, we covered all the important things. We know about God’s justice and how forgiveness comes (Chapters Three and Four). We know about repentance and the Spirit of God. We know about the eye, the light of God, and the easy yoke. So that takes care of just about everything. I just knew that Jesus would have given his own disciples a complete package.”

“Me too.”

“And we checked our interpretation from every angle. We picked up on the main theme Jesus was preaching, and made it our own. We got verification by checking the chronology of light. The Sermon on the Mount supports our conclusions too, since Jesus was demanding a big change in that sermon, and we know from our research that the disciples already had a way to make those changes.”

“He taught them the way.”

“Yes, of course. Jesus Christ was their own personal teacher, so he certainly taught his own disciples the way. And the movement of those disciples supports our interpretation as well. Jesus had them coming to all the big events, and the important things happened when Jesus was in charge, not when the Roman’s took over. We also know how those special things fit together.”

“What special things?”

“The fire, the living water, the kingdom, the narrow door, and all the rest of it.”

“We figured it out.”

“We sure did. Now Katie, how are we going to top this whole thing off? It would be nice to put a little icing on the cake.”

“We’re going to celebrate.”

“Oh yes, we’re going to celebrate. But I want to think of one more way to verify our conclusion. Maybe you can think of something. What did you like most about the story?”

“God is my Father.”

“Good choice. All right, how about this? Sarah told me about the prodigal son, but I have yet to read the story for myself. I’ll bet this nice little parable will support our entire interpretation.”

“That’s the story about the good son.”

“Well not exactly. It was about the wild son, remember?”

“Oh yeah, he got into big trouble.”

“Yes. He was doing the bad things most people do. So we need to look very carefully and figure out how he got saved.”

“Philip, the son just walked home, and his Father was glad to see him.”

“Exactly. You got the idea already. The son didn’t stay out in that distant land waiting for something to happen. He actually made the decision to start walking, and of course he started walking one step right after the other so that he could return to his Father. But let’s go ahead and look at the whole story.”

“Okay.”

“Jesus is speaking right here (Luke 15:11-32). ‘A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.’ Katie, the father went ahead and divided up the property. The younger son left for a distant country and squandered all the wealth on wild living. Then a famine came, and the young man hired himself out to feed pigs. He was so hungry he wanted to eat pig food.”

“Yuck!”

“Yeah. He was desperate and started thinking about going home to hire himself out to his own father. He knew his father’s hired hands were not starving. This compelling thought turned him around.”

“So he started walking home.”

“Right. And Jesus went on to say that while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”

“That’s a good Father. He wasn’t angry.”

“You got it. The son wanted to apologize for his foolishness, but the father quickly ordered fine clothes for him to wear and proceeded to make arrangements for a special celebration with music and dancing.”

“Lot’s of fun.”

“Right. It was such a wonderful party that even the older son got jealous. So what do you think? Did you like the story?”

“Yeah.”

“And do you think this is the real Father of the prodigal son?”

“Yes.”

“Now this is such a simple story. The son was in trouble and remembered the wealth of his father. He turned around and went home.”

“Philip, that’s like the big story.”

“Terrific. You noticed how this fits into the big picture; very good. I think he gave us this parable to put the entire gospel in a nutshell. Jesus came to remind the people that they already have a heavenly Father who loves them. He encouraged the people to make a simple turn so that they could enjoy the riches just waiting for them. And Katie, you may notice that the son was not waiting for someone to save him.”

“No, he wasn’t waiting. He just turned around and started walking.”

“And that’s what we need to do.”

“I’ll wear my heavenly slippers.”

“Oh yeah, those will be perfect. Each step along the way will bring a better life, one step right after another until we greet our heavenly Father. And you know about these steps, don’t you?”

“Is it more than walking?”

“Oh yes. I think each step is like taking time out to rest in the light of God (Chapters Twenty-One and Twenty-Two). So it’s an easy yoke. This is the part we have to learn. And Katie, you also need to remember that this was a distant land, so the son had to be patient and persist (Chapter Seventeen). But as I understand it, things do get better along the way (Chapter Twenty-Three). I think we will be able to persist.”

“Me too.”

“So Katie, we sure did a fine job on this gospel story.”

“Yeah, we sewed it up.”

“And thanks for being such a good partner.”

“Okay, thanks for reading to me.”

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VERIFICATION FROM CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

-- Take his main theme and make it our own.

-- The “chronology of light.”

-- The “bookends.”

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