Episode:Jesus Culminates His Ministry—O Jerusalem! (Part 4)
After the cleansing of the temple, the chief priests and the scribes were nonplused. They did not know how to accomplish Jesus’ death, for they greatly feared the multitudes, who were then so outspoken in their approval of his overthrow of the profane profiteers. And all that day, a day of quiet and peace in the temple courts, the people heard Jesus’ teaching and literally hung on his words.
Keywords: Urantia, Jesus, Den of Robbers, House of Prayer, The Master’s Authority
Opening thought: Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”...[Meanwhile] Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. Psalms 16
Closing thought: Spend some more time reflecting on the gospels.
Summary by Kermit
Commentary after Review
The midwayers’ ability to know the content of the minds and hearts of the apostles in their reactions to the events of the entry into Jerusalem, as well as many other events throughout Part IV prompted a caller’s inquiry as to how they (the midwayers) are able to do this. First, through their understanding of context and circumstances using insight and deduction they can predict human reactions and responses to such situations. Secondly, being closely related to humans possessing the 6th and 7th adjutants they are able to actually access the content of the human mind. We are reminded of the rebel midwayers’ ability to manipulate humans, at least until the bestowal of the Spirit of Truth at Pentecost put a stop to those shenanigans. Note seraphim are very close to humans but do not share adjutant mind and are thus less able to gain such intimate access.
Further, the content of our minds is virtually an open book to the myriad of high universe beings who are able to measure quantities and qualities of mind content and activity in us lowly ones. And remember we are literally borrowing the mind of the Divine Minister. All of this should inspire us to willingly share our inner life with God inasmuch as it is the exhibition of willingness to share the inner life with God that constitutes doing the will of God. The trust exhibited in sharing our inner life with God can be extended to close relationships of family and friends as we grow in maturity becoming more authentic and vulnerable thus strengthening and deepening the ties that bind.
Judas’s betrayal of the Master was much influenced by his fear of ridicule, specifically at the hands of family friends upon arrival at the temple. But Peter was also propelled into denying the Master through the influence of the ridicule of a servant girl. Peter certainly dealt more constructively with it. 'How do we deal with ridicule (real or feared) with our devotion to the 5th ER? The intimate disclosures by the midwayers of the inner workings Judas’s and Peter’s minds and thought processes are given to us for our own edification.
Paper 173 Monday in Jerusalem
Setting out for Jerusalem Monday morning the apostles in silence had not recovered their equilibrium from the events of the previous day. They were expectant, fearful, and feeling a sense of detachment resulting from the Master’s inexplicable behavior and his instructions to do no public teaching throughout the Passover week. The Master is intent on culminating his ministry with a final opportunity for the leaders and multitudes to hear and receive his message of salvation.
On their journey down Olivet all the apostles save Judas were focused on the Master, wondering what he would do next. Judas on the other hand was absorbed with trying to figure out what he was going to do (notice all the "I" pronouns quoted in his inner thoughts). Is your mind centered on God or self? Jesus is allowing events to play out without overmuch management on his part. He knows this is the final act in his earthly career and thus is not thinking of any continuity of ministry save the well-being of his apostles and disciples.
173:1 Cleansing the Temple
The gospels all record this event of cleansing the temple. Each of them have slightly different details which the midwayers amalgamate into a coherent comprehensive narrative. John’s gospel is very different, not a linear narrative but in keeping with his propensity for the symbolic and abstract. It stands as a version apart with numerous details not found in the others and is the only version of the event which correctly describes Jesus releasing the animals from their confinement. John's version does erroneously ascribe the overturning of the tables of the money-changers to Jesus.
The midwayers present extensive details in setting the stage for the brief but spectacular cleansing event itself. The elaborate extensive system of sacrifice practiced by the Jews, and their scrupulous observance of the use of animals without blemish speaks to the idea of the importance of purity in establishing and maintaining a religious consciousness. This idea dates from the earliest religious practices of man. We can and should recognize this inner urge for purity in spiritual terms. Major difficulties arise when the purity urge is applied materially and in the external life to the realm of ideology. Remember the energy and impulse of the 6th adjutant is intended to be subjected to the tempering and along with the other five adjutants the harmonizing influence of the 7th adjutant as it is spiritualized into the upper domain of the mind.
The midwayers devoted considerable ink to the details of the commercialization and corruption of the sacrificial practices of the Jews designed for the enrichment of the temple rulers. Details to the point of currency equivalents are presented consonant with monetary value aligned with the value of precious metals, in this case silver. Note at the time of the writing of the revelation this was the method of currency valuation, but no longer today.
As for the actual temple cleansing itself: a conspiracy of occurrences combined so to arouse the Master’s indignant emotion in his soul that he proceeded to open the cattle pens and release the animals, which in turn electrified the crowd who subsequently overturned the tables of the moneychangers and swept all commerce from the temple... all in less than five minutes. This unprecedented attack on the revenues of the chief priests only further united them in their determination to destroy Jesus. For the remainder of the day he was able to teach in peace to a rapt audience.
This temple cleansing not only discloses the Master’s attitude toward the commercialization of religion and unfair treatment of the poor and unlearned, but further demonstrates his tacit approval of the use of force to protect the majority of any human group against the unfair and enslaving practices of unjust minorities with access to political, financial, or ecclesiastical power. See [71:4.16-17]. Herein is a key reason for the emergency revelation we study.
173:2 Challenging the Master’s Authority
Like his entry into Jerusalem, the cleansing of the temple had the effect of postponing his arrest for at least another day. Increasingly determined to destroy Jesus, the Jews were ever more afraid of the multitude’s anger and the possibility of the Roman guards being called upon to quell a popular uprising.
In a foolish effort to discredit the Master in front of the crowd they appointed groups to publicly challenge his authority. We discussed the legitimate place for authority in religious teaching. Is not one of the purposes of the 5th ER the reduction of confusion by the authoritative elimination of error?
His questioners asked by what authority he acted, to which he responded with his own question: By what authority did John baptize? Thrown into confusion and discomfiture they attempted to avoid the trap set for them by refusing to answer. To which Jesus responded, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
