Episode:Jesus in Galilee—Early Public Work (Part 9)

From Symmetry of Soul


As a child of God with a true and living connection to the Universal Father, the important thing about your progress toward his ideals is not the rapidity of that progress but rather its certainty. Your actual achievement is not so important as the fact that the direction of your progress is Godward. What you are becoming day by day is of infinitely more importance than what you are today.

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Keywords: Urantia, Jesus, Simon the Pharisee, Forgiveness, Growing Faith

Summary by Kermit

Post Review Commentary

Much of our post review commentary and discussion was given to particulars of the associations of the levels of meaning with the adjutant mind and cosmic intuition endowments of the Holy Spirit in play with personality (which is spirit pattern). We gave special emphasis to the sixth level of meaning as the level of genuine love, Fatherly love, as recognized in the third cosmic intuition as “the personal realization of divine fellowship.”

147:5. Visiting with Simon the Pharisee

This episode of the Master’s public ministry is found in the New Testament Book of Luke 7:36-50. Unlike other such gospel versions of Jesus’ sayings and doings, the midwayers neglect to furnish us with the name of the so-called sinful woman. To Simon’s credit he risked serious critical scrutiny from his fellow Pharisees by inviting Jesus and his three personal apostolic associates to dine in his home. The midwayers “set the table” of this vignette with a description of the banquet arrangement whereby the wealthy Pharisees publicly practice their philanthropy by allowing street beggars entrance to receive scraps of food thrown to them.

This woman of unsavory reputation, having accepted Jesus’ teachings and forsaken her former calling as madam of one of the high-class brothels came in from the street to show her gratitude to Jesus. She anointed Jesus’ feet with perfumed lotion and tearfully wiped his feet with her hair. Simon, surprised by Jesus’ tender regard for this woman, could not hide his disdain for her from the Master. Whereupon Jesus engaged Simon with a story of forgiveness to illustrate how those who are forgiven much are moved to love much, while those who are forgiven less love but little. Jesus concludes his lesson by declaring the woman’s sins to be forgiven. He then bids her to go in peace. And, responding to the astonishment of Simon and the assembled guests that he would dare to forgive sins the Master appealed directly to Simon inviting him to surrender his fear and pride to the light of the gospel of the kingdom and experience the mighty transformations of mind and spirit exemplified by this grateful and liberated albeit scorned woman. Then addressing everyone present declared that the Father has opened the doors of the heavenly kingdom all who seek entrance thereto regardless of past transgressions and no individual or group of individuals can close those doors. Whereupon Jesus and his three apostles took their leave returning to Gethsemane.

Back at their encampment Jesus addressed the apostles regarding the relative value of status with God and progress in the ascent to Paradise. Underscoring that we live in an evolutionary domain Jesus declared, “Your actual achievement is not so important as the fact that the direction of your progress is Godward. What you are becoming day by day is of infinitely more importance than what you are today.”


A caller inquired suggesting that the revelation is false teaching in that it negates the existence of Hell, and appears to portray a permissive God who does not hold his children accountable for their transgressions. In response SoS focused on the positive message of Jesus that God the Father is love, and Jesus’ revelation of the Father is an attempt to move mankind beyond the belief in a God of fear and vengeance. We did however recognize the evolutionary value of such a God concept as a stabilizing influence in society. Deeper understanding of the existential nature of the Father found in the revelation leads to the concept of a Father who has no need to forgive his erring children because he does not relate to us in time, but in eternity. We are not judged by our actuality but by our potentiality in eternity.

Notes by Brad

  • An animal can have urges, but an animal cannot be impulsive (technically).
    • An impulse implies some top-down spirit energy at play
  • We all are given urges, but also we are given free will to direct them.
    • Directing urges does not mean negating. It means taking ahold of them for positive ends.
  • Left undirected, adjutant energy will do what it does naturally: focus on baser instincts.
    • "It seemed like a good idea at the time" is the rallying cry of the unreflective being who let their adjutant mind freewheel.


  • If all you've learned how to do is react (instead of act), you'll appear uglier and uglier over time (spiritually speaking)
    • If you let spirit into your life, your will is responsible for directing it.
    • True character does have drawing power. Jesus' character has drawing power, too.


  • What would you do if you were in Simon's hall, behind the couches? Would you respond positively to the social-strata differential?
    • Or would you be jealous and self-righteous? Indignant? Stewing?


  • "Be not discouraged by the thoughtless and unkind attitude of your fellows; go on in the joy and liberty of the kingdom of heaven."
    • Advice to remember for us all striving to find the higher levels of meaning.
  • Concerning God's forgiveness, the God of love gives no consideration to your actions in time.
    • So if God isn't keeping a list of who's naughty and nice... that means it's in your free will hands.
    • Only you can turn yourself off to your relationship to eternity. Not even the devil. Only you.
    • You must exercise self-control. God will not ultimately control you.
  • Revelation always can sound like "something from the devil." It happened in Jesus' time, too
    • "Jesus, are you sure you want us to apply the Golden Rule in a positive way??"


  • Interesting to note that Simon, as a halfhearted believer, was astonished by Jesus' treatment of the woman at this dinner.
    • He shouldn't have been surprised if he was a believer.
    • It can take a while for revelation to sink in... how long have you been reading the 5th ER?


  • Betwixt versus between: betwixt suggests being torn in a matter in which you should not be neutral.
  • Out here in the evolutionary domain, the definition of goodness is not perfectness, it's perfect-ing-ness.
    • The direction you're pointed is more important than where you are.