Episode:Jesus the Tutor—Journey to Rome (Part 7)
As man ascends, the event procession of time is discerned more and more in its wholeness. Also, space is not empty; and the only thing man knows which can even partially transcend space is mind. These enlarging cosmic conceptions are due to augmentations of both the depth of insight and the scope of consciousness of an advancing spirit personality.
Keywords: Urantia, Jesus, Time, Space, Capacity for Sonship
Summary by Kermit
Commentary on Review
Our reflections on the review touched on the elevation of the concept of play all the way to the idea that worship is the refreshing play of Paradise. We also commented on the relationship of unity and harmony, with unity being the spirit of harmony, and further distinguishing the reality of worship from the spirit of worship. Recalling the circuitous series of references concerning Paul’s harsh word about the Cretans, whom Jesus loved we remarked how every sentence in the revelation can serve as a portal to truth, to infinite ends. Finally we gave the list of citations in the revelation where Epimenides' statement concerning Zeus shows up as Paul’s famous statement, “In him we live, and move, and have our being.”
Here are citations concerning this discussion: [1:5.16, 2:1.11, 12:7.12, 105:2.11, 117:3.12]
130:7. At Carthage—Discourse on Time and Space
En route to Carthage, Jesus talked with fellow travelers and impressed the Indians with his storytelling. In answer to Ganid’s request for help in making friends, Jesus instructed him to become interested in his fellows and watch for occasions to do something for them that he is sure they want done. Also, he shared the Jewish proverb—“A man who would have friends must show himself friendly.”
We stepped through Jesus’ long talk with a Mithraic priest about immortality, time, and eternity in deliberate fashion, but still well short of being exhaustive. It behooves the serious student to listen to the archive for important details beyond the scope of this summary.
The crux of this discussion overturns long cherished notions about the nature of time and space. Time is shown to be an internal abstraction employed by experiential beings for the purpose of segregating, recognizing and organizing events and experiences with the motions of the external world. It is an appearance not a reality. Outside of the fixed point of Paradise is a universe of motion, and elsewhere in the revelation we are told that time is the synchronicity of motion. On high Paradise and its Deities transcend both time and space. On the inhabited worlds human personality (an influence from eternity) is the only physically related reality which can transcend the material sequence of temporal events. As man ascends he leaves behind his perception of time as a succession of events while he increasingly discerns this event procession more in its wholeness. Thus will circular simultaneity increasingly displace the consciousness of the linear sequence of events.
The reality of space is unrecognized by the scientist. Rather than being a concept of the potential for the separation of objects, it is a reality, a stuff, an element of motion.
The lesson and challenge for us is to strive to increasingly recognize the difference between appearance and reality. It is the most important foundational recognition in reflective thinking. This recurring requirement on ever ascending levels will always be relative. Sight yields appearances insight takes you beyond sight.
The discourse points even to the transcendental levels of personality achievement of Deity-likeness, to levels where the time-space concept will increasingly approximate the timeless and spaceless concepts of the Absolutes.
130:8. On the Way to Naples and Rome
After such a rigorous philosophic challenge we are treated to a few more vignettes of Jesus’ encounters with travelers on their way to Naples and Rome. In the first meeting on record, Jesus gives a discouraged young man a new sense of courage and confidence having a similar effect as with his talk with Fortune, the young man who was afraid. Next Jesus demonstrates his familiarity with Hebrew Scriptures and his keen sense of proportion in using them adroitly to minister to the tavern keeper and backslidden Jew, Ezra. Jesus’ lesson to the fruit vendor illustrates how he draws on the pertinent circumstances of daily life in his analogies for spiritual instruction. Finally we see Jesus’ ability to recognize what manner of individual he is engaging when to Ganid’s surprise Jesus gives alms to a street person and passes on by without further contact because the man did not have the capacity for sonship. We noted however, that attending angels minister to their subjects irrespective of their universe status.
Notes by Brad
- Unity is the spirit of harmony. It isn't harmony itself, it's the spirit of harmony. If unity is a two-dimensional concept, harmony would be a three-dimensional one.
- What do we mean by "the spirit of..."?
- The essence of it? That often works.
- But also can be see in the context of the absolute gulf between individuality and unity. Unity can "work on" individuality and foster an interplay that is not innate in any one individuality.
- "Spirit of..." is a potentiality for when something is put in relation with spirit energy.
- Time is an appearance. Time is not a reality.
- Time is a framework overlain on one's experiences. Time is an abstraction drawn from one's relation to the universe... the universe of motion.
- Space is the foundational element. Time is the chronicity of motion.
- You have an innate recognition of sequences of events in your mind. But when you look outward and see time everywhere out there, you're projecting.
- But it isn't that time is an illusion. It's appearance versus reality.
- Can you at least do better than a fancy animal? See something more in time than an apparent succession of events.
- 7 dimensional space? 3 finite, 3 absonite, 1 absolute.
- Space is not merely a potential to separate objects. Space is a reality. A stuff. Motion is a reality.
- To being manifesting personality, you must discern between appearance and reality.
- Morontia consciousness can more directly sense motion, unlike out material consciousness, which rests pretty heavily on this abstraction called time.
- Eternity is what masters time. You cannot master time from within. (Although, again, time is an abstraction)
- Courage is unnatural. It is a positive response to a negative stimulus. It is realizing a potential courtesy of the spirit of courage.
- No one would commit suicide if they know there is an infinite amount of potentiality within themselves. A suicidal person sees on the the appearance of themselves, not the reality.
- Showing yourself to be friendly--in the true sense of the word--is a charming phenomenon.
- Feed the body with time. Feed the soul (the upper domain of the hourglass of mind) with eternity. Don't even bother trying to feed the soul with elaborate sights, sounds, smells of the external world.
- You can feed your feelings with soul food or soul music. That's an all too cheap and unfortunate definition of soul.
