Episode:Jesus Culminates His Ministry—O Jerusalem! (Part 1)
From Symmetry of Soul
Although the common folks of the villages of Bethany and Bethphage thought Jesus was now going into Jerusalem, in utter defiance of the Sanhedrin’s decree of death, to proclaim himself king of the Jews, the Bethany family—Lazarus, Martha, and Mary—more fully realized that the Master was not that kind of a king; they dimly felt that this might be his last visit to Jerusalem and Bethany.
Keywords: Urantia, Jesus, Mary Anoints the Master, Judas Hardens His Heart, Lazarus Must Also Die
Opening thought: Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve. Joshua 24:14-15
Note: Justin Armstrong filled in for Brad Garner.
Notes by Brad
- Our world seems so messed up! Is this "unlimited opportunity for sin-expression"? [54:5.11]
- Frame of reference: the cosmic evolutionary process is designed to contain natural vicissitudes. Even a normal world is supposed to experience "catastrophic physical events, appalling accidents, horrific disasters, painful illnesses, and world-wide scourges" [10:7.5].
- But our world is also sin-darkened (rebellion and default). Here, sin exists at a systemic level (as opposed to the individual level on a normal world).
- And our local universe mother spirit and her daughters will not intervene in such matters. To not soften the flow. To let the sin work out as quickly as possible.
- This decision to allow sin to work itself out on our world is not about any one individual. Many "innocents" will be apparently crushed in the course of this. Beings on high minister to your destiny (the long game), not some temporal moment or your material comfort.
- In a non rebellion-tainted area of a universe, our guardian angels would gently set up circumstances to try to let us back to the righteous path if we are drifting. But they've been ordered not to do that on our world. We have to ask for help to receive it here; we must initiate here, just as repentance must be sincere.
- Is sin in "full disclosure" on our world, or is it hidden in machinations?
- More and more these things seem to be in full disclosure. Amidst today's civilizational emergency we see people openly insisting we see black and for us to call it white. Even plain eyesight can see this is wrong (one doesn't need the eye of faith insight for it); it's directly in your face to accept or refuse to go along with.
- And so, consider: were you following men, thinking you were following God? Do you now see these men are wicked? That theirs are "the paths of sin and death?" [139:12.5]. If so, choose this day whom you will serve.
- You'll have to own up to an about face. Face others? Sure.
- But perhaps even moreso: you'll have to face yourself. "It requires a great and noble character, having started out wrong, to turn about and go right." [184:2.12]
- And remember: a wise parent doesn't absolutely shield their child from the inevitabilities. They are the path to knowing God, the God of love, even though it may be tough love born out of a parent's wise and long-distance view.
- Some precision of language used consistently in the 5th ER:
- Over versus above. Over means still touching, above is higher. Hence: over control, not above-control.
- Under versus below. Under means still touching, below is lower. Infra- is under, sub- is below.
- The start of [Paper 172] matches up roughly with John 11:55 and on into John 12.
- All earthly things are about to crash for Jesus. An ominous week. How does he act?
- Is it crushing him? Is he howling "who is tormenting me??" [86:2.2]
- No, he is majestic and calm. "Exceptionally cheerful," and so forth.
- A reminder that of we each can seek first the kingdom of heaven, found ourselves on the inner life and stand unmoved in even the worst "redirecting cataclysms" [100:2.8] of outer-life goings on.
- You can handle the death of your outer life if you have a properly founded inner life.
- Have true religion—be a religionist. Only being a religionist will serve you well when the going gets tough.
- If your inner life can keep you peaceful in tumultuous times, you can retain your true human qualities instead of fretting like an animal. You can continue to have insight in tough times, for example. You won't be deceived.
- You see here a religionist responding unnaturally to outer-life circumstances.
- Someone who's potentially a part of the solution, not a part of the problem on our sin-darkened world?
- This last week of Jesus' life on earth contains a lot of heavy material. But a religionist can still "be of good cheer," because they stand on the firm foundation of God; you are not frothing at the mouth if you are a religionist.
- Jesus is exhibiting humility.
- The culmination of Jesus' ministry is received gladly in two humble towns: Bethany and Bethpage, home of the "humble and unlearned of God's children on earth" [102:0.2], not the Jerusalem home of some fancy intellectual types.
- Jesus rides in on a donkey instead of horse.
- Even as a near Master Son, Jesus refuses to rule in the kingdoms of men (the Most High (observer) rules in the kingdoms of men [43:5.17]).
- Here is Jesus, not to usurp the kingdoms of men, but to enthrone God in the hearts of those who would hear his message.
- Here Jesus is not concerned about wealth (Martha, Mary, Lazarus all were well to do). his concern is love of wealth (an inner life issue).
- Here Jesus is not concerned with free food and healthcare. He is concerned about our souls.
- Coordination of essential knowledge.
- Fragments of this story appear in Matthew and Mark, but are far more confused than the gospel of John. "Simon of Bethany" is not "Simon the leper," for example.
- In a seemingly small moment, the 5th ER clarifies that "Martha directed the serving of the food" (emphasis added) at this public banquet in Bethany, whereas John 12:2 writes, "Martha served" the food.
- The revelators clear up seemingly minor things. Why? So that might have caused "eddies of distraction" in our thoughts for centuries? To allow truth to flow better? We think so.
- What could be the reason here for this clarification? One can reflect on that.
- Jesus and company arrive in Bethany on Friday not Saturday as in the gospel of John (which suggests they would have been traveling on the Sabbath).
- Yes, this is the second time Jesus was anointed by a woman using her hair at the banquet of a well-to-do man named Simon. Two different times, places, Simons, and women. No wonder these things got confused in people's minds as they recounted all of this for writing the gospels. The 5th ER brings clarity to all of this.
- the gospel of John accuses Judas of being a thief who stole from the treasury, but the 5th ER clarifies he never did any such thing.
- But that's just the kind of misremembering a guy like John Zebedee could have, years later, if he was prone to self-exaltation (self esteem).
- How's Judas doing here? Not well.
- He tried to reprove Mary for using costly ointment, but Jesus ended up declaring Mary had reproved all of them (which Judas took personally)
- We surmise this scene with Mary was doubly upsetting to Judas, a Judean sensitive to Jewish custom (as opposed to Galileans) and the traditional low status of women.
- Judas was an outer-life sort of guy.
- Whereas Jesus points out that Mary's actions here reflect something in her heart, something of faith, the inner life.
- He finally entertains conscious, wicked thoughts of betrayal. He is spiritualizing (taking into the inner life) his manifold outer-life genetic, temperamental, and upbringing issues (wicked is an inner-life word).
- He tried to reprove Mary for using costly ointment, but Jesus ended up declaring Mary had reproved all of them (which Judas took personally)
- How are the Jewish authorities doing here? Not well.
- They "rightly" concluded Lazarus also must die. That can only mean one thing: self-righteousness, not righteousness. "There is a way that seems right to a man..."
- Caution: There are no limits to how self-righteous you can become, and never feel the tension of it. You are absolutely sovereign in your inner life.
- You've made your own sphere/bubble of unreality, and within there you perceive your real wickedness is as a subjective righteousness.
- He seeks revenge. No. For ages we have known "Vengeance is mine [not ours], says the Lord."
- Even still, we see Judas dabbling with sin here, not the full flower of iniquity. He is a tragic figure and a cautionary tale, not someone with devil-horns on them.
- They "rightly" concluded Lazarus also must die. That can only mean one thing: self-righteousness, not righteousness. "There is a way that seems right to a man..."
- Hate versus dislike. The only solution to prejudice and hate (inner-life issues) is God (also in the inner life).
- Don't look for some outer-life rigid totalitarian regime to solve hate. Outer-life "solutions" to hate inexorably breed more hate.
- It's an inner-life problem. And only God can solve it.
- Caution: If you focus too much on the negative in others, you become that yourself.
- Ever seen someone screaming with hate, holding a sign that says "Love, not hate?" Exactly. That's not a solution, that's another problem.
- Can you be in the world but not of the world? Can you keep your inner and outer lives appropriately separate? In [172:1.7] observe the moment Judas finally fails at this.
