Episode:Jesus Goes Public—Preparation and Preaching (Part 8)

From Symmetry of Soul


Jesus instructed the twelve: "Discern the truth clearly; live the righteous life fearlessly; and so shall you be my apostles and my Father’s ambassadors. If you would guide others into the kingdom, you must yourselves walk in the clear light of living truth. In all the business of the kingdom I exhort you to show just judgment and keen wisdom. Present not that which is holy to dogs."

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Keywords: Urantia, Jesus, Ordination of the Twelve, Sermon on the Mount, Salt of the Earth

Opening thought: Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you? majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? You stretch out your right hand, and the earth swallows your enemies. In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. Exodus 15

Closing thought: Understand the contrast between brotherly and fatherly love. Embody fatherly love.

Summary by Kermit

Commentary after Review

We pursued more discussion on the pernicious effects of the insincere promulgation of secular humanism to the progress of advancing civilization. There is but one vast universe predicated on a singular First Source and Center. It is the will of the Father that makes the fact of reality and all of its specific laws. The revelation upsteps the usage of the word sincerity from the idea of ideological purity to a designation of wholehearted devotion to supreme values. The gospel of Jesus invites us to found our lives on a spiritual, divine, and eternal foundation over the immediacy of the material, human, and temporal actualities of our daily existence. He comes with a message of love, to elevate God’s call to righteousness from fear of wrongdoing to the love of doing right.

Careful examination of the ordination sermon will show it to be pregnant with references to the favorable conditions for being grown so often mentioned on SoS.

140:3 The Ordination Sermon (cont.)

Continuing the ordination sermon following his presentation of the Beatitudes, the Master reminds them of their “saving savor” calling them the salt of the earth. He further directs their focus on the quality of their inner lives with the subtle warning that their spiritualized upper realm of mind is to be conserved and maintained lest it be lost to the pull of material gravity. He also calls them “the light of the world”, a light illuminating the fruits of the spirit consequent upon their cultivation and maintenance of the spiritualized inner life. These two metaphoric expressions of salt and light employed by Jesus are integral to foundation for all of western civilization.

It is worth noting that 5th ER has consolidated the gospel record of this sermon. What we have in the revelation is found fragmentized and dispersed in the Bible in Matt:5, Luke:6, and Matt:7, another instance of the coordination of essential knowledge.

It is most important to remember that this ordination sermon is not intended for the multitudes. The apostles are being commissioned to represent Jesus in the world, as Jesus is representing the Father, not other persons of Deity. Jesus’ gospel has suffered untold misunderstanding down through the centuries due to this lack of knowledge, particularly in the area of the administration of justice.

Jesus lays a heavy responsibility on his men to love their enemies. Note the foreshadowing of the new commandment where they are instructed to love men as God loves them. The golden rule as usually taught, to love your neighbor as yourself is hardly sufficient to sustain loving your enemies.

Jesus instruct them to be merciful, free of judgement for their fellows. We noted that the existential Father cannot show mercy, but a Paradise Creator Son is in possession of inheritance from the Eternal Mother Son, who can show mercy.

Jesus’ sermon contains admonitions to be mindful of their own limitations in correcting their brethren with the mote and beam illustration. Also, he warns them to be alert to the recognition of false prophets by their discernment of the fruits of the spirit. And in the famous, “cast not your pearls before swine…” further directs them to be ever more discriminating in their ministry. Jesus also solemnly reminds the twelve of the fate of the insincere false teachers.

The apostles recognized a tone of supreme authority in the Master’s speech. They asked no questions following their ordination.

140:4 You Are the Salt of the Earth

The midwayers now begin a commentary on the sermon, somewhat rare for its extent and depth. Reason for such extensive commentary can be understood in light of the unrecognized fact that it was intended at the time solely for the apostles. And this lack of recognition has been the source of much false interpretation over the past two thousand years of the Master’s gospel in the founding and outworking of the religion which bears his name.

The midwayers call out the major error of modern religions, negativism, the moral injunction of “thou shalt not.” Fear and shame are unworthy motivators for religious living. Be positive. Religion is only valid when it reveals the fatherhood of God and enhances the brotherhood of men.

The challenge of crafting an effective philosophy of life requires the combination of cosmic insight with emotional reactions to the social and economic environment, keeping in mind the hardwiring of inherited urges and ability to modify emotional reactions through training and education. Jesus’ discourse at the ordination constitutes a master philosophy of life. He exhorted his followers to exercise experiential faith and avoid dependence on intellectual assent, credulity, and established authority.

The Father has instilled in our original nature the urge to be a complete person. This inborn urge to perfection therefore must be attainable in a universe that is truly fatherly.