Chapter 6
The Teachings of Jesus

One of the most important parts of the Bible is the Teachings of Jesus.  He often taught in parables.  A parable is a story used to explain a real principle.  One can take the story at face value or see the deeper meaning.  He used them so that those capable of understanding could receive his teachings immediately and those not ready yet might have a seed planted in their minds so that eventually they could understand the deeper meanings of what he taught.  Of course his teachings are found in the four Gospels, so let’s take a look at some of the parables in the book of Matthew.

The Parable of the Sower

The parable of the sower compares our spiritual growth to planting seeds.  We plant seeds to grow plants.  When we look at the seeds as words or thoughts planted into our consciousness we can see what happens to them depending on where our consciousness is at the time.

Matthew 13:4
And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

When we first start out on our path of spiritual growth, heading for that Secret Place of the Most High we are not on strong footing.  We don’t have a good foundation yet.  We probably don’t even know there is such a thing as a Secret Place.  So we don’t get far before we give up.

Matthew 13:5-6
Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and straightway they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:  And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

We get another chance.  We may find a book or a verse in the Bible, or we may hear a message the gives us some motivation to take another look at what might be beyond our normal mundane life.  So we take a deeper look but it is still not enough to keep us going.  We still lack the strength and fortitude to get very far before we go back to our old ways.

Matthew 13:7
And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

Again we get an inspiration that makes us want to look further down the spiritual path.  We might start talking to family, friends and acquaintances about what we have learned.  But they don’t understand and talk us back into our old way of thinking.

Matthew 13:8 
But others fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

We might see others on a spiritual path that seem to have an inner peace about them.  We remember where we left off and how we were talked out of continuing.  Now we are ready to make a real commitment and delve seriously into spiritual thinking.  Then we make some real progress and begin to feel that peace that we saw on others.  We don’t want to go back to our old worldly ways because we have found something better. We are well on our way to finding that Secret Place of the Most High where we will see what it is like to be under the shadow of the Almighty.

Matthew 13:9
Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Do you have ears to hear?  Can you see your spiritual growth might go through several phases before you begin to make any real progress? If a relationship with God seems foreign to you at first that’s OK.  Even if you give up at first that doesn’t mean it is the end.  You will have more chances.  God will always be there and when you are ready, you will find Him.  You will reach that Secret Place of the Most High.

Many of Jesus’ parables are about heaven but it doesn’t so much mean a physical place but a place in consciousness.  Heaven is that Secret Place of the Most High which is the goal to get to.  It is the same thing under a different name.  Some of the parables show that we must really really want it if we are going to put in the effort it takes to get there.

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

Matthew 13:44 
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid; and in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

If we want to get to that Secret Place we have to make it the most important thing in our life.  We have to be willing to give up what we once treasured.

 The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value

Matthew 13:45-46
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

 The pearl of great price, the Secret Place of the Most High, is more valuable than anything the world has to offer.  We have to be willing to give up the things of the world for the things of God.  We may even have to leave our family behind.

Luke 14:26
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

The Greek word translated to hate is miseō, and a better translation of it is to “love less.”  Jesus had the mind of Christ which is the Love of God, so he couldn’t really want us to hate.  He meant for us to love God more than the world.

Even after we find that pearl of the Secret Place of the Most High, we will still have to resist the temptations of the world and block out its noise.  Sometimes we will be successful and sometimes not.  But as long as we don’t give up our Secret Place experiences will become longer and more frequent.

There are many more parables in the Gospels that contain wisdom from a spiritual perspective.  It is worth studying them, not just reading them.  When we read a parable it is a good idea to re-read it several times and just contemplate what it says and what it means.  That helps us get to the deeper meaning of the parable.

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is a main theme of Jesus’ mission and teaching.  He came to open a channel of forgiveness for all of our misdeeds, past, present and future.  He even equated forgiveness to healing.

Matthew 9:2
And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

He didn’t say anything about healing, he just said your sins are forgiven and the man was healed.  The scribes and Pharisees were offended by this, and Jesus knew what they were thinking.

Matthew 9:3-5
And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.  And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?  For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?

Jesus equated being free from sin as being healed.  Meditate on this concept and you may realize that being well is normal and natural.  It is when we stray from our ideal of living in the Love of God under the shadow of the Almighty that we are susceptible to any kind of illness.

On the other side of being forgiven, it is our responsibility to forgive others, and even ourselves.  It isn’t a onetime thing, it is a constant way of life.

Matthew 18:21-22
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?    Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

In those times saying seventy times seven was like when we might say millions today.  It isn’t an actual number it is a concept that the number is bigger than we can conceive.  Can you imagine forgiving someone a million times?  It means that you continue without end.

Judgment

Judgment is akin to forgiveness. Everyone does not share our values.  When we judge someone for being different from us we are not being forgiving.  Both judgment and unforgiveness block us from God’s Love.  Not only that but it also opens us up to be judged by others and not forgiven by them.   Jesus tells us not to judge.

Matthew 7:1-2
Judge not, that ye be not judged.  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

It is very similar to sowing and reaping.

Galatians 6:7
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

It isn’t our job to judge others, but we need to monitor ourselves.  We are not perfect and we make mistakes.  What we need to do is recognize our mistakes by measuring our thoughts, words and deeds to our highest ideals.  Then make changes to overcome our faults.

Matthew 7:3-5
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?    Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

We may disagree with other people’s beliefs and lifestyles but we are not to judge them.  Only God can make those judgments.  Jesus’ brother, James, makes it clear.

James 4:12 
There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

It may be easy to say all these things but it is much harder to apply them.  However, the more we work on it, and the better we get at it, the nearer we get to dwelling in that Secret Place of the Most High.

In the Old Testament God gave Moses the Ten Commandments.  The Hebrews made up thousands of laws to get them to obey those ten laws.  Jesus simplified it down to Two Commandments.  If we can follow those two everything else will fall into place.

The Great Commandment

Jesus was speaking with the Sadducees and Pharisees when one of them asked him about the commandments in the law of Moses.  Jesus answered in his usual way that is beyond their pettiness.

Matthew 22:36-40
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?   Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

The first commandment is what we have been focusing on.  That is getting to that Secret Place of the Most High.  That is how we Love the Lord with all our hearts and all our minds and all our souls.  All means that this is the most important thing to you in your whole life.  Your job, your finances, your health and even your family come after your relationship to God.

The second commandment to love your neighbor may be difficult too.  We have to be willing to put the needs and wants of others before our own needs and wants.

Luke 6:30-31
Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.  And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

This is what is well known as the Golden Rule.  It is the Golden Rule from a spiritual perspective.  If you wouldn’t want something done to you, don’t do it to others. Treat them the way you want to be treated. The material world has its own version of the golden rule that says, “He who has the gold rules.”  That rule will take you in the wrong direction.

Jesus explains who our neighbor is in the story of the Good Samarian in the tenth chapter of the book of Luke beginning with verse 30.  Let’s just paraphrase the story here; you have probably heard it before.

A man was robbed and beaten and left half dead.  A priest and a Levite passed by and refused to help the victim.  Then a Samarian, not a religious man, came along and helped the man.  He treated his wounds and took him to a nearby inn and offered to pay the innkeeper to take care of the poor man.  The victim was a neighbor to all but only the Samarian was willing to help him.

Jesus teaches us that everyone is our neighbor because he is in everyone, including us.

Matthew 25:35-36 
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

He was speaking of himself as the Christ in everyone.  When we do something for someone we are doing it for Christ.

Matthew 25:40
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Some of the teachings of Jesus can be somewhat straight forward but some can have deep and hidden meanings.  Let’s look at something with a little more depth.

The Beatitudes

In the beatitudes Jesus was speaking to many people from all different levels of understanding of spiritual matters.  To the average person the beatitudes offer hope when they are on the wrong side of what is considered good and bad, happy and sad, or right and wrong.  To those who have “ears to hear” the beatitudes expose a deep spiritual law.  That law says that everything eventually turns into its opposite.  Things happen in cycles going from one side of the pendulum to the other, and back again.

 Matthew 5:3
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Being poor in spirit turns into being rich in spirit.

Matthew 5:4
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Mourning turns into comfort.

Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Meek and powerless turns into control.

Matthew 5:6
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Seeking God turns into Finding God.

Matthew 5:7
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Giving mercy turns into receiving mercy.

Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

This begins a higher level of changing into opposites.  Starting from a high level and changing into an even higher level.  Being Pure in heart, regardless of outward conditions, turns into knowing God.  This is seeking turning into finding on a higher level than in verse 6.  As things go back and forth to their opposites there is a spiral effect.  If our goal is to dwell in that Secret Place of the Most high we get closer on every cycle upward.

Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Giving peace turns into receiving peace as a son of God.  Jesus had the peace of God even while they were crucifying him.  He had the peace that passes all understanding while they were taking his life.

Matthew 5:10-12 
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Being persecuted for righteousness turns into getting the peace that passes all understanding.  It turns into knowing God and the Love of God.  It may look like you are being persecuted on the outside, but inside you are experiencing the peace of God.

There is a similar teaching found in the book of Ecclesiastes.  Let’s just look at the first two verses of Chapter 3.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:  A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

These verses add in the time factor to things turning into their opposites.  Perhaps the most important one is that there is a time to be born and a time to die.  The next one says there is a time to plant and a time to harvest, but what happens next?  In the spring we plant crops and in the fall we harvest what was planted.  Then we get through winter and spring comes again, so we start the cycle over again and plant seeds for the new season.  Could we say the same thing about being born and dying?

You might say ‘I know people who suffered all their lives, or people that were born with a silver spoon and were pampered all their lives.  Their suffering didn’t change into happiness, or their happiness didn’t turn into suffering.  It doesn’t look fair or balanced unless there is another life to experience the opposite.  But if the seasons keep coming back then we can be born again and die again, and born again and die again over and over.  It is called the doctrine of reincarnation.

Reincarnation

The typical Christian belief is that we are born into this world, we live one life, and how we live it determines how we will spend the rest of the eternity of all time.  They believe in an afterlife but hesitate to believe in a before life.  When the Bible was canonized they didn’t allow much reference to the reincarnation doctrine, but what did Jesus say about it?

Matthew 11:13-15
For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Can you hear what he is saying?  Do you have ears to hear.  Essentially he is saying that the same spirit and soul that was in the body known as Elias is the same spirit and soul that was in the body known as John.  If we have the ears to hear this teaching from Jesus we can understand it.

When Jesus and his disciples were coming down from the mount of transfiguration the disciples questioned Jesus about this.

Matthew 17:10-13 
And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.  Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

The disciples “understood” that Jesus was telling them that Elias and John the Baptist were the same person.  Elias was born into the body of John.  Elias reincarnated to become John the Baptist.

Most churches ignore this doctrine or don’t understand it at all.  One famous preacher who is no longer with us mentioned reincarnation as though he could come back as a mosquito.  That is not what reincarnation is, that is what would be called transmigration from one species to another.  We are of the human race and we each really are a spirit, a part of God, we have a soul which is a level of consciousness that we all share, and we live in a body with its own individualized awareness of itself and what is not itself.  You are you, the spirit, you always have been and you always will be.  You will continue to be born into new bodies and those bodies will wear out and die. With each lifetime we learn more and more lessons.  We are learning to love like God’s Love.  We are learning how to live in the Secret Place of the Most High.  You will still be you and you will continue this cycle until you have overcome, like it says in the book of Revelations.

Revelations 3:12
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out:

When we have overcome it will no longer be necessary to reincarnate in this world.  It means we have graduated the human experience.  What does it mean to overcome?  It simply means to dwell in the Secret Place of the Most High, under the shadow of the Almighty without interruption.  It means to be the Love of God.  With each lifetime we learn a little more and get a little closer to that Secret Place.  We touch on it but we have so many distractions and temptations in the outer world that we are not able to remain there for too long.  That is why we must reincarnate over and over again.  If the typical Christian doctrine of one life determines eternity that would not be a very loving God.  Actually when we usually think of eternity we miss the point.  Jesus tells us what eternity is in the book of John.

 John 17:3
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Eternity isn’t so much about time as it is about knowing God.  Time in God’s world is nothing like it is for us in the material world.

Psalm 90:4
For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

2 Peter 3:8 
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

There is a joke God and time.  A man was having a conversation with God. 

He said to God, “You are so awesome, tell me how long is a thousand years to you.” 

God answered, “About a minute.”

He replied with another question.  “What about money, what is a million dollars to you?”

God answered, “About the same as a penny.”

The man thought for a minute and asked God.  “God, will you give me a penny?”

God replied, “Certainly son, just give me a minute”

Time and Space

In the material world we live in a continuum of time and space.  We get up in the morning at a certain time and spend some time getting ready to do our daily tasks.  These tasks take, or use up, a certain amount of time to accomplish.  We may have to leave our homes and travel a distance to get to our place of work or school or whatever our activities may be.  It takes some time to travel that distance to get to where we need to be.  At the end of the day we go to sleep until the next morning. Then we start the cycle all over again.  This is just one of the many cycles, or vibrations, that we live with in the material world.

Suppose you were baking an apple pie in your kitchen and you realized that you were out of cinnamon.  You would have to leave your home to go to the store and purchase some cinnamon, and then you would have to return home to finish baking your pie.  This takes some time and you have to cover some distance to get the cinnamon.  What if that was not so?  What if you just had the thought that you needed some cinnamon and it was there?   That is how it would be in the world of the spirit.  Time and space are all but nonexistent.  Our human minds have difficulty comprehending such a thing.  We have to deal with many cycles, or vibrations in time.

We breathe in, stop, breathe out, stop and start the cycle over again.  As our hearts beat they pull blood into the heart, stop, push the blood out of the heart, into the lungs and throughout the body until it returns to the heart.  The time that this takes is called your heart rate and it may be somewhere near 70 beats per minute.  This is the cycle, or vibration, of your heart.

The moon travels around the earth in about 28 days.  The earth rotates a full cycle in about 24 hours. The earth travels around the sun in about 365 days.  Everything in the material world is subject to cycles, or vibrations.

Faith

Often we say we are of the Christian faith, or perhaps another faith, meaning that we believe the doctrines of our particular religion.  There is a joke that was told many years ago by the Smothers brothers.  They were a comedy team that sometimes pushed the envelope.

Tom said. “You know there are over 700 religions and they all have one thing in common.”

Dick replied, “You mean they all have a belief in a supreme being.

“No.” said Tom.  “They all believe they are the only one that is right.”

Jesus had something to say that might make this joke more than just a joke.  There may be some truth hear also.

John 10:16
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice: and they shall become one flock, one shepherd.

There is an organization in Southern California called the Self Realization Fellowship.  It was started in the early 1900s by a yogi named Paramahansa Yogananda and he was from India.  In his home religion they don’t have the same kind of structure that we have in Christianity.  They have gurus, or light bringers, that teach students how to connect with God.  In the Self Realization Fellowship Yogananda is the guru in America.  He has a guru that teaches him, and that guru has another over him and so on.  When it gets to the top guru they have Jesus.  The same Jesus we have in Christianity.  Much of the teachings from Yogananda come from the Bible.  Jesus does have flocks all over the world.

Religions are more about beliefs than faith.  Belief and faith are not the same thing. Belief means that we accept something as true, faith means that we act on it.  Beliefs are made up of doctrines and traditions.  Faith is action.  When the woman with the issue of blood was healed Jesus told her that it was her faith that made her whole.  You can read the story in Matthew Chapter 9, Mark Chapter 5, and Luke Chapter 8, but let’s just paraphrase it here.

Jesus was on his way to heal a little girl that was at the point of death.  He was surrounded by throngs of people and of course they were bumping into him and he was being touched by many people.  But there was one woman whose touch was different.  She had been bleeding for twelve years and had spent everything she had trying to get healed.  She was desperate when she heard about Jesus.  Even though it was illegal at the time for her to be out in a crowd while she was bleeding she convinced herself that if she could just touch the hem of Jesus’ robe she would be healed.  She made it.  She struggled through the crowd on her hands and knees and managed to touch his robe. 

She was instantly healed and Jesus knew it.  He felt the healing power leave him.  He didn’t make an effort to heal her, he didn’t even know she was there until she touched his robe.  He asked his disciples “Who touched me?”  They were puzzled because many people were touching him, but Jesus said that he felt the power leave him.  Then the woman confessed that it was her that touched him.  She felt the power too because she was healed;  something she was trying to get for twelve years.  So what did Jesus say to her?

Mark 5:34
Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole;

Her faith was much more than just believing.  She put everything on the line.  She broke the law and struggled through a crowd of people with the powerful thought in her mind that if she could just touch his clothes, not even his body, but just his clothes, the power in him would heal her. 

There is a similar story about a blind man receiving his sight in Mark Chapter 10 beginning at verse 46.  This man wasn’t silent like the woman in the previous story.  When he heard that Jesus was there he made all kinds of ruckus.  Jesus heard him and asked what he wanted.  He wanted his sight and Jesus gave it to him.  Again Jesus said that his faith is what made him whole.

Mark 10:52 
And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole.

Jesus had a power flowing through him that could heal just about anything.  However for it to flow the receiver must use some faith.  In Mark Chapter 6 Jesus visited his home town of Nazareth.  He couldn’t do much there because the people didn’t have faith in him because they knew him as a local boy, the son of a carpenter.  They didn’t recognize the Christ in him so they had no faith that he could do the miracles that he was doing in other towns.

Throughout his short ministry Jesus healed many people and taught many things.  His teachings are on multiple levels and they can reach people from all places in their spiritual growth.  He made it possible for people with no faith or even a desire to know God to experience a taste of God by just attuning to him.  His mission and teaching changed the world.

And so it is.