ROUGH DRAFT
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Adapted from the Urantia Book original paper here
You Are the Salt of the Earth
The so-called “Sermon on the Mount” is not the gospel of Jesus, but rather it was his orders to the twelve men for them to become his apostles. In other words, it was Jesus’ personal set of rules they had to abide by if they were to go on preaching the gospel and representing him in the world of men, just like he was so perfectly representing his Father.
“You are the salt of the earth, salt with a saving savor. But if this salt has lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is henceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men.”
In Jesus’ time salt was precious, even used for money at times. It’s where our word for “salary” got its start. Salt not only flavors food, but it’s also a preservative. It makes other things more tasty, and thus it serves by being spent.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and be led to glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
While light dispels darkness, it can also be so “blinding” that it can confuse and frustrate people. We’re told to let our light shine in a way that guides people into a new and godly path of better living, and we’re not to use our light to attract attention to ourselves. At times, we can use our work and other activities to diffuse and reflect this light into the world so as not to overwhelm people.
A strong character doesn’t come from not doing wrong, but rather from actually doing right. Unselfishness is the badge of human greatness. The highest levels of self-realization are attained by worship and service. The happy and effective person isn’t motivated by the fear of doing something wrong, but by the love of doing something right.
“By their fruits you shall know them.” Our personalities are pretty much set; what changes, or grows, is our morality, our character. The number one mistake of today’s religions is that they’re focused on the negative side of life – telling people what not to do. But the tree that doesn’t bear fruit gets cut down and used for firewood. We cannot help people grow in character just by telling them what not to do. Fear, shame, and guilt are not good motivations for living or for following God. Religion is of value only when it demonstrates the fatherhood of God and improves the brotherhood of mankind.
Living well requires a combination of cosmic insight and adjusting one’s reactions to their social and economic situation. While inherited urges can’t be changed, our response to them can, and this effort of aligning our emotions with our beliefs in God is how we grow in character and develop a unified and integrated personality.
Without a worthy goal, life becomes unhappy and aimless. Jesus’ instructions to the twelve when he ordained them is themaster philosophy of life. Jesus urged his followers to actually live their faith. He warned them not to depend on following established rules or simply saying that they believed in something – they were to get up, go out, and actually do something that enhanced the kingdom of God.
Our education should be about learning how to better integrate our divine side with our naturally inherited mortal urges. While a nice place to live can add to our happiness, our well-being stems from growing in character. Our goal is to be a complete person, perfect even as the Father in heaven is perfect, and this is attainable because in the end, our goal is our guide, the Universal Father.
Fatherly and Brotherly Love
From the Sermon on the Mount to the discourse of the Last Supper, Jesus taught his followers to act with fatherly love rather than brotherly love. There is a big difference between the two. Acting with brotherly love means to love your neighbor as you love yourself, and that’s enough for us to live up to the so called “golden rule.” But fatherly love is another step higher: it means we take ourselves out of the equation, and we love our fellow man the same as Jesus loves us.
Jesus loves mankind two ways because he lived on Earth as a dual personality—he was in all ways both human and divine. Since he is our creator, a Son of God and our actual universe Father, he loves us as a father. But Jesus was also the Son of Man, in all ways a man among men, and he loved us as his brothers.
Jesus knew we couldn’t, we can’t, act with perfect brotherly love in this life. That’s impossible and he didn’t expect us to do so. But Jesus did expect that we do our best to try and be like God – to be perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect. This means we are to try and look at our fellow confused mortals like God looks at all of us, and in the process learn to love our brothers as God loves us. This was a new level of conduct for humanity, and in his talks with the apostles Jesus worked to help them understand how to integrate the idea into the social environment of their day.
Jesus introduced this concept of loving man as God loves us by first discussing four ways of faith before moving on to the limitations of brotherly love compared to fatherly love. He first talked about those who were poor in spirit, hungered after righteousness, endured meekness, and who were pure in heart. These people could rise to levels of divine selflessness that allow them to try and act with fatherly love; that even as mourners they would have the strength to show mercy, promote peace, and endure persecutions, and throughout all of these trying situations to love even those who are not so lovely with a fatherly love. In other words, a father’s love and affection can attain levels of devotion immeasurably higher than any brother’s love.
The beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount weren’t based on law, ethics, or duty that can bring forth fear and anger weakening people’s character and destroying their happiness, but rather on faith and the love – that that strengthens their character and brings the people happiness.
Jesus started this historic sermon on the note of happiness:
1. “Happy are the poor in spirit—the humble.” To a child, happiness has to do with satisfying immediate pleasure. An adult is willing to deny himself something now, in order to have something more later. In Jesus’ times and since, happiness has been linked too much to having money and wealth. In the story of the Pharisee and the publican praying in the temple, the one felt rich in spirit—egotistical; the other felt “poor in spirit”—humble. One was self-sufficient; the other was teachable and truth-seeking. The poor in spirit seek for goals of spiritual wealth—for God. And these people looking for the truth don’t have to wait to get their rewards sometime in the distant future; they’re rewarded now. They find the kingdom of heaven within their own hearts, and they experience that happiness right then.
2. “Happy are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Only those who feel poor in spirit will ever have the desire to grow in character. Only humble people look for God and crave spiritual power. But it’s very dangerous to knowingly go on a spiritual fast hoping to increase one’s appetite for finding God. Going without food becomes dangerous after four or five days, and then a person can lose all desire for food. Prolonged fasting, either physical or spiritual, tends to destroy hunger. Jesus didn’t teach us to be happy by not doing certain things. People can never hunger for something negative, something not to do. Being righteous, in other words living a just, moral, and decent life isn’t a duty, it’s our goal; it’s where we find our ultimate pleasure and happiness.
While these first two beatitudes are difficult for a child to grasp, mature adults should be able to get their meaning and importance.
3. “Happy are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Genuine meekness has no relation to fear. Instead, it’s us co-operating with God: it’s us saying to God, “Your will be done.” Meekness requires patience, tolerance, self-control, and the unshakable faith that we are in a lawful and friendly universe. Through meekness we master all temptations to rebel against divine leading. Jesus was the ideal meek man of Urantia, and he inherited a vast universe.
4. “Happy are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Spiritual purity lacks suspicion and revenge. In discussing purity, Jesus was referring more to the faith that men should have in one another than with human sexuality: that faith that a parent has in his child, and that lets a person love his fellow the same way a father would love him. A father’s love doesn’t pamper, it doesn’t condone evil, and it’s never mocking, skeptical, or sarcastic. Fatherly love has one purpose, looking for the best in man, and that is the attitude of a true parent.
To know God by faith means a person has acquired true spiritual insight. This level of spirituality makes it easier for the spirit of God in our mind to guide us, and this in turn increases our degree of God-consciousness. And when you know the Father you are assured of divine sonship, and more and more you can love your fellows as not only as brothers, but also like a true father would love them.
This is easy to teach to even a child. Children are naturally trustful, and parents should see to it that they don’t lose that simple faith. In dealing with children, avoid all deception and suspicion. Be wise when you help them to choose their heroes and select their livelihood.
And then Jesus instructed his apostles in the number one reason for all human struggle – achieving divine perfection. Always he urged them: “Be you perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” He didn’t tell the twelve to love their neighbors as they loved themselves. That would have been a worthy achievement and shown they had reached the level of brotherly love. Instead, he told the apostles to love men like he had loved them—to love other people like a father, as well as a brother.
To illustrate what he meant, Jesus pointed out four supreme examples of fatherly love:
1. “Happy are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Our so-called common sense or the best of logic would never suggest that happiness can come from mourning. But Jesus wasn’t talking about outward or grandiose mourning. He was referring to tenderheartedness. It’s a big mistake to teach boys and young men that it’s unmanly to show tenderness, emotions, or suffering. Sympathy is a worthy attribute for both men and women. It’s not necessary to be calloused to be a man. That’s the wrong way to create courageous men. The world’s great men haven’t been afraid to mourn. Moses, the mourner, was a greater man than either Samson or Goliath. Moses was a superb leader, but he was also a man of meekness. Being sensitive and responsive to human need creates genuine and lasting happiness. It also safeguards the soul from the harmful effects of anger, hate, and suspicion.
2. “Happy are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” Mercy in this sense refers to loving-kindness: it’s an active mercy. A loving parent can easily forgive his child as many times as it takes. Unspoiled children are normally kind and sympathetic, and when old enough the urge to relieve suffering naturally comes forth.
3. “Happy are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.” Jesus’ followers were wanting a military intervention: they weren’t looking for peacemakers. But when Jesus speaks of peace he’s not talking about pacifism, which is a negative peace. In the face of trials and persecutions he said, “My peace I leave with you.” “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” This is a positive, active peace that prevents damaging conflicts. Personal peace integrates one’s personality. Social peace prevents fear, greed, and anger. Political peace prevents racism and war. Peacemaking is the cure for distrust.
Children can easily be taught to be peacemakers through team activities and playing together. Like Jesus said at another point in time: “Whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life shall find it.”
4. “Happy are they who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Happy are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.”
Often times persecution follows our finding peace, and progress has always been the final harvest of persecution. But a father’s love delights in returning good for evil and injustice. There is no greater love than to lay one’s life down for their friends, something that only a father’s love can motivate a person to do. Young people and brave adults never shun danger or difficulty, and children always respond to a challenge and are willing to take a dare. Early on every child should learn to sacrifice.
Okay, folks, that’s it for Son of Man: Urantia, Chapter 19, part 2, “The Ordination of the Twelve.”
Chapter 19, part 3, is next.
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Have a fantastic week out there, everybody.
Bob