"Living
the New Commandment"
by Rev. Christine
4/25/99
Today I’m continuing with some of the basics in Christ Jesus teachings with "Living the New Commandment." Jesus the Christ’s teachings were a way of life, a spiritual path for a true aspirant or disciple. This means Christ’s teachings rose one from a belief in a material physical world in which one is bound by its laws of physics. To a spiritual invisible world with a whole different law — The Law of Love. Through love one may rise above the physical effects of the world (disease, poverty, hunger, old age and even death), and we call this grace.
The whole of Jesus teachings was based upon the principle of Love. Jesus summarized his teachings with 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." Then in John 13:34-35, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
If you followed the first two commandments, one wouldn’t need to worry about all the other commandments as received by Moses. They would take care of them self; you wouldn’t consider killing another, or stealing, lying, and such.
But first what is meant by to love God with all your heart, soul and mind? How easy is it to get that warm fuzzy feeling for a God that is invisible yet everywhere present which is an abstract concept. When we go back to our earlier concepts of God, Adam and Eve, God was like a real person that walked the earth demanding their obedience. They feared God, feared his revenge. Adam & Eve’s God caused pain, suffering, and punishment for their transgressions. This is very far from being able to love.
Then we move to the concept of Moses, "The I Am that I Am". To Moses God is invisible and all powerful. God can be reached in higher consciousness. Yet, Moses’ God is based upon law and punishment. I remember having of an all seeing God somewhere up in heaven sitting on a throne in a white sheet keeping track of my good and bad deeds. I could pray to this God, but not sure if heard, and certainly not all my prayers were answered. Luckily, I found a better God.
It’s not until we get to the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament do we realize a God that is like a loving Father that is within us. Not just Jesus the Christ, but is within everyone. God lives and moves and has its being in us. Actually individualized within us — we are the action of God. Not only is God law and principle, but very real within me and as me. Now I can get a warm feeling and love for this brings God right to the heart of me, the mind of me, and the soul of me.
Our next commandment is even harder than the first for now we must love our neighbor as our self. And, in the Golden Rule, we must do unto our neighbor as we would have done unto our self. In order to follow the Golden Rule we must first learn to love our self. For in Truth we are already loving our neighbor as we love our self. How else could if be? We can only love to the measure that we understand it and can identify with it.
Our first lesson then is to love our self, as God loves us. Jesus tells us that God is all compassionate, forgiving, and unconditional love. Regardless of what we do God will always love us. For God is loving itself, its creations and expressions. When we truly understand and love God, then we can begin to understand God’s love for our selves and our friends and enemies. We begin to understand that what we do to another we are actually doing to our self.
We know that humanity is not separate, but all one in God. The one in the many and the many in the one. We only appear separate in this third dimensional reality. As our consciousness rises to higher states of awareness, like the Christ, then we will know our oneness in God. Now we can get to that level of Love given in the first commandment. We can feel the vibration and know God through our heart, we can hear God through our mind, and we can see God through our soul. Loving God with all our heart, mind and soul is a state of beingness.
The 2nd commandment, to love our neighbor as our self, becomes easy once we have mastered the first. We now live by the principle of love. But what does it actually mean in our daily living? Christ Jesus told us to do unto another as we would have them do unto us. That is a good measuring stick. He said, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you." Now this is getting tougher to live by. Yet Jesus lived all that he taught. Jesus the Christ was a true Wayshower for us.
Jesus gave many examples throughout his teaching, parables and by example: he told us to resist evil; turn the other cheek; to give to those that meant harm not just family and friends; to forgive; to be helpful to a total stranger or enemy; and judge not that we may not be judged.
Then Christ’s final commandment, "That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." As with all of Jesus’ teachings there are multiple levels in understanding. One of them, is to look at his example when this was given. Jesus washed and anointed their feet. He was teaching them to be humble and minister to each other, and even the least of them. It would be easy for each one to go forth out in the world believing their teaching and works were the best, and get caught up in their egos. We are reminded that true service is always from the heart.
In addition, each of the disciples represents a power within us; faith, strength, wisdom, love, power, imagination, understanding , will, order, zeal, renunciation, life. You can find out more about these powers in Charles Fillmore’s book "The 12 Powers of Man."
At another level, Jesus was telling the 12 disciples the importance of each and every power. One is not greater than the other. They are all needed, and when each is fully activated the new mankind appears — Christ in you, the hope of Glory.
Following Jesus the Christ’s resurrection just before his ascension, Jesus instructed his disciples to stay close together. And, to be together in a closed room to receive the Holy Spirit. This was accomplished on the Day of Pentecost. We must attend to our 12 powers in meditation and prayer, then the Holy Spirit comes upon us.
I will close with 1st Corinthian’s chapter 13:
1st
Corinthians Chapter 13
(Lamsa Translation)
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and not love in my heart, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love in my heart, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love in my heart, I gain nothing.
Love is long-suffering and kind; love does not envy; love does not make a vain display of itself, and does not boast,
Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not its own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil.
Rejoices not over iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails; but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
But when that which
is perfect is come,
then that which is imperfect shall come to an end.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I though as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
For now we see through a mirror, darkly; but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abide
faith, hope, love, these three;
but the greatest of these is
love.