“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matthew 4:17)

Is this the correct translation?

This statement by Jesus has been translated differently among the different Bible versions:

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." (New International Version 2011)

"Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (King James version)

“Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (New Living Translation)

“Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Christian Standard Bible)

"Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!" (Hebrew Names Version)

"Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn nigh." (Darby Translation)

'Reform ye, for come nigh hath the reign of the heavens.' (Young's Literal Translation)

"Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (American Standard Version)

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible)

“Change your heart, for the sanctuary of God is readily available.” (Lost Gospels of Jesus)

These are all translated from the same Greek phrase, μετανοεῖτε ἤγγικεν γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.

Isn't this also what John the Baptist taught?

Regardless of the translation, this teaching was also taught by John the Baptist before Jesus taught it:

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matthew 3:2)

These teachings were only taught by Jesus following his hearing of John the Baptist’s imprisonment:

When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. ... From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matthew 4:12-17)

This means that this teaching was not solely Jesus' message. And just as Jesus was passing on the same teachings of his teacher John the Baptist, Jesus also instructed his own disciples to go out and teach this same message to others:

"As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.'" (Matthew 10:7)

What does this mean? It means that this very same teaching was taught by at least three generations of teachers: John, Jesus and Jesus' disciples, and presumably, those who followed them.

Was this teaching taught before John?

This teaching did not originate with John the Baptist. We find in David's Psalms and other texts of the Bible:

But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds. (Psalm 73:28)

We praise you, God, we praise you, for Your Name is near (Psalm 75:1)

Yet You are near, LORD, and all your commands are true. (Psalm 119:151)

The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. (Psalm 145:18)

“In the morning the LORD will show who belongs to Him and who is holy, and He will have that person come near Him. (Numbers 16:5)

He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near Himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too. (Numbers 16:10)

What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? (Deut. 4:7)

Go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says. Then tell us whatever the LORD our God tells you. We will listen and obey.” (Deut. 5:27)

And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night (1 Kings 8:59)

Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while He is near. (Isaiah 55:6)

They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. (Isaiah 58:2)

"Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’" (Luke 10:9)

What does 'repent' mean here?

The word "repent" is being translated from the Greek word μετανοέω (metanoeō). This means "to change" or "to change one's mind" according to Thayer's lexicon. 

It means to have a change of heart. It means to make a serious change in one's life.

In other words, "repent" in this context would be to divert from those activities focused upon our own selves - exercised by our seeking satisfaction within materialism. To "repent" from these activities would mean to refocus towards regaining our relationship with the Supreme Being.

What does 'kingdom of heaven' mean here?

The word "kingdom" here is being translated from the Greek word βασιλεία (basileia). The lexicon describes this word to mean, "royal power, kingship, dominion, rule: not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom."

From this, we know that Jesus and John were speaking of accepting the Supreme Being's dominion - His ultimate authority. So the kingdom of heaven relates to the consciousness of accepting the ultimate authority of the Supreme Being. This is describing the refuge, the shelter, or the sanctuary, of God.

The use of "kingdom" here comes from a time when there were many different kings - who were basically tribal rulers - in different regions. Using their armies, these kings protected the people of the kingdom. As such, the people revered the king and took shelter or refuge under the king's protection. Using their assembled armies and barriers, the king would protect the populace from invading armies. As such the "kingdom" was the name given to that place of refuge, shelter, or sanctuary.

Having a change of heart and taking refuge or shelter or taking sanctuary of God requires humility. It means accepting that we don't know it all. It means accepting that we don't have the means to protect ourselves. It means accepting that the Supreme Being is my only real protector and salvation.

The Supreme Being is a person, and each of us has an innate relationship with God. We have forgotten this loving service relationship as we seek our own satisfaction away from God. In order to regain our lost relationship with God, our approach must come with humility, because we were the ones who decided to leave Him.

This runs contrary to the popular connotation of "repenting" as professed by many teachers. Many see repentance as some sort of public proclamation: To proclaim “I repent,” in a public ceremony, or “I surrender to Jesus” is not the same as having a personal change of heart - as Jesus, John and Jesus' disciples were requesting.

A real change of heart does not come with public proclamation or grandstanding. It is rather the opposite: It is an extremely personal and private decision to redirect one's life towards coming to know and love the Supreme Being.

Is this about the end of the world?

Even with this clarity, many teachers have interpreted this statement as referring to a coming end of the world or some kind of apocalypse. This is despite any evidence, from either the words or the context of Jesus' statement.

Consider first the audience of these teachings. Who was Jesus preaching to? Certainly, he was preaching to those around him at the time. And yet some 2,000 years later, the end of the world still has not come.

Was Jesus misleading his followers - telling them that the end of the world was "near" or "at hand" and it wasn't? Certainly not.

This hasn't stopped the unsupported interpretation. Below is a list of some of the many teachers who have claimed to represent Jesus, teaching that Jesus was predicting the end of the world (doomsday) on a certain date. (The date they predicted the world would end follows their name):

Hilary of Poitiers: 365 AD (predicted doomsday date)
Martin of Tours: 375 to 400 AD (predicted doomsday date)
Hydatius (Bishop of Aquae) 482 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Sextus Julius Africanus: 500 AD (predicted doomsday date)
Hippolytus of Rome: 500 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Beatus of Leibana: 793 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Gregory of Tours: 799 to 800 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Thiota: 847 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Pope Sylvester II: 1000 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Gerard of Poehlde: 1147 AD (predicted doomsday date)
John of Toledo: 1179 AD (predicted doomsday date)
Joachim of Fiore: 1205 AD (predicted doomsday date)
Pope Innocent III: 1284 AD (predicted doomsday date)
Joachimites: 1290 and 1335 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Jean de Roquetaillade: 1368 and 1370 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Amaldus de Villa Nova: 1378 (predicted doomsday date)

Thomas Muntzer: 1525 AD  (predicted doomsday date)

Johannes Stoffler: 1524 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Hans Hut (Anabaptist): 1528 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Melchior Hoffman (Anabaptist): 1533 AD (predicted doomsday date)
Jan Matthys (Anabaptist): 1534 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Martin Luther (Augustinian monk): 1600 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Christopher Columbus: 1658 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Joseph Mede: 1660 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Sabbatai Zevi: 1648 and 1666 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Fifth Monarchists: 1666 and 1673 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Benjamin Keach (Baptist): 1689 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Pierre Jurieu: 1689 AD (predicted doomsday date)

John Mason (Anglican): 1694 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Johan Heinrich Alsted (Calvinist): 1694 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Cotton Mather (Puritan): 1697, 1716 and 1736 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Henry Archer (Fifth Monarchist): 1700 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa: 1700 to 1734 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Camisards: 1705 and 1708 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

William Whitson: 1736 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Emanuel Swedenborg (Lutheran): 1757 AD (predicted doomsday date)

The Shakers (Ann Lee): 1792 and 1794 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Cardinal Pierre d'Ailly: 1789 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Charles Wesley (Methodist): 1794 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Christopher Love (Presbyterian): 1805 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Margaret McDonald: 1830 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Joseph Smith (Mormon): 1832 and 1891 AD (predicted doomsday date)
Johann Albrecht Bengel (Lutheran): 1846 AD (predicted doomsday date)

John Wesley (Methodist founder): 1836 AD (predicted doomsday date)

William Miller (Millerites founder): 1843 and 1844 AD (predicted doomsday dates)
George Rapp (Harmony Society founder): 1847 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Harriet Livermore: 1847 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Ellen White (Seven Day Adventists): 1850, 1856 and "early 1900s" AD (predicted doomsday dates)

John Cumming: 1862 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Joseph Morris (Mormon): 1862 AD (predicted doomsday date)

John Wroe (Christian Israelite Church): 1863 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Jonas Wendell and other Adventist preachers: 1863, 1874, 1870 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Mother Shipton: 1881 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Wovoka (Ghost Dance): 1890 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Catholic Apostolic Church: 1901 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah's Witnesses): 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1925, 1941, 1975, 1994 and others more recent. (predicted doomsday dates)

Margaret Rowen (Seventh-Day Adventist): 1920 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Spencer Perceval (Catholic Apostolic Church): 1926 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Wilbur Glenn Voliva: 1935 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Herbert Armstrong (Worldwide Church of God founder): 1936 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Florence Houteff (Branch Davidians): 1959 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Johann Bischoff (New Apostolic Church): 1951 and 1960 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Jim Jones (People's Temple cult): 1967 AD (predicted doomsday date)

George Williams (Church of the Firstborn): 1969 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Herbert Armstrong (Worldwide Church of God): 1972 AD (predicted doomsday date)

John Wroe (Christian Israelite Church): 1977 AD (predicted doomsday date)

William Branham (evangelist): 1977 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Chuck Smith (Calvary Chapel): 1981 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Pat Robertson (evangelist): 1982 and 2007 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Lester Sumrall (Pentecostal): 1985 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Edgar Whisenant: 1988 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Elizabeth Clare (Summit Lighthouse): 1990 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Rollen Stewart: 1992 AD (predicted doomsday date)

David Berg (The Family): 1993 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Harold Camping: 1994, 1995, 2011 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Ronald Weinland (Church of God): 2011 and 2012 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Aggai: 1997 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Marshall Applewhite (Heavens Gate cult): 1997 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Archbishop James Ussher: 1997 AD (predicted doomsday date)

James Gordon Lindsay (Christ for the Nations): 1999 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Jerry Falwell (evangelist): 2000 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Ed Dobson: 2000 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Lester Sumrall: 2000 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Jonathan Edwards (Congr. Protestant): 2000 AD (predicted doomsday date)

David Meade: 2017 and 2018 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Were Jesus and John deceiving their students?

Since John also taught this, and since the end of the world hasn't come, were they both misleading their followers? Were they both making idle threats about doomsday?

What would be the purpose of threatening the end of the world to them - as "near" - since it would not happen during their lifetimes or even within the lifetimes of their children - or even in the next 2,000 years? Does more than 2,000 years later mean "near"?

Why, if John and Jesus were predicting an event that will take place more than 2,000 years later, would they use the word "near"?

The simple answer is that this statement has been mistranslated and misinterpreted.

What does 'near' or 'at hand' mean?

The word "near" (or in the case of other translations "at hand") is being translated from the Greek word ἐγγίζω (eggizō), which means, according to the lexicon:

1) to bring near, to join one thing to another
2) to draw or come near to, to approach

Thus it is clear that the interpretation of the word relating to time is incorrect. The word ἐγγίζω (eggizō) indicates "closeness" relative to distance - not time.

Therefore, Jesus is speaking of the kingdom of heaven - the sanctuary of God or the refuge of God - being close: Readily available.

The true meaning of “for the kingdom of heaven has come near” is that each of us can gain the refuge or sanctuary of God - the shelter of God - immediately by simply turning to the Supreme Being - by worshiping Him and relying upon Him - and dismissing ourselves ("repenting") from our search for happiness in a materialistic world of emptiness and physical gratification.

In other words, Jesus is speaking of surrendering to the Supreme Being - giving one's life to God - and thus taking shelter in the Supreme Being.

Is this about our consciousness?

Jesus is not speaking of a physical place being nearby. He is speaking of the fact that taking refuge in the Supreme Being can be accomplished immediately: Because He is near to us. He is available to each of us.

Certainly, if we accept that God created this world, we can also accept that He has the ability to be here. Nearby. Available. Jesus confirmed this in another statement:

"The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:20-21 NKJV)

The Supreme Being designed the physical body in such a way so that our physical eyes cannot see Him. This is in order to give each of us the freedom to ignore God if we choose. It also gives us the freedom to love God - or not.

Therefore, we have to open our hearts in order to see Him from within. If God is with us - near - and we can refocus ourselves upon Him with humility and love, then we have the ability for our consciousness to enter the kingdom of God where ever we are. This translates to becoming focused on doing His will rather than our own will.

Jesus also indicates that this consciousness does have a place: Not a physical place, but a context - this is the spiritual realm - evidenced by Jesus' use of the word οὐρανός (ouranos) in this verse - mistranslated to "heaven."

Yes, since Jesus is indicating that this consciousness related to giving one's life to the Supreme Being is available - Jesus is not speaking of a location called "heaven." He is speaking of a heavenly consciousness, which creates "heaven" where ever we might be.

Such a consciousness creates sanctuary: The safety or refuge of our relationship with God. The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) indicates the consciousness of the spiritual realm, which can be accessed from any location - because after all, everywhere is part of God's creation. Thus, the use of οὐρανός (ouranos) indicates that consciousness where the Supreme Being is loved and worshiped.

This great teaching is suggesting that we can reject our self-centered chase for happiness within materialism and give ourselves to the Supreme Being. We can decide to dedicate our lives to coming to know and love the Supreme Person and learning to do His will (what pleases Him). This will immediately transport us to the sanctuary (or kingdom) of God, even as our physical bodies might remain here in the physical world.

Yes, according to Jesus' teachings, God and His sanctuary are near. God is available to us, and we can take refuge in Him at any time. We each have that choice.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ ..." (Matthew 5:27-30)

"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell." (Matthew 5:27-30)

Is Jesus really teaching us to cut off body parts?

Jesus is speaking metaphorically. He is not advising his followers to cut off any body parts.

He doesn't mean we should literally cut off our hands or gouge out our eyes.

Did any of Jesus' followers do this? Were there one-eyed or one-handed followers of Jesus? No. This tells us clearly that he wasn't speaking literally.

The metaphor that Jesus is using refers to discontinuing (cutting off) behavior that harms others. To cut off the means of self-centered harm means to disregard or dismiss those aspects of our lives that create propensities. 

For example, a person who is employed by a bar will more likely become a drinker. So leaving the employ of such an establishment would leave behind the environment that would promote the drinking habit. 

Jesus is speaking of leaving behind those parts of our lives that produce the propensities for habits that encourage self-centeredness. Doing so is a sacrifice of sorts, which could be compared to cutting off a hand or gouging out an eye.

It is a metaphorical statement urging his followers to leave behind those parts of their lives that don't promote their spiritual growth.

What does he mean by 'stumble'?

In most of the other translations of Matthew, the word translated to "stumble" is translated to "sin." Even in the prior version of NIV, the Greek was translated to "sin," but has been changed to "stumble."

There are several Greek words that have been translated to "sin" in the texts of the Bible:
- "paraptoma" to fall.
- "hamartia" to miss the mark.
- "hettema" to diminish.
- "parabasis" to cross the line.
- "amonia" to not abide.
- "parakoe" to refuse to heed.
- "agnoeema" to ignore.
- "skandalizō" to stumble.

Stumbling takes on another meaning because it assumes that someone was not stumbling prior.

This assumes purity in essence. Yes, each of us was created by the Supreme Being, so there is an origin of purity. Such purity is one of love. We are each born from the love of the Supreme Being.

But stumbling in this respect contrasts this by acting in a self-centered manner that harms others. Love contrasts this because caring for others is the consciousness of love.

As such, purity is caring and loving the Supreme Being and others. To stumble is the opposite.

What does Jesus mean by 'hell'?

Jesus' statement, "whole body to go into hell" clarifies that rejecting or ignoring our relationship with God is hell. Rather than hell simply being a place we will go to be punished, hell is the consciousness of rebellion that rejects God. 

Hell is that place where our own enjoyment comes first, and God is forgotten.

This means that hell is not a location, but a consciousness. It also means that much of human society is, unfortunately, living in the consciousness of hell.

This statement presents particularly difficult criteria for someone living in modern society. Our society tends to focus on the more materialistic, self-centered aspects of life.

Why is Jesus talking about lust and adultery?

The sexual act is by nature a self-centered activity. There might be some love involved - wanting our partner to also feel good, or having sex to have a child.

But sex is actually quite difficult if each partner isn't ultimately interested in their own satisfaction. The sexual organs are stimulated through the seeking of physical satisfaction and ultimately, the orgasm.

The problem is that we are not these physical bodies. They are simply vehicles we occupy for a few years. Therefore, the sexual satisfaction of the body does not satisfy the soul - which has a spiritual composition.

We are the spirit-person occupying this physical body. At the time of death, we leave it behind.

And we - the real person within this body seeks real love. We seek the love of others and we want to love others. But this real person is covered up. It is covered up by our self-centeredness and our false identification with this physical body.

And what we are really looking for in the sex act - within - is union. We want to exchange love with someone but we are currently pre-occupied with physical gratification. This blocks our ability to truly love.

As a result, seeking union in the sex act will translate to mutual self-centeredness. Each partner wants to "get off."

We gradually find that sex brings no real satisfaction to our spiritual self. Our body might get some nerve sensations going, but the person within - our real selves - is not satisfied.

It is like a person driving a car feeling hungry and thinking that if they fill the car with gas they won't be hungry anymore. This doesn't work because the person's body is separate from the car.

In the same way, we are not our physical body, and filling the body up with sensual pleasure does not fill up the spiritual self.

Can we be satisfied without love?

Our real self within is only satisfied by giving love. And the ultimate union of the person within is loving service to the Supreme Being and His children.

This brings real happiness because there is no self-centeredness in true love of God.

And there can be no true loving service to the Supreme Being within self-centeredness. It is only emptiness.

What this means is that those of us who are trying to feed the image in the mirror instead of the real person within are in hell. Becoming saturated with self-centeredness prevents us from entering the world Jesus is inviting his followers into.

The love that exists in the spiritual realm between the living being and the Supreme Being is pure. It is unconditional. But the perverted reflection of this love in the physical world is conditional lust.

This is illustrated by sexual attraction in the physical world. While a man might be attracted to the body of a woman, and a woman might be attracted to the body of a man, these attractions come with conditions. For example, someone might see the rear of another as attractive as they walk down the street, but that attraction would stop if they saw that same rear defecating.

A man might be attracted to the private parts of a woman but that attraction would stop if they saw those same private parts during menstruation or childbirth.

As a result, men and women must work hard to maintain the mirage of attraction. Shaving, putting on antiperspirant, make-up, special clothes, and so on, all create the mirage of attractiveness. Without these, there would be little attraction for a hairy, blemished, and malodorous female body and a fat hairy blemished male body.

Furthermore, given a few years, even the most attractive body ages. An older body is no longer physically attractive, even with make-up piled on.

Can this world be hell?

Understanding that hell is a state of consciousness, hell is where we are drawn in and trapped by lust. In the consciousness of hell, we are teased by the illusion that the attractions of the physical world will bring us happiness. But they never do. They only lead to misery, as we become bound by their conditions.

The best way out of the consciousness of hell is to gradually and realistically develop a higher taste. This higher taste is accomplished by re-developing our innate loving relationship with God. We can do this with prayer and praise - by glorifying His Holy Names and by making offerings to Him. These facilities bring us closer to Him.

As our relationship with God evolves, the attractions of the physical world lessen. In fact, we can judge how well our relationship is developing simply by observing how drawn we are to the illusory attractions (reflections) of this world.

The attractions of the material world are tests. They teach us to grow stronger by illustrating how weak we are without the Supreme Being. It is not as if the temptations of the world have come from another place other than God. 

God designed the physical world and its temptations for a particular reason. He created the physical world for those of us who rebelled against Him and wanted to be independent of Him.

While we can never actually be away from God because He has created everything and is present everywhere, He has created a place where we can pretend He is not present. Here we have temporary senses and the physical body and mind that give us the illusion He is not here. These give us the opportunity to attempt to enjoy ourselves.

At the same time, He does not completely let us go. As we travel through this physical world with these temporary physical bodies ‘of clay’ - we continually find emptiness without Him.

Can we go back?

As we reach out to God and request to return to Him, it is not an automatic process. Consider the situation if we were to want to be friends again with someone we rejected years ago. Suddenly we wanted to be their friend again.

Would such a person just forget the past and accept us back into the relationship we had with them before? Likely not. They would most likely want to go slowly and make sure we won't leave them again. They would likely test us to make sure we didn't have any ulterior motives.

The bottom line is that they would want us to be serious about having a relationship with them.

This is not dissimilar to God's process. Except that He already knows our intentions, so He does not test us in order to understand our intentions. He tests us so that we can understand our intentions.

The temptations of the world are here to help us see just how serious we really are about returning to our relationship with God.

In other words, we don't have to be afraid of going to hell - we are already here. The question is how do we get out. Jesus gave us the path out of the consciousness of hell: By learning to re-establish our lost loving relationship with the Supreme Being:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matt. 22:37-38)

"Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne ..." (Matthew 5:33-37)

“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne, or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be “Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." (Matthew 5:33-37)

Is Jesus talking about cursing?

Note that the word "swear" is not referring to swear words, or what is commonly referred to as cursing.

The word "swear" is being translated from the Greek word ὀμνύω (omnyō). This means "to affirm, promise, threaten, with an oath" - relates specifically to making a promise upon something else.

For example, when we say "I swear on (fill in the blank) that this will happen," we are giving an oath, and swearing or promising on that particular (blank).

In other words, a more appropriate translation of the Greek word ὀμνύω (omnyō) would be giving an oath, or making a promise.

What does Jesus mean by 'people long ago'?

Jesus is speaking of the teachings of the prophets, who taught people in centuries past. This illustrates again the importance of time and circumstance within the teachings of the prophets including Moses.

Jesus is speaking of something specific taught by the prophets before him. While the exact statement is not in the current Old Testament, Jesus is likely paraphrasing this instruction by Moses:

When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said. (Numbers 30:2)

No oaths at all?

Time and circumstance are relevant in Jesus' teachings in this regard. Jesus is instructing his followers not to make oaths as casual statements.

For example, a person might be debating with someone else, and will casually say, "I swear to God that I am telling the truth."

The key word here is thoughtlessly, as we find that Moses did discourage making oaths without careful consideration: 

"...if anyone thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil (in any matter one might carelessly swear about) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt..." (Lev. 5:4)

This means that if we were to appear in court and be requested to swear on the Bible: "I promise to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me God," that would not contradict Jesus' and Moses' teaching in this regard.

Or if we are asked to take an oath of office - that would also not be a "thoughtlessly" swearing by God.

Is this about one of Moses' Commandments?

Jesus is also mirroring one of Moses' instructions within the current time and circumstance so his followers can apply it specifically.

Casually swearing by God is another form of using God's Name in vain. This is also captured by the instruction of Moses:

“You shall not take the Name of the LORD your God in vain" (Exodus 20:7)

Only God has the ability to truly control events. When a person “swears by heaven” or “swears by the earth,” or “swears on his mother’s grave,” or “swears by God” to prove a point, these are oaths or promises that are using something that is sacred for materialistic purposes.

Jesus is clarifying that one should not utilize those things that are sacred - because of their relationship with the Supreme Being - for materialistic purposes.

Jesus is also recommending that his followers not utilize the Supreme Being's Holy Names or references out of context. He wants his followers to speak with honesty and sincerity about the things they know, and speak without duplicity.

The Holy Name of the Supreme Being has been cherished by God's loving servants since the beginning of time. Calling out, singing, or otherwise, the incantation of His Holy Names is an observance that can purify our consciousness and bring us closer to the Supreme Being. This is evidenced throughout the scriptures.

Who is the 'evil one'?

Who might this "evil one" be, who would be making promises that might not be able to be kept? Would this be another person besides ourselves? If we start making undoable promises can we blame someone else for it?

We cannot blame someone else. In fact, there is no word in the original Greek that can be translated to "one.” There is only the word πονηρός (ponēros), which means "full of labours, annoyances, hardships," and "bad, of a bad nature or condition: in a physical sense: diseased or blind," according to the lexicon.

Jesus is describing our diseased condition combined with the illusory nature of the physical world - the false pretense that we are these physical bodies and the forms and things around us belong to us.

This illusory energy reflects our self-centeredness. It reflects our desire to play the big man. We want to be supreme. We want to talk big - we want to seem in control. The illusory nature of the physical world - as we misidentify with these temporary physical bodies.

In other words, evil is the state of rebellion against God. Evil is the state of consciousness that says: "I don’t care about God, I’m going to go ahead and do what I want. I am powerful."

Is evil a form of rebellion?

Each of us is an individual and we each have the freedom to rebel against God if we choose to.

This is captured in the description of Adam rebelling against God in the Garden of Eden. We might want to blame someone else (Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent). But each of us has the choice to follow God or rebel against Him. It is solely our decision.

This rebellion of the Supreme Being lies at the root of our descent into self-centeredness. Do we want to reawaken our spiritually and embrace love of God? Or do we want to continue to chew the chewed within materialism?

This is why we are here in the physical world. This is why we are currently away from God. We have been "cast out" of the spiritual realm and given these temporary physical bodies to play out our self-centeredness in an environment designed to teach us how to love.

Here we are given a physical body and a physical mind along with forgetfulness of our true identity and past lives. This gives us the ultimate freedom of choice without bias.

Here we are given the opportunity to redirect ourselves towards reawakening our pure nature and embracing our relationship with the Supreme Being. We can chart a new course - one that fulfills the emptiness that currently plagues us as we seek true love and unconditional mercy in the wrong places.

This is what Jesus was saying when he taught:

“Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." (John 3:3)

Becoming born again is the act of having a change of heart. It is making a decision to utilize our life for the purpose of coming to love God and His children. This is a decision that any of us can make at any time.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13)

What is 'evil'?

The word "evil" here is being translated from the Greek word πονηρός (ponēros), which means, according to Strong's lexicon, "full of labours, annoyances, hardships;" and "bad, of a bad nature or condition." The latter definition is further defined with 1) in a physical sense: diseased or blind; 2) in an ethical sense: evil wicked, bad."

In other words, the appropriate meaning of this word in this context is "wickedness." This is when we do something based upon greed - self-centeredness. This is confirmed by Jesus in the Gospel of Mary:

Peter said to him, “As you have told us regarding everything, teach us about the other one: What is the sin of the world?” The Savior said, “No sin exists outside of you: It is you who makes sin. When you do those things such as adultery, this is called sin." (Gospel of Mary 4-5)

Evil is ultimately born from self-centeredness. And self-centeredness is the core root of evil. Self-centeredness is what causes us to act for our own pleasure. For our own reputation or our own wealth or our own future. Self-centeredness is also the root cause of activities that hurt others. The root of evil is self-centeredness.

What is 'temptation'?

The word "temptation" is being translated from the Greek word πειρασμός (peirasmos).

The word πειρασμός (peirasmos) means, according to the lexicon, "an experiment, attempt, trial, proving" and "the trial of man's fidelity, integrity, virtue, constancy."

Thus we can see that Jesus is speaking of being tested. And being tested means having a choice. While the word temptation often elicits the notion of responsibility to someone else - as though someone else is tempting us and we are innocent victims, the reality is that the original word relates to being tested. "trial" and "proving" relate directly to this.

And this is elaborated on by "the trial of man's fidelity." In other words, if a married man is presented by a beautiful woman, this might prompt "the trial of a man's fidelity."

And certainly, one might refer to this as the man being tempted. But what it really is, is a test. The man is being tested. His fidelity is being tested.

This is precisely what Jesus is referring to here - being tested - translated to "temptation."

Why are we tested?

And what is the source of being tested - or temptation here? Why are we tested and what will it accomplish?

For example, children are tested in school. Why? Because they are learning. They are tested for their comprehension of the subject. If the teacher didn't test the kids, the teacher wouldn't know whether the kids were learning anything.

But why are we tested? Surely God knows everything. He knows what we know and what we've learned.

Rather, we are tested to show ourselves where we stand. The tests of this world are meant to show us where we are with respect to our expectations.

Whatever we think of ourselves - these will be tested. When these tests arrive, we will have to make a decision that will ultimately test our self-determination and our level of strength.

Ultimately such tests provide clear indications of where we stand.

The goal of being tested is to help us grow. They also let us know that we aren't as strong as we think we are. They let us know we need God's strength. We can't go it alone.

The fundamental basis of being tested is freedom. We were each given the freedom to love God and live for God, or not. Having such freedom necessitates being tested in order to measure where we are.

This is because love requires freedom of choice. A person cannot be forced to love.

And because of this, the Supreme Being constantly gives us the option not to love Him, and to live for ourselves.

Being tested is a manifestation of this freedom. Temptations are testaments to our freedom. If we did not have the freedom not to love God, we would never be given the choice.

How can we survive 'temptation'?

There is no devil standing on our shoulders tempting us. Temptations are simply consequential expressions of the freedom we have with regard to our relationship with Him.

Jesus' teachings tell us that our only sure safety net is to submit ourselves to the Supreme Being. We can take shelter of Him as our only Refuge from the onslaught of materialism and self-centeredness. Only He can help cure our self-centeredness.

The reason we are here in this physical world of testing in the first place is our rejection of our relationship with God. We chose to be independent of Him. That independence has consequences.

 So we landed in the physical world and took on a temporary physical body.

The entire material dimension, including all the tests here, is the result of this primary, original rebellion.

In other words, we brought this situation upon ourselves. We have no one to blame but ourselves, and the decisions we have made in the past. We must now decide whether we are finished with our rebellion or wish to continue it. Every individual test we are faced with measures our current decision: Do we continue our rebellion or submit to Him?

By praying to God that He lead us not into temptation, Jesus is recommending that we take shelter of the Supreme Being as we are being tested. He is confirming that we cannot do this alone. We cannot avoid or pass through the tests of this world without His help.

When we do take refuge in God, we find that God comes to our rescue.

It is from our humble submission to God that we find our refuge from the storms of this world, and uncover His mercy and His unconditional love for us.

This is the meaning of Jesus' prayer, "but deliver us from evil."

“For Yours is the kingdom and the power ..." (Matthew 6:13b)

“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen." (Matthew 6:13b)

What does 'Yours is the kingdom and the power' mean?

This final stanza of Jesus' prayer summarizes the position of the Supreme Being compared with our position.

Firstly it describes the simple fact that God owns everything. He is the creator and owner of everything. As such, He is also the rightful enjoyer of everything.

This is communicated by Jesus with the use of the word "kingdom" - which is not referring to a physical 'kingdom' or location as also noted regarding "Your kingdom come."

That reference definition illustrates that the Greek word translated to 'kingdom' actually means "royal power, kingship, dominion, rule" according to Thayer's lexicon. The lexicon clarifies the word is "not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom."

This means that the translation to "kingdom" is quite confusing. A more appropriate translation would be something like "dominion" or "authority."

Aren't we also powerful?

Many of us in the physical world are convinced that this world was created for our pleasure. Many of us believe also that God’s position is to deliver power and authority to us.

Some preach that we should pray to God for anything we want. These teachers promote praying to God for money, a good job, healing my leg, helping my football team win, and any other self-centered thing I am interested in.

While it is good to turn to God when we are in need, it is a perverted form of worship to consider God our waiter or delivery person, so our relationship is based upon Him giving us stuff.

Because this philosophy is seductive, many preach about all the riches we will get - as long as we worship in their church and donate money to them.

Some of these teach that all we have to do is proclaim Jesus die for our sins and we will be healed of our physical problems. And if we want our football team to win we should pray. And if we want more money or a better job we should pray for it.

And some also ask us to pay them to pray for us. Some will ask us to send them our prayer requests (with a check of course) so they will pray for us.

Such teachings are fraudulent. Accept the power of God and Jesus is good. But they are confusing the roles. We are subordinate to God.

Jesus is teaching us that God has the power. He is teaching us that the glory is God’s. God is the enjoyer.

Who serves who?

It is not that God's position is to give us stuff. He is not our servant. He is not our “go-to” guy whenever we want something. He is not at our beck and call, and anything we ask for He fetches.

And this is why many people's prayers go unanswered. People don't get what they ask for unless they deserve it. Unless they've worked for it and their efforts are rewarded.

Yes, sometimes God will do what we ask of Him when the submission is made humbly and sincerely by someone who cares about the Supreme Being.

For such cases, the overall intention is to serve the Supreme Being. So these requests are not the same as those coming from pure self-centeredness.

Why should we pray then?

Certainly, God does love us and He will accommodate us whether we ask or not. This is the ultimate in unconditional love. And certainly, we can know that every benefit we get here in this world, as well as every challenge and lesson, ultimately comes from Him.

But this is not what Jesus wants us to use prayer for. A prayer is a communication. It is like picking up the phone and calling someone. When we kneel or bow our heads to the ground and open the line of communication with the Supreme Being we should not waste that precious communication on asking Him for the temporary things of this physical world, for a body that will soon shrivel up and die, and decompose shortly after.

We should use that precious communication to ask God if we can resume our natural position as His loving servant: If we can resume our loving relationship with Him.

And what does a person do when they want to get closer to someone? They praise them.

And what does a person do when they have gotten closer to someone? They praise them.

And what does a person do when they care about someone? They praise them.

This is what Jesus is advising his students to do: Praise the Supreme Being. This is why he is suggesting they praise God:

“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever"

“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ..." (Matthew 7:9-12)

“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him! In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matt. 7:9-12)

What does Jesus mean by this hypothetical?

Jesus is explaining, using a symbolic hypothetical situation, the Supreme Being's unconditional love for us.

The care that a parent has is compared to God's love because a parent would care about a son regardless of whether the son is rejecting the parent or has rejected the parent in the past.

This is the reality of the situation between the Supreme Being and ourselves at this point. He unconditionally loves us and therefore He is always ready and willing to forgive us, and take care of us.

This also illustrates His impartiality. He is attentive to all His children, not necessarily just the better ones.

Who is Jesus saying is 'evil'?

Jesus also makes an important and revealing statement here regarding "evil." He says:

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children ..."

The assumption of Jesus within this text is that the people he is speaking to - the crowd, his students and disciples - are all "evil." Notice that "evil" is not being described as some alien-looking guy with big horns.

Rather, Jesus clearly indicates the people around him - those he was speaking to - were "evil." Why?

And if Jesus' disciples and students were "evil" what to speak of us?

We must also realize that each of us living self-centered lives in physical bodies, ignoring the Supreme Being in all or some aspect of our lives, is "evil." This is because evil is the condition of being self-centered.

Those of us who reside here in the physical world reside here specifically because of our self-centeredness - which gives birth to envy and greed. The spiritual world is that place of selfless love and compassion - and that place where the Supreme Being is the center of everyone's lives.

For those of us who rejected this consciousness, we were given temporary physical bodies to gain the freedom from God we were seeking.

And because God loves us and wants us back, this physical environment is set up to re-educate us to the fact that we will only be happy and fulfilled if we resume our innate spiritual consciousness - where the Supreme Being is the center of our lives.

Naturally, we all prefer to be treated fairly and cared for. This is because the Supreme Being cares for us and He treats us all impartially and fairly.

He gives us what we need, teaches us with love, and wants us to be spiritually happy.

This doesn’t mean that we always get what we want. Just because we think we are going to be happy if we get a red sports car doesn’t mean that we will be happy if we get the car.

In the same way, a child might think he or she will be happy if he or she has candy for dinner. The child’s parents know better. They know that eating candy for dinner will only lead to blood sugar problems, mood issues and the like. Therefore, because the parents love the child, they will give the child healthy food.

Does God teach us through consequences?

God designed the physical world to teach us through the use of consequences for our actions. Should we hurt others, we are eventually hurt. When we are kind, people are kind back. This world was designed by the Supreme Being to be a classroom that teaches us, tests us, and grades us.

Treating others the way we wish to be treated is considered the bottom line of the laws of the Prophets because it wraps together caring for others. The ultimate in caring for others is to put ourselves in someone else's shoes and treat them the way we want to be treated.

By treating others the way we want to be treated, the consequence is that we end up being treated in the same way we treat others. Our kindness to others returns kindness to us. This is universal because this is God's law, as Jesus states:

"For you will be treated as you treat others." (Matt. 7:2 NLT)

This doesn't mean that the world doesn't still present us with lessons each moment. Sometimes we are learning lessons from previous lifetimes and the decisions we made during those lifetimes.

God teaches through the events of the physical world that material things will not make us happy. For this reason, we usually have to work hard for those things, and then when we get them, we are let down.

This is because the Supreme Being loves us and is trying to teach us what will actually make us happy: to love and serve Him in our natural position within the spiritual realm.

It is for this reason that Jesus says:

"...do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."

In other words, all of the Ten Commandments can be followed if we are truly caring, loving and serving God and His children.

“ ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" (Matthew 7:22-23)

“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?" Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" (Matthew 7:22-23)

Why would Jesus say, 'away from me'?

This statement by Jesus is clear and still applies today. Jesus didn't want anything to do with the people he was referring to. He wanted not to be associated with them.

Jesus was speaking of those who would claim to be a follower of Jesus, and would pretend to be working for Jesus, but would have their own agendas. Jesus knew they would arise from his legacy, because this is what many in the physical world do: They take advantage of whatever they can to accomplish their own self-centered agenda.

Today we find just that. There are many who proclaim they have surrendered to Jesus, or proclaim they are doing this or doing that for Jesus. They go to church and they conduct various rituals in Jesus’ name. They have retreats and so-called faith healings using Jesus’ name.

And there are “healers” who have attracted thousands if not millions of people - and they touch people in the name of Jesus, and many attest to physical improvements or even ‘miracles.’

There are also so many sectarian ministers who practice various means of exorcism in the name of Jesus.

There are also various people who partake in confession and preach various things in the name of Jesus.

Jesus states plainly here that not only does he not “know” these people - but he does not want them near him.

What does Jesus mean by 'evildoers'?

He wants them to get away from him. He calls them evildoers!

Some sectarians might gasp at this statement. How could Jesus not want to even associate with those who are casting out demons, healing people in his name, or preaching in his name? After all, wasn’t Jesus a healer? Didn’t he cast out demons? Didn’t he perform many miracles? Wasn't he a preacher? What is going on here?

Jesus’ previous statement clearly explains this statement. Jesus said:

“Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 7:21)

This clearly states that Jesus wants us to do God’s will. Simply proclaiming Jesus’ name in order to accomplish our own will is not enough. Jesus wants us to do the will of Jesus’ beloved Father, God. This means that what is pleasing to Jesus is us doing the will of the Supreme Being. How much more clear can Jesus be here?

It is also clear from these statements that Jesus defined “evil” as something quite a bit different than the proclamations (and threats) made by many over the centuries by ecclesiastical institutions and their teachers. Many preach that evil comes from someone else - this other entity (the devil). And we are supposed to stay away from this entity as though he is some sort of infection. According to this myth, we can guard ourselves against evil by surrounding ourselves with crosses and saying Jesus’ name many times, which will scare the evil away from us, so we won't "catch it."

Jesus' statements clearly do not support this myth. If we read Jesus' statement clearly, we must ask: If someone is casting out demons in Jesus’ name, how could that person still be an evil-doer?

Clearly from Jesus' statement, we can see that evil is self-centeredness. Anything we do with self-centeredness, even if done in the name of Jesus, is considered evil.

This means that healers who desire to achieve status or great reputations for their preaching or their healing, or their casting away of demons for money or fame are no different than a person otherwise taking advantage of people in order to achieve fame, admiration, money, or status otherwise. If it is done with a self-centered motive, it is evil.

Self-centered activities that use the name of Jesus are worse than using other means to achieve admiration or wealth. Using Jesus for our own glorification is to offend Jesus. Jesus is clearly stating this here.

Why did he say, 'I never knew you'?

Jesus does not want to be associated with those who use his name to put forth their own agenda. Jesus confirms that here by saying, “I never knew you.”

This means that these people he is talking about - those doing so many acts in Jesus’ name for self-centered purposes - are not accepted as true followers of Jesus.

Consider Jesus’ anger when he saw people using the temple grounds to sell. He angrily turned the tables over, telling them not to use his Father’s house in such a way.

Who is this "Father" that Jesus is speaking of when he says this? Who is Jesus talking about when he says, “but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”? Who is this Person, the Father, who is obviously, according to Jesus, to be distinguished from Jesus?

Many speak of God as though He is some vague 'spirit' force, and that Jesus embodies God. If this is so, why wouldn’t proclaiming Jesus as “lord, lord” or healing in his name, and so on, be understood as not pleasing to Jesus?

Is Jesus God?

We can understand from this and other statements that Jesus is referring to God as Someone other than himself.

Otherwise, he would have said, “but only he who does my will.”

Rather, he not only refers to someone else here, but he states that God is "in heaven."

Jesus is describing another Person with a separate personality and a separate will.

It is for this reason Jesus prayed to God to “take this cup from me.” Jesus is having a relationship with another Person - the Supreme Being.

A relationship? Yes. A relationship of love and loving service. Jesus is asking us to take his example and do the will of God, because he wants each of us to develop our own personal loving relationship with the Supreme Being. He wants us to place our love on the Supreme Being:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matt. 22:37-38)

“A student is not above his teacher ..." (Matthew 10:24-25)

“A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beezlebub, how much more the members of his household?" (Matthew 10:24-25)

Why is Jesus referring to a teacher and student and master and servant?

Here Jesus discusses something about the relationship between student and teacher along with a servant and their master. What is the purpose of this?

This statement comes as Jesus is warning his students about the possibility of them becoming persecuted. Just after this statement, he says:

"So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known." (Matthew 10:26)

Jesus is telling his students that if they follow him, they will not be sorry in the end. Should they teach the truth to others as he has taught them, they may be persecuted as Jesus was.

Jesus' focus was not on his own comfort. If it was, he would have avoided the arrest of the High Priest Caiaphus' guards. He would have escaped into the wilderness to avoid capture. Why didn't he?

Because he wanted to please God more than he wanted to remain comfortable. This is also what Jesus was encouraging his own students to do. To be "like" him.

Why does Jesus compare the 'head of the household'?

Jesus is speaking of three metaphorical relationships here:

• teacher and student
• master and servant
• head of household and members of the household

The linking element here is following the teacher, master or head of household. But Jesus is not only referring to following them. He is also referring to their taking their example: being like them.

Again, this is because Jesus wants them to become like Jesus, in his dedication to God.

He says that if the head of the household has been called Beezlebub, then "how much more the members of his household?"

This refers directly to Jesus and his followers. He is saying that if they are condemning Jesus, certainly they will also condemn Jesus' followers. It is not that they will see Jesus one way and Jesus' followers another way.

In other words, the authorities - the Romans and the Temple officials - will be seeing Jesus' followers just as they see Jesus.

And since they will be persecuting Jesus, Jesus wants them to be prepared to also be persecuted.

What does 'Beezlebub' mean?

Aside from the purport of Jesus' statement, what does Beezlebub mean?

This was the term used to describe someone who opposes or rejects the Supreme Being. Many scholars point to the worship of the idol Ba’al in the Old Testament as the source of this connotation.

The term refers to someone who rejects the worship of the Supreme Being by worshiping idols. Some further define this connotation as describing ‘lucifer’ or ‘satan.’

In this context, these two names are often referred to as fallen angels who now serve to tempt and tease those in the physical world.

While this is certainly an acceptable connotation, we are here in this physical world away from the Supreme Being is our own choosing. There is no one else to blame outside ourselves.

This means we are each fallen angels.

Note that Jesus says they might call the head of a household 'Beezlebub'. This would be a great dishonor to the household of course.

But Jesus' inference also indicates that the head of the household could be called Beezlebub. Since they could call this person Beezlebub, this indicates that Jesus felt that a person could be such a character. 

This indicates that we cannot blame Satan or the devil or Beezlebub for our predicament. Being here, away from God is our responsibility. It is based upon our previous and current decisions to turn away from the Supreme Being.

Yes, we each rejected the Supreme Being and fell into this physical world. This is the analogy of Adam and Eve and the garden of Eden: 

And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:22-24)

The symbolism involved here is clear. The Garden of Eden is not some garden in the Middle East somewhere. It symbolizes the spiritual realm. And 'the man' symbolizes each of us.

The tree of life is love for God. And the cherubim and flaming sword are the elements of the physical world that allow us to forget our relationship with God and our citizenship in the spiritual realm.

Yes, we were kicked out of the spiritual realm because we needed to learn to love and learn to love God. We became rebellious and envious of God ("like one of us").

This does not mean that we cannot return to God, however. Each of us has the choice to change direction - at every moment. With every tick of the clock brings a new opportunity for each of us to choose between the Supreme Being and our own agenda. The choice is always ours.

"When anyone hears the message about the kingdom ...” (Matt. 13:18-23)

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. What was sown on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. What was sown among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But what was sown on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matt. 13:18-23)

What is Jesus describing?

Jesus is explaining the parable of the farmer and the seed discussed earlier.

The subject of Jesus' explanation - and the symbolism of "the seed" is the "word." What is the "word"? "Word" here is translated from the Greek word λόγος (logos), which means "doctrine, teaching" according to the lexicon. Jesus is speaking of his teachings here - his teachings that are ultimately coming from the Supreme Being:

“My teaching is not my own. It comes from the One who sent me." (John 7:16)

What does 'Sown within the heart' mean?

What is 'sown'? To sow means to plant something that will grow. This is a reference to farming. When a seed is sown, it is planted into the ground. After the seed and the ground are watered, the seed begins to sprout. Once it sprouts, it begins to produce its own fruit and seeds, which then can be planted.

The word "heart" - translated from the Greek word καρδία (kardia) - isn't referring to the organ that pumps blood through the body. It is referring to the mind and the spiritual self within. Jesus is referring to this process of hearing and then understanding, and taking that teaching within the heart. This helps us make decisions about our direction in life.

"But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it."

Thus, when Jesus says, "what is sown within the heart," he is speaking of hearing and understanding those teachings from God, and taking those teachings into one's life and practicing them.

Who is the 'evil one'?

Jesus also describes the “evil one,” as one who takes away (or "snatches") what is "sown in the heart." Who is the "evil one" and how can he snatch what is "sown in the heart"?

Many assume there is a person who is out of God's control who influences us to do bad things. Many like to blame this person - calling him satan - for the decisions that we make in our lives.

It is important to understand that the Supreme Being never loses control. As has been described by some institutions and their teachers, God does not have an adversary that can interrupt His will. If He did, He would not be the Supreme Being

Therefore, we must accept that the “evil one” is not God's enemy. It is part of God's creation and design to allow us to challenge those teachings "sown in the heart."

The phrase “evil one,” is being translated from the Greek word πονηρός (ponēros) - which means "full of labors, annoyances, hardships;" and "bad, of a bad nature or condition."

In other words, Jesus is not describing a single person - "evil one" here - he is describing something "bad" or "evil" and "full of hardships."

What is Jesus describing? The physical world and the various illusions and hardships that exist here. He is also describing self-centeredness - which gives rise to greed and lust - as the physical world is a facility that permits us to exercise our self-centeredness.

How did we get stuck here?

We are not these physical bodies. These temporary bodies are simply vehicles we drive around for a while. And just as a car breaks down, after a few decades, our physical bodies break down and die, and then we leave them. And just as a computer icon allows a person to access the virtual world of a video game, our physical body allows us to access the virtual reality of the physical world.

And just as the video game is basically just a computer program made up of 0s and 1s, the physical world is an illusory field made up of floating molecules that go from one structure to another. And what we see with our eyes is simply light reflected off of these molecules.

In other words, while the physical world is real - and molecules are real - this physical world has the illusion of permanence. It is not stable. It is not permanent. Everything is changing all around us. It is like the ground is moving underneath us - but worse. Everything is moving. Molecules are being exchanged and rearranged around us constantly.

And those forms of this world - like the physical bodies of our family and friends - are also changing, just as our body is constantly changing. Within five years every molecule in the body has been replaced by a new molecule. As such, our bodies are recycling molecules as they head towards death.

But this illusory nature of the physical world has been programmed in by the Supreme Being. He created this illusion of permanence. Why? To allow the spirit-person - each of us - to exercise our desires for independence as well as provide a learning experience.

Why were we created?

The Supreme Being created each of us - as spirit-persons - to love and serve Him. We each have a unique and innate loving service relationship with Him. But because love requires freedom, we each also have the freedom to love Him or not.

So what happens to those who choose not to love Him? Those of us who decided not to love Him are given a facility to virtually be away from Him. Even though He's the Supreme Being and He is everywhere, He created a virtual dimension where those within it don't have to see Him.

So He gave us these physical bodies that are not able to see or perceive Him or the spiritual world. They are like blinders that prevent us from seeing what is around us. In this way, He has allowed us to escape Him and escape our real selves. With the facility of the mind and the senses, we are able to completely forget our identity as His loving servant, and pretend to be someone we are not.

One might compare this situation with a teenager having his own video game software and equipment. The teenager can be inside the parent's house. But when he turns on the video game he can completely forget where he is physically and immerse himself inside the video game.

In the same way, we are spirit-persons who are temporarily occupying a virtual physical body, which allows us to forget our spiritual self.

Using these facilities of this virtual world, we get to achieve mundane physical accomplishments and proclaim our own greatness. We can pretend that we are accomplished and skilled. We get to exercise our self-centeredness and see ourselves as the center of the universe. We get to pretend that we are the boss - of our children, our pets, our subordinates at work, or otherwise.

In other words, the facilities of the physical world allow us to pretend that we are the supreme being of our lives.

And many so-called religious philosophies accommodate this illusion. Some teach that God is just there to serve us and do whatever we want Him to do. Others teach that we are god. Either way, these are accommodating our desire to be the center of the universe, with everything revolving around us.

Interestingly, the philosophy that teaches we are god states that we created everything and everyone around us for our own enjoyment. This is actually the ultimate - or epitome - of our need to escape reality and the authority of the Supreme Being.

And this facility - this illusory facility of the physical world - with its various philosophies and grand illusion that the physical forms and things of this world will bring us happiness - is the thing that will "snatch" away the teachings that may be "sown within the heart."

In other words, the illusory nature of the physical world has the ability to dissuade us from understanding and/or practicing the teachings of Jesus. Why?

To continue to allow us to pretend that we are supreme. To continue to allow us to live in the illusion that this is our permanent home and we will be happy if we just get that one more thing.

In other words, we aren't ready to return to our loving service relationship with the Supreme Being.

So the Supreme Being accommodates our inner consciousness. The ability of the illusory nature of the physical world to snatch away our understanding of the teachings of Jesus is, in the end, our own inner desire not to return home.

Who is the 'sower'?

The sower in Jesus' parable is the messenger of the Supreme Being, who is trying to plant the loving message of God in our hearts. And what is this message? God is calling us back home to Him.

The Supreme Being wants us to return to Him out of our own free will. He wants us to freely decide to give up our rebellious nature and return to the loving relationships (with Him and His children) that we were created for and will fulfill us, instead of continuing our self-centered lives in this lonely physical world.

This is expressed in Jesus' most important teaching:

" 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matt. 22:37-38)

“Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth ...’” (Matthew 15:16-20)

Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.” “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.” (Matt. 15:15-20)

Why does Jesus have to explain what he meant?

Jesus is further explaining the meaning behind his point about not what goes into a person's mouth defiles a person, but rather, what comes out of the person's mouth. Jesus' metaphor was responding to the temple ritual of the importance of washing the hands. Peter and others did not understand this metaphor.

Jesus is also distinguishing between what happens to the physical body versus what is going on within the person. This means there is a deeper person who is not affected by whether the body consumes something that is physically clean or it can be dirty (“defiled.”).

Consuming food that is unclean doesn’t affect the person within. This is because the person is not the physical body. This is what Jesus was trying to teach them: That we are not the physical body.

We are the spirit-person within these physical bodies. The cleanliness of this person within is reflected by their words. Words can defile a person because they can influence others in a negative way.

What does 'come from the heart' mean?

Jesus is clarifying the nature of our consciousness - coming from the person within. The concept of the "heart" according to Jesus is not about the physical heart within the body.

Jesus is referring to expressing those things that come from within our consciousness. For example, if someone speaks to another angrily or otherwise rudely, those words are coming from an angry heart.

But if we speak to others with love and joy, that reflects a loving heart.

Evil does not arise from a horned guy with a pitchfork from a fiery dungeon. Evil arises from a consciousness of self-centeredness.

These are being characterized by Jesus as being defiled because they relate to the character of the person within. If the person within - the spirit-person - wants to search for happiness within self-centered desires, this is being defined as being defiled.

This means that being clean, on the other hand, relates to the person within living within the potential of our innate identity: Our understanding that we were created by the Supreme Being and we are ultimately His loving servants and children. This is why Jesus' most important instruction was:

" 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matt. 22:37-38)

“Out of my sight satan! You are a stumbling block ...” (Matthew 16:22)

“Out of my sight satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:22)

Why did Jesus call Peter 'satan'?

Jesus said this directly to Peter, one of his disciples. Had Peter suddenly become satan?

Peter had heard Jesus explaining that he would go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised. Peter was upset to hear this, and said to Jesus, “Never, Lord, this shall never happen to you!” (Matthew 16:22)

Why did this make Jesus so upset with Peter that he called him satan, and told him to get away?

The answer lies in understanding the position of Jesus. Jesus identified himself as the servant of God. His intention was to do the will of the Supreme Being. He knew what was going to happen to his body. He knew that he would be making a sacrifice for the Supreme Being: A very painful and tough sacrifice.

There was certainly a great temptation - especially since he knew it would happen - for Jesus to avoid Jerusalem completely and thus avoid naking this sacrifice and service to the Supreme Being. He could have easily thought of his own comfort and avoided the entire ordeal.

But this was not Jesus’ choice. He understood this was part of his mission. This was part of his service to the Supreme Being. To avoid doing it would be to avoid serving the God that he loved and cared for.

Let's break down what Jesus said more carefully:

“Out of my sight satan!"

With this, we can understand how Jesus is defining “satan.” Peter wasn't literally satan. Jesus is using this word metaphorically. Otherwise, he would be saying that his closest disciple was literally the enemy of God.

“Satan” is not a mythological person with a pitchfork who lives in a cave of fire according to Jesus. Jesus is defining “satan” as a particular consciousness. A consciousness of materialism and self-centeredness.

As such, “satan” is the consciousness that rejects or ignores God's will in lieu of our own will - also referred to as "evil".

This is why, when Jesus was tempted in the desert, he said:

"Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'" (Matthew 4:10)

This means that Jesus was rejecting the consciousness of self-centeredness and materialism. He was rejecting what the physical world offers each of us as we travel through these lifetimes, as we are tempted by fame, fortune and the sense objects of this world. 

"You are a stumbling block to me"

Because Peter was presenting to Jesus the prospect of going against the will of God, Jesus called him satan. Why?

Peter wanted Jesus to avoid being persecuted. In Jesus' perspective, this made Peter the representative of the temptation to consider the comforts of the body first and avoid the service to God.

Jesus confirmed this as he said clearly:

“You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

"The things of men" refers to the consciousness of materialism, of fame, fortune and sense objects within the physical world. This is the world of the physical body and the various issues related to the physical body. 

Jesus, however, taught that we are not these physical bodies:

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul." (Matthew 10:28)

In other words, Peter's focus was identifying Jesus as his physical body - and not seeing Jesus' loving service relationship with God. Jesus saw this as being a "stumbling block" to his service to God.

"What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world ..." (Matthew 16:26)

"What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" (Matthew 16:26)

How can someone 'forfeit their soul'?

The word "soul" here is being translated from the Greek word, ψυχή (psychē), which means, according to the lexicon, "the vital force which animates the body and shows itself in breathing" and "the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions." 

The lexicon goes further to say, "the soul as an essence which differs from the body and is not dissolved by death (distinguished from other parts of the body)."

This makes the "soul" our core essence.

But Jesus isn't talking about "losing" ourselves. He is referring to the central component of the soul - our consciousness.

Jesus is stating clearly here is by seeking the material attractions of the physical world - including power and fame - we give up the core feature of the soul - that of having the consciousness to love the Supreme Being.

It is a matter of focus. To focus on materialism means to give up our focus on our spiritual journey. This relates directly to Jesus' statement about serving God and materialism:

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24)

As we clarified with that verse, the Greek word μαμωνᾶς (mamōnas) refers to "mammon" or materialism, rather than strictly "money."

Who is the 'someone' Jesus refers to?

In the statement above, Jesus distinguishes "someone" (earlier translations had "man") and 'his soul'. Does this mean that "someone" has a soul? This would equate a soul as being some sort of organ or something. As if the soul is like the heart. That would mean that a soul could theoretically be transplanted out of one man and put into another. Could this be what Jesus is speaking of?

The phrase, "someone" - is being translated from the Greek word ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos). The word is not describing just a man or woman. The word is defined in the lexicon as encompassing the physical body and mind.

The body and mind are both changeable, temporary structures. They both change over time, and in the case of the body, it dies within a few decades. And the mind can be changed. Therefore, neither are permanent features.

The soul, taken from ψυχή (psychē), refers to our eternal spiritual composition - our actual selves.

So it is not as if we have a soul. We are the soul. Each of us is a soul, temporarily occupying a physical body.

Does Jesus refer to this soul elsewhere?

Yes, elsewhere Jesus refers to "soul" Jesus as not just a part of our nature. It also means, according to the lexicon, "the vital force which animates the body.

The soul is also considered who we are. We are each a soul. Yes, our soul also has a "soul-like" essence that can be forgotten. But we are nevertheless a soul at the same time.

This is confirmed by Jesus in another statement:

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul." (Matthew 10:28)

If we are these physical bodies, then why would killing the body not be important to Jesus? Because these physical bodies are temporary vehicles. They are not who we are.

We are wearing these physical bodies much as a person wears clothes. And we are driving these physical bodies much as a person drives a car.

The fact that we were given these physical bodies as we fell from the spiritual realm is also confirmed in the Book of Genesis:

The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. (Genesis 3:21)

What are 'garments of skin'?

Is this speaking of animal skins or something? As if God went around and killed some animals and made fur coats for Adam and Eve?

This is metaphorically describing that the Supreme Being gave us these physical bodies.

But why? So that we could play out our self-centeredness. We became self-centered. This is the "forbidden fruit" that Adam and Eve - symbolizing each of us who fell to the physical world - ate.

The spiritual realm is a place of love for the Supreme Being and love for the Supreme Being's children and playmates. Once we became self-centered, we had to leave. We were no longer qualified to stay in the spiritual realm.

The symbolism that Jesus is using relates to forgetting our spiritual identity - our relationship with the Supreme Being - in order to achieve material success in the physical world. To give up our relationship with the Supreme Being means to identify ourselves as the center of the universe, and everything revolves around me.

This is the height of self-centeredness, a condition that defines what Jesus is saying, as forfeiting our soul.

Where does the soul go when it rises from the body?

Where does the living being go when each of us leaves the body? This depends upon the consciousness of the living being, and how the living being has utilized the human body. If the consciousness of the living being revolves around a self-centered physical existence - of eating, sex, and material acquisition, then the living being is spiritually dead.

This was characterized elsewhere by Jesus:

“Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” (Matthew 8:22)

If the consciousness of the living being is at all focused on God, then the living being can be considered alive.

If we progress in our spiritual growth and regain our love for God, we will return to the Supreme Being and His world of love. Here we will be ever-satisfied. In this state, we would be appropriately be described as being alive.

Some question why people are born with handicaps. Some wonder why people are born into starvation and disease. Some wonder why children are otherwise born into desperate situations, while others are not.

Why do these bodies suffer?

Some will begin to question God’s love for us when they think of why some people seem to be suffering without any cause.

Meanwhile, sectarian institutions and their teachers have no answers for this.

It is not as if God is going around arbitrarily choosing to make some of us suffer more than others.

Rather, suffering is caused by us. Our sufferings are the consequences of our previous activities.

The Supreme Being simply designed a world with consequences - just as a parent might try to educate a child by teaching them the consequences of their actions.

Consider, for example, if a 10-year old were to throw food on the dining room wall. Would a smart parent just clean up the mess? No. The smart parent would make the child clean up the mess that they caused. This is called consequence training. It teaches the child to understand the consequences of their decisions. And the effects their actions have upon others.

God's physical world is no different. Here our activities have consequences. Either in this life or the next. If we mistreat someone, we will be mistreated either now or by someone else later on down the road. If we spend our lives mistreating others, we will suffer the exact consequences of our actions in this or our next physical lifetime.

We know Jesus taught this system. Consider this question, asked by Jesus' disciples:

"Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" (John 9:1)

This question, asked by multiple disciples, assumes that Jesus taught that the actions we take while in a physical body will impact our condition in the next body. While the particular person being discussed in John 9:1 was a special case, Jesus in no way denied the teaching or criticized his disciples' question.

Jesus' followers also reflect this teaching elsewhere:

"A man reaps what he sows." (Galatians 6:7)

The King James Version states it as "whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" and elsewhere, "as ye sow, so shall ye reap."

God also states this directly elsewhere in the Old Testament:

"The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with despair, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. I will deal with them according to their conduct, and by their own standards, I will judge them. Then they will know that I am the LORD." (Ezekial 7:27)

With this statement, "I will deal with them according to their conduct" refers to the results of our own activities. "By their own standards I will judge them," illustrates that we are to be treated as we treated others.

In other words, those born into suffering are experiencing the precise consequences of the suffering they inflicted upon others during a previous lifetime. Those who are starving likely denied someone else food in their previous body. Those who are mentally handicapped likely mentally abused others during their previous body. (This does not mean we should not help others - for herein lies the concept of forgiveness.)

In other words, the Supreme Being created the perfect teaching system. Just as educators and parenting specialists have determined that the best way to punish a child is to give him consequences to his actions - ones reflecting the deed - the Supreme Being set up a similar system to slowly teach and purify the living being. When we experience how we treated others, we learn.

What can we learn here?

We can learn that we are all connected, and we are all children of the Supreme Being. We can learn that caring for others is no different than caring for ourselves.

We can learn the meaning of love.

We must also remember, as we talk about consequences, that these bodies are temporary vehicles. They are not much different than computer icons in a computer video game. Just as a computer gamer will take on a temporary icon or persona in order to play a game, the living being takes on a temporary physical body to try to live out our desires. Just as the computer game icon is often damaged or even destroyed, our physical bodies must undergo disease and death.

And just as we can get up from the computer after our icon is killed in the computer game, the living being rises up from the body at the time of death and moves on. It is the illusion of the physical world that makes us believe that we are our bodies.

In other words, this pain and suffering do not happen to the living person within. It happens to the temporary physical body - the virtual icon of the living being. Only the body feels physical pain. We move on unscathed - except for the lessons we learn.

So where does the living being go after the death of this body? Again, this depends upon whether we have learned the lessons of the physical world. This depends upon our consciousness. Are we self-centered or are we God-centered?

If we are self-centered, we will take on another temporary physical body and undergo the consequences of our self-centered activities in this lifetime. These will include pain, suffering, and other consequences of previous activities. They may also be the bodies of animals or even insects - which undergo not only suffering but ignorance.

If we are God-centered, then we will return to the Supreme Being, where we will live eternally within our loving service relationship with Him and His children. This is our real home and where our happiness lies.