“If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." (Matthew 5:38-41)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." (Matthew 5:38-41)

Where does 'eye for an eye' come from?

Here Jesus is referencing a misinterpreted teaching that has been referenced in at least three verses of the Bible:

But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. (Exodus 21:24)

Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury. (Lev. 24:20)

Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. (Deut. 19:21)

These instructions from Moses are said to reflect a crucial law that has resulted in so many acts of violence over the centuries, including stonings and other brutal acts.

Were they necessary to produce the intended result of having a civilized society? One might argue they were not necessary to the extent imagined, and created more acts of violence among uncivil people.

But there is also the question of whether Moses spoke these words as has been translated above - insinuating that humans should commit acts of violence in an eye-for-eye method as punishment against perpetrators. 

The question that Jesus' statement bears is whether Jesus is clarifying the meaning of Moses' instructions, or whether he is conflicting with them. If he is defining what Moses intended to teach, then we can know that Moses' instructions were either misinterpreted, mistranslated or both.

Biblical scholars have shown clearly that before being translated into Latin by appointed scribes of the early Roman church, much of these texts were written in the Eighth Century BC - many centuries after Moses. Did those texts accurately describe Moses' teachings in this regard?

Is there a conflict between the teachings of Moses and Jesus?

One might conclude that the primary difference between Moses' and Jesus' teachings is the time, circumstance, and society. Certainly, Moses was trying to establish the rule of law among a tribe of people trying to survive in the harsh conditions of the desert. As a result of these conditions, Mosaic law had to be stern in order to keep the tribe safe.

That is a significant difference between the time, circumstance, and society that Jesus was teaching to. In Jesus' time, Judea had already established the rule of law. The society of Jesus' time was organized and there were legal institutions in place to deal with criminals. Thus there was no need for people of the society to take the law into their own hands.

In addition, we can establish that the writing and transliteration of Moses' teachings since the 8th Century B.C. could have serious inaccuracies. Before being written down, these were oral traditions passed on from teacher to student and family to family for at least a thousand years. 

When they were finally written down, these oral teachings were combined together and adapted by scribes - and mixed with modern commentary to establish an interpreted version of the texts.

This is why Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said..." If Jesus accepted that God told Moses this, then Jesus - God's representative - would have said, "Moses said" or "God said..." instead of “You have heard that it was said..."

We find that Jesus, like Moses, taught his followers to be merciful and forgiving:

"Blessed are the merciful..." (Matt. 5:7)

Why would Moses take such a hard line then? Yes, there is the necessity of establishing a system of justice to policy a society. But did those after Moses take the law far beyond its intended purpose?

What about 'as you sow so shall you reap'?

The reality is that the physical world was designed by the Supreme Being to enable consequence learning. This system - also termed "as you sow, so shall you reap" - is also part of Jesus' teachings, as he said to someone he healed:

"See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." (John 5:14)

But it is not as though Jesus is teaching that we should take it upon ourselves to make sure that others sow what they reap. Certainly - as evidenced from Moses' teachings - there should be laws that help protect people from those who hurt others. But it is not as if we need to take it upon ourselves to accomplish an "eye for an eye" reality. This is already part of the design of the physical world.

The physical world, along with most of our legal systems, is designed to do this automatically, evidenced by Jesus' statement in John 5:14. We can understand from this that "eye for an eye" is not to be construed violently by those who seek authority over others.

Jesus was advising his followers about how to conduct their personal lives. His message was based upon a personal approach of humility towards others.

Why does Jesus advise to turn the other cheek?

In this statement, we find that Jesus was not teaching others to take the law into their own hands and serve people up with the "eye for an eye" - as wrongly interpreted by some. By the design of the Supreme Being, everyone will automatically face the consequences of their actions - without our involvement.

Rather, Jesus is instructing his followers to approach others with humility.

Humility does not mean pretending to be humble. True humility means recognizing that we are all God's children and God owns everything — even us. Everything comes from God. This means any wealth, reputation or position within society. Anything we have is not ours but rightfully His. We are in effect borrowing whatever we have within our possession.

Why? Because we will ultimately lose whatever we have. We have no permanent grip on the things of the physical world. Our bodies get old and die, and we leave everything behind at the time of death.

Since we own nothing, and everything we have is given to us on loan from God, there is no gain by struggling to be superior to others. There is no gain by demanding that we have a right to something. There is no gain by seeking more than we need to keep our physical body alive.

A realistic view of our possessions or knowledge would be to give thanks for anything we have been given to use, and if our neighbor or brother requires something we currently possess, be willing to share. This is Jesus' point.

This was often illustrated by Jesus. He was extremely humble about his position in relation to the Supreme Being, saying things like:

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

Often we see those who adopt the view of “turning the other cheek” as something to be proud of. That acting with humility makes a person better than others. This is hypocritical.

To be proud to be humble is simply a contradiction.

Is this about acting humbly?

Acting humble is not the same as feeling humble. In fact, feeling one's true position as God’s humble servant sometimes requires not acting humbly.

While Jesus did not try to act humble, he was humble in that he depended on the Supreme Being as the Source of his teachings. This is true humility.

Yet when Jesus went into the temple and found peddlers on the grounds of God’s House, he angrily turned over their tables. This does not appear to be an act of humility, but it is because Jesus saw that these peddlers were offending his Beloved God by turning God's place of worship into a marketplace.

This was an illustration of Jesus' intent to serve and please God: An act of true humility: Service done on behalf of God. Jesus confirmed this when he said:

"‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’” (Luke 4:8)

and also when he said:

"For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matt. 12:50)

“You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” (Matthew 8:26)

Then he got into a boat and his disciples accompanied him. And soon there rose a great storm on the sea, and the boat was besieged by waves. Yet Jesus was asleep. Then his disciples awoke him, saying, “Master, save us, for we will perish.” He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith.” Then he got up and admonished the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. Thus the men were amazed, saying “What kind of man is this, that even the winds and seas obey him!” (Matthew 8:23-27 Lost Gospels)

What does Jesus mean by 'little faith"?

The phrase "of little faith" here is being translated from the Greek word ὀλιγόπιστος (oligopistos), which also means, "trusting too little" according to the lexicon.

Most people who read this story focus on Jesus’ calming the winds. However, the bigger lesson was Jesus’ statement about faith.

“You of little faith,” Jesus says. Faith in what? Is he saying they lack faith in Jesus’ ability to calm the winds? Why would he chastise them for having little faith in him when he was sleeping?

Because Jesus is not referring to his disciples’ faith in Jesus’ ability to calm the waves.

Jesus is speaking of a lack of trust in the Supreme Being’s ability to protect them, even in the worst of times, and the worst of calamities. By the disciples worrying about drowning, they were testifying that they had no confidence in God’s ability to protect them.

Jesus' point is that this trust is fundamental in our relationship with God. God is our Creator and our Protector. Why would He not take care of us? God takes care of everyone. This is part of our relationship with Him. This is part of His Personality. Whether we want to admit it or not, not only did the Supreme Being create us, but the Supreme Being is our Best Friend, our Confidant, and our only real Protector. He cares for us as no one else can.

By Jesus’ sleeping through the storm, he illustrated his own trust in the Supreme Being. He did not awaken worried that the storm might drown him.

We must also trust that we are being taken care of by the Supreme Being - even in death. Death is only the discontinuation of this physical body. It is not our actual death. The spirit (each of us) leaves the temporary physical body at the time of death.

However, our destination is ultimately our choice. If we decide now to depend upon God and put our full faith in God, then we will not worry about our destination at the time of death. The Supreme Being will guide us back to Him should we completely rely upon Him.

Should we fear God?

Fear is an expression of self-centeredness. The inner self is worried about the body because the self wants to enjoy this body. The self wants to preserve the body to continue eating, sleeping, and having sex. The self wants to keep the body going to continue living in the dream of potential enjoyment.

The problem with this is that the body brings no real fulfillment. It is an illusion of enjoyment. It is like dreaming. Our dreams are transitory. We might feel that we enjoy them for a moment, but as soon as we awaken they disappear. These bodies are traveling through a temporary slipstream of matter more real than a dream, but just as transitory. Thus there is no permanence.

When we see the world as something to enjoy, this is like a mirage. It is like being in a desert and thinking we see the ocean. We reach into the sand expecting water. While thinking we will touch water, we only grab more sand.

Is the material world an illusion?

The material world is like sand in that it is devoid of happiness. It is dry. It contains no real pleasure. It only appears to contain pleasure when we look into the future with expectation. This is what is called temptation.

But we can see around us that no one- even the richest movie stars, kings, and presidents who have all the fame and money, and power we seek - is fulfilled. This is illustrated by the drug use, suicides, divorce, and other symptoms of emptiness among those with wealth, fame, and power.

We are still tempted to think that we will be happy if we get those things. This mechanism of the material world to tempt us is often referred to in the scriptures as satan or the devil. 

While the mechanism of temptation does exist, it is quite certainly under the Supreme Being’s control. It is a mechanism designed to teach us and test us - to hopefully wake us up from our self-centered illusion that we will be happy without the Supreme Being.

And as for Jesus' ability to rebuke the waves? This ability also came from the Supreme Being: All power and authority come from God because He owns and controls everything.

“Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but He who sent me is true. You do not know Him,  but I know him because I am from Him and He sent me.” (John 7:28-29)

“Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. ..." (Matthew 10:5-10)

“Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out the demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep." (Matt. 10:5-10)

Why didn't Jesus want them to preach to Gentiles and Samaritans?

Jesus is giving specific instructions to his students according to a particular time and circumstance. The context of those teachings was founded upon the teachings of the Prophets.

Jesus is sending them out to teach the message of love for the Supreme Being to a specific group of people. He is also passing on the teachings of John the Baptist. How do we know this?

Consider these prior verses:

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

From that time on [after Jesus had heard of John's imprisonment] Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matt. 4:17)

And now we find in this verse above that Jesus was telling his own disciples to carry on that same teaching:

"As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.’"

These verses indicate that Jesus did not make up his teachings. Once his own teacher - John the Baptist - was imprisoned, Jesus carried on those teachings and asked his own followers to do so as well.

This is the tradition of all the prophets and messengers of God. They each became the student of a teacher, taught those teachings, and then told their students to pass on those teachings.

One might ask why the Gentiles or Samaritans were not to be taught. To answer this we must understand that Jesus is asking his students to teach a particular message to a particular people. It is not as if Jesus’ mercy and teachings are not to be spread to anyone and everyone.

Rather, this is a testament to the fact that particular messages are given at particular times to particular people. For example, a college professor would have an altogether different set of instructions to a college class than a kindergarten teacher would have for a class of kindergartners. The two teachers have the same goal in mind - to teach the children. But their specific information is tailored to the age, maturity and education level of the students.

In the time of Jesus, the people of Judea generally had access to a collection of knowledge that had been handed down from the great prophets such as Abraham and Moses. As such, teaching specifically to that segment of society had to be altogether different than the teachings Jesus would have for Gentiles and Samaritans. This is not to say that Jesus did not teach to the Gentiles and Samaritans - he certainly did, as evidenced in other verses.

As for the specific instructions he gave them to teach the people, “The kingdom of heaven is near;” the interpretation that this is an 'end of the world' statement was put forth by politically-oriented institutions to help create a false sense of urgency among the population. This is an attempt to scare people into joining their institution.

This 'end of the world' interpretation grew out of the Fourth Century's First Council of Nicaea - organized by the Roman Emperor Constantine to politically organize and control the Christian world. This manipulation continued through the Second Council of Ephesus in 449 put together by the Roman Emperor Theodosius II, which led to the creation of the Roman Catholic Church.

The manipulation of information by the Roman Empire continued through the centuries by the Roman Catholic institution - often called the Holy Roman Empire.

As a result, for many centuries, some claiming to follow Jesus have preached that the world is coming to an end based upon this statement by Jesus. (See this page for a partial list.) In each generation, different “signs” have been used together with various quotes from different books within the Bible to offer proof that the world will end next year or even tomorrow.

So many centuries have passed, and still the world has not come to an end. Yet these false prophets are still teaching that the world is coming to an end on a particular date. At what point will we figure out that this interpretation is wrong?

What does the 'kingdom of heaven is near' mean?

The correct interpretation of "The kingdom of heaven is near" is quite different: The Greek word used is ἐγγίζω, which means, according to the Greek lexicon:
1) to bring near, to join one thing to another
2) to draw or come near to, to approach

Near is not a time element: Near is an element of distance.

Near means 'close by.' For each of us, the kingdom of heaven is truly near. For Israelites who had been taught strict adherence to the scriptures, we might say the kingdom of heaven was especially near, because they had access to the scriptures and the teachings of the prophets. They simply had to understand those teachings and apply them within their hearts. They had to simply realize, as Jesus and Moses taught, that love for God is the “first and foremost commandment.” (Matt. 22:38)

More importantly, the Supreme Being in His expansion as the Holy Ghost is right next to each of us: He is truly near.

What does 'kingdom' mean?

The word "kingdom" is being translated from the Greek word βασιλεία (basileia) - which means, according to the lexicon, "royal power, kingship, dominion, rule" and "not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom." In other words, the word refers to accepting the dominion and power of the Supreme Being. His ultimate authority.

Everything is part of God's kingdom: He owns everything and He controls everything. We can thus have a relationship with Him in whatever part of His kingdom we may reside. The "kingdom" that Jesus is referring to is the consciousness where we are devoted to Him. It is the place in our hearts where we are thinking of Him, and wanting to please Him and do His will.

The kingdom of God is so near that all we have to do is make a decision. We don't have to go anywhere special. We don't have to join any special organization. We don't have to undergo any special ceremony. All we have to do is drop to our knees and ask God directly, by the grace of His representatives like Jesus and Moses, to help us re-establish our loving relationship with Him.

Where are we now?

The physical world is that place where He sends those souls who need to grow spiritually. This physical world and these physical bodies are classrooms. Here we have the opportunity to learn to love and develop our loving relationship with God.

But this doesn't mean we aren't within the kingdom of God here? Everywhere is part of God's kingdom.

In this section of God’s kingdom - within the gross physical world - most of us wholly disregard God. We have the opportunity to chase our dreams for a while. We can now pretend that God doesn't exist.

This illusion allows us to chase our dreams of becoming wealthy, famous, attractive and whatever else we desire. Because we are forgetting our relationship with God we chase these things in order to gain the love of others.

But even if we gain those things we typically don't get any love from others. We typically only get envy. This is the nature of the physical world where everyone is chasing the same things.

Today some manipulate the teachings of Jesus to proclaim that we are each God. This is the epitome of our forgetfulness of the Supreme Being. They are proclaiming that we are all God but we forgot, and now they will teach us to remember we are God.

As if God can forget He is God. This is how far away from God we can get in the physical world. We want to enjoy the world as though we were God, and bend His scriptures to accommodate our goal.

But what about the kingdom of God?

Even though we might still be located within the kingdom of God - because everything is within God's kingdom - the question is where is our consciousness. 

A person whose consciousness is focused on love for God is situated in the kingdom of God.

In the kingdom of love for God, the residents are all concerned about God's happiness. They are concerned about others' happiness. We don't have to imagine such a world, as John Lennon sang. It does exist. We just are not in it because we are self-centered instead of being God-centered.

This is the kingdom that Jesus is referring to as near. This kingdom is ridiculously "near." It is as near as each of us making a decision to change. It is as near as a simple, heartfelt, and apologetic prayer asking forgiveness and offering ourselves to the Supreme Being. It is as near as the ground, where we can place our head and ask the Supreme Being - our Best Friend - if He will take us back, and teach us to love and serve Him again. Jesus illustrated how to do this:

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will." (Matt. 26:39)

This simple key opens God’s personal kingdom to us. This is how near His kingdom is.

Can we depend on God?

We don't need to pretend to be God in order to become empowered. We can simply pledge ourselves, personally and internally, to the Supreme Being. We can become an associate of God's by asking God what we can do to serve Him and please Him.

This is clearly what gave Jesus his power and authority, and what he taught his followers to do.

As for Jesus telling his students to heal the sick, cast out demons, and travel without clothes and money, these are the tools Jesus gave his disciples in order for them to depend upon the Supreme Being and illustrate to others that they can depend upon God.

This is the pure message of Jesus’ instruction: Have complete trust in God and rely upon Him, and give our lives to Him because He is our Ultimate Savior, and He is near - He is readily available to us should we decide to return to Him.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? ..." (Matthew 10:29-31)

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29-31)

What does 'two sparrows sold for a penny' mean?

Jesus is indicating to his followers that the Supreme Being cares about each of us. Sparrows were sold for so cheaply at the market during those times. Yet God will care for them is a testament to the love God has for each of us.

This is communicated with "outside your Father's care" - which is being translated from the Greek phrase, ἄνευ τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν.

This Greek phrase actually indicates that nothing happens to any of us outside of God's will. The word ἄνευ means without "one's will or intervention" according to the lexicon.

In other words, everything that takes place takes place because the Supreme Being allows it to happen. He is in complete control and nothing happens outside of His will.

This is a critical lesson for Jesus' followers. But does it assume there is no freedom of choice? That all things are pre-arranged?

Do we have choices?

The Supreme Being gives each of us choices. Ultimately, we each have the choice to love Him or not. This is because love requires choice.

And the Supreme Being also allows us to make other choices - each typically stemming from this ultimate choice.

This is the design of both the spiritual realm and the physical world. But the physical world is especially a place of choice: It is that place where are constantly being presented with choices.

But it is also a world where there are consequences for every choice we make. This is because the physical world is also a place of learning.

We might compare it to a child's bedroom. Everything in the child's bedroom was put in there by the parents. They also own the house. But this doesn't remove the freedom of the child from choosing which toy to play with. It also does not restrict the child from choosing to obey or rebel against his parents. The child can choose to rebel against the parents and rip everything up if he wants. Or he might just be a good boy and do what he is told.

These choices are up to the child. The parents cannot take the child's freedom of choice away. They might own the house and control what is in the house. But the child still has the freedom of choice within that house.

In the same way, the Supreme Being gives us certain freedoms to make choices. These are our choices to make. This doesn't mean He gives up control. Rather, He grants us freedom because this is necessary in order to enjoy exchanging love.

In other words, the Supreme Being is giving each of us the chance to decide for ourselves whether we want to love Him or not.

If we choose to partake in our natural loving relationship with the Supreme Being this is pleasing to the Supreme Being. If we rebel against Him and choose to forget Him, it is not pleasing to Him. Why not?

Because the Supreme Being enjoys loving exchanges. The Supreme Being enjoys exchanging love just as we do. 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)

"Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours." (Matthew 17:27)

After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” “Yes, he does,” he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?” “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.” (Matthew 17:24-27)

Why did Jesus tell Peter to pay the tax?

Jesus had just made a case for not being responsible for the temple tax. Why then did he tell him to pay it?

Because Jesus did not want to cause a commotion. He didn't want to squabble about a four drachma coin - worth about two dollars in today's money.

Jesus used the occasion to teach about who he was and the fact that they were serving God and therefore not responsible for the tax. They were already paying in the form of teaching on behalf of the Supreme Being.

What does Jesus mean by 'exempt'?

The NIV translation says that Jesus says, "Then the children are exempt".

This word "exempt" is being translated from the Greek word ἐλεύθερος (eleutheros) - meaning "freeborn - in a civil sense, one who is not a slave" according to the lexicon.

Thus Jesus is stating that those who are serving the Supreme Being are free. They are not obligated to the same responsibilities and consequences as those who are attached to the names and forms of this temporary physical world.

Further to the lesson is the fact that Jesus is making a point about the relationship between the Supreme Being and His devoted children/loving servants. Just as a king would consider his own children and servants exempt from taxation, the Supreme Being covers and protects his devoted loving servants.

To the extent of our devotion to the Supreme Being, the Supreme Being gives complete protection against the calamities of the world.

God certainly takes care of every one of us, but for those who work diligently in His service, He takes special care.

Why do we suffer then?

One might question the first statement due to the many forms of suffering within the physical world, including violence, pain, sickness, old age, and death. But these are only temporary sufferings that take place for the physical body. They do not inflict the spirit-person within.

We are not these material bodies. We are the eternal spirit-person that lives within this body. Much as a person gets into an automobile to drive it, each of us resides within this physical body for a temporary period of time. And just as the car will break down one day, this physical body will become diseased and die. And just as the driver walks away from a broken-down car, each of us will leave these physical bodies at the time of death.

We might compare the situation to a computer video game, wherein a person sits down at the computer and takes on a temporary game icon, and begins to play the game. The icon might be shot up or blown up, but the person playing the game is unharmed. When the game stops, the person can get up from the computer and walk away unscathed, even though his icon got blown to smithereens.

Thus even though our physical body might be smitten with pain and suffering - we are still being protected and cared for by the Supreme Being. He is still here next to us - always offering us a way back home to Him.

In other words, we are each endowed with the freedom of choice - whether we want to love and serve the Supreme Being (our innate identity) or whether we want to love and serve ourselves - which is expressed within the physical world.

The latter results in the fall down to the physical world and coming under the illusion of misidentifies ourselves with these physical bodies while we seek self-centered pleasure for the body or its extensions - the body's family, country, or other organization. In such a state, we must be obliged to face the consequences of these activities.

In other words, those who are living self-centered lives devoted to the illusions of fame and fortune of this temporary body and the forms and names of the physical world will have to abide by the laws of cause and effect.

But those who are using these physical bodies to serve the Supreme Being are exempt from these consequences. For those, He gives special protection because they are working for His pleasure instead of their own pleasure. Jesus spoke to this point specifically:

"By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but Him who sent me." (John 5:30)

Jesus was also respectful and considerate. He could have tried to escape the tax. Instead, he told Peter that their tax payments would be found in the mouth of a fish.

Jesus is illustrating that by Peter following the instructions of Jesus - as a devoted disciple - Peter would not be responsible for working to get the tax money. His payment was still being covered by the Supreme Being - Who in this case was providing the money in a miraculous manner to prove the point.

This doesn't mean that God will always provide in such a miraculous manner. Most of the time, we will still need to do some work to earn the money to pay our share of tax. But the point being made is that God takes care of those who care for God.

This is because the Supreme Being ultimately owns and controls everything.

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matt. 19:25-26)

How are 'all things possible' with God?

The word "man" is being translated from the Greek word ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos), which can mean "a human being, whether male or female - generically, to include all human individuals" as well as "people" according to the lexicon. It can thus be used to describe mankind or humanity.

More specifically, Jesus is referring to the physical body and those who occupy these temporary physical bodies. We are not these physical bodies. We occupy them for a few years and then leave them.

These physical bodies - and the physical mind - are by design limited. The Supreme Being designed these physical bodies to provide a virtual facility for some of His children - those who rejected their relationship with Him - to dwell outside of the spiritual realm.

These physical bodies thus provide an escape from the consciousness of the spiritual realm. Each of us is a spirit-person from this spiritual realm. And we were created by the Supreme Being to exchange love with Him and His children. But because love requires freedom, the Supreme Being gave each of us the ability not to love Him.

Those who decided not to love Him are given physical bodies and a virtual universe that provides the ability to be away from Him. This is accomplished by designing these physical bodies to shield our consciousness from the Supreme Being and the spiritual realm. So we can act out our self-centered desires without interference.

How free are we?

Thus these physical bodies and minds are by design limited. They cannot see or perceive the spiritual realm. This is why mental speculation about God and heaven is fruitless.

We might compare this to the design of a movie theater. By design, the movie theater is a darkened room with no windows with a giant screen in the front of the room with all the chairs pointing towards it. This provides the ability for movie-goers to get lost in the movie and forget what is going on outside the movie. This is why there is no windows and the lights are turned off: To focus the movie-goers' consciousness upon the movie.

In the say way, these bodies were designed to focus our consciousness towards the physical world - while forgetting our real identity and our relationship with the Supreme Being.

Thus the physical body and mind also cannot lift us up, to allow us to return to the spiritual realm. They cannot even perceive God or heaven - how can they return us there?

The Supreme Being produced both the spiritual and physical realms. He is the Source and Origin of everything. Therefore He controls everything.

Therefore there is nothing impossible for the Supreme Being. While our physical body and mind were designed not to perceive the Supreme Being or the spiritual realm, the Supreme Being ultimately controls the physical and spiritual realms.

Therefore, for someone who becomes dedicated to Him, He can reveal Himself.

This does not take place whimsically, however. Nor automatically. It is ultimately the choice of the Supreme Being. And because we rejected the Supreme Being at some point in our past, it is not as if we can snap our fingers and He will allow us to reconnect with Him.

Can we get out by ourselves?

We are speaking of a relationship. A relationship that we once spurned. Should we want to return to our relationship, we must approach it with some humility, feeling sorry for our past rejection of Him.

Is this not what also occurs in other relationships? A person who ran off and left a relationship will certainly have caused some hurt for the other person. As such, returning to the relationship is done with humility and sorrow - as the spurned person is asked for forgiveness.

While the Supreme Being is beyond pettiness, He still feels hurt when we reject Him. He feels transcendental sadness. He also feels sorrow for us because He knows we will never be happy without our relationship with Him.

At the same time, the Supreme Being wants us to become serious about returning to Him before He lifts the veil and reveals Himself to us again. He doesn't want us to run off again. We must become dedicated this time.

Being a rich man is a state of consciousness of feeling attached to our temporary physical possessions. Yes, all of us have been given physical possessions to become attached to. And a relatively poor person can be just as attached to a dollar as a relatively rich person can be attached to one million dollars. Attachment is the consciousness that we own those possessions, and we do not want to give them up.

So what Jesus was testing in the young man was not whether he was relatively rich or not. It was whether he was attached to that wealth, and identified with that wealth. So he asked the man to give his wealth away and follow him to illustrate to the man and Jesus' students how the attachments of worldly possessions can keep us from returning home to God.

Therefore, we can say with confidence that every person who is attached to their temporary possessions - regardless of how much money or how many possessions they own - would be considered a "rich man" in the context of Jesus' statement.

Thus the impossibility a camel going through the eye of a needle illustrates the difficulty all of us with physical bodies and possessions have in reaching God: We cannot do it alone.

Are we powerless?

The purpose of our journey into the physical world and into these physical bodies is to exercise our freedom. We have the freedom to reject God and chase our own dreams. Here we can exercise our intent to be independent of God.

But while we have this freedom, our independence from God is an illusion.

Jesus’ statement above confirms that we are all powerless without Our Best Friend and Soul Mate, the Supreme Being. We have no ability to save ourselves. We have no ability to lift ourselves out of the attachments that we have created in the physical world. The reality of the situation is that we are stuck.

Like the darkened movie theater with the movie playing on the giant screen is hard to ignore, this illusory nature of the physical world is extremely difficult to transcend.

This illusory nature makes us think that if we make the body happy, we will be happy. So we struggle to make the body happy, and we only find that it - and our mind - is never happy with what we get. Nothing we do for our body or mind satisfies us. Even the movie stars, rock stars, and billionaires of the world with all their wealth and fame find that they are still not satisfied.

Transcending this unfulfilling physical world is impossible for us to do alone. We do not have the ability.

Who has the power then?

God does. God owns and controls everything, even the illusions of the physical world. He is able to shine the light of wisdom and knowledge into our hearts and lift us into awareness. He is able to send to us His representative to teach us how we can regain our loving relationship with Him. He is able to reach out and pull us back to Him: But only if we first make the choice that we want to return to Him.

There is an expression that "love heals everything." This also is true for the emptiness that dwells within the heart of each person attached to their temporary physical body and possessions. Should we redevelop our loving service relationship with God, and we begin to rely upon Him, we will also begin to realize that this relationship automatically lifts us out of the quagmire of the temporary physical world.

But we cannot develop this relationship alone. As they say, every relationship takes two. Therefore, we must first make a choice: We must decide that re-establishing our relationship with God is more important than the temporary "things" of this world. Once we make this decision, we must trust that God will see this within our hearts, and begin to show us how we can re-develop that relationship. This process may take time and patience, but to the extent that we are serious, God will bring us back to Him.

This of course requires trust (also called faith) in God. And this trust is the very point of Jesus' statement here, as we must trust that “with God, all things are possible.”

“You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left ...” (Matthew 20:23)

“You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” (Matthew 20:23)

Here is the situation:

Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. "What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom." "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" "We can," they answered. (Matthew 20:22)

Apparently, Zebedee's sons were Jesus' disciples James and John - whom Jesus had recruited from a fishing boat on the Galilee shore.

What does Jesus mean by 'my cup' here?

Remember Jesus had just asked these two followers:

"Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?"(Matthew 20:22)

With that question and here again, the word "cup" is translated from the Greek word ποτήριον (potērion) which can mean "cup" or "drinking vessel" when used literally. However, we know that Jesus is not literally referring to a cup, as they were not currently drinking or sharing a cup. In other words, Jesus was using this word metaphorically.

When used metaphorically, this Greek word means "one's lot or experience, whether joyous or adverse, divine appointments, whether favorable or unfavorable" according to the lexicon.

This indicates that Jesus is using this word to indicate a broader sense of the word. He sees that the two are wanting to commit themselves to a life of service. They are desiring to make a change in their lives.

They were seeking to make a change from self-centeredness to loving God and loving others.

Can Jesus grant access to heaven?

Jesus clearly states that it is not his decision. He states:

"... but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant."

Why would Jesus state this? Because, quite obviously, he is saying that he is not the Supreme Being, and thus he does not have the authority to decide who returns to the spiritual realm. 

So who makes the decision then?

"These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

What does this verse mean by "places"? Is the spiritual realm some kind of award ceremony where everyone is assigned a particular seat and table to sit at? Don't be ridiculous.

What does Jesus mean by 'my right or left'?

The phrase "these places" has been inserted by some translators who do not understand the spiritual realm. They inserted it because of their misunderstanding of Jesus' metaphorical use of "my right" (ἐγώ δεξιός) and "my left" (εὐώνυμος). In fact, there is nothing indicating "these places" in the original Greek texts.

What Jesus is referring to as "my right" and "my left" are those who would become Jesus' associates within the spiritual realm. They would be associates because they would share in their service and love of the Supreme Being.

This is because the spiritual realm is outside the confines of the physical world where we wear these temporary physical bodies. There the inhabitants are engaged in loving service relationships with the Supreme Being.

Jesus is using metaphors to communicate a spiritual concept. To be at the right or left of Jesus means to be there in the spiritual realm with Jesus, also engaged in a loving relationship with God.

What does Jesus mean by 'prepared by my Father'?

The word "prepared" - coming from the Greek word ἑτοιμάζω (hetoimazō) - relates to preparations made in advance of someone's arrival. What kind of preparations are required for us to return to the spiritual realm? And how is the Supreme Being involved in that?

Jesus is speaking of redeveloping our relationship with the Supreme Being - which must be done in advance of our return to the spiritual realm. Does this mean God will be fluffing up some pillows in advance for us?

God is not our maid. Nor is He our genie where we can just ask Him to deliver up some stuff for us and He will do it.

Nor is the Supreme Being a thing. He is not a void or a monolith. The Supreme Being is a living person. He is the Supreme Person. Yes, He is more expansive and larger in every respect than ourselves and others. 

But each of us can still have a loving relationship with the Supreme Person.

The Supreme Being is already prepared. There is no preparation required on His part. It is we who need to become prepared.

A relationship is a two-way street. There are two people involved. If a boy wants to have a relationship with a girl he can't do it himself. The girl would also have to engage in that relationship in order for them to have a relationship.

In the same way, in order to redevelop our loving service relationship with the Supreme Being, we need Him to accept us back into that relationship. It is not that we can accept ourselves and just figure that we deserve to return to our relationship with Him and we are there.

But this doesn't happen automatically. We must consider that we were the ones who rejected the Supreme Being. We were the ones who decided that we didn't want to love and serve Him anymore. So He sent us away to the physical world and gave us these physical bodies to play out our self-centered desires.

But consider what it means to take someone back after being rejected. Consider a woman whose husband ran off with another woman and left her. Would she easily take the husband back after he cheated on her?

Certainly not. If she still loved him, she would want to make sure that the husband had changed his ways and wasn't going to leave her again. She would want to make sure that he was serious and really committed to returning to her. She would want to make sure he had a change of heart.

Does the Supreme Being need our commitment?

Right now we are cruising the physical world, looking for something that will satisfy us. God lets us do this because love requires freedom. But this world is also a place of learning. It is set up for us to learn and grow.

What does God want from us before we can return home to Him?

He wants to make sure that we are ready to return to Him. Yes, He loves us and wants us to return to Him. But not on a whim. He doesn't want us to whimsically return to Him, just to then decide again that we don't care about Him. The Supreme Being doesn't go for whimsical relationships.

He wants commitment. Just as any of us wants to have a commitment within a loving relationship.

The spiritual realm is full of committed loving relationships - each unique in that the Supreme Being has a specific type of loving relationship with each of us. In each loving relationship, the Supreme Being commits Himself to love us unconditionally: No matter what we do, He loves us and cares for us.

He simply wants the same in return. He wants us to love Him unconditionally. Not just because He gives us stuff. Not just because He takes care of us. He wants us to love Him no matter what. Jesus spoke specifically of this:

" '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)

This is the nature of heaven. And this is why Jesus cannot grant the two boys their return to their relationship to the Supreme Being. It is between them and God.

“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away ...” (Matthew 21:43)

“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.” (Matthew 21:43)

Where is the 'kingdom of God'?

The key element in Jesus' statement is the phrase “kingdom of God.” The word "kingdom" is translated from the Greek word βασιλεία (basileia) which means "royal power, kingship, dominion, rule - not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom" according to Thayer's lexicon.

In other words, it is not describing a place. It is describing a consciousness whereby the Supreme Being is being accepted as the ruler and one relies upon God. This consciousness can take place regardless of whether a person is within the physical or spiritual world.

This notion of Jesus' reference to the "kingdom of God" is confirmed by the fact that Jesus is stating that it can be "taken away from you." How can a location be taken away from someone?

But the consciousness of relying upon the Supreme Being can be taken away. How so?

How can the 'kingdom of God' be taken away?

The physical world was designed by the Supreme Being to mask or disguise His presence. This is conducted first, by the illusion that we are these physical bodies - called misidentification.

Second, the illusion is completed by the limitations of the senses and the mind. As we become tricked into thinking that we are these physical bodies, we become enmeshed in the world of the physical senses - thinking these temporary forms and things of the physical world will somehow satisfy us.

We might compare this to the illusion created by movie theaters. A theater will have its customers sit down in a darkened room and watch a big screen up front with a great sound system. The entire experience is set up so the movie-goer can forget reality for a while and get focused upon a made-up story within the movie. The entire project - from the actors to the movie set to the theater - is all prepared to create the experience for the movie-goer - allowing us to forget reality for a while.

In the same way, this physical body and mind and physical world are all designed to allow us to forget the reality of the Supreme Being for a while. Why?

Because we wanted to get away from God. We wanted our independence from Him. We wanted to be happy without Him. So He set up a virtual world to allow us that freedom.

Because God wants our love. He created us to exchange loving relationships with Him. And love requires freedom.

What is the 'fruit' Jesus is referring to?

The metaphorical "fruit" that Jesus is referring to is the fruit related to the exchange of a relationship. How do people who have a relationship exchange in that relationship?

A person who loves another will automatically want to serve that person. They will want to do what pleases that person. When they find out what pleases them they will do that activity.

As such, service is the "fruit" of having a loving relationship with the Supreme Being: Working in a way that is pleasing to God.

Jesus conducted his life in this way:

"The One who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him." (John 8:29)

Jesus clearly established that he was serving the Supreme Being:

“My food, is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work." (John 4:34)

Doing the will of the Supreme Being was Jesus' "food" because this was fulfilling to Jesus.

This is the sign of someone who loves another. They will work to please the one they love: Loving service.

Jesus also taught his followers the importance of having a personal loving relationship with God and thus learning to serve the Supreme Being with our lives:

" '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." (Matthew 22:37-38)