“Blessed are you when people insult you...." (Matthew 5:11-12)

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because in the same way they persecuted the Prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:11-12)

Who would 'insult' Jesus' followers?

In this statement, Jesus is discussing with his disciples and students the challenges of their commitment to following his teachings, and the sacrifices that may arise from that commitment.

Should we put God in the center of our lives, we find others will become envious. Why? Because they are alone and afraid. They do not have the comfort of knowing that they have a Best Friend and Companion in God.

A person who is sincerely seeking to achieve love for God and loving service to God will rejoice when they see another person trying to grow spiritually and helping others grow spiritually. But a person who is not sincere will attempt to reduce those who are.

Why are so many people like this in this world? Because most of us are primarily self-centered rather than God-centered. In this physical world, self-centeredness tends to prevail. And self-centeredness naturally leads to enviousness and self-righteousness.

All of these faults in others are to be forgiven, just as we want to be forgiven for our many faults. Most of us can relate to this. How many of us have not criticized another person? For those who criticize us, we should be merciful. We should be understanding. After all, Jesus came to help us grow out of our self-centeredness.

This is precisely why Jesus and many of the Prophets before Jesus have been persecuted for their acts of mercy in trying to save us from our self-centeredness.

Jesus is reminding his students that they are in good company as they receive the insults and persecution of others, "in the same way they persecuted the Prophets who were before you."

Why does Jesus say 'Prophets who were before you'?

Is Jesus comparing his followers to the Prophets?

Certainly he is. Why else would he compare their situation to that of the Prophets?

While some teachers might dismiss the word prophet as a title primarily belonging to people like Moses and Abraham, in reality, Jesus is using the word “prophet” - from the Greek word προφήτης (prophētēs) meaning one who teaches "by the Spirit of God" - to describe one who teaches on behalf of God. He is referring to God's representative.

And Jesus was expecting his students to teach on behalf of God by passing on his teachings:

"Therefore go and make disciples..." (Matt. 28:19)

And he told 72 of his students to go out to every town and:

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

Jesus also accepted that his own teacher, John the Baptist, was not just any prophet:

"But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet." (Luke 7:26)

While many believe being a “prophet” means to “prophesize” about some future event, we know that the kind of “prophet” Jesus references are those who have been empowered by the Supreme Being to speak on God's behalf - to introduce people to God. To teach people to love and serve God.

Is this about prophecy?

Some interpret being a prophet as having the ability to predict the future. But is predicting the future really an essential part of Jesus' teachings? Jesus himself taught:

“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)

Thus, Jesus taught that even though "many" will predict the future in Jesus' name, they won't necessarily be welcomed by Jesus. Jesus' criteria is quite simple:

“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.” (Matthew 7:21)

Certainly, some great teachers can have the ability to predict certain future events. But often this is about understanding the realities of this world. 

But our individual future is quite easy to predict. Each of us is wearing a physical body and that body is destined to die. At that time each of us will leave our physical body.

Yes, this is the future that many a prophet has predicted, yet most of us have misunderstood. The fact that the end of the world is coming for each of us - each of our physical bodies will die within a short period. It may be in 40 years. It may be in 20 years. It may be in a year. Or it may be tomorrow. 

We don't know the exact date our body will die -and the world will end for us - but we surely know it will be relatively soon. The question is whether we have adequately prepared for that day, as the Prophets have taught us to do.

While we can certainly accept Moses, David, Abraham, Solomon, and others as Prophets, we must also accept that there have been many others who have represented God and His Teachings through the ages who have not been mentioned in the Bible. The lineages of these Prophets all originate ultimately from God Himself, yet we can know and understand a true lineage of Prophets by seeing that each taught a consistent message of love for God.

The fact that many of the Prophets were persecuted for their dedication to their teachings is being confirmed by Jesus. Not only did Jesus and Peter and other students get persecuted for their dedication to the Supreme Being, but Jesus' own teacher John the Baptist was persecuted for his loving service and commitment to God.

And we know that Jesus also passed on the core teachings taught by Moses through John as Jesus quoted Moses' message word-for-word in his 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 and Deut. 6:5)

“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)

“Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth ...” (Matthew 6:10)

“Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)

What does 'Your kingdom come' mean?

The word "kingdom" is being translated from the Greek word, βασιλεία (basileia), which can mean "kingdom," but only in the context of "royal power, kingship, dominion, rule" according to the lexicon. The lexicon also states that 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 "kingdom" is not an appropriate translation. Rather, a more appropriate translation would be something like "dominion" or "authority."

But further in the context of Jesus' times and use of language would relate to what kings provided to their subjects in feudal times - "sanctuary." A citizen of a particular village or region would basically take sanctuary under a particular king or leader. Such sanctuary provided safety as well as a role in the society.

The word "come" is being translated from the Greek word ἔρχομαι (erchomai), which means, when used metaphorically (as is the case here), "to come into being, arise, come forth, show itself, find place or influence;" and "be established, become known, to come (fall) into or unto" according to the lexicon.

In other words, Jesus is suggesting that we pray to God to reveal His sanctuary to us. This is essentially asking that God provide us with His sanctuary - to give us protection and allow us to connect with Him.

What does 'Your will be done' mean?

The terminology of this phrase is a little muddled according to this translation.

Note that Jesus is suggesting a prayer to the Supreme Being. God is in complete control, and therefore He can have His will be done any time and any place. Therefore, Jesus is not saying that we should instruct God to have His will done.

Rather, Jesus is saying, with the phrase, "γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου" that we should ask God if we can do His will.

Actually, the word translated to "will" (θέλημα (thelēma)) actually means, "what one wishes or has determined shall be done."

Since this is a "Your" thing here, this could also be translated to "what pleases You."

In other words, what Jesus is suggesting here is that we ask God if we can do what pleases Him.

The Supreme Being can do what He wants. He can make His will happen with or without us. What the Supreme Being did, however, is give each of us the ability to make a choice of whether we want to do what pleases Him or not.

This is called free will and each of us has this freedom to reject God's wishes or adhere by them. This is because love is based upon freedom, and the only way we can truly love God is if we have the freedom not to.

Why does Jesus prayer suggest this?

This portion of Jesus’ suggested prayer is focused upon our ultimate perfection as spiritual beings: Jesus is requesting that when his students pray, they ask God if they can serve Him and please Him with their lives.

God created us to exchange a loving relationship with Him. Love, however, requires the freedom of choice, because a person cannot be forced to love someone.

So the Supreme Being gave us the choice to love Him or not. This also means we have the freedom to serve God or not. You see, God does not have slaves. He has loving servants - those who choose to love and serve Him.

Why do so many ignore God?

Most of us who live in the physical dimension have chosen not to love and serve God. We have chosen not to do His will. This decision each of us made is symbolized by the story of Adam and Eve. Adam chose not to do God’s will after being asked by God not to eat the forbidden fruit.

This primary act, of deciding to go against the will of God, created our entry into the material world, away from God’s presence. This is explained in symbolic language in Genesis:

“The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the Lord God said, “The man has now become 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 (in front of) 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 3:21-24)

The “garments of skin” are our temporary physical bodies. Because we decided we wanted to be independent of God, we were given our virtual independence from Him.

Here we can forget about God. We can even claim He doesn't exist. In fact, it is God who gives the atheist the rationale to claim His non-existence.

This is the expression of freedom. In order to have true freedom to love God or not, the Supreme Being set up this plane of existence where our physical eyes do not see Him. Though He dwells among us, we cannot see Him with these physical eyes. This gives us a chance to ignore Him, just as we wanted.

Why do we seek love?

Yet we continue to look for true love throughout our physical lives, demanding it from our parents, friends and even our pets. These forms of so-called love, however, do not satisfy us because we need our original loving relationship with God.

Any loving relationship is accompanied by loving service. Loving service means doing the will of the one we love. Jesus is saying, "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." What does this mean?

This illustrates that one can do God’s will here in the physical dimension just as well as we can do His will in the spiritual dimension. We can exchange this loving relationship anywhere. We don't have to 'go to heaven' in order to be in the spiritual realm.

Because we can do the Supreme Being's will regardless of whether we are in the physical body or not, we can virtually be in the spiritual realm where ever we may be.

Practically speaking, the entire creation - both spiritual and physical - was created by the Supreme Being. This means it is all His kingdom. Therefore if we are in the consciousness that we want to do His will, we will be in the spiritual realm right here and right now.

Jesus showed by example how to be pleasing and loving to God even while living in this temporary physical body. Even when he was being ridiculed, mistreated, misunderstood, and even tortured, he was thinking of God's pleasure. He wanted to do what God wanted him to do. This was expressed in his prayer right before he was arrested:

“Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:36)

What does this mean? It means that Jesus is enjoying a loving relationship with the Supreme Being.

Jesus taught that spiritual life is about having a relationship with God. It is not about joining one sect or another. It is not about doing a bunch of rituals. It is not about being saved or being cleansed of sins. It is about exchanging a loving relationship with the Supreme Being.

And this is what Jesus was teaching his students:

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

“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of one who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)

Why is Jesus telling them not to 'be afraid'?

This statement follows Jesus' warning to his followers that they will be subject to persecution meted out by the Romans and the Temple institution, due to their dedication to Jesus.

Jesus also emphasized that should they follow the example and teachings of Jesus, they would be subjected to similar persecution as he was.

And as he predicted, most of Jesus' known disciples were indeed persecuted in the decades following Jesus' departure. These include Peter, John, James, Mark, and Matthew.

Now Jesus is telling his followers that if they are persecuted, they can only harm the body but not the soul. The soul will be intact because it is separate from the body.

Jesus is clearly speaking of the relationship between the body and the spirit, as he prepares his followers to go out and teach on his behalf.

Jesus is indicating that our central identity is spiritual, not physical. Jesus is clear that the death of the physical body does not impact the spiritual self. Each of us will continue to exist after the physical body dies.

This means Jesus is teaching that we are not these physical bodies.

What is the 'soul'?

The "soul" is being translated from the Greek word ψυχή (psychē) meaning, according to the lexicon:

- "the vital force which animates the body and shows itself in breathing;"
- "a living being, a living soul"
- "the soul as an essence which differs from the body and is not dissolved by death (distinguished from other parts of the body)"

Jesus is speaking of the fact we are each a spiritual being, not a physical body.

This is one of the core teachings of Jesus that many teachers are ignoring. This is also stated in Luke:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes." (Luke 12:22-23)

How does this impact Jesus' message?

Many teach that we can ask Jesus to help our bodies heal or help us get more money or help us achieve material success. Is this right?

Jesus did not teach materialism. This is clear from this statement about the body and the soul.

Jesus taught that we are each a soul. We are not these physical bodies. Since the soul cannot be killed when the body is killed, this means Jesus was teaching that each of us is a soul. It is not that we have a soul. We are the soul.

Jesus did not teach that we gain happiness through materialism. 

What does Jesus mean by 'in hell'?

This is precisely those whom Jesus is warning his students to be wary of:

"Rather, be afraid of one who can destroy both soul and body in hell."

Where is the "in hell" Jesus is referring to here?

If Jesus was referring to hell as only a place we go after the body dies, then his language would not be in the present tense as he mentions "can destroy both soul and body in hell."

If he were only speaking of "hell" as a place we might go in the future, he would have said something like, "one who can send the soul to hell." 

But he didn't say this. He speaks as though the person might descend into hell right here and now. How is that?

Hell is that place where God is forgotten. Hell is that place where people avoid the Supreme Being and His servants and His representatives. Therefore, hell can be any place or time where the Supreme Being is forgotten.

In other words, we can be in hell right here and now. Or not - depending upon our consciousness.

Who is the 'devil'?

But why is hell also referred to as this hot place - a dungeon - where people are chained up and beaten by the devil?

This is actually metaphorical. Just look around. There is suffering all around us. Our bodies suffer from the time they are born to the time they die. Yes, there may be glimpses of momentary pleasure in between, but most of life in the physical world is difficult and full of suffering. And heat - yes, both metaphorically and literally - heat pervades this world. The heat of burning desires and the sweltering heat of summer.

Here in this world, we experience disease, starvation, getting old, and then death. Our bodies constantly get sick. The body gets hungry several times a day even when there is enough food to eat. And in between the body is suffering from all sorts of ailments. Is this not hellish enough?

Thankfully, we are not these physical bodies. And the world was designed to help us rehabilitate. The physical world is a place of rehabilitation. So there is a way out.

Jesus is telling his students that they don't have to worry about their physical bodies being hurt - because our physical bodies will all die at some point.

Rather, Jesus is warning his students about those who will harm their consciousness - encouraging them to forget the Supreme Being.

Jesus makes these clarifications because he is telling his students to stay away from those who reject the Supreme Being and offend God’s servants. This is the hell that Jesus wants his students to avoid because he cares for them.

What is heaven?

And what about the "heaven" that those who like to show their allegiance to Jesus discuss as they ignore the Supreme Being? Jesus speaks to those here:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 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 in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" (Matthew 7:21-23)

The key phrase here is, "but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

Despite this clear statement, there are many so-called followers of Jesus that speak of heaven as this place of enjoyment - imagining themselves sitting back and enjoying life in a beautiful place.

They want heaven without the Supreme Being. They want to enjoy life in a perfect place but they don't care about the Supreme Being. Is this really heaven? No.

Jesus is speaking of doing the Supreme Being's will. Doing something that pleases God. This is the consciousness of heaven. And this is the opposite consciousness of a person who is seeking their own pleasure while thinking we are the center of existence.

This doctrine that "satan" or "the devil" has somehow gotten out of God's control is preposterous. The Supreme Being is the absolute Controller of everything. God has no real competitor. This is why He is called "God."

Because God gives everyone the choice to love Him or not, some choose not to. And those who choose not to love Him are given the opportunity to forget Him and live in the physical world for a while.

But the physical world is also a place of learning. We may enjoy coming here and forgetting our real existence in the spiritual realm for a while. But this world is also set up as a learning facility.

Here we can learn how to love again. We can learn to care for others and not just about ourselves.

Yes, caring about ourselves is important. But it is not that important. It is not as important as caring for others. It is not as important as helping others grow.

We can learn these things here if we want to. But this world allows us to forget who we are if we want.

This is the world of misidentification. It is the world of forgetfulness. It is the world where we can forget the Supreme Being and forget our relationship with Him.

Forgetting about our loving relationship with God is hell. We can leave hell simply by dedicating our life to the Supreme Being. This means that heaven is as close as a decision.

“If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit ...” (Matthew 12:11-12)

“If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:11-12)

Can Jesus heal on the Sabbath?

Jesus has walked into a synagogue, and there in the synagogue was a man with a shriveled hand. The Pharisees tested Jesus with the question:

“Ís it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” (Matt. 12:10)

Jesus then responds to this question, first with an analogy, the meaning of which is explained below.

Next, Jesus states with clarity that it is indeed lawful to heal on the Sabbath.

One of the key elements of Jesus' statement is the word "good" - translated from the Greek word, καλῶς (kalōs) which means "fine," "beautiful" and "noble" according to the lexicon. Thus the act that Jesus is speaking of - healing a man - is more than just "good."

We can see from his answer and other statements that Jesus’ focus was not on rituals. His focus was the welfare of others - especially related to their spiritual lives.

What is the Sabbath?

Jesus practiced the teachings of the Jewish Prophets and Priests, just as his teacher John the Baptist. Those teachings had been practiced for thousands of years prior.

Jesus also taught his own followers to practice these same teachings. This included honoring the Sabbath as the Holy day of the week, and honoring Passover as the Holy eight-day period each year.

Honoring the Sabbath has its origins from God's instructions in the Old Testament:

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11)

This instruction has been followed for thousands of years now, though some sects have abandoned the Sabbath in lieu of honoring the "seventh day" as Sunday. In this case, it is still honoring the principle instruction.

The principle of "rest" on the Sabbath is being questioned here by Jesus. In Matthew 12:3 Jesus brings up the example of David with regard to fasting on the Sabbath.

We also know that other Prophets and observant Kings did do some things during the Sabbath. This included the priest Jehoiada organizing the removal of queen Athaliah and replacing her with Joash. And Joshua marched on Jericho during the Sabbath. These were things done for the good of their people during those times.

There are many other examples, but doing work for money or business was condemned by the Prophets as a result of Exodus 20. Buying and selling on the Sabbath were particularly condemned.

But as we see here, the priests of Jesus' time took this a bit too far. They applied this principle to any type of work, including work for the purpose of helping others on the Sabbath. Jesus clarifies that this form of work certainly "lawful" on the Sabbath.

What does the sheep analogy mean?

Jesus is asking if they would save a sheep that falls into a pit on the Sabbath, and if so, then why would helping a man on the Sabbath be wrong?

The metaphor with regard to the sheep and the pit indicates a deeper element - one deeper than simply healing a person's physical body. Jesus frequently utilized the sheep metaphor, because this communicated innocence, especially among those who needed help.

This was illustrated repeatedly. For example:

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:5)

We can understand from this that healing the body was not as important as healing the soul - the living being occupying that physical body.

And the relationship between the "pit" and those Jesus was trying to teach and save is that we have all fallen into a pit - the pit of the physical world.

In this pit of the physical world, we are blinded by our misidentification with our physical body and our mistaken dreams that the forms and things of this world will make us happy.

Who gets pulled out of 'the pit'?

This illusion that the things of the material world will make us happy requires our being pulled up out of this pit. We cannot pull ourselves up. We might try very hard, but the illusory nature of the physical world will keep us down into the pit unless the Supreme Being pulls us up.

This is why Jesus chose to utilize a pit in his analogy of the sheep: It is because his teachings regarding the Supreme Being provide a means to pull us out of the pit of self-centeredness.

What does getting out of this pit look like according to Jesus?

" '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. And the second is like it: love others as yourself." (Matt. 22:37-39)

“The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man ..." (Matthew 13:37-40)

“The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. (Matthew 13:37-40)

Who are the 'sons of the kingdom'?

Jesus makes this statement after the disciples asked him to explain the parable he told the crowd about the weeds in the field. Here Jesus confirms the relationships described previously.

Remember that we've shown that in this context, the Greek word υἱός (huios) is not best translated to "son", but, as taken from the Greek lexicon, "one who depends on another or is his follower." Thus “devoted follower” or even "loving servant" would be the most appropriate translation within this context. So when we see the translation "son of God" in the Bible, this is more appropriately translated to "loving servant of God" or "devoted follower of God."

This also fits with that puzzling translation, "Son of Man." How could someone be simultaneously the "son of God" and the "Son of Man," and what the heck is a 'Son of Man' anyway? Rather (using the correct translation of υἱὸς (huios) as "loving servant") we can properly translate Jesus' self-ascription as the “servant of humanity,” because he was devoted to the welfare of humanity, as well as being a loving servant of God.

This only makes sense. Jesus is God’s loving servant and representative. He is teaching humankind the Truth about God and life. As his mission is the welfare of humanity, he is thus humbly ascribing himself to be the servant of humanity.

This also explains why Jesus is using "Son of Man" [servant of humanity] in the third person. Who speaks like this? Does a person named John say, "the one who planted the field was John" when they planted it? No. They will simply say, "I planted the field."

Thus we can see that Jesus is referring to "Son of Man" [servant of humanity] as a role, rather than exclusively himself. Yes, he is saying - as confirmed elsewhere - that indeed, he is occupying this role. But he is also recognizing - as he often quoted Moses, David, and other prophets - that others have also occupied this role.

Jesus is planting the “seeds” of love for God and loving service to the Supreme Being. Here the translation says “the good seed stands for the sons [loving servants] of the kingdom.” This confirms the proper translation of “loving servants” rather than “sons.” How could anyone be a son of a kingdom? We are talking about those who are servants of God. A servant of God is one who loves and cares for God and all of God’s children. They are therefore being a “servant of the kingdom.”

Loving service to God and His children is the essence of the kingdom of God. The word translated to "kingdom" here is βασιλεία (basileia), which does not mean a physical kingdom. As described in the lexicon, it refers to "royal power, kingship, dominion, rule; not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom." Thus Jesus is speaking of God's authority or dominion and the consciousness that respects that authority and dominion.

Who is the 'evil one'?

The phrase “evil one,” is translated from πονηρός (ponēros), which means full of labors, annoyances, hardships" and "bad, of a bad nature or condition." Thus Jesus is not referring to a separate person. He is describing a particular consciousness. What is that consciousness?

It is the consciousness of rejecting our relationship with the Supreme Being. It is the consciousness of self-centeredness, resulting in greed, lust, and consequential hardships.

What is the 'end of the age'?

Sectarian interpretations would have us believe Jesus is describing someday in the future where Jesus will return and separate those who follow his teachings and throw the rest into a fiery hell.

Actually, the concept of the "end of the age" that Jesus is referring to is the moment of death. For each of us, this is the end of the time we have spent within the physical body - the end of the age. Our bodies age, and then there is the end of the aging - death.

When our body dies, the living being (or soul) leaves the body. This is why the body decomposes. After we leave this body we will continue on our educational journey as a soul. The "end of the age" of this lifetime is the time of death.

Each of us is on our own personal journey. The goal is to grow spiritually. This physical lifetime is meant to teach us lessons and help us to learn to love. Should we learn these lessons and learn to love we will progress. Otherwise, we will return to continue our learning experiences.

Where will they 'throw them'?

The concept of the 'fiery furnace' is metaphorical. Jesus is not referring literally to a furnace. It is not as if there is a big furnace somewhere where people are thrown into.

Actually, we will each leave these physical bodies at the time of death. But it is where we go and what happens to us that can be analogous to the concept of a fiery furnace.

Jesus is speaking about consequences. This physical world is designed for each of us to learn from our past through consequences. If we harm others, we must experience what we caused to others. This helps us learn.

If we do not suffer consequences during this lifetime, we will have to take on another body and suffer those consequences in another body.

This is why, for example, some babies are born into situations of suffering. A soul may be born into the body of a human or another type of body. Each body is subjected to a particular range of environmental exposure - good and bad - depending upon that soul's past activities.

These kinds of exposures can inflict the kind of painful response that Jesus is referring to. Jesus is referring to consequences - suffering as a result of harming others.

The "fiery furnace" that Jesus is referring to is the fear, violence, and bloodshed that could exist for any of us in a future lifetime of consequence.

The human form of life is a life of consciousness, and a bridge back to our relationship with God should we use it correctly.

At the point of death, the spirit-person rises out of the body (as confirmed scientifically by thousands of clinical death experiences). Where we go next is determined by our consciousness and our activities. We make the choice.

Have the early teachings of Jesus been corrupted?

There is a significant amount of evidence that Jesus taught the transmigration of the soul (living being) from the body. This is the meaning of resurrection. To resurrect means to rise up from the physical body. The spirit-self will rise from the body at the time of death. Where it does is determined by the consciousness and activities of that spirit-person.

There is undeniable evidence that this was also taught among the early Christian and Jewish philosophies. We find distinct writings of Origen Adamantius (185-254), an early Christian scholar and devoted theologian. Origen was favored and honored by early Christian bishops and even though he was murdered by the Romans in 250 AD, today he is recognized as one of the earliest fathers of the Christian Church.

Origin's many writings and translations of the ancient Hebrew texts and the texts of the new testament clearly expounded an accepted understanding that we are each a soul (spirit) who is evolving and transmigrating through multiple lifetimes of physical bodies. As we evolve, he taught, we either ascend towards a return to God or descend away from Him into the bodies of beasts and lower forms of life.

As the soul perfects its relationship with God, Origen wrote, the soul would return home to God. His writings illustrated that not only did he believe in the “pre-existence of souls” but gauging by his acceptance among early Christian society, many other Christian scholars of that time agreed with this teaching. Where did it come from if not the teachings of Jesus?

Origen also compiled the famous Hexapla, which was a translation of six versions of the Old Testament, compared side by side in order to elucidate the core meanings from these various versions. It is thought that the LXX and Septuagint evolved from the passage of one of Origen’s columns, which still makes up the backbone of many Old Testament translations used by the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Origen’s perspectives were pervasively embraced within the early Church and throughout Alexandria during the third century, and even were reflected in many of St. Augustine's writings.

Did the Roman Emperor shut it down?

This all changed in the fourth century, however. The Roman Emperor Constantine organized the First Council of Nicaea with Bishop Eusebius. This politically oriented council is also referred to as the Synod of Nicene of 325 AD.

This and the Second Council of Ephesus in 449 put together by the Roman Emperor Theodosius II, led to the creation of the Roman Catholic Church.

These and other councils were organized by the Roman government to develop a political culture among the bishops and priests from churches throughout Europe and the Middle East. These councils were formed with political intention - to organize the Christian world under Rome.

They were designed to define the teachings of Jesus so the populace could be controlled. The councils voted on and established doctrines and interpretations of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. They defined who Jesus was and what his role was. As if Jesus' teachings could be defined through political negotiation.

The Romans also made the final approval on which "books" of the Bible were acceptable. They oversaw the creation of the "Bible" as we know it today. There were, evidenced by scrolls found in the desert centuries later, many other descriptions of Jesus' life and teachings. Yet under the management of the Romans, only certain manuscripts were accepted and others were destroyed and otherwise removed from the record.

The Roman Emperor Constantine appointed Eusebius to organize this process and select a team of translators, who edited the translations of the 'authorized' books of the Bible. They deleted some verses and manipulated others to achieve a final text known as the Vaticanus, laying the foundation for what we now know as the Bible.

This is why the life and teachings of Jesus often seem very curious, with many gaps and a narrow period of his life. The rest was excluded for political purposes.

Still, we can find that many of Jesus' statements still reflect at least part of his total teachings, even if they are a bit obscured by the translations. In other words, God made sure that enough of Jesus' real teachings were preserved, enabling those with the vision to understand their meaning.

While the politically-driven councils of sectarian institutions would like us to believe otherwise, the "harvest" Jesus refers to comes at the time of death - the end of our "age."

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear."

Jesus is saying that at the time of death, the sum of our consciousness will carry us to our next destination. Those who have lived lives focused upon God return to Him and His personal spiritual kingdom. This is the dimension of love and loving service, where there is no fear, and only love. This is our home. This is where we belong.

“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net ...” (Matthew 13:47-51)

“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Have you understood all these things?” (Matthew 13:47-51)

What does the 'net' symbolize in Jesus' analogy?

Here Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a net let down to catch fish. Why a net? A net symbolizes the effort that the Supreme Being makes to bring us back to Him. 

In more practical terms, the net descends at the death of the physical body. Every physical body will die. At the time of death the soul, the spirit-person, will leave the physical body and ascend into the realm of the spirit.

It is here that our consciousness and activities during this lifetime are accounted for. This moment, also characterized as "judgment day" is compared by Jesus to the fishermen sorting out the fish.

Notice that the "bad" fish are "thrown away" in Jesus' parable. What does "thrown away" mean? 

Since the fishermen are on the shore, it means the fish are thrown back into the water.

This is particularly important because Jesus then compares the fishermen separating the fish with angels who will separate the "wicked from the righteous."

In this case, Jesus describes how the angels will treat the "wicked." He says they will, "throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

What does this mean from a practical standpoint?

How will the 'angels come and separate the wicked'?

Once we leave our physical body at the time of death, each of us is sorted according to our consciousness and activities carried out during our lifetimes, just as the fishermen sorted the fish in Jesus' parable: "Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away."

The concept of the fish being "thrown away" in Jesus' analogy means those fish were thrown back into the water. In the same way, those who have not attempted to develop a more spiritual, loving consciousness, and growing closer to God will need more development. This means we will be tossed back into the physical world to continue learning.

Yes, this physical world is set up for learning. We are each given a physical body that is equipt for experiencing physical pleasure and physical pain. This accompanies a mind that can experience psychological pleasure and psychological pain.

This physical world is designed as a place of consequences. This means consequences that reflect not only what effects we have had on others, (“as you sow, so shall you reap”) but also to our level of learning.

For example, a person may have committed a wrong against someone else and feels very sorry. They regret what they did. Such a person may still suffer consequences for that action. But the consequences will also be relative to the degree of learning they have experienced.

The purpose of consequences is not punitive. It is rehabilitative. A person who has empathy and understands the harm they have done and feels sorry, the consequences will reflect that.

But a person who commits a wrong against someone and does not feel they have done anything wrong will typically receive the brunt of the consequences. That is because they need to not only learn what they did was wrong. They will also need to learn what it was like bearing the brunt of what harm they caused to someone else.

This can also occur to some degree within many legal systems, as judges and juries will also take into account the remorse of the person on trial.

This is similar to the way consequences work on the physical world because this is a place designed by God to help us to grow spiritually - which means learning about love and how to love others. This is preparation for learning to redevelop our loving relationship with God.

If we have utilized our life to grow spiritually, then according to Jesus, we may not be "thrown away" - which means being put back into the physical world to begin another lifetime of learning.

What about the 'gnashing of teeth and weeping'?

What is the physics of this? The body is dead. The teeth are decomposing. How can decomposing teeth gnash? The eyes also decompose so there can be no weeping. 

The only way for this to occur is if the spirit-person is given a new body, complete with teeth that can “gnash” and eyes that can “weep.”

After the death of this body, the self-centered soul will be put back into another physical body in new circumstances. And what might those circumstances be? They will be specifically supplied in the form of a unique physical body and environment - designed precisely to learn certain lessons and face consequences for choices made in a previous lifetime.

This also answers that question posed by many about why there is suffering in the world. Why are some born into situations where they are subject to starvation, war, and rape, while others are born into wealthy families in relatively safe regions? Why are some born into healthy bodies and others born into sick or deformed bodies? Does this mean that God is not fair - they ask?

The Supreme Being is certainly fair. Those who are born into hellish situations are experiencing the consequences of what they inflicted upon others. They are experiencing suffering precisely as they caused others to suffer.

The Supreme Being set up a perfect system. We get put into precisely the situations we created for others when we had a choice. This is the true definition of "reaping what we have sown." This also allows the state of "gnashing of teeth and weeping" that Jesus is describing.

Each of us who occupies a physical body is living in a relative degree of hell, depending upon our consciousness and consequences from past activities. Our body is designed to teach us specific lessons. And whatever our body's physical suffering, it is caused by our previous choices and/or the lessons we need to learn.

But we are always offered a way out of this hellish dimension. This is Jesus' point.

Should we choose to use our lifetimes to re-develop our relationship with the Supreme Being, we will be like the "good fish" of Jesus' parable. 

What does the 'end of the age' mean?

What does Jesus mean by the “end of the age”? Many have speculated a point in time in the future where the world ends and everyone is judged and sent to their respective places. This "apocalypse" scenario has been predicted by preachers and priests for centuries yet the end of the world has not come yet. Were they lying to us?

The problem with this theory is: Where do all the people go who die before this "apocalypse" arrives? To cover this “end of the age” interpretation, ecclesiastical teachers and their institutions have conjured a speculative concept called “purgatory.” This concept assumes that people will just wait in a limbo state after they die, waiting for the “end of the age.”

This would mean, of course, that billions upon billions of people have been waiting in this limbo state for thousands of years (all the way back to the dawning of man?). This ridiculous postulation means that trillions of people are hanging out in this purgatory state, all waiting to be judged and waiting for the "second coming." What are they doing all this time? Is it like a big Cocoon movie or something? Does this really make sense? And where did Jesus (or any prophet) say this?

This concept of purgatory is simply speculation based upon mistranslated and misinterpreted text. The word "age" is translated from the Greek word αἰών (aiōn), which means, according to the lexicon: "period of time, age."

The "age" that Jesus is speaking of is the "age" related to the lifespan of those he is speaking to. What other "age" could he be speaking of? Isn't he speaking personally to people regarding their spiritual welfare? Certainly, Jesus is not a historian, speaking in terms of a certain future event in time, an event that would occur outside the timeframe of those he was speaking to.

Thus, the “end of the age” Jesus spoke of relates to that day each physical body dies. Each of our bodies have an “age” right? And there is a day and time when each body dies, right? At this point, it is the end of our aging, right? So it is merely logical to conclude that the “end of the age” for each of us is the day each of our bodies dies.

The event of bodily death is common to each of us. Every body must die. Therefore, each of us shares a common event: our bodies will die, and they will cease to age, and thus this is the "end of the age."

What takes place upon our leaving the body at the time of death? This has been confirmed among thousands of cases of clinical death: Once a person's body clinically dies, the person floats above the body, watching it as it lies at the deathbed. 

Jesus makes it clear in his statement that we are judged for our lifetimes and the angels will separate the "wicked from the righteous."

The word "righteous" comes from the Greek word δίκαιος (dikaios), which means "observing divine laws" according to the lexicon. The essence of "divine laws" according to Jesus and Moses is to love the Supreme Being with all our hearts and love others.

At the time of our body's death (the "end of the age") we will be able to leave this hellish dimension and return to the spiritual dimension. We will be carried back home by the angels into the loving arms of God, Who has been patiently awaiting our return to Him.

Why has this been misunderstood?

The key reason Jesus' statement has been misinterpreted is because of a lack of understanding regarding our identity. This is the key essence of Jesus' teachings:

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul." (Matthew 10:27)

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

"The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (Matthew 25:42 and Mark 14:39)

"But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." (Luke 12:5)

Jesus is clear: bodies do not dance on graves, nor do they wait in purgatory. They decompose. This is verified scientifically simply by digging up a buried body. In fact, during the body's lifetime, every molecule in our body is recycled at least every five years (also scientifically established).

This means the body we wear today is a different body we wore five years ago. What is constant? We still exist, yet our body is constantly changing composition. What remains unchanged is the living spirit - the person - the soul - who temporarily occupies the physical body for a temporary period of time (“the age”).

God knows that we will only be happy when we re-establish our loving relationship with Him. The net symbolizes His process of bringing us out of the physical world and bringing those who want to return to Him back home.

The kingdom of heaven is about our relationship with God. The word "kingdom" is translated from the Greek word βασιλεία (basileia), meaning "royal power, kingship, dominion, rule; not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom."

Jesus is not referring to a physical location. He is referring to a particular consciousness. The consciousness of loving and serving the Supreme Being.  

"For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory ..."” (Matthew 16:27-28)

"For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."” (Matthew 16:27-28)

What does 'the Son of Man is going to come' mean?

The phrase, "Son of Man" comes from the Greek phrase, υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. The word υἱὸς can only mean "son" "in a restricted sense, the male offspring (one born by a father and of a mother)" according to the lexicon. It can also mean, according to the lexicon, "used to describe one who depends on another or is his follower."

In this context, the word refers to a "follower" or "servant."

The word τοῦ means "of". And the word ἀνθρώπου can mean either "mankind" or "humanity."

Because we know Jesus was not a follower of humanity, this means this phrase is better translated to "Servant of Humanity." This is consistent with the fact that Jesus' coming to teach is a service to all of humanity.

What about 'going to come' then? The word "come" is translated from the Greek word ἔρχομαι which means - when used metaphorically as Jesus is using it - "to come into being, arise, come forth, show itself, find place or influence."  

What does 'in his Father's glory with his angels' mean?

Jesus is saying this in conjunction with his previous phrase. Does it mean that Jesus will be riding across the sky on horseback with a big army of angels as depicted by some institutions?

No. Jesus is speaking about the time of death. That moment when the spirit-person leaves the physical body and the body turns lifeless.

It is at this moment when the spirit-person is judged for the things the person has done in their life, along with their state of consciousness.

What does 'he will reward each person according to what they have done' mean?

This prospect of "reward" relates to what a person does with their life. What are we doing with our life? Are we hurting others? Are we chasing the mighty dollar? Are we focusing our attention upon our own selves at the expense of others?

Or are we putting our focus and attention upon the Supreme Being? Are we trying to follow Jesus' teachings?

This is what will be rewarded at the time of death. That point when our next destination is determined.

How do we know Jesus is speaking of the time of death rather than some glorious moment sometime in the distant or near future that some institutions and their teachers have been promoting for the past 2,000 years which has never come?

What does 'will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom' mean?

This statement clearly indicates that Jesus is referring to the time of death of the physical body. The word "death" here is translated from the Greek word θάνατος (thanatos), which refers to, according to the lexicon, "that separation (whether natural or violent) of the soul and the body by which the life on earth is ended" as well as, "with the implied idea of future misery in hell."

Strong's lexicon goes on to say, "since the nether world, the abode of the dead, was conceived as being very dark, it is equivalent to the region of thickest darkness i.e. figuratively, a region enveloped in the darkness of ignorance and sin."

This means that Jesus is saying that at the moment of the death of the physical body, the spirit-person who has dedicated their lives to following Jesus will not have to "taste" this kind of death - that leads to "misery in hell."

The body is a temporary vehicle for the spiritual self. Each of us is a spiritual being, and we will each leave our temporary physical bodies after the body gets old and/or diseased. This has been scientifically established by thousands of clinical death or near-death experiences (NDE). Once we leave the body, the body decomposes. The body will exist no more.

Our spiritual selves will continue to exist, however. After the death of this body, we will be escorted either to another physical body depending upon our activities in this life. Or, if we have turned to God and developed our love for God (as Jesus asks us to do), we will return to the Supreme Being, back to the spiritual world.

Furthermore, a self-centered person who has performed painful acts upon others will likely take on a specific body whereby they suffer precisely the same pains that they inflicted upon others ("as you sow, so shall you reap"). This is also confirmed by Jesus' statement above that everyone will be “rewarded according to what he has done.”

What does this mean for the purported "second coming"?

We can conclude that the "second coming" of Jesus is somewhat different than the popular depiction. (The popular depiction typically consists of Jesus riding through the clouds on horseback with a big sword, slaying all those who haven't joined a particular church or sect.)

Each of us has an opportunity to experience Jesus' "second coming" at the time of the death of our body. For those who have dedicated their lives in truly following Jesus' instructions will be escorted back to the Supreme Being at the time of the death of the physical body. They "will not taste death". Because they gave up the chase for the self-centered pleasure chase and the quest for the admiration of others and authority over others, Jesus will be there for us to guide us home.

And what was 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)

"If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off ..." (Matthew 18:8-9)

"If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell." (Matthew 18:8-9)

Was Jesus teaching to literally cut off our body parts?

This statement by Jesus specifically to his disciples about teaching others has been misinterpreted by some. It has also been the cause of ghastly castrations, amputations and other mutilations over the centuries.

The point of Jesus’ discussion here is not to tell people to start cutting off their appendages or gouging out their eyes if they cause them to 'stumble.' Jesus was not speaking of literally cutting off our hands or arms or legs. Or gouging out our eyes.

So let’s break down the meaning:

What does Jesus mean by 'cut it off'?

Jesus is not speaking of literally cutting off hands or feet here. Yes, he is speaking metaphorically and symbolically.

The reference to "cutting off" and "throwing away" means to withdraw from those activities that demean our consciousness. Jesus is using the physical body parts for symbolic emphasis. He is stating how much more important our spiritual lives are than our temporary physical bodies.

This is further evidence that Jesus taught his students that we are not these physical bodies.

The word "stumble" here - translated from the Greek word σκανδαλίζω (skandalizō) - has been translated to "sin" in some Biblical versions of this verse.

According to the lexicon, the word means, "to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall, metaphorically, to offend."

In other words, Jesus is speaking of the importance of focusing our lives on God.

What does 'enter life' mean?

The phrase "enter life" comes from εἰσελθεῖν and ζωὴν - meaning "to go out or come in: to enter" and "life - the state of one who is possessed of vitality or is animate; every living soul" respectively.

This means that Jesus is speaking of spiritual life - not physical life here. He is speaking of life as the spirit-person within becoming fulfilled. This again relates to the fact that each of us is not the physical body. And because we are not these physical bodies, we can only be fulfilled spiritually - not by the temporary forms and things of the physical world.

Jesus is speaking of spiritual fulfillment - which he has defined elsewhere clearly:

“ ‘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)

What is the 'fire of hell'?

Here "hell" is being translated from the word γέεννα (geenna) - taken from a place south of Jerusalem called Gehenna. This is a place known for dumping and burning the carcasses of animals.

Thus Jesus is using this symbolically to describe the destiny of a person whose consciousness is mired within the confines of self-centered materialism.

Hell can be anywhere where our consciousness is self-centered. Hell is a place of suffering and pain - loneliness and strife. Is this where we are right now? Oh, but we don't feel that much pain now? What about loneliness? What about anger, or bewilderment? Are we feeling empty or incomplete?

Yes, a person who takes on a physical body in the physical world has descended into hell. It is a matter of how deep into hell we have descended. Descending further into hell means to waste this opportunity within a human form of life and reject our opportunity to learn about love, mercy, and kindness - and the unconditional love that God gives us.

And the "fire" of hell relates to the products of self-centeredness - greed, lust, anger, and violence. These arrive with a heart of emptiness and self-loathing. These are often compared to fire - πῦρ (pyr) - because they burn from within.

In a nutshell, hell is where ever the Supreme Being is forgotten. It is the place where self-centeredness reigns. The place where Jesus wants his students - and each of us - to rise from so we can return home to our consciousness of loving God and loving others.

“Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them ...” (Matthew 19:14-15)

“Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14-15)

Here is the situation:

Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. (Matthew 19:13)

The foregoing is also described in Mark:

And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them. (Mark 10:16)

Why were the children so important to Jesus?

One might ask, what is the big deal about children? Why would the kingdom of heaven belong to “such as these”?

We were each a child at some point. And our bodies remain children for only a few years. Then the body gets older and eventually dies. Can the kingdom of God belong to a body that will someday die?

Actually, Jesus was speaking of children metaphorically. What do children represent?

Little children typically feel humbled in their circumstances (although today this is not always the case), as they look up to the adults around them with awe. This humble consciousness, as Jesus has stated elsewhere, is pleasing to God.

Why is a humble consciousness pleasing to God? Because this is the consciousness that pervades the spiritual world. This is also our original consciousness.

This is also why a humble person and humble activities attract us. Just consider how repulsive a proud, cocky person is to us. This is contrasted with how an honest, humble person is pleasing to us.

Why is humility pleasing to us? Because we are all humble by nature. That is our true consciousness.

Our pride, on the other hand, is the product of self-centeredness. Each of us living in the physical world are here because we became self-centered. We decided we didn't want to love and serve God anymore - we wanted to please ourselves instead.

Why did we get separated from God?

Self-centeredness precipitated our fall from the spiritual world, after we rejected our relationship with the Supreme Being. Self-centeredness covered up our original consciousness, leading to pride, envy, lust and as they progress, anger and violence.

This doesn't mean we can't change. At any time, we can begin the journey back home to our relationship with God. How? It starts with a single step: The determination that we want to return to Him and a request to God to help us do this.

This admission - asking for the Supreme Being to help us - is the beginning of our journey because it assumes we are not in control. We need God. Just as the children Jesus was speaking to needed their parents, we need the Supreme Being. We cannot reach God's kingdom by ourselves.

This first step is also the beginning of change. We begin to change our consciousness from: "I can do anything I want," to "I need God." This requires humility.

Once we ask the Supreme Being to guide us, He will. He will begin to show us the journey home. He will introduce us to His guide, and they together will show us how we can change our consciousness.

Our consciousness must change because we cannot enter into the spiritual world with our current consciousness. Consider a loud, boisterous drunken person coming from a local bar into a quiet concert hall where a solo pianist was playing. 

In the bar, the drunken person might have swaggered around and talked loudly, pushing his way through the crowd. In the concert hall, he'll have to be well-groomed, polite, and quiet. He probably wouldn't even be granted into the concert hall in the first place, but if he did, he would likely disturb the audience and the soloist by talking loudly and disturbing everyone. He would likely get escorted to the door.

In the same way, a proud stubborn person could not remain in the spiritual realm. In the spiritual realm, everyone is humble, loving, and giving.

Imagine such a place! This is precisely what we try to imagine (as in John Lennon's song) this world could be - if we could just get people to be more humble and giving to each other.

However, this is practically impossible, because this physical dimension is the place where those who are not humble dwell. This is the place where those who are only looking out for themselves go. In other words, this is hell.

Is this world not hellish enough?

What about people being raped, murdered, ravaged by diseases, suffering from starvation, dying from pandemic viruses and so many other diseases - is this not hellish enough?

What about those in some parts of the world being jailed or poisoned for disagreeing with a government? Is this not hellish enough?

What about attacks by terrorists? Is this not hellish enough?

Do we not think this is hellish enough because these things only happen to others? Or perhaps because our body feels comfortable for the time being? This is illusion.

What about when our body is lying on its deathbed, writhing in pain? Is this not hellish enough?

Our physical body is dying. Every moment brings our body closer to death. Every body dies at some point.

And eventually, every physical body will be subject to pain and disease.

So what is hell? Hell is being away from God. Hell is that place where those who are self-centered go.

Yes, there might be worse hells than the current body we have on now. But a more hellish condition is only right around the corner. At any time, the body could be subjected to a painful diseased condition. At any time, the physical body could get hit by a car or train or even a building or a tidal wave. Then the pain would come. Then it would be hellish.

Is God punishing us?

The suffering in the world is actually created by us. It is created by our greed and self-centeredness. God simply created a perfect mechanism where what we do to others comes back to us just as we dealt it out. Either in this physical body or our previous one(s), we determined our current situation by how we treated others. Whatever we have subjected to others before is now what our bodies are experiencing (we are reaping what we sowed).

We have to remember, however, that these physical bodies are not us. We are the spiritual individual that is operating the body, just as a driver operates a car. We step into the body and drive it around for a while. Then it dies, and we exit the body.

Is this a virtual reality?

We might also compare the physical world to a video game. In a video game, each person assumes a virtual icon for the duration of the game. We do not become the video game icon. We simply use the icon to travel through the game. During the game, our icon must abide by the rules. Depending upon what we do in the game, our icon might be punched, blown up, or even killed.

But then at some point, the game is over and we can turn off the computer and walk away unscathed.

It is the same with regard to the body. Currently, we are in the illusion that we are these bodies, but they are only virtual machines we are using while we are within the physical world. Whatever suffering the body receives does not happen to us. When the body dies, we, the spiritual individual, step out. This might be compared to waking from a dream.

Why do we take on these physical bodies then? Because we became self-centered and wanted to get away from God. So God built this virtual physical universe where we could focus upon our self-centered desires and pretend to be the center of the universe.

But we aren't the center of the universe, and this physical dimension was also set up to teach us this reality. Every reaction within the physical dimension is set up to teach us that we will be happier when we return to our loving relationship with the Supreme Being.

Are we free?

While the Supreme Being has let us forget Him for a while, He is giving us the freedom to return to Him or not. He is allowing us to forget Him while we are here in the physical world. And He allows us to continue to return after each lifetime.

Yet He loves us and knows we will be happier when we return home to the spiritual world. So He continually sends us subtle messages - many in the form of consequences of our activities: We can either hear these messages or ignore them - that is our freedom.

But as Jesus indicates here with his discussion of children, in order to return home, we have to change our consciousness. We have to change from being proud and self-centered to becoming humble and God-centered.

If God is the center of our lives, we will depend upon Him and take shelter of him just as a child takes shelter of the parents.

And if we depend upon God, just as a child depends upon the parents, He will guide us back home to Him. This is because the Supreme Being loves us and wants the best for us.

“You travel over land and sea to win a single convert ..." (Matthew 23:15)

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.” (Matthew 23:15)

Why did Jesus say they 'travel over land and sea'?

Over the centuries, missionaries have traveled by boat and by land, and now by air to distant locations to convert those of other beliefs to their particular doctrine. By Jesus’ statement, we know this was also taking place during his time among the institutional temples.

Historically, Judaism was spread throughout the Middle Eastern region. After the Jerusalem temple was destroyed around 587 BCE, there was a rebuilding of Judaism in the region. This is often referred to as the Second Temple Period, and lasted between about 516 BCE to about 70 CE - after the Jerusalem temple was again destroyed, this time by the Romans.

During that Second Temple Period, Judaism expanded, partly through the missionary activities of temple priests and Pharisees.

During the life of Jesus, these missionary activities focused on the conversion of people into the temple organization and their acceptance of various rituals.

Jesus rejected this focus on rituals by the temple priests, just as Jesus' teacher, John the Baptist did. For example, we find these verses in Matthew:

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." (Matthew 3:7-10)

What about later missionaries?

We can also draw lessons from Jesus' statement with regard to some of the missionary expeditions that have been done in Jesus' name over the centuries, also done "over land and sea."

If we consider these missionary efforts, we find that some incorporated violence and intimidation to convert natives in foreign lands. This was often followed by confiscating lands and commodities from native peoples. As a result, over the centuries, native cultures have been damaged or severely diminished.

For example, we find that in the 15th Century there were several edicts issued by the Roman Catholic Church that encouraged missionary expeditions that confiscated lands and enslaved natives. In 1452 Pope Nicholas V issued the Dum Diversas papal bull that allowed Portugal's mission led by King Afonso V to conquer lands and convert "pagans and any other unbelievers to perpetual slavery."

In 1455, the Romanus Pontifex papal bull authorized Afonso to expand this seizure of land, which encouraged the enslavement of West Africans.

European missions eventually used these kinds of authorizations to conquer lands in the Americas and the Pacific island nations, enslaving many of those peoples.

These activities also provided the foundation for the slave trade from Africa to the Americas and Europe. (Though in fairness, later papal bulls tried to discourage slavery.)

Some of these missionaries apparently did not accept or realize that many native peoples were already worshiping the Supreme Being in their own manner. For example, we find many North American Native tribes honored The Great Spirit.

While some may have sincerely desired to bring Jesus’ teachings to others, there were many others who simply utilized these missions to take advantage of foreign lands and their peoples.

Many of these 'missions' resulted in violence, and the slaughter of thousands of native peoples around the world over the centuries.

Were these 'missions' what Jesus wanted his followers to do? Certainly not. As we can see from Jesus' statement above, there is a wrong way to preach to others. This includes forceable conversion.

What did Jesus mean by 'a son of hell as you are'?

Jesus confirms that these 'missions' of the Pharisees and temple priests were degraded, and their converts were not benefited. This is confirmed by the Greek phrase υἱὸν γεέννης, which has been incorrectly translated to "son of hell."

The more appropriate translation for υἱὸν γεέννης would be a follower of those who will suffer.

The word υἱὸν has been incorrectly translated as son. While υἱὸν can mean 'son' in the context of a father and his physical son, this is not the correct context. This context indicates the translation, as confirmed by the Greek lexicon, υἱὸν should be "used to describe one who depends on another or is his follower." So a person who becomes converted by one of these hypocritical Pharisees becomes one of their followers.

The next word in the phrase is γεέννης. γεέννης has been translated to "hell," and this is not altogether wrong, but Jesus' concept of hell should be clarified.

The Greek word γεέννης, transliterated as 'geenna,' is an allegorical reference to a location south of Jerusalem in the valley of Hinnom, called 'Gehenna.' Here there were ghastly sacrifices of children and animals to an idol called Moloch. The animals and children were thrown into the fire.

This place and its practice were abhorred by the local people, and they used a reference to this as a place of suffering, where people followed a demoniac god and suffered as a result. Therefore, this place (Gehenna) became referred to allegorically as a place of suffering. This has since been expanded to mean some kind of underworld.

Many people have been lulled into a concept prognosticated by sectarian teachers that hell is an underground world where a fiery devil named satan lives and tortures people who are chained up on cavern walls. This imaginative teaching has even been taken to the extent that the entrance to hell is through volcanoes.

This has been proven wrong by those who have explored volcanoes, and by those who have drilled many miles deep into the surface of the earth. There are no caverns where people are being chained to walls and tortured.

So where is hell then?

Depending upon our consciousness, hell can be right here. We can be living in hell right now. The question is to what extent we are suffering in hell. This physical dimension simultaneously supports relative degrees of hell, depending upon our past activities, and our consciousness.

Do we think that a person who is starving is not in hell? Is a woman who is repeatedly raped at gunpoint not in hell? How about a person in the grips of war? Are they not in hell? How about someone being tortured or murdered in a Holocaust? Are they not experiencing hell? Or how about someone in prison, subjected to being beaten or raped? Are these circumstances not hellish enough?

Hell is where fear reigns. Hell is that place where God is forgotten. Hell is that place where people fight over money. Hell is where people become angry and violent because they are afraid others may take what they have. 

This means that hell can reside among those who are violent towards others. Those who harm or abuse others are residing in hell, just as those they harm and abuse.

Hell is a consciousness, but it is also that place where the consciousness of fear, anger, violence and hatred plays out in physical reality.

Is this because of what we have done in a previous lifetime?

The question is whether our life in the physical world is the result of actions taken in a previous lifetime. Consider this question, asked of Jesus by his disciples:

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

Why did Jesus’ disciples (note multiple disciples) ask this question? This question was very logical because some people are born normal and others with deficiencies. Why is one person born blind they asked? Why is one person born in more fortunate circumstances than another person?

The question arose from an understanding of Jesus’ teachings. At one point Jesus said to someone:

Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” (John 5:14)

In other words, they understood that there were consequences for sinning.

And in this case, Jesus' disciples assumed that before the man was born, he had the ability to sin, and this sin caused his current suffering.

In order to have the ability to sin, the man must have had a previous physical body. Why? Because as Jesus also taught that sinning was an activity executed through the flesh. In other words, the person must have had a prior physical body in order to have sinned before he was born.

Note also that Jesus did not ridicule or criticize this question. He accepted it. He did not say, “that cannot happen.” What he said was:

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me.” (John 9:2)

In other words, Jesus accepted that a person could suffer in his next life from sins of the past life. This means that we do have previous lifetimes.

This is also confirmed here in Matthew 23:15, as Jesus confirms that the Pharisees will suffer, and so will their converts. Jesus is not threatening a fictitious place called hell. He is simply telling them that they and their followers will suffer in the future for what they are doing now.

Does he mean they will suffer during this lifetime? That would be impractical since they were living within a system that continued to support their practices. Therefore, Jesus could only be referring to a future lifetime.

Why are there consequences to our actions?

Jesus is indicating from his teachings that there are consequences to certain actions. Especially bad consequences for harming or misleading others. Why are there consequences?

We can look around us each day and see how in the physical world there serves up a reaction for every action. All of us suffer our particular situations for the activities we did in the past. Consider a person sitting in jail. They are in that hellish situation because of their past activities. Or a person who has lung cancer after smoking for 40 years. Their smoking addiction caused their current suffering.

Or a person who is beaten up by another person after starting a fight.

All of these indicate that the physical world is a place of consequence. Everything we do has a consequence here: Good or bad.

Does this mean that God put us here to suffer? Actually, God set up the physical world as a place of learning. This is a rehabilitation center, where we have the opportunity to grow.

Why? Those of us in this physical world are here because we turned away from our relationship with the Supreme Being. We no longer wanted to be His loving servant. We wanted to enjoy separately from God - rather than love and serve God (our natural constitution).

So we were sent down to this physical world and given virtual temporary physical bodies in order to 1) exercise our right to try to enjoy independently from God and try to pretend to be God, and 2) to learn.

And since these bodies are temporary virtual shells, the miseries they suffer are also virtual. We might compare this with an icon in a video game. The icon may get shot, but we are still sitting there handling the video game controller.

This virtual world has a purpose, however. We have been sent here to take on these virtual physical bodies because God wants us to learn once again how to love. He wants us to return to Him and His loving kingdom because He knows only this will make us happy.

In order to return, however, we must have a change of consciousness. We must be willing to give up the idea that we are going to enjoy ourselves independently of God. We must give up the idea that we are superior to others and the world revolves around us. We must learn what it means to love and care for someone other than ourselves.

Isn't this what the physical world constantly teaches us? That loving and caring for others brings happiness, while self-love and selfish behavior brings us misery? Is this a coincidence? No. It is intentional. God programmed the physical universe to teach us about love.

The ultimate source of pleasure for us is to love and serve the Supreme Being because when we love and serve God, we become truly fulfilled. And when we love the Supreme Being we automatically love all of God's children. These are the real teachings of Jesus:

“ ‘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.” And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)