“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness ..." (Matthew 5:6)

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matthew 5:6)

What does Jesus mean by 'righteousness'?

The word "righteousness" here is being translated from the Greek word δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē) which means, according to Thayer's lexicon, "in a broad sense: state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God."

"The condition acceptable to God" means being pleasing to God. Why would being pleasing to God cause one to "be filled?"

The word "be filled" is being translated from the Greek word χορτάζω (chortazō) which means "to fill or satisfy" according to the lexicon. Each of us is looking for fulfillment and satisfaction. We seek fulfillment as we seek sexual pleasure, fame, wealth, family, relationships with others, the approval of others and so on.

In fact, each of us is seeking fulfillment. But we are seeking fulfillment in the wrong place.

What does he mean by 'hunger and thirst'?

Jesus is not referring to the physical body being hungry or thirsty. He is speaking of spiritual hunger and thirst. Hunger and thirst by the soul.

This might be compared to a driver who is hungry taking his car to the gas station and filling his car up with gas and thinking that when the car is full of gas he will no longer feel hungry.

Why isn't the driver full when the gas tank is full?

Because the driver is not the car.

In the same way, we are not these physical bodies. These physical bodies are like vehicles, and we are the driver of this vehicle, the physical body.

This is proven by hundreds of thousands of clinical death cases where a person rises above their body and looks at it from above. In clinical death, the person separates from the physical body because the person is not the physical body.

We are spiritual in nature, not physical. Our bodies are temporary - they will each die in a few decades. But we - the spirit-person within - will live on after the body dies.

Where does the spirit-person within come from? The spiritual dimension.

For this reason, the physical things of this world do not satisfy us. Just as Jesus is teaching, we need spiritual "food" to fulfill us.

What will 'fill' us?

It is a loving relationship with the Supreme Being.

No matter our predicament in life, each of us is seeking love. We seek love by trying to impress others. We seek love by dating. We seek love as we marry. We seek love by having a family. We seek love by wanting our kids or our spouse or our family to care about us. We seek love by seeking the approval of others.

But the "love" of this physical world is only temporary. It comes and goes. It is conditional: contingent upon what we can give the other person. When they no longer need us, their so-called love typically goes away. Or their body dies and they leave us.

But the love of the Supreme Being is unconditional. He loves us whether we love Him or not. He loves us and cares for us whether we care about Him or not.

A loving relationship between ourselves and the Supreme Being is the love we are always seeking. It is the perfect, unconditional love we are always pining for.

And pleasing the one we love is important to any loving relationship: This is the stuff of the loving relationship that exists between each of us and the Supreme Being.

Just consider what we do when we want to please the one we love. We bring them a flower. We praise them. Certainly, our beloved is pleased with such expression of our love.

When this expression of love is pointed towards the Supreme Being - it fulfills us. It fulfills the spirit-person within the body. This is spiritual life, and this is the only thing that can completely fulfill our need for love: expressing our love for the Supreme Being. 

This is why Jesus stated, "for they will be filled."

This is also confirmed by Jesus' most important instruction:

“‘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)

"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must ..." (Matthew 5:31-32)

"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery." (Matthew 5:31-32)

Is Jesus changing Mosaic law?

Jesus continues to comment upon the Mosaic law - that is, the law as promulgated by Moses and continued through the temple tradition.

It is important to understand that Jesus was speaking to his students who were following him, some 2,000 years ago. This means he is teaching to a particular time and circumstance.

How do we know this instruction was applicable to a certain time and culture?

We can consider the source of Jesus' point: “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce." Where does this come from? Was this just what the institutional temple teachings of those days were?

No. This comes from the time of Moses. As stated in Deuteronomy:

"When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house ... (Deuteronomy 24:1)

In other words, divorce was a custom as far back as Moses' time, some fourteen centuries before Jesus.

Why the difference?

So why did Jesus teach this, contrary to institutional temple law? Jesus is discouraging divorce because it had become commonplace to write a divorce certificate for minor reasons so the man could chase down another woman. This doesn't mean that Jesus was saying that divorce was not sometimes necessary.

Divorce is prevalent in modern times, with well over 50% of marriages today ending in divorce. The institution of marriage has become thoroughly secular, with the purpose of marriage often revolving around sexual attraction, money, or other materialistic motives.

Marriage within a spiritual context would be undertaken for the purpose of supporting each others' (and possibly children's) spiritual growth in their relationship with God. A marriage based on this premise would have no reason for divorce unless one of the partners decided that their relationship with God was not important.

The symptom of this can be adultery by one of the partners. This act represents a person's deciding that their own physical satisfaction is more important than their relationship with their partner, and God.

Can these teachings be applied today?

As we seek to apply this teaching today, we must also bring into context the time and circumstance of the teaching and our culture today - just as Jesus was doing 2,000 years ago.

We must live within the society our body lives in at the moment.

Today we live in a secular society and a majority of adults have been divorced. Are we to shun every divorced person? Are we to ignore the opportunities for people to grow spiritually despite this secular society? This would be a gross oversight of practical reason.

Marrying a divorced person with the purpose of each partner helping the other develop their relationships with God is a marriage that transcends the circumstance of a past divorce. The criteria of becoming closer to God prevails, as Jesus teaches:

“‘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)

“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men ..." (Matthew 6:1-4)

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Matthew 6:1-4)

Why does Jesus teach not to do righteous acts before men?

Jesus is speaking about public displays of religiosity, as well as acts of charity for the purpose of gaining the attention and admiration of others. This took place during Jesus' time among the temples. It also takes place among today's institutions.

For example, we find this occurs in assemblies where individuals will display their acts of devotion - whether it be prayer, speaking in tongues, crying out or tearfulness - for the purpose of appearing to others as spiritually advanced.

Today we also find many institutions organized in such a way that provides the means for people to rise up in the ranks and receive the attention and potentially, the admiration of others. For example, a person can start off just attending one of these institutions every Sunday, and gradually work their way up to deacon and maybe head deacon or otherwise leading the council of deacons.

Such positions can create positions of influence for which people aspire to in order to gain notoriety and attention from others.

Even without these hierarchical systems, we can go into a church and show all our neighbors and virtually everyone in our community that we are religious.

Does displaying our righteousness to others accomplish anything? According to Jesus, it has the opposite effect.

Seeking the attention and admiration of others is not a new thing. It is part of life in the physical world. Virtually everyone wants to be accepted by others, and even admired by others. Why?

Because each of us needs love. Love is our fuel. We seek love from others in order to fill the hole created by our lack of a loving relationship with God. Furthermore, according to Jesus, seeking love and attention from others further distances us from God.

What does Jesus mean by 'righteousness'?

The word "righteousness" is being translated from the Greek word δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē) which means, according to the lexicon, "in a broad sense: state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God."

This means that the purpose of "righteousness" is to act in a way that is pleasing to the Supreme Being.

What does this have to do with showing off to others? Nothing.

The physical world is populated by those who are self-centered. It is all about me, myself and I. We can also include our family. And our dog. And our company or school or country.

But self-centeredness is the opposite of love.

Here Jesus presents his students with the tools for creating a foundation for loving service to God.

What does Jesus mean by receiving their reward in full?

Jesus is indicating that the reward they are seeking is the respect of others. So they pray in public or act religiously in front of others so others will honor them and give them respect. 

And because this is the reward they want from that activity, they indeed receive that reward by their public activity.

This is opposed to the reward that Jesus wants his students to have as a result of their dedication to the Supreme Being.

Jesus wants each of his students to re-establish their personal loving relationship with the Supreme Being.

Why should we do this in secret?

Jesus is suggesting that we express our love and devotion for the Supreme Being in secret. That we don't put it on display in order to gain the attention of others. Why?

Jesus wants us to fall in love with God. He wants each of us to have our own unique and personal relationship with God.

To love someone means to care more about them than we care about ourselves. This is true love. And pleasing the one we love is only natural.

This mood - of wanting to please God - is the opposite of trying to impress others with our religiousness. The two are mutually exclusive. They have nothing to do with each other.

We can't have it both ways. We can't try to impress others and exchange a loving relationship with the Supreme Being. It is one or the other, as Jesus states above.

Doing what is pleasing to God means having a personal relationship with Him. It means dedicating and sharing our personal lives with the Supreme Being.

It does not mean trying to use God to impress others with how great I am.

Just consider how this might play out among friendships of this world. Let's say that we have a popular friend and we decide to do something for them in front of everyone, showing everyone how tight we are with this friend. How will the friend feel about this?

He will feel used. He will feel insulted that we tried to use our friendship with him. And he will feel that the thing we did for him was not sincere. It was just an act.

Why should the Supreme Being feel any different about us showing off our religiousness among others? Surely He is big enough not to depend on our love. But God does enjoy sincere loving relationships.

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do ..." (Matthew 6:16-17)

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Matthew 6:16-17)

Why is Jesus talking about fasting?

Jesus is alluding to the practice of his time - devotional fasting. This is an ancient devotional custom that a person will fast on a holy day - a day that commemorates God or one of God's representatives. 

This was a common practice during Jesus' times and earlier, as temple followers would fast on holy days.

Jesus is also describing how this practice can be misused and manipulated for the purposes of attracting the attention of others.

While religious holidays like the birth dates of saints and periodic dates of the ceremony have become feasting days to secular society, fasting for devotional reasons has a long tradition in every religious teaching. This practice goes back as far as Abraham and Moses. And Jesus' statement confirms that Jesus approved of this practice.

Devotional fasting contrasts feasting and secular fasting. The devotional fast is done to please and celebrate the Supreme Being. It is done as a personal sacrifice of loving service. 

One of the main benefits - and purposes - of devotional fasting is to focus attention on the Supreme Being.

A devotional fast is accompanied by praising God's Holy Names and glories. These activities also have a longstanding tradition in devotion to God.

What is secular fasting?

The secular fast is defined by Jesus "as the hypocrites do." It is done to appear to others as being religious and austere.

For some, the fast may also be about being healthy or losing weight. In both of these instances, as Jesus indicates here, the reward is given immediately: "I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full." 

How do they 'receive their reward in full'?

The benefits Jesus indicates relate to the respect or admiration of others obtained through fasting. As soon as we proudly display to others or tell others we are fasting, we have earned our reward immediately by gaining that person’s respect, admiration or attention.

Even the intent of fasting to impress others - so that we can be accepted by others - gives us this immediate benefit - while we lose the benefit that might have been gained spiritually.

If our purpose is to impress or be accepted by others, we have effectively missed the opportunity to please the Supreme Being with that activity. This is because we have turned it into a self-centered activity.

Self-centered activities - done to please ourselves or look good to others - are diametrically opposed to devotional activities done to please the Supreme Being.

What does Jesus mean by God being 'unseen'?

Jesus is stating that God will see our devotion - and see our fast - even if no one else does. This means that Jesus is acknowledging the Supreme Being's existence beyond the physical world.

Jesus says God is "unseen." What does this mean?

This doesn’t necessarily mean that God cannot be seen, but that He is unseen by the physical eyes, and unseen by those whose focus is upon themselves: self-centeredness.

Just consider the meaning of focus. When a camera is focused upon a certain image, it can capture that image. But when capturing that image, it is not focused upon other images and thus misses those. For example, if the lens is focused upon something far in the distance, it won't be capturing something right under the camera.

Seeing the Supreme Being has a similar context in that one cannot see the Supreme Being when we are focused upon ourselves and the enjoyment of this temporary physical body. In this state, one's consciousness is polluted with greed, and this clouds our ability to see the Supreme Being.

But when our consciousness becomes focused upon the Supreme Being, and our innate loving relationship with the Supreme Being becomes awakened, the pollution of greed and self-centeredness - and bodily identification - clears up. This opens our spiritual eyes:

How can we see God if He is 'unseen'?

While we are in the physical world we can see God now through the eyes of love.

These are our true eyes. Real vision takes place from the heart. Through one's consciousness. This is where understanding takes place, and it is through understanding that we actually see - or perceive.

The only way to see God - and see others as they really are - is with the eyes of love.

One may look through the eyes at someone's body but never actually see them. This is because they are not seeing with their consciousness. They are not seeing through the eyes of love and understanding.

Jesus' message here emphasizing seeing with the heart as opposed to just the eyes. Jesus is speaking about establishing our personal relationship with God, and loving each other. The fact that he says the Supreme Being “sees what is done in secret,” indicates activities done solely to please the Supreme Being and not to impress or please others.

How does a person begin to truly see then? It begins with focusing our consciousness upon the Supreme Being. Through personal worship of the Supreme Being and dedication to the Supreme Being. This means practical steps such as making offerings to Him and glorifying Him.

This is the nature of our original existence. Every one of us was created to exchange a direct, unique, and personal relationship with the Supreme Being. We each have our own unique relationship with Him. God wants us to revive that personal relationship with Him. This is the intention of Jesus’ teachings.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate ..." (Matthew 7:13-14)

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)

What is the 'wide gate' and the 'broad road'?

This statement is often interpreted by sectarian teachers to be a discussion of money. While money may be an element within the topic, Jesus' metaphorical discussion runs deeper.

Jesus is describing two possible paths one can take in life. What are they?

“Destruction” is being translated from the Greek word ἀπώλεια (apōleia) which can also mean, according to the Greek lexicon, "the destruction which consists of eternal misery in hell."

In other words, it is the state of spiritual destruction: our continued ignorance of our relationship with the Supreme Being. This is the sum and substance of hell.

"Wide is the gate and broad is the road" is the description given of the choice that leads to "destruction."

The broad road is the easy path. The path of least resistance. It is the materialistic path. The path of following those who do not worship the Supreme Being. The path of focusing upon the temporary pleasures and accolades of the physical body.

Most people determine their path by what others are doing. They follow the crowd because they yearn for the respect and admiration of others. This results in them following whatever the trends are, thinking if “everyone else is doing it, it must be right.”

This is the broad path because it is quite easy to follow the crowd. It is easy because there is little resistance from others. On this path, we fit in. As long as we fit in, we are comfortable as long as others approve of our actions and our direction in life.

What is the 'narrow gate'?

The more difficult - and therefore more narrow - path is to strictly follow the core teachings of Jesus, Moses, Abraham, and other exalted devoted servants of the Supreme Being, who instructed us to focus our lives and energies not upon what others are doing, but upon loving and pleasing God.

These great teachers taught us not only with their words but with their lives that we should focus our energies upon what is pleasing to God, disregarding the whims of our society and regardless of what fits in. This the narrow road because it is difficult, and others will not understand us.

This is precisely the meaning of Jesus' allowing his physical body to be persecuted and tortured upon the cross. Many sectarian institutions and their teachers focus upon Jesus' suffering as some kind of ritualistic sacrifice so they can feel "saved." But the true lesson and meaning of Jesus' sacrifice - and the manner in which it can "save" us - was to illustrate to us that the physical body, and all of the trappings of this world, including comfort, money, and the acceptance of others, is not worth sacrificing our relationship with the Supreme Being.

Let's break this down a bit more. We know by Jesus' actions that he was not concerned about the life of his body since he allowed his body to be arrested and beaten. He did not try to avert the situation during his trial. During the trial, he did not deny or downplay his teachings because he considered those teachings - the lessons he gave to us regarding the Supreme Being - as more important than the physical comfort of his body.

And he endured the condemnation of others during and following the trial.

Yes, Jesus personally showed how to endure the narrow path.

This also illustrates the last point in this statement: “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

What does Jesus mean by 'the life'?

If we follow the example Jesus left us regarding "life," we know that the "life" Jesus is speaking of has nothing to do with the life of the physical body. Otherwise, Jesus would have averted being captured and traveled to another land once he understood he was to be arrested. He would have done whatever needed to be done to keep his body alive.

Furthermore, his actions of overturning the selling tables at the synagogue and otherwise teaching in the temple courtyards inflamed the situation. He would not have done this for fear of being condemned.

So as we examine the combination of Jesus' teachings and his entire life, including his willingness to endure the pain and condemnation of those that tortured him, we should honor and understand that Jesus himself took the ultimate "narrow path."

To understand the meaning of the "life" Jesus describes, we must remember that Jesus sought in all circumstances to do God's will. This was "life" to Jesus. Jesus prayed:

"My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will."(Matt. 26:39)

Jesus' concern was doing the will of His Father. He was wanting to please the Supreme Being. This is the "life" that Jesus is speaking of.

This is also the element of Jesus' disappearance that will "save" us. Jesus endured ridicule, torture and even the death of his body in order to please God and do God's will. We are saved by realizing this and acting upon it - by attempting to take the narrow road ourselves in a practical way (and not imitating).

Jesus made access to this narrow road very clear with his most important instruction:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Matthew 22:37)

“Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter ...” (Matthew 7:21)

“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)

What does Jesus mean by 'Lord, Lord'?

This is a very critical statement of Jesus clarifies what Jesus wants from his followers.

In this statement, Jesus is clarifying the difference between those who proclaim allegiance to Jesus and those who actually follow his instructions.

“Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord” clearly indicates that proclaiming allegiance to Jesus is not enough. And isn't this what we see among the many sectarian institutions that claim to follow Jesus today? Yes. We see the focus being on proclaiming allegiance to Jesus.

Yet Jesus is clearly stating that this is not the same as being a follower of Jesus. He is stating that one must follow his instructions and his teachings.

One might compare this to a child who goes to school and sits in the classroom and enthusiastically praises the teacher but doesn't listen to what the teacher is teaching and never does the homework. Will the teacher be pleased? The child's praising of the teacher is worthless unless the child is learning.

In the same way, Jesus is emphasizing following his teachings here. Proclaiming allegiance to Jesus is not enough. So what does it mean to follow Jesus' teachings? Jesus states it clearly.

What is Jesus recommending?

Jesus is emphasizing that in order to enter into the kingdom of heaven we must do the will of the Supreme Being:

"... but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

What does it mean to do someone else's will?

It means to do what pleases them.

Jesus is instructing his followers to do what is pleasing to the Supreme Being.

It is a very simple concept, and it says volumes about the spiritual realm and those who live there.

Jesus is indicating that the spiritual realm - the kingdom of heaven - is that place where its citizens are the loving servants of the Supreme Being.

A loving servant is one who willingly and lovingly acts in a way that is pleasing to the one they love.

In other words, it is not slavery. We can see that the Supreme Being is not employing slaves because each of us has the freedom to serve God or not. We each have the freedom to place our love upon the Supreme Being or place our love upon ourselves - which translates to materialism.

Loving ourselves and acting only in self-interest is called self-centeredness. It is precisely the opposite of loving the Supreme Being and acting in a manner that is pleasing to the Supreme Being.

And acting in a manner that is pleasing to the Supreme Being is the essence of Jesus' teachings. Why? Because this is why we were created. We were created to be the Supreme Being's loving servants and playmates.

But love requires freedom. We cannot be forced to love. For this reason, the Supreme Being gave each of us the freedom to love Him or not.

And those who chose not to love Him were sent to the physical world to take on a temporary physical body. So we could effectively be away from the Supreme Being, and act out our self-centeredness without His interference.

This is love. The Supreme Being loves each of us. So He not only gave us the freedom to love Him or not, but for those of us who chose not to love Him, He gave us a way to escape Him and ignore Him.

But He doesn't forget us. He knows that we will never be happy without Him. He knows that we will never be fulfilled as we seek happiness away from Him.

Why did God send Jesus?

This is why He sent Jesus to teach us that we will only be fulfilled when we return to our natural position as one of His loving servants and playmates.

We can also see clearly from this statement that Jesus is the representative of God. He came to give us the message that if we give our lives and our love to God, and we do God's will rather than our will, we will return to the spiritual realm.

This statement should also clarify that while Jesus represents God, he himself is not God. This is revealed simply by his phrase, “my Father who is in heaven.” Note that Jesus was standing in front of the people he was speaking to. By stating that his Father was in heaven, he is separating himself from the Supreme Being.

Jesus also confirms his disgust with those who worship Jesus as God, as he clarifies that “only” those who do Jesus' Father’s will enter the Kingdom.

The reason for this is that the Kingdom of God is that place where doing God’s will is the status quo. Everyone in the spiritual realm is loving and serving the Supreme Being as their all and all.

We can choose God’s will or our will at any particular moment. Every day and every moment of the day He gives us the choice. We are constantly being given two roads to travel: One that pleases us, and the other that pleases Him.

What does Jesus recommend to do God's will?

Reaching out to Him is pleasing. A prayer or a simple offering to the Supreme Being - both are pleasing to the Supreme Being because He enjoys the exchange of relationships.

To offer something to God is to extend our desire to reconnect with Him. Every relationship involves an offering - an exchange of a gift. This is the rationale behind the custom of offering to God in the temple, as Jesus taught his disciples to do:

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift." (Matt. 5:23-24)

Offerings were also taught by all the prophets as well. By offering something to the Supreme Being we are reaching out to Him. As Jesus states, it is a gift - an offering is a gift to the Supreme Being.

Our offerings and prayers to the Supreme Being increase our remembrance of Him. By remembering Him through the day, remembering His beauty, love and mercy upon us, we will be offering Him the greatest gift we can offer - our focus and attention. It is for this reason that Moses said, “…be careful that you do not forget the Lord…” (Deut. 6:12). Moses also instructed to “…serve Him only…”(Deut 6:13)

Jesus also teaches that praising the Supreme Being and glorifying His Holy Names is pleasing to God:

“This is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name.” (Matt. 6:9)

“I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth..." (Matt. 11:25)

And his most important instruction - the foundation of Jesus' teachings and the key to pleasing the Supreme Being - is to love 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)

In fact, it is his love for the Supreme Being that creates the "oneness" between Jesus and God as Jesus stated "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30).

This is the stuff of relationships. When someone is acting and living within a loving relationship, and doing the will of the one they love, there is a oneness between them. This oneness is the oneness of love. There are two individuals, but they are united by the love between them.

“I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth because You have hidden ...” (Matthew 11:25-26)

“I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was Your good pleasure.” (Matthew 11:25-26)

Is Jesus praying to himself?

Those who claim that Jesus is God must not have read this verse, where Jesus prays to God. If Jesus were God then he would be essentially praying to himself. That would make every word of this prayer ridiculous.

This open prayer of Jesus to God illustrates Jesus' loving relationship with the Supreme Being.

"I praise You" is the statement of a devoted lover of the Supreme Being. We see throughout the Scriptures evidence that praising the Supreme Being is an act of devotion pleasing to the Supreme Being.

We also can see from this statement that Jesus enjoys an loving relationship with the Supreme Being. He is understanding that the Supreme Being is in complete control. This is confirmed by his reference to God as:

"Lord of heaven and earth."

This illustrates clearly there are two individuals involved in this statement: Jesus, who is praising the Supreme Being, and the Supreme Being, who is being praised. They are not one and the same as purported by so many ecclesiastical teachers and their institutions.

Rather, it is clear from this that Jesus enjoys a confidential loving relationship with the Supreme Being - one "hidden" from those who think they are "wise and learned." A subservient relationship - confirmed by Jesus' praising the Supreme Being as "Lord of heaven and earth."

Does a relationship require two individuals?

In order to have a relationship, there must be two separate personalities, each making a choice to relate to each other. In fact, this relationship between Jesus and the Supreme Being is a relationship that creates the very oneness that Jesus spoke of - which has confused "wise and learned" teachers and their followers for centuries.

When there is love and devotion between two persons, each will act in a way that pleases the other. This creates a virtual oneness between them - a oneness of purpose and mission: A oneness of objective.

This is the type of oneness Jesus communicated when he said:

"I and the Father are one." (John 17:30)

Many have interpreted this statement by Jesus to say that Jesus is the Supreme Being. Yet they excluded the first part of this statement:

"My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." (John 17:29-30)

So we can see clearly that Jesus is not saying he is the Supreme Being, as he says, "My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all." In order for one to give to another, there must be the giver and the receiver: Two individuals.

Jesus makes other statements that affirm his individuality, yet communicate the oneness of purpose between the Supreme Being and Jesus:

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

Thus we see the relationship more clearly. The Supreme Being "sent" Jesus - and Jesus is passing on the teachings given to him by the Supreme Being. This creates a oneness between them.

In the statement above, Jesus is praising the Supreme Being for His design of how He hides certain things from those who pride themselves for their wisdom:

"You have hidden these things from the wise and learned"

We might ask ourselves; why would this be? Why would God want to hide the Truth from certain people? Jesus specifies who He hides the Truth from: “the wise and learned.”

What does 'wise and learned' mean?

Now since we can accept that Jesus is referring to wisdom here and the fact that wisdom is being withheld, then Jesus must be referring to those who think they are wise and learned. In other words, those who are proud of their supposed wisdom are not being given the wisdom that Jesus is referring to.

This makes the operator of this statement pride - being proud of our supposed learning. Jesus is referring to the teachers of the temple institution who were essentially envious of him. This is why they criticized Jesus.

Jesus clarifies that while the Supreme Being has hidden certain Truths from those who are proud of their learning, the Supreme Being reveals the wisdom to “little children.”

Now, who are these little children? Are we talking about literal children, who may have young bodies of two or three years old? Children who don't know how to speak yet? Or children who are playing in the playground?

No. Jesus is referring to “little children” metaphorically - as those who are not proud: Those who are feeling humble and respectful, as little children do (theoretically, at least in those times, children were typically more obedient and respectful of their elders) when they are just learning about life and are humble and attached to their parents.

This is the attitude that allows for learning. In this attitude - feeling oneself to be unknowing - we can hear the teachings of Jesus and the other representatives of God and gain wisdom from those teachings. This is the attitude that allows us to come to know God. Those who are proud of being “wise and learned” are not being granted this wisdom because they feeling too full of themselves.

Like a cup that is already full, they are not ready to learn.

Remember that in most of Jesus’ statements, including about himself, he refers to all of us as God’s children. Since we are all God’s children, we are all given an opportunity to hear from God's representative. Some hear and some do not. Those who are humble are being referred to here as “little.” In other words, God’s humble children are able to understand these truths because of their humility and lack of pride.

Who does Jesus want to please?

Jesus wants to please the Supreme Being:

"Yes, Father, for this was Your good pleasure.”

Why is Jesus saying this? While many think of God as some kind of vague force, Jesus clarifies that the Supreme Being is a Person: God can be pleased and experience pleasure.

Jesus is stating that the Supreme Being enjoys revealing Himself to those who humbly want to know Him. This gives Him pleasure. Why? Because being introduced to someone is part of relationships. The Supreme Being enjoys exchanging relationships. Just as we all do. 

Each of us enjoys having a friend or relative that we share confidential information with. When we can bear our soul to our friend and they can bear their soul to us, we both experience a sense of relationship exchange.

This exchange of relationship is what gives the Supreme Being pleasure. Our desire for relationships originates from the Supreme Being's enjoyment of relationships.

And this is the very reason for our existence: To exchange a unique loving service relationship with the Supreme Being. This is why we exist, and the only thing that will truly give us fulfillment.

“All things have been committed to me by my Father ...” (Matthew 11:27)

“All things have been committed to me by my Father, No one knows the son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the son and those to whom the son chooses to reveal Him.” (Matthew 11:27)

What does Jesus mean by 'all things'?

The phrase, "all things" has been translated from the Greek word πᾶς (pas). This can mean "each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything" according to the lexicon.

It can also mean "some of all types" when used collectively.

The choice of "all things" together with "committed to me by my Father" suggests that Jesus has control over everything. This is not correct. In fact, the word πᾶς (pas) requires a subject - the element being described. For example, the same word was used in verses including "all the generations," "all Jerusalem," "all the chief priests" and so on - where πᾶς (pas) is all, followed by the element being described.

In the same way, there is another element described as "all" here: knowledge. This is clearly indicated in the phrase, "no one knows ..."

The word "knows," used twice - from the Greek word ἐπιγινώσκω (epiginōskō), meaning "to know accurately, know well" - is followed by "reveal" - from the Greek word ἀποκαλύπτω (apokalyptō), which means to "disclose," "to make known," "make manifest."

This means that Jesus is speaking of knowledge. He is stating that all knowledge has been given to him by the Supreme Being. The word "committed" here is taken from the Greek word παραδίδωμι (paradidōmi), which means to "to given into the hands (of another)," "to commit, to commend" and "to deliver verbally" according to the lexicon.

Thus, we can understand that Jesus is saying that all knowledge has been given - granted - delivered - to "the son." And what is to be considered "all" knowledge?

Knowing the Supreme Being. This is clearly stated by Jesus:

"no one knows the Father except the son"

So is Jesus saying that he is the only one who knows the Father - no one but Jesus?

Is Jesus the only one who 'knows the Father'?

Such a translation and interpretation would mean that Jesus is saying that Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Eli, Samuel, David and so many others who conversed directly with the Supreme Being and followed His instructions did not know the Supreme Being. That is preposterous. Knowing the Supreme Being was the foundation of the works and wisdom of these great Prophets and devoted followers of the Supreme Being.

For example, prior to Samuel's training, it says:

"Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The Word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him." (1 Samuel 3:7)

This indicates clearly that Samuel did come to know the Supreme Being - once "the word of the Lord" had been revealed. This is confirmed at the end of 1 Samuel 3:

The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there He revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word. (1 Samuel 3:21)

The Supreme Being made Himself known to others like Abraham and Moses. Consider what the Supreme Being said to Abraham:

“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” (Gen 15:1)

Many other instances illustrate that Abraham knew the Supreme Being. Consider what the Supreme Being said to Moses:

“I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” (Exodus 3:6)

He also said to Moses:

“I AM WHO I AM." (Exodus 3:14)

Exchanges between the Supreme Being and His loving servants continue throughout the Scriptures. Are we saying that none of these devoted servants of God knew God - even though they preached to others the glories of the Supreme Being? Such a thesis makes no sense.

What does 'no one knows the Father except the son' mean?

The key to the meaning of Jesus' statement lies within the translation of the Greek word υἱός (huios) to "son." 

And the key to understanding the use of "son" (that is, if this is the correct translation) here is the fact that Jesus is using this word in the third person.

Jesus did not say "no one knows the Father except me." He specifically spoke of someone else knowing the Father. Otherwise, Jesus would have used the word "me" - from the Greek μοι (moi) - in the first sentence with exclusivity.

Yet Jesus makes no suggestion in the Greek that he personally holds an exclusive knowledge of God.

Then in the next sentence, he switches to the third person with υἱός (huios) (incorrectly translated to "son"). Why? Why didn't he continue with "me" or "I" here to confirm that only he has ever known the Supreme Being? 

Because Jesus is not referring exclusively to himself. He is referring to a role. Those who are in that position incorrectly translated as "son."

How many people speak of themselves in the third person? They don't. People don't say about themselves, "the person standing here is named Fred" - they say "my name is Fred."

So Jesus is referring to the word υἱός (huios) in the third person. Who is the υἱός (huios)?

Is Jesus the only 'Son of God'?

Translating υἱός (huios) to "son" in an exclusive way (meaning only son) would essentially be saying that Jesus is the only offspring of the Supreme Being. This would mean that the Supreme Being is basically impotent.

While any healthy male can have literally dozens of children in his lifetime - God can only have one son? That is a preposterous thesis regarding the Supreme Being and the Creator of all.

The reality is that the word "son" is being translated from the Greek word υἱός (huios) which means, according to the lexicon, "in a restricted sense, the male offspring (one born by a father and of a mother)." 

"In a restricted sense," means this is a limited definition. It does not cover an expanded meaning and uses of the word. That definition would only apply in the context of a physical offspring in this world.

Otherwise, if you tried to expand this use to apply broadly to God's creation, then you would have to say that we are all "sons" (i.e., children) of God.

But this is not the context of Jesus' statement.

Thayer's lexicon further defines υἱός (huios) as, "used to describe one who depends on another or is his follower." 

This latter meaning would be applicable to Jesus' use of this word in the context of his statement.

In this context, the word υἱός (huios) would be describing someone who was a "devoted follower" or "servant" of God.

This expands the meaning of Jesus' statement and clarifies it. Only someone who is a devoted follower of God truly knows God. That makes complete sense, and it also fits the reasoning why Jesus was using this term in the third person:

It is describing himself as well as others who are devoted followers of God.

This translation of υἱός (huios) also fits perfectly with the other uses of υἱός (huios) as spoken by Jesus:

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children [υἱός (huios)] of God." (Matt. 5:9)

"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children [υἱός (huios)] of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (Matt. 5:44-45)

"And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people [υἱός (huios)] drive them out? So then, they will be your judges." (Matt. 12:27)

"They are God's children [υἱός (huios)], since they are children [υἱός (huios)] of the resurrection." (Luke 20:36)

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child [υἱός (huios)] of hell as you are." (Matt. 23:15)

We can see in these statements that the word υἱός (huios) has an expanded meaning, relating to those who are devoted followers or servants of something, if not followers of God.

And within the context of Jesus' statement - especially in the third person, it is clear that Jesus is referring to others who are devoted followers of the Supreme Being.

Yes, he can include himself in this equation. But the reason he says this in the third person is that Jesus is including others who had dedicated their lives to God, including the Prophets.

Thus we could better translate this statement to (as is found in the Lost Gospels of Jesus):

“All these things have been given to me by my LORD, as no one knows the Servant except the Creator. Nor does anyone know the Creator except the Servant – and anyone to whom the Servant pleases to reveal Him to.

Is this a special relationship?

In other words, the loving servant of God has developed a confidential relationship with the Supreme Being. This relationship is known only by the Supreme Being and only to loving servants of the Supreme Being. 

A loving servant of God understands the Supreme Being by virtue of having love for God and by being the Supreme Being's servant. This makes being the humble and loving servant of the Supreme Being the most exalted position, as Jesus has indicated.

The concept that Jesus was the exclusive son of God was created as a political measure by the Roman Empire and solidified during the Councils of Nicaea. These were politically assembled to organize early Christianity following it becoming legalized in the Roman Empire.

These councils issued several edicts. But one of the most important was the Nicene Creed. This was developed to cement an overriding interpretation of who Jesus was.

The Nicene Creed was also subject to the approval of the Roman Emperor. This means it was a politically derived doctrine.

It should be noted that one of the major goals of the Nicene Creed was to organize the doctrine of Christianity. But this was orchestrated under the rule of the Romans, who had long cherished the idea of the Roman Emperors being the "sons" of particular gods (pantheon). 

This concept spilled over into the Christian doctrine, even though Jesus did not teach this notion that God had a single "son." This was a derivation meant to appeal to Roman orthodoxy.

Following the First Council of Nicea and the Nicene Creed, the Emperor of Rome (Constantine) ordered the Bishop of Caesarea (Eusebius) to assemble 50 units of what we know today as the Roman Bible. So Eusebius selected the various manuscript texts and assembled what many now believe to be the Vaticanus. These were translated into Latin to form the first Latin Bible and fathered the various Bibles that came over 1,000 years later.

The problem is that the texts selected for the Bible were cherry-picked. Dozens of other texts were excluded. They were eventually destroyed (burnt) by the Romans, with some being found centuries later buried in the desert. 

This left the four Gospels, three of which were practically duplicates (Matthew, Mark and Luke), likely all derivations of parts of the Gospel of Thomas with some inconsistently added narrative.

And if the Gospel of Thomas and some other older manuscripts in the desert hadn't been discarded (later found buried), we might still think that the four Gospels were the only writings about Jesus. That's how good the Romans were at manipulating the Bible.

The pre-Bible texts were also manipulated. Verses were added and removed from even the four Gospels to provide an interpretation more consistent with the Nicene Creed.

Luckily, because the earlier Greek Sinaiticus Bible is still accessible, we can look at the Greek text and find the more appropriate translation to "devoted follower" or “loving servant” instead of "son" throughout to describe Jesus. 

This brings many of Jesus' teachings into clarity and context.

Becoming a devoted follower or loving servant of God can only be accomplished with a change of heart. There is no church or religious organization to join. It means putting ourselves at the feet of the Supreme Being and dedicating our lives to Him.

This is the point of Jesus' statement above.

“Haven’t you read what David did ...” (Matthew 12:3-8)

“Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread--which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? I tell you that One greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:3-8)

Why is Jesus talking about David and his 'companions'?

This statement by Jesus is in response to the criticism by the Pharisees who saw Jesus and his disciples walking through a grain field on the Sabbath - a day known for fasting. Some of the disciples were hungry and picked some heads of grain and ate.

Jesus compares this situation to when David and his companions ate consecrated bread from the temple and this went against institutional temple law at the time.

Jesus also points out here that the scriptures say that when temple priests ate bread on the Sabbath, they were not guilty of breaking the law.

Jesus is comparing himself and his disciples to David and his companions - and the temple priests who also broke the law of the Sabbath. What do they have in common?

What they have in common is that they were loving servants of God, involved in using their lives to teach others about the Supreme Being.

This is why Jesus says here:

"I tell you that One greater than the temple is here." 

Is Jesus calling himself 'greater than the temple'?

Many sectarian teachers have interpreted this statement to mean that Jesus is calling himself "One greater than the temple." But would Jesus really make this kind of statement about himself? Is this the same Jesus who said:

"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me." (John 6:38)

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

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

Notice the use of "the One" in the last quote - and its use ("One greater") here. Since there must be another sender besides Jesus if someone else sent him, Jesus is not referring to himself as "the One."

Jesus is obviously not considering himself "One greater than the temple." This is an attribute that can only be made to "the One" who sent Jesus - the Father - the Supreme Being.

And this is the common bond between the comparison between himself, David, and the priests with regard to following institutional temple law. Jesus is saying that he is serving the Supreme Being. And the Supreme Being is thus present in those works.

As such, that service on behalf of the Supreme Being would qualify as trumping the ritualistic institutional temple laws.

Why? Because the Supreme Being is the Owner and Controller of everything. Therefore, He is not subject to any laws - all laws come from Him - therefore He is not subject to them.

This is the meaning of Jesus' statement: "I tell you that One greater than the temple is here."

What does 'lord of the Sabbath' mean?

And what about "the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath"? What does this mean?

Since he was speaking of the activities of David, he could not be saying he is the only 'lord of the sabbath'.

It would also be odd for Jesus to be speaking about himself in the third person, right after discussing David and the priests. Isn't he comparing his activity with theirs? Why would he then eliminate them from being "sons of man"? And if he did, why would he say it in the third person?

How many people do this when they speak? If a person named Tom were to feel hungry, would he say “Tom is hungry”? No. He would say “I am hungry.” Likewise, if Jesus were to be speaking specifically of himself here he would have used "I", "me" or "my." This would be common sense, and very clear. Also, note that Matthew does not indicate that Jesus himself was eating out of the field - Jesus was defending his disciples' activity.

What does Jesus mean by 'mercy not sacrifice'?

The quote that Jesus brings to this statement is from Hosea 6:6, when God spoke through Hosea and said:

"For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings."

This statement from Matthew 9:13 would also capture the essence and meaning of Jesus’ statements prior to this last sentence. Jesus is explaining, for example, with the Hosea quote, that what the Supreme Being wants from us is our loving service, not necessarily following rituals: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’

The use of "mercy" here in Hosea and by Jesus refers to service that pleases God and helps others realize their relationship with the Supreme Being. This means being compassionate upon others. If a person has heard the Truth about the Supreme Being, and he is merciful to others, that person will pass the Truth on to them. This is mercy, and this is captured by the title, "Son of Man"  which is better translated to "Servant of Humanity."

The Supreme Being loves us and cherishes us, and knows that we will only be happy when we take part in such a loving relationship. Thus He wants us to acknowledge Him with love and devotion in practical ways. Just following a bunch of rituals for the sake of being accepted by our peers or by a sectarian organization doesn’t accomplish this. 

The Supreme Being wants us to independently develop our own personal relationship with Him, and freely choose to live our lives with love in our hearts.

“Who is my mother and who are my brothers? ...” (Matthew 12:48-50)

While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you." He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." (Matthew 12:46-50)

Was Jesus disavowing his family?

Jesus was not disavowing his mother and his brothers. He was using this example to make a teaching lesson that our spiritual lives and the spiritual lives of others are more important than the family of the physical body.

From other verses, we have seen that Jesus cared about his mother and his brothers. At least one of his brothers - James - also became a disciple of Jesus. And Jesus instructed one of his disciples to take care of his mother while he was being crucified:

When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, "Woman,  here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. (John 19:26-27)

This also points to one of Moses' instructions, to honor one's mother and father. We know that Jesus quoted Moses on other occasions. It thus would make no sense if Jesus was dishonoring or disrespecting - or disavowing - his parents, or family.

Rather, Jesus is making a point of his relationship with his mother and his brothers to convey two important lessons to his students:

Are we these physical bodies?

The first lesson of Jesus' statement is that we are not these physical bodies:

We are each spiritual beings, wearing temporary physical bodies. Therefore, while we might love and respect the mother of this body, that body that gave birth to our body is being driven by a spirit-person who is also not their physical body.

Similarly, our brothers and sisters of this body are also spiritual beings temporarily residing in their physical bodies, which happen to have been born from the same physical body ours was born from.

So who are we, the spirit-person within this body, related to? Who is our real mother, father, brothers and sisters?

Is God our permanent parent?

According to Jesus' teachings, the Supreme Being is our real Father. He is also our Best Friend and our constant Companion.

Furthermore, there is a lost loving relationship that exists between ourselves and the Supreme Being. This loving relationship is the intimate relationship that we are each seeking as we look for the perfect mate during our lifetimes in these bodies. We seek the perfect mate - our "soul mate" - because we have a soul mate that we have lost touch with.

This is why everyone instinctively looks for our soul mate. Because instinctively we know we have one. This is why people will say stuff like, "I know [he or she] is out there somewhere." We know this because deep inside - deep within our spiritual consciousness - which is currently covered up by our physical consciousness - we know we have a relationship with the real perfect person: The Supreme Being.

Jesus confirms this loving relationship as he explains that his true mothers and brothers are those who are executing their spiritual relationship with the Supreme Being - as he pointed to his disciples, saying:

"Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Those of us who rebel against their innate relationship with the Supreme Being - as most on this planet have done - have disinherited ourselves from this loving family that Jesus is speaking of.

Where is our real family?

We are each constantly wanting to be part of a family. When we are young we cling to our family, and when we get older we want to have our own family. This desire for a family is innate within us because each of us already has a permanent family.

This is our spiritual family - headed up by the Supreme Being.

Jesus' statement, "whoever does the will of my Father" also means that each of us can become reunited with our real family at any time. At any time we can choose to resume our loving service relationship with the Supreme Being, and join our real family members in loving and serving the Supreme Being.

And what is the "will of my Father"? Jesus clearly teaches what will please the Supreme Being. The Supreme Being wants us to come back to Him. He wants us to return to His loving arms. What else would we expect from a loving Father?

" '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)

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field... ” (Matthew 13:44)

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” (Matthew 13:44)

The renewed relationship of love with the Supreme Being by the living being is likened to a treasure that is being hidden.

What does 'like treasure hidden' mean?

Remember that "kingdom" is translated from the Greek word βασιλεία (basileia) which means, according to the lexicon, "royal power, kingship, dominion, rule; not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom."

This means that "kingdom" relates to the consciousness of perceiving the Supreme Being's greatness. This takes place as a person comes to know and love the Supreme Being. Once we rediscover and embrace our relationship with Him, we become fulfilled.

But why would a relationship with God be hidden?

Because our true identity and true relationship with the Supreme Being is hidden from those of us in the physical world. We are not these physical bodies. We are spiritual in essence, and we were created to be the Supreme Being's loving servants and playmates.

But because love is based on freedom, the Supreme Being gives each of us the choice to love Him or not. He never forces us. And those of us who chose not to love Him were given a physical body in the physical world in order to escape from Him. These bodies give us a false identity and this dimension combined with the nature of our senses and mind allows our true relationship with Him to be hidden from us.

Consider what Jesus said as he considered and wept over the people of Jerusalem:

“If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes." (Luke 19:42)

And how he praised God:

“I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children." (Matthew 11:25)

"Children" here refers to those who humbly wish to revive their relationship with the Supreme Being.

And when our true relationship with the Supreme Being is revealed, it becomes a treasure to us because it fulfills us.

Each of us is desperately looking for fulfillment and true love within the physical world. Yet we never seem to find it. Even our family and spouse relationships do not fulfill us. This is why we perpetually seek that perfect soul mate. And those who seem like our soul mate also don't fulfill our quest for the perfect person. We soon realize their faults, and even if we settle down with this person and learn to tolerate those faults, we know deep inside that we didn't find the person we were looking for.

This is why so many people mistakenly go outside marriage in search for the perfect person. They are still thinking they will find the perfect person in this world. They won't. They will only find others who are also full of faults, just as we have. They will basically trade one set of faults for another, producing heartache on the way.

The answer is simple: the Supreme Being is our soul mate. He is the perfect person we have been looking for.

He is everything we expect in a soul mate. He is loving, kind, generous, strong, and beautiful.

Why did the man hide it again?

Why would the man hid the treasure after he found it? When a person living within the physical world comes to realize His eternal relationship with the Supreme Being, he will need to hide it away from others in order to remain living within the physical world.

Once we have a taste of the spiritual fulfillment of loving the Supreme Being, we cannot get enough. We never get tired of it. We must return to it constantly, and we must protect it. So we hide it.

Such a relationship is a spiritual relationship, and the people of this world - who are scrambling for fulfillment within the forms and things of the physical world - will not understand this relationship. Thus it must be hidden from view.

What does 'in his joy' mean?

The word "joy" is translated from the Greek word χαρά (chara), which refers to "gladness" or "joy" specifically related to a relationship: "of persons who are one's joy" according to the lexicon.

Once a person has a taste of the joy derived from their relationship with the Supreme Being it is so complete that the person will give everything up in order to continue to embrace that relationship. It is completely fulfilling, so the forms and things of this world have little meaning.

Gradually, as our love for the Supreme Being increases, we become increasingly prepared to make sacrifices to please Him. In the perfect stage of love for God, we are ready to sacrifice everything to retain that relationship with the Supreme Being.

This level of commitment is rare indeed. Jesus illustrated this type of commitment as he was willing to give up his physical body. He was willing to sacrifice his physical body in order to please the Supreme Being. Consider Jesus' desire to please God:

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

And consider what he prayed just before he was arrested (right at the time he could have run off and avoided the arrest):

“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39)

“... what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.’” (Matthew 15:10-11)

“Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” (Matthew 15:10-11)

What does Jesus mean by 'defile'?

Jesus continues to teach regarding the Pharisees issue with Jesus' followers washing their hands before eating:

Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!" (Matt. 15:1-2)

Regarding becoming defiled: We must ask: Who is the subject of this statement? If Jesus is speaking of the physical body - as the Pharisees are most interested in the cleanliness of the physical body - then why wouldn't eating with dirty hands - and thus ingesting dirt and bacteria - make a person 'defiled'?

Because Jesus is not speaking of the physical body here. If he was, there would be no question of whether eating with dirty hands would be unclean - and thereby defiling.

Rather, Jesus is speaking of the person within: The spirit-person who is operating the temporary physical body. This person does not become unclean if the body eats food that is contaminated.

Why? Because the spirit-person within is not the physical body. The person Jesus is speaking of - the spiritual person within - is separate from the physical body.

What does he mean by 'what comes out of his mouth'?

So what could come out of a person's mouth? Words. Jesus is speaking of what is being spoken to others.

And how does this make the spirit-person within 'unclean' according to Jesus?

Because others hear those words, and they and they are affected by those words. The words we speak go into a person's ears and then to their brain and mind. From there, they can affect that person within.

If the words we speak are self-centered - they speak about materialism - these words will influence those who hear those words in a materialistic manner.

Those who hear these words become influenced in one respect or another.

And it is this influence we have upon others that makes us 'unclean' according to Jesus.

How does the spirit become 'defiled'?

The physical realm is upside-down when compared to the spiritual realm. In the material realm, we consider that everything revolves around ourselves - meaning our physical bodies.

When we think of being defiled, we think of ourselves as our physical bodies. We think of those physical things that might make our bodies defiled.

But in our real composition as a spirit-person - becoming defiled is a matter of consciousness.

In our pure state, we are connected to and depending upon the Supreme Being - and we are loving the Supreme Being's children. This means the relevance - or focus - regards others instead of ourselves. In the context of the spiritual realm, activities that affect others' spiritual lives in a negative way are considered bad and activities that affect others' spiritual lives in a positive way are considered good activities.

This is what Jesus is speaking of here. Jesus is teaching his students to become conscious of others and what they speak to others. This is the first step in becoming aware of the Supreme Being.

We cannot become purified when we believe the universe revolves around ourselves. Such a consciousness is a contradiction to the pure state of the spirit. Awareness of the Supreme Being requires understanding that we are not the center of the universe: The Supreme Being is the center of the universe. This is what 'Supreme Being' or 'God' means.

This is precisely why each of us is here in the physical realm wearing these temporary physical bodies without the ability to see the Supreme Being: Because we wanted to be supreme. We wanted to be the center of the universe.

But since that post was already occupied by the Supreme Being - and because the Supreme Being is a beautiful loving person, the Supreme Being gave us a facility to enable us to pretend we are the center of the universe.

He had to also hide out from us. We couldn't very well think we were the center of the universe as long as we had to face the real center of the universe, could we? We couldn't pretend to be perfect as long as the Perfect Person was visible, could we?

So the Supreme Being designed this temporary physical body - which we drive much as a person drives an automobile - with senses and a mind that could not perceive the spiritual realm. He had to design an illusory situation so that we would forget our real identity as one of His loving servants.

Is this like a dream?

When we are dreaming we completely forget our waking identities. If we couldn't, we could not really get lost in the dream, could we? So when we dream, we will identify ourselves according to our dreamscape. We might have a completely different identity in our dream.

This facility of dreaming is comparable to the facility of the physical realm except these physical bodies have a more concrete molecular substance - unlike the more subtle substance of the mind that takes place within our dreams.

But where ever we may be - whether dreaming or within a physical body or not - our words and actions will influence others. Thus if we care about others - and their spiritual lives - we will be careful about the words that come from our mouths.

The wisest thing to do with our mouths is to praise the Supreme Being and His Names. This is an ancient practice that can purify the spirit-person within as well as anyone who hears them.

“This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" (Matthew 17:1-5)

What does 'This is my son, whom I love' mean?

The English translators have used "son", but the translation of the Greek word translated to “son” here is υἱός (huios). This could indicate a relationship of offspring in the physical sense but only within "a restricted" context according to the lexicon.

In this context, we must use the more appropriate meaning from the lexicon: "used to describe one who depends on another or is his follower." 

This thus would be more appropriately translated to: "devoted follower" or “loving servant.” If devotion and love are assumed, "servant" can be used singly.

And in the context of Jesus, we can add an additional possible translation of υἱός (huios) - utilized for the loving servant who is introducing us to the Supreme Being: The representative of God. This is also discussed in Thayer's lexicon.

One who is representing God is also serving God. But one who is representing God is providing an important and valuable service to God and to all of us. This was Jesus' role - he is representing the Supreme Being.

Why 'servants' and not 'sons'?

This translation of the Greek word υἱός (huios) to "servants" is supported by numerous statements in the Bible. In fact, practically the entire Bible is a narration of the activities of God's various servants. 

Ironically, those teachers and institutions who claim to be servants of Jesus have mistranslated this very key word to "sons." Is not service to God the mainstay and pillar of Jesus' teachings?

There is clear evidence of this, including three statements by Jesus himself:

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons [servants] of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

and

"For they cannot die any more, because they are equal to angels and are sons [servants] of God, being sons of the resurrection." (Luke 20:36 RSV)

Jesus also uses the word υἱὸς to refer to "servant" or "follower" elsewhere:

"But the subjects [servants] of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 8:12)

and

“How can the guests [servants] of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast." (Matthew 9:15 ASV)

In all of these statements, we find the Greek word υἱός being used, yet none are referring to physical offspring. They all refer to people who are servants in some way, to either God and the resurrection, "the kingdom," or to the bridegroom.

Evidencing the latter, Matthew 9:15 has also been translated to "attendants of the bridegroom" (NAV). And clearly, an attendant should be considered - at least at the time of Jesus - a servant.

Other statements provide clear references to "sons of God" among Bible translations:

When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. (Genesis 6:1-2)

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. (Genesis 6:4)

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. (Job 1:6)

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. (Job 2:1)

When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:7)

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." (Matt. 6:9)

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1:12)

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Romans 8:14)

For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. (Romans 8:19)

In the Old Testament verses above, "sons" or "children" are being translated from the Hebrew word בֵּן (ben). This word refers not just to "son" or "male child," but also, according to the lexicon, to "a member of a guild, order, class." As such, it refers to a subject - or devoted servant.

Likewise, in all the above New Testament verses, the word "sons" is being translated from the Greek word υἱὸς - used also to describe Jesus as the "son of God." All are also translated to "sons" in most Biblical translations, except for Luke 20:36, for which most Biblical translations use the English word "children." Nevertheless, Jesus is using the same Greek word (υἱὸς) in all three statements, the same word used to Jesus as a "son of God."

How did Jesus please God?

If God says that Jesus pleases Him, then it means that Jesus is giving God pleasure. What kind of person gives pleasure to another person? Certainly, a person who is devoted to pleasing that person - a loving servant.

Certainly, if someone is pleased with someone’s activities, then those activities are being done within the context of service. By God saying that He was pleased with Jesus, we know that Jesus must have been working for the pleasure of God. In other words, Jesus was trying to please God. 

Thus we can say without any doubt that Jesus’ role was one of a loving servant of God who was trying to please God with his activities. This reveals a relationship - one of reciprocal love: God is exchanging a loving relationship with Jesus.

Thus we can offer two possible translations of God's statement:

“This is my beloved Servant, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him!”

Either would be correctly describing the relationship between Jesus and God. The fact that there is a loving relationship between God and Jesus is very clear, not only from this statement but the many statements by Jesus as well. Consider this statement, made by Jesus:

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

This makes the relationship between God and Jesus very clear. It is obvious that Jesus is not God, but rather, God's servant. God has sent Jesus as His messenger.

Is there a loving relationship between God and Jesus?

Since Jesus was there, speaking with Moses and Elijah, and the cloud enveloped all of them, and because the voice was speaking of Jesus in the third person, we have to concede that the voice was God’s voice. Who else would be speaking of Jesus in this context?

From the above statement by the Supreme Being we can see that God is an individual Who is separate from Jesus. For someone to be pleased with someone else’s activities, there must be two individuals, with two separate roles. The one who is pleased must have a separate identity from the one who is trying to please them. Otherwise, there would be no expectation or need to please that person.

In other words, the fact that Jesus is pleasing to the Supreme Being means Jesus is not the Supreme Being.

Furthermore, it means there is an intimate relationship between Jesus and God. Jesus is working to please the Supreme Being and the Supreme Being is pleased with Jesus. The fact that Jesus is working to please the Supreme Being is confirmed by some of Jesus' statements, such as:

"By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me." (John 7:16)

In addition, the one who pleases the other must have a choice to do things that are pleasing or not. Otherwise, there would be no possibility of pleasure, because the actions would be expected.

Here we can see the affection between God and Jesus. We see that God is pleased with Jesus. This illustrates the loving relationship between God and Jesus. A loving relationship requires individuality and some measure of the freedom to choose whether to please the other person or not.

God then goes on to comment about Jesus' teachings: “Listen to him!” God says. What does this tell us? Notice that God didn't say, "Wait until Jesus dies on the cross and then you will be saved." He tells us to listen to Jesus' teachings:

Why did God say, 'listen to him'?

Yes, the Supreme Being is instructing those around Jesus to carefully hear and follow Jesus' teachings. Why? Because it is Jesus' teachings that can save us, should we decide to listen to those teachings, and follow them.

It is not as if we simply have to go to church and "bathe in the blood" of Jesus and we are saved. This is ludicrous.

Furthermore, we can also see from God's statement what we can do to please the Supreme Being: We can carefully study Jesus’ teachings, and we can follow his instructions.

And what was Jesus' most important instruction?

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

“Get up. Don’t be afraid.” (Matthew 17:6)

When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." (Matthew 17:6-7)

Why were they terrified?

After hearing this voice coming from God, Peter, James and John fell to the ground face down in fear. But were they "terrified?"

If they were "terrified" why did they fall prostrate - an act of obeisance or prayer? Why didn't they just run off? Most people run away if they are terrified. They don't fall to the ground facedown, where they would remain in harm's way.

Laying down before someone is an act of trust. It is an act of humility and faith that the person they are laying down in front of will not harm them. This means that "terrified" was the wrong word.

Yes, the Greek word φοβέω (phobeō) can certainly mean "to fear, be afraid." But it can also mean "to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience" according to the lexicon.

This confirms they were not "terrified." 

But why then did Jesus tell them not to be "afraid"? Well, strictly speaking, the word Jesus purportedly used was also φοβέω (phobeō). This would mean that Jesus would have told them that they didn't have to stay in "reverential obedience." They could get up.

We also see from the Greek that Jesus says the word "and" (kai) between saying "Get up" (or "rise") and the next thing. So it is very possible that Jesus was speaking to their reverence, saying something like:

"Get up and take it easy." In other words, he was saying that they didn't need to stay in the prostrate, facedown position any longer.

And when they did get up, only Jesus was there. So it is likely that Jesus told them this after the Supreme Being's appearance had ended.

Now, if we are insistent that Jesus did tell them not to be afraid, this means that Jesus was telling them that they did not have to fear the Supreme Being. Either way, Jesus was telling them that God should be loved, not feared.

But doesn't the Old Testament say we should fear God?

Because God’s appearances in the Bible have been shrouded in power and mystery, and there are many statements about “fearing” God, there has been a tendency among the Christian world to fear God rather than love Him. This is an unfortunate situation.

It just so happens that much of the current Bible’s translations from the original Hebrew and Greek to Latin then to English by sectarian institutions translate the Hebrew word יָרֵא (yare') to "fear," instead of its more logical translation, according to the lexicon, "to cause astonishment and awe, be held in awe." It also describes the word as "reverence, honor, respect."

But instead of translating all those cases of the Hebrew word יָרֵא (yare') to "revere God" or "honor God" or "hold God in awe," they decided to use "fear God."

Why did these institutional translators want to see the Supreme Being as someone to fear?

First, because they didn't know God.

Second, because they wanted to control people - and fear was a better means than reverence.

This interpretation began among institutional temple teachers who taught that God was to be feared, in order to control their assemblies and followers.

The interpretation was furthered by the Roman Catholic Church, with the politically organized Synods of Nicaea. The First Council of Nicaea of 325 AD was assembled by the Roman Emperor Constantine, creating a political structure to rule over early Christian followers. This was followed by the Second Council of Ephesus of 449 AD, put together by the Roman Emperor Theodosius II, which led to the creation of the Roman Catholic Church.

In these councils, Jesus was defined and Biblical interpretations were developed. The First Council led to the Nicene Creed. This defined Jesus as God the Son.

They also carried on the determination that it would better meet their objectives if God the Father were a God the people feared. If the people feared God, they would come to church under threat that He would punish them if they did not attend church and pay tithings.

For this reason, we find many translations, especially among the books of the Bible using the phrase “fear” rather than its original intention to “honor" or "revere" God.

A long tradition of loving God

In doing so, they bypassed a long tradition of loving God that had been passed through the centuries by the Prophets.

This can be confirmed simply, by the loving relationship that existed between God and the saints of the Bible, such as Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Jonah and so many others. We also have to consider Moses' and Joshua's statements:

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (Deut. 6:5)

"Love the LORD your God and keep His requirements, His decrees, his laws and His commands always." (Deut. 11:1)

"So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul—" (Deut. 11:13)

"If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him and to hold fast to Him—" (Deut. 11:22)

"because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today—to love the LORD your God and to walk always in obedience to Him—then you are to set aside three more cities." (Deut. 19:9)

"For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to Him, and to keep His commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess." (Deut. 30:16)

"and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." (Deut. 30:20)

"But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Josua 22:5)

"So be very careful to love the LORD your God." (Josua 23:11)

So we know that the instruction to love the Supreme Being is not a fluke. It was emphasized over and over by Moses, and then Moses' student Joshua. We also know that David instructed his followers the same:

Love the LORD, all his faithful people! The LORD preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full. (Psalm 31:23)

And of course, Jesus reiterated this 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)

What about 'fear God' from the Old Testament?

Now consider just a few of the verses from the Old Testament that have been translated into "fear God" that could have been translated more appropriately (see bolds):

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you honor God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” (Genesis 22:12)

On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I revere God. (Genesis 42:18)

But select capable men from all the people — men who revere God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain — and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. (Exodus 18:21)

“Does Job honor God for nothing?” Satan replied. (Job 1:9)

Come and hear, all you who revere God; let me tell you what he has done for me. (Psalm 66:16)

Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore honor God. (Ecclesiastes 5:7)

Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who honor God, who are reverent before him. (Ecclesiastes 8:12)

Yet because the wicked do not honor God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow. (Ecclesiastes 8:13)

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Revere God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

The translations to either "honor" or "revere" actually make much more sense given the context of these and other events of the Old Testament. Consider, for example, Ecclesiastes 8:12 above, where it defines being reverent. That is not fear. That is honoring God. Revering God.

There is a big difference between honoring someone and being afraid of them. Being afraid is a self-centered emotion. Honoring or revering someone is the opposite.

How can a person love someone they fear?

You can't. Love requires a person come to know and feel comfortable with the person they love. Love requires trust, and in the case of the Supreme Being, also feeling protected by God.

In other words, we cannot feel protected by the Supreme Being and fear Him at the same time.

Furthermore, the idea of fear is a self-centered notion, while love is a selfless notion. Love means caring about the other person more than one cares about oneself. Therefore, love and fear are not compatible emotions.

Are they blurring God?

The glaring error of the Nicean creed is the individuality between the Supreme Being and Jesus were blurred. By blurring their individuality, they erased their loving relationship.

The other offensive error is that the Creed basically says God became a man. This would mean God somehow came under the control of the physical world and became crucified to redeem humanity. Why would God need to be crucified in order to redeem people? 

Are we saying that God does not have the ability to save people without dying on a cross? Are we saying that God does not control things? That he has to suffer for us?

No way. God does not have to suffer for us. God is the Controller of all things. God is the Creator of everything. God does not have to follow any rules. He makes the rules. The Supreme Being could save everyone one of us with one thought.

So why doesn't the Supreme Being do this? Because He gives us the freedom to make this determination. He only brings home to Him those who want to return to Him.

Jesus is the loving servant and representative of God. This concept of Jesus being the "only begotten son" of God was interpreted in an attempt to create exclusivity. Are they saying that God is impotent? That even humans can have many sons but God can only have one? Don't be ridiculous.

If we are not God's children, then why did Jesus say:

"They are God's children...." (Luke 20:26)

Who begot us then? To be begotten means to be created. Surely this language was put forth to be politically expedient. They had to create a statement that would give their church sole access to God. Without their church, the people would have no other way to reach the Supreme Being.

This isn't the situation at all. Jesus is the child and loving servant of God. Because he had dedicated himself to pleasing the Supreme Being, God empowered Jesus to represent Him. Jesus' life was spent serving God in an effort to please Him. This is confirmed by God directly, as He stated:

"with him I am well pleased." (Matt. 17:5)

It is Jesus' loving service, and the teachings coming from loving service that have the ability to save us. And this is why God also said, "Listen to him!” (Matt. 17:5)