The time had come for the return of the three score and ten whom Jesus sent abroad to preach. And Jesus, Peter, James and John began their journey back to Galilee. They went up through Samaria; they passed through many villages and towns, and everywhere the people thronged the ways to see the man the seventy had told about; and Jesus taught and healed the sick. And when they reached Capernaum the seventy were there; and they were filled with joy; they said,
The Spirit of the Lord of hosts was with us all the way, and we were filled. The power of the sacred Word was manifest in us; we healed the sick; we caused the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, the blind to see. The very devils trembled when we spoke the Word, and they were subject unto us.
And Jesus said, As you were going on your way, the heavens were bright with light, the earth was bright, they seemed to meet and be at one; and I beheld, and Satan fell as lightning from the heavens. Behold, for you have power to tread on serpents and on scorpions, and these are symbols of the enemies of men. You are protected in the way of right, and naught can harm. And as you went I heard a master say, Well done.
But you may not rejoice because you have the power to heal the sick and make the devils tremble by the Word; for such rejoicing is from carnal self. You may rejoice because the nations of the earth have ears to hear the Word, and eyes to see the glory of the Lord, and hearts to feel the inner breathing of the Holy Breath. And you may well be glad because your names are written in the Book of Life. (Aquarian Gospel 140:1-13)
The power of the sacred Word was manifest in us; we healed the sick; we caused the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, the blind to see.) The very devils trembled when we spoke the Word, and they were subject unto us. The great Master Yogananda taught his disciples that intoning Om into the right ear of a possessed or obsessed person would free them from the spirit(s). Once a possessed woman was brought to Swami Ramdas of Anandashram. He asked all the people there to sing the Ram Mantra: Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram. After a while she jumped up and ran down the street. Some people followed after, and at one point she turned around and said to them: “I can’t stand that holy mantra and that holy man. I am leaving.” Immediately the spirit left and she was normal.
Such is the power of God’s holy name, especially the supreme name Om which was given by Jesus to his disciples who then did the things he did by the power of The Word. (“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do.” John 14:12)
And Jesus said, As you were going on your way, the heavens were bright with light, the earth was bright, they seemed to meet and be at one; and I beheld, and Satan fell as lightning from the heavens. Behold, for you have power to tread on serpents and on scorpions, and these are symbols of the enemies of men. You are protected in the way of right, and naught can harm. Such is the power of God that is inherent in Om. We must use it constantly and fearlessly, though always intelligently and prudently.
But you may not rejoice because you have the power to heal the sick and make the devils tremble by the Word; for such rejoicing is from carnal self. You may rejoice because the nations of the earth have ears to hear the Word, and eyes to see the glory of the Lord, and hearts to feel the inner breathing of the Holy Breath. And you may well be glad because your names are written in the Book of Life. We have no power of ourselves. It all proceeds from God. Therefore we should not rejoice because of the wonders Om will work, but because we have learned that holy Word and because human beings will respond to it. And most of all because we and they are ascending to Eternal Life.
Worldly people desire power, but godly people desire service and rejoice in it.
Then Jesus looked to heaven and said, I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast revealed thyself to babes, and taught them how to light the path and lead the wise to thee. What thou hast given to me, lo, I have given to them, and through the sacred Word I have bestowed on them the understanding heart, that they might know and honor thee through Christ, who was, and is, and evermore shall be.
And then he said aside, unto the seventy and twelve, Most blessed are your eyes because you see the things you see; and blessed are your ears because they hear the things they hear; and blessed are your hearts because you understand. In ages that are gone the wise of earth, the prophets, seers and kings, desired to hear and see and know what you have heard and seen and known; but they had not attained and could not hear, and see and know. (Aquarian Gospel 140:14-20)
Thou hast revealed thyself to babes, and taught them how to light the path and lead the wise to thee. This is the work we should be doing. Showing the way that others can light the path for themselves and awaken them to the reality of God and the possibility of knowing God.
What thou hast given to me, lo, I have given to them, and through the sacred Word I have bestowed on them the understanding heart, that they might know and honor thee through Christ, who was, and is, and evermore shall be. What Jesus received from God we have received from him, and others should be receiving it from us. The most important things are not miracles but the opening of “the understanding heart” that will become our infallible guide to the Infinite. Our knowing will come through the Christ, the Only-Begotten of the Father, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity whose messenger was Jesus. We must always distinguish between the two Christs.
In ages that are gone the wise of earth, the prophets, seers and kings, desired to hear and see and know what you have heard and seen and known; but they had not attained and could not hear, and see and know. Blessed are we who can see, know and attain. If we do not, then we are not disciples of Jesus and of Christ.
And Jesus said again, Lo, I have gone before you many moons, and I have given to you the bread of heaven and the cup of life; have been your buckler and your stay; but now that you have learned the way, and have the strength to stand alone, behold, I lay my body down and go to him who is the All. In forty days then we will turn our faces toward Jerusalem where I will find the altar of the Lord and give my life in willing sacrifice for men. Let us arise and go through all the coasts of Galilee, and give a salutation of good cheer to all the sons of God by faith. (Aquarian Gospel 140:21-24)
There is no gloom or sadness here, for every single disciple of Jesus must walk the way of sacrifice. Jesus is not a “man of sorrows” but the Lord of Joy. Of course, if we are “of the earth, earthly” (John 3:31), we will not see it like that. But if we have “the mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:16), we most certainly will. This is basic truth.
And they arose and went; they entered every town and village on the coast, and everywhere they said, The benedictions of the Christ abide with you for evermore.
Now, in a certain town they went up to the synagogue upon the Sabbath day, and Jesus taught. And as he spoke, two men brought on a cot a woman bent near double with disease; she had not risen from her bed for eighteen years without a helping hand. And Jesus laid his hand upon the woman, and he said, Arise, be free from your infirmity. And as he spoke the Word the woman found that she was straight and strong, and she arose and walked and said, Praise God.
The ruler of the synagogue was filled with wrath because the healer healed upon the Sabbath day. He did not censure Jesus face to face, but turning to the multitudes he said, You men of Galilee, why do you break the laws of God? There are six days in every week when you may bring the afflicted to be healed. This is the day that God has blessed, the Sabbath day in which men may not work.
And Jesus said, You inconsistent scribes and Pharisees! Upon the Sabbath day you take your beasts of burden from their stalls, and lead them forth to eat and drink; is this not work? This daughter of your father Abraham, who has been bound for eighteen years, has come in faith to be made free. Now, tell me, men, is it a crime to break her bonds and set her free upon the Sabbath day? The ruler said no more; the people all rejoiced and said, Behold the Christ! (Aquarian Gospel 140:25-37)
The benedictions of the Christ abide with you for evermore. Once again, this is the not mythical salvation of exoteric Christianity, sincere though that may be. This is the communication of the Cosmic Christ, the Creator of the Universe with us and a sharing in his glorious life and consciousness. “And that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
Since there is such a fuss being made about Jesus working on the Sabbath we need to know the definition of work in Orthodox Judaism. It is simply this: to produce a change in anything in any form. So if a person is sick and then becomes well, the healer has engaged in work by this definition. Of course this is foolish when the healer wields the power of God, because it is effortless. Yet an esoteric process of some sort must be engaged in, even if it is only tuning in to the divine power. But since God does not break his laws, obviously neither does a knower of God. As Jesus told his accusers: “Ye do err, not knowing the power of God” (Matthew 22:29).
And Jesus spoke a parable; he said, The kingdom of the Christ is like a little seed that one put in the ground; it grew and after many years became a mighty tree, and many people rested in its shade, and birds built nests and reared their young among its leafy boughs. (Aquarian Gospel 140:38, 39)
Such is the kingdom of Christ upon the earth and in the higher worlds as well. All the worlds, from the highest, most subtle causal realms right down through the astral regions and into this material earth, are subject to time. But the kingdom of Christ transcends time and transfers its citizens into Eternity here and now. This is the great wonder in which human beings are invited to share.
Read the next section in the Aquarian Gospel for Yogis