The work of Jesus in the land of Galilee was done, and he sent forth a message, and the many came from many towns of Galilee; came to receive a benediction from his hand. Among the multitudes who came was Luke, a Syrian from Antioch, a learned physician and a just and upright man. Theophilus, a Grecian senator, a minister of Caesar’s court, was also there; and many other men of honor and renown. (Aquarian Gospel 146:1-3)
Here were find Saint Luke the Evangelist mentioned. Though he was a physician he was also a gifted painter and many of his icons are still in shrines throughout the world. I have seen one myself–Our Lady of Tikhvin–that was a living embodiment of the Virgin Mary.
The important point here is that Jesus was renowned in the land of Israel and that people of influence and from far places sought him out. His entire ministry was known to the whole nation and even throughout the Roman Empire if an official of the Roman court came to hear him.
And Miriam sang:
All hail the Day Star from on high!
All hail the Christ who ever was, and is and evermore shall be!
All hail the darkness of the shadowland! All hail the dawn of peace on earth; good will to men!
All hail triumphant king, who grapples with the tyrant Death, who conquers in the fight, and brings to light immortal life for men!
All hail the broken cross, the mutilated spear!
All hail the triumph of the soul! All hail the empty tomb!
All hail to him despised by men, rejected by the multitudes; for he is seated on the throne of power!
All hail! for he has called the pure in heart of every clime to sit with him upon the throne of power!
All hail, the rending veil! The way into the highest courts of God is open for the sons of men!
Rejoice, O men of earth, rejoice, and be exceeding glad!
Bring forth the harp and touch its highest strings; bring forth the lute, and sound its sweetest notes!
For men who were made low, are high exalted now, and they who walked in darkness and in the vale of death, are risen up and God and man are one forevermore,
Allelujah! praise the Lord forevermore. Amen. (Aquarian Gospel 146:4-16)
This is truly a marvel, revealing that Miriam either was a prophetess or had been told by Jesus in detail of his future even beyond the cross.
All hail the Day Star from on high! All hail the Christ who ever was, and is and evermore shall be! One of the gravest errors of Christianity has been the confusion of Christ with Jesus. Christ is God, the source, pervader and controller of the universe, the Second Person of the Trinity. Jesus is an individual spirit who has attained perfect union with Christ and is a perfect reflection of Christ.
All hail the darkness of the shadowland! All hail the dawn of peace on earth; good will to men! Why is “the darkness of the shadowland” being hailed? Because it is in the shadowland that the light of Christ has shown forth into the world. “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined” (Isaiah 9:2). If there had been no darkness the light would not have been sent to us. So even that which is negative ultimately has a positive effect.
All hail triumphant king, who grapples with the tyrant Death, who conquers in the fight, and brings to light immortal life for men! The resurrection of Jesus is not just some tremendous wonder to awe us, but rather is the revelation of immortal life that is the very nature of every single human being.
All hail the broken cross, the mutilated spear! All hail the triumph of the soul! All hail the empty tomb! Even that which has been defeated is glorified by being made a vehicle of the truth of immortality.
All hail to him despised by men, rejected by the multitudes; for he is seated on the throne of power! Jesus was the King of Immortality and enthroned in power from the moment of his birth. The mystery-drama of his life, death and resurrection was proof of that.
All hail! for he has called the pure in heart of every clime to sit with him upon the throne of power! We have not been called to grovel before Jesus and make the claim that he is absolutely unique. Rather, we have been called by him to Christhood, to possession and manifestation of the Kingdom of Christ.
All hail, the rending veil! The way into the highest courts of God is open for the sons of men! That which was rent was the veil that kept humanity blinded to the truth of both God and man. The rending of the veil was not a destruction, but a restoration of humanity to the immortality of Paradise.
Rejoice, O men of earth, rejoice, and be exceeding glad! Bring forth the harp and touch its highest strings; bring forth the lute, and sound its sweetest notes! For men who were made low, are high exalted now, and they who walked in darkness and in the vale of death, are risen up and God and man are one forevermore. Allelujah! praise the Lord forevermore. Amen. Humanity has not been redeemed or saved but has been restored and placed back in the eternal path of evolution that leads to establishment in the consciousness that is the oneness of God and man. The door that has been opened to us shall never again be closed.
And Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, My Father-God, let now the benediction of thy love, thy mercy and thy truth rest on these men. The lamp is taken from their midst, and if the inner light be not aflame, lo, they must tread the ways of darkness and of death. And then he said to all, Farewell. (Aquarian Gospel 146:17-20)
What Jesus says has applied to humanity throughout its existence and should never be forgotten by us: “If the inner light be not aflame, lo, they must tread the ways of darkness and of death.” We must at all time keep that consciousness of the spirit, the inner light, bright within us and walk in that light in the world, as well.
Then Jesus and his mother, and the twelve, and Miriam and Mary, mother of the two disciples, James and John, and many other loyal souls who loved the Christ, went to Jerusalem, that they might celebrate the Jewish feast. And as they journeyed on their way they came to Enon Springs, near unto Salim where the harbinger once taught.
And as they rested by the fountain, Mary, wife of Zebedee, and mother of the two disciples, James and John, came to the master and she said, My Lord, I know the kingdom is about to come, and I would ask this boon: Command that these my sons shall sit with you upon the throne, the one upon the right, the other on the left. And Jesus said to her, You know not what you ask.
And then he turned to James and John and said, Are you prepared and are you strong enough to drink the cup that I will drink? They said, Yes, master, we are strong enough to follow where you go.
Then Jesus said, You shall indeed drink of my cup; but I am not the judge of who will sit upon my right or my left. The men who live the life and keep the faith will sit upon the throne of power. (Aquarian Gospel 146:21-30)
If we would be of the immortal Company of Christ, then we, too, must love the Christ, must both love God the Son and seek and find our personal Christhood which is the only way to God.
Not only did Mary not know what she asked, she had no real grasp of the nature of the kingdom of God. Nor did her sons, as their confidence when questioned revealed.
The glorious truth is this: ALL “who live the life and keep the faith will sit upon the throne of power.” It will not be one or two, but every single person who enters and abides in the divine kingdom.
Now, when the apostles heard the pleadings of the mother for her sons, and knew that James and John were seeking special favors from the Lord, they were indignant and they said, We surely thought that James and John had risen above the selfish self. Who can we trust among the sons of men?
And Jesus called the ten apart and said to them, How hard for men to comprehend the nature of the kingdom of the soul! These two disciples do not seem to know that rulership in heaven is not akin to rulership on earth. In all the kingdoms of the world, the men of power, they who exalt themselves, show their authority, and rule with iron rule; but you must know that they who rule the sons of light are they who seek no earthly power, but give their lives in willing sacrifice for men.
Whoever would be great must be the minister of all. The highest seat in heaven is at the feet of him who is the lowest man of earth. I had a glory with our Father-God before the worlds were made, and still I come to serve the race of men; to be the minister of men; to give my life for men.
And then the Christines journeyed on and came unto Jerusalem. (Aquarian Gospel 146:31-39)
We surely thought that James and John had risen above the selfish self. There has to be what is called “the occasion for sin” for a sin to occur. For example, if there is a place where there is no alcoholic drink and in that place there is no way to manufacture it, then drunkenness cannot occur. So often what appears to be virtue is simply the absence of opportunity. Or it may be the fear of being thought a bad or undisciplined person. But when the situation that prevents negative behavior is changed or when there is no longer an interest in appearing virtuous to others, then the negative conduct can feely happen.
As soon as there seemed to be a chance of obtaining a special rank for her sons, then the mother came forward and asked Jesus to bestow it on them. So it could then be seen that it was not a matter of having risen above selfishness and self-seeking, but of simply not knowing such a favor might be had for the asking.
It is good to study the surroundings of people, for then we may find that their behavior comes from far different motives than we might naively think.
How hard for men to comprehend the nature of the kingdom of the soul! This is not a condemnation, for how can those who have had no experience of spirit or the supernatural possibly comprehend those things? To prevent ourselves from making similar mistakes, we must ensure that our consciousness is continually immersed in spiritual realities. This is only made possible by spiritual discipline (sadhana), by the steadfast practice of yoga (meditation).
Rulership in heaven is not akin to rulership on earth. Again, there must be a supernatural perspective uppermost in the aspirant’s mind. A “normal” person involved in the “normal” things of the “normal” world cannot comprehend even the simplest realities of heavenly life that transcends earthly life. It is a matter of the opening and development of consciousness, the key to which is yoga.
They who rule the sons of light are they who seek no earthly power, but give their lives in willing sacrifice for men. Those to whom we must look for the opening of our awareness to higher, spiritual life, are those alone who have devoted their lives to the uplift of others. This is the Way of Christ. Jesus did not come to earth for himself, but for others, just as did Krishna, Amitabha Buddha, Gautama Buddha and the other saviors of humanity.
In India spiritual leaders are often made potentates. One time I was in Delhi where huge posters were found on walls throughout the city proclaiming that a famed guru and his wife were going to be put on a huge scale and weighed so their disciples could give them their weight in gold to prove their devotion. The posters urged all viewers to come and observe the wonder! Nearly all gurus are declared by their disciples to be God revealed. How different is the picture Jesus draws of those who truly can uplift and free lost and bound humanity.
Whoever would be great must be the minister of all. The highest seat in heaven is at the feet of him who is the lowest man of earth. That is, only those who are the servants of the least and the lowliest can be enthroned in the heights of heaven. This truth was marvelously revealed in Swami Sivananda. He was indeed the servant of all mankind. I witnessed this myself many times. Love for mankind, service to all, and perfect humility: these were his constant glory. How few are those who embody this ideal. Jesus washed his disciples’ feet (John 13:3-17). Where can this be seen in today’s world?
I had a glory with our Father-God before the worlds were made, and still I come to serve the race of men; to be the minister of men; to give my life for men. This is not boasting but a pledging to give himself in sacrifice for all, a sacrifice that continues even today in many ways, but especially in the sacred eucharistic rites of Eastern and Western Christianity. This is the glory of Christ unparalleled even unto this day.
Read the next section in the Aquarian Gospel for Yogis