A Pharisee elated with himself stood forth among the multitudes and said to Jesus, Sir, we would have you demonstrate. If you are truly Christ who was to come, then you can surely do what black magicians cannot do. Lo, they can talk, and hold the multitudes with words of power; and they can heal the sick and drive the demons out of those obsessed; they can control the storms; and fire and earth and air will hear and answer when they speak. Now, if you will ascend and from that tower fly across the sea, we will believe that you are sent from God. (Aquarian Gospel 107:1-5)
A Pharisee elated with himself….
There is a certain type of self-satisfied egotist that likes to go around spiritual groups and teachers and ask questions and make challenges meant to discount their target and make themselves seem wiser and worthy of a following. (Often their supposed questions are merely expositions of their pretended wisdom.) They usually know very little and have very little real intelligence, being mediocrities with a need to shine and display themselves. As one teacher used to say: “There is nothing worse than a hick that thinks he has an ‘inside track’!” Usually these people have read one book and decided they are an authority on the subject. (This is not sarcastic, I speak from experience.) As we see here, Jesus had them too.
Quite some time back I read an essay on the shift in the contemporary yoga world. Back in the sixties and after people went to hear a teacher to learn. If they asked a question they wanted information. But today many consider themselves experts, and when they ask questions they are either testing the teacher to see if he knows as much as they know or are challenging him on the basis of their superior knowledge. The intention is still the same as the Pharisee’s: self-display and self-glorification.
This Pharisee is a real ignoramus, otherwise he would know that black magicians absolutely cannot heal the sick, but they certainly can fly. Sickness is the result of negative karma and transgression of the natural laws. Only positive correction can heal sickness and set the physical situation right. The forces of black magic are in total conflict with this. It was well known for centuries in Europe that some gypsies would curse people or animals and make them sick, then show up and offer to cure them for money. When they withdrew the curse the trouble went away. But they had no power to really cure normal illness. There are people who are dynamos of raw physical energy, and if they project it to someone in sufficient quantities they will be cured of illnesses that are really energy deficiencies rather than actual diseases. This is a legitimate way to heal, but has nothing spiritual or supernatural about it as they claim.
In the book of Acts we find this: “There was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries” (Acts 8:9-11). Early Christian histories say that in Rome this man gave a lot of trouble to Saint Peter who had confronted him before as the latter part of the eighth chapter of Acts recounts. Simon was being worshipped by some of the Romans who had erected his statue by the Tiber and on the base put the words: “Simon the Holy God.” (This image was discovered by archeologists in the twentieth century.) Simon often gave public demonstrations of flying. One time Saint Peter saw this and made the sign of the cross toward him and prayed. Immediately Simon fell into the river.
And Jesus said, No black magician ever lived a holy life; you have a demonstration of the Christ-life every day. But lo, you evil and adulterous scribes and Pharisees, you cannot see a spirit sign, because your spirit eyes are full of carnal self. You seek a sign to please your curiosity. You walk the very lowest planes of carnal life and cry, Phenomena! show us a sign and then we will believe. (Aquarian Gospel 107:6-8)
Certain blessings such as miraculous healings only come from a pure spiritual source. Holiness and healing are inseparable. I know this because I grew up with a remarkable healer whose main character was her incredible purity and holiness. I have known quite a few healers, but only the great healer William Branham equaled my maternal grandmother.
Jesus is saying that the Christ-life is the greatest miracle of all, the very purpose of Jesus’ incarnation. “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”(John 10:10). But holiness means nothing to those who walk in the darkness of ego and ignorance, and the religious ones are the worst. That is why today we have these televangelists and megachurches whose focus is prosperity and the assertion that God wants all of us to be rich, despite what Jesus said about material possessions being troublesome and even a bar to spiritual life. The Christ they preach is an obvious antiChrist. They desire the glorification of material existence and immersion in material life. “They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them” (I John 4:5).
I was not sent to earth to buy up faith as men buy fish and fruit and rubbish in the streets. Men seem to think it quite a favor done to me when they confess their faith in me and in the holy Christ. What does it matter unto me as man if you believe or disbelieve? Faith is not something you can buy with coin; it is not something you can sell for gold. Once Mart, a beggar, followed me and cried, Give me a silver piece; then I will believe in you. And you are like this beggar man; you offer to exchange your faith for signs. (Aquarian Gospel 107:9-14)
I was not sent to earth…. Those who have no realistic concept of spiritual development think that to evolve is to develop wisdom and powers and to use them as one pleases or sees fit, that to be a Master is to determine one’s role in the many worlds as one pleases. But this is not true. Jesus showed himself to be the servant of humanity, and that because he was firstly the servant of God. Here are his own words about it:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise” (John 5:19).
“I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me” (John 5:30).
“I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things” (John 8:28).
“For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38).
“I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak” (John 12:49).
Then it must be the same with us. But it is impossible to be someone’s servant without knowing them. So to know God is to be a servant of God, and yet a son of God. Outside this relative existence (samsara) in the transcendent world we are gods (Psalms 82:6; John 10:34) with God, but when we come back into this creation, whatever the level, we are servants of God as was Jesus. Jesus possessed non-dual consciousness, but that consciousness taught him that his very existence depended on God, that he did not exist apart from God. He was one with God yet with a distinction: God was infinite, he was finite.
We certainly shall sit in the throne of God (Revelation 3:21) with God, but we will not be God. There is no place there for the childish egotism of most Western advaitans. Far from them are these words of Jesus to his true disciples: “When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do” (Luke 17:10). Many want to be teachers, but “how shall they preach, except they be sent?” (Romans 10:15); and only servants are sent.
…to buy up faith as men buy fish and fruit and rubbish in the streets. Nothing to do with God is cheap, and almost everything in this world of human “civilization” is nothing but cheap. Faith is not acquired by medicine show techniques, though they are the only way to get a following in today’s spiritual carnival. “Faith [is] not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). But the pseudo-faith of ordinary mankind is nothing but “fish and fruit and rubbish in the streets.”
Men seem to think it quite a favor done to me when they confess their faith in me and in the holy Christ. But the contemporary “sinners saved by grace” are not even that, because the faith they profess is in a mythological Christ, the supposed creator of the world who became a blood sacrifice to appease the psychotic rage of an offended God. Such a being has never existed; their faith is based on falsehood. For notice that Jesus speaks of those that would have faith in him “and in the holy Christ.” For as Jesus explains in the Aquarian Gospel he is the messenger of Christ but not the Christ himself. He is indeed a Christ, but not the Christ, who is God. A perfected being is a perfect image and likeness of God, but certainly not God. Since he has been sent by God, those who have faith in his teachings are having faith in God, not in an individual, and that faith elevates them. Certainly Jesus should be honored and given high praise, but with the right perspective. Claiming that Jesus is something he is not is to deny what he really is, to cancel the truth. No one who does so can be justly considered his disciple.
What does it matter unto me as man if you believe or disbelieve? Being the servant-messenger of God, his words and deeds are meant to open the way to God; there is nothing personal in it for Jesus. Such is his perfect humility, a humility that is truly divine.
Faith is not something you can buy with coin; it is not something you can sell for gold. An elderly friend of mine told me that one time a man came up to his father, who was a minister, and said: “Mister Bozarth, I will be a good Christian for two dollars and fifty cents!” Inflation has changed the figure quite a bit, surely. Another friend of mine told me of an old man who boasted to her: “I’ve been a member of the Christian Church for twenty-five years and it only cost me a quarter!” A penny a year is not bad. But the faith of Christ is something drastically different.
Once Mart, a beggar, followed me and cried, Give me a silver piece; then I will believe in you. And you are like this beggar man; you offer to exchange your faith for signs. How many conditions we put on our “faith”! No wonder Jesus asked: “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). When Jesus incarnates again he will no doubt find a lot of Churchianity, but will there be any Christianity left? And what will be our status?
But I will give to all the world one sign as surety that the Christ abides with me. You all have read the parable of Jonah and the fish, wherein it is recorded that the prophet spent three days and nights within the stomach of the mighty fish, and then came forth. The son of man will spend three days and nights within the heart of earth and then come forth again, and men will see and know. (Aquarian Gospel 107:15-17)
Again Jesus makes clear his relationship with the Christ. Then he tells of his burial and resurrection which will be the only sign these religionists will be given. And that sign they will not believe.
Behold, the light may be so bright that men cannot see anything. The Spirit light has shown so brightly over Galilee that you who hear me now are blind. You may have read the words of prophet Azrael; he said, The light shall shine out brightly in the darkness of the night, and men shall comprehend it not. That time has come; the light shines forth; you see it not. (Aquarian Gospel 107:18-21)
Many years ago I heard a yogi speaking about responses to the divine light and how we sometimes hear people say: “It was so bright I couldn’t see anything,” when in reality they did see: they saw the light. Just as there are some colors that are beyond our normal sight and sounds that are beyond our normal range of hearing, so if people are not used to spiritual vibrations they don’t perceive anything and mistakenly decide that there is nothing to perceive. Skepticism often comes from simple non-perception, not intellectual acumen. On the other hand, sometimes people see so much they cannot distinguish anything so they think they did not see. And of course there are those who really do see and claim they do not because they want to avoid the responsibility that goes along with spiritual awakening.
The Queen of Sheba sat in darkest night and still she yearned for light. She came to hear the words of wisdom from the lips of Solomon, and she believed; and she became a living torch, and when she reached her home, lo, all Arabia was filled with light. A greater far than Solomon is here; the Christ is here; the Day Star has risen, and you reject the light. (Aquarian Gospel 107:22-25)
I used to get very tired of hearing people say: “When the student is ready the teacher appears” to justify they fact that they were not seeking (or even peeking) to find higher truth. The idea was that when they advanced enough without doing a thing some teacher would come to them. But since they had the habit of doing nothing, would they respond to the teacher’s coming? Not likely. Jesus did not say: “Sit around and it will come to you,” but: “Seek, and ye shall find” (Matthew 7:7).
Jesus cites the Queen of Sheba who came so far and endured such hardship to learn wisdom from Solomon. I know a European yogi who read a book about yoga and walked to India to learn yoga. It took a long time, but he got there and benefitted from the company of teaching of many great yogis. And he is still there, I am glad to say.
Actually, in the present condition of the world the greater the light, the more likely it will be missed or outright denied and rejected.
And you remember Nineveh, the wicked city of Assyria, which God had marked to be destroyed by shock and flame unless the people turned and walked in ways of right. And Jonah raised his voice and said, In forty days shall Nineveh be razed, and her wealth shall be destroyed. The people heard and they believed; and they reformed and turned to ways of right, and lo, their city was not razed; was not destroyed. You men of Galilee, I tell you that Arabia and Nineveh will testify against you in the judgment day. (Aquarian Gospel 107:26-29)
One of the reasons spiritual slackers resent those who are actively cultivating the spiritual is that they show them up as spiritual idlers. The undisciplined always get indignant and hostile toward the disciplined. What they do not realize is the fact that it is their indolence and not the diligence of the dedicated which reveals their lack.
Behold, for every one to whom I speak has in him all the fires of God; but they are lying dead. The will is bridled by the flesh desires, and it brings not the ethers of the fires to vibrate into light. Look, therefore, to your soul and note, Is not the light within you dark as night? (Aquarian Gospel 107:30-32)
Behold, for every one to whom I speak has in him all the fires of God; but they are lying dead. At the time of Jesus it was believed that fire was already inside wood, it only needed to be evoked or brought forth. That is why Jesus says all his hearers have the fires of God in themselves already, but they are lying dormant. Jesus is saying that every single human being has within him the full potential for attaining the vision of God. But as long as it is only potential it is the same as if it did not exist.
The will is bridled by the flesh desires, and it brings not the ethers of the fires to vibrate into light. This is sad truth, and must be faced by those who mean business with God and themselves. Within the last fifty years I have seen a tremendous change in outlook. When I was a child everybody knew that to accomplish anything, including in spiritual life, dedication, discipline and real endeavor was required. Today nearly everyone thinks that they can get anything for the mere wanting. They are like people who think they can become artists by buying brushes and paint or musicians by just buying an instrument. This is incredibly unrealistic. I have no idea where it arises from, but I know absolutely that nothing but hypocrisy, self-delusion and self-destruction can come from it. Everything has a price that must be paid.
I say all this because it is carnality, impure and simple, that blinds and binds the spiritual dilettantes of today. If that is too technical, I mean sex and usually drugs, including marijuana. Those who are enslaved by the body with its whims and demands masquerading as “needs” and “drives,” cannot kindle the fires of divine realization. They can only subvert and pervert the ancient wisdom they supposedly profess.
Look, therefore, to your soul and note, Is not the light within you dark as night? Yes; though they cannot see it, just as they cannot see and recognize the dark.
There is no breath but Holy Breath that e’er can fan your fires of life into a living flame and make them light. And Holy Breath can raise the ethers of the fires to light in none but hearts of purity and love.
Hear, then, you men of Galilee, Make pure the heart, admit the Holy Breath, and then your bodies will be full of light. And like a city on a hill, your light will shine afar, and thus your light may light the way for other men. (Aquarian Gospel 107:33-36)
True spiritual teaching is always practical. There is a very interesting and helpful article posted at several sites on the internet called “The False Guru Test.” It lists twenty-six traits that can indicate an unstrustworthy teacher or group. The fourth trait is this: “Focuses on enlightenment itself rather than teaching the path leading to it: It is amazing how much false gurus have to say about enlightenment. They argue their points in the same way that the scholars in the middle ages argued how many angels could sit on the head of a pin. Any fool can talk about the end goal because what is said is irrefutable to most of your listeners. What is skillful is guiding those listeners to having awakening within themselves. The real teacher focuses on the path and strictly avoids only talk on enlightenment.” The vital question is always: “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18). And why the Gita says: “Become a yogi” (Bhagavad Gita 6:46). So now Jesus sums up his teaching given in this chapter.
There is no breath but Holy Breath that e’er can fan your fires of life into a living flame and make them light. And Holy Breath can raise the ethers of the fires to light in none but hearts of purity and love. Contact with God is both the goal and the way. The Light of the Holy Spirit alone can bring us to life in the kingdom of divine Light. But it is not just for the asking or wishing. The heart must be purified through spiritual practice and the cultivation of love for God.
Hear, then, you men of Galilee, Make pure the heart, admit the Holy Breath, and then your bodies will be full of light. And like a city on a hill, your light will shine afar, and thus your light may light the way for other men. Through meditation we breathe in the Holy Breath and fill our bodies with light, raising their vibration to such a rate that our presence in the world is a blessing to all we come near in hope that they, too, will be uplifted and hear the call: “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Ephesians 5:14).
Read the next section in the Aquarian Gospel for Yogis