The twelve apostles went with Jesus to his home, and there abode for certain days. (Aquarian Gospel 102:1)
We, too, must live with Jesus if we are truly to learn the spiritual life. How do we do that? It is simple: through meditation and participation in the life-giving Sacraments. (See The Yoga of the Sacraments on ocoy.org.) This involvement must extend through our entire waking life if we would effect the necessary transformation outlined by Saint Paul when he wrote: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1, 2). “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification” (I Thessalonians 4:3). “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (I Peter 1:16).
It is possible to act on and realize this in our own life. That is why Jesus told his disciples: “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you” (John 15:15). Jesus’ intention is for us to be Christs, just as is he: “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). “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out…To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Revelation 3:12, 21).
And Jesus told them many things about the inner life that may not now be written in a book. (Aquarian Gospel 102:2)
There are many things about interior development that cannot be comprehended until a person has gained some experience of his own through prolonged spiritual practice. Until then much will seem like nonsense or even insanity. That is how far most of us are from reality. When I was a novice yogi I heard and read many things about interior experience that I thought were complete fabrications. Then after a while I began discovering that they were precise facts. So I did not need to slavishly believe, but to just keep on meditating.
Now, in Capernaum, there lived a man of wealth, a Roman captain of a hundred men, who loved the Jews and who had built for them a synagogue. A servant of this man was paralysed, and he was sick nigh unto death. The captain knew of Jesus and had heard that by the Sacred Word he healed the sick, and he had faith in him. He sent a message by the elders of the Jews to Jesus, and he pled for help.
And Jesus recognized the captain’s faith and went at once to heal the sick; the captain met him on the way and said to him, Lo, Lord, it is not well that you should come unto my house; I am not worthy of the presence of a man of God. I am a man of war, my life is spent with those who ofttimes take the lives of fellow men. And surely he who comes to save would be dishonored if he came beneath my roof. If you will speak the Word I know my servant will be well.
And Jesus turned and said to those who followed him, Behold the captain’s faith; I have not seen such faith, no, not in Israel. Behold, the feast is spread for you; but while you doubt and wait, the alien comes in faith and takes the bread of life. Then turning to the man he said, Go on your way; according to your faith so shall it be; your servant lives.
It came to pass that at the time that Jesus spoke the Word the palsied man arose, and he was well. (Aquarian Gospel 102:3-16)
The original “Word” is Divine Consciousness from which proceeds the omnipotent spoken Word, Om, wielded by the great Masters. The Roman captain believed in Jesus’ power to heal with it.
Perhaps the most important point of this incident is that fact that it is inner disposition alone that really matters in our spiritual life. This Roman was an alien and in the eyes of most orthodox Israelites unclean. But he had greater faith than anyone of the chosen people in the entire country. And faith is an indication of interior, intuitional knowing, a sign of spiritual awakening and consciousness. So the essential thing in spiritual life is to truly be alive, capable of spiritual awareness and attainment. If we focus on that we will be assured of success.
And then the Christines went abroad to teach. And as they came to Nain, a city on the Hermon way, they saw a multitude about the gates. It was a funeral train; a widow’s son was dead, and friends were bearing out the body to the tomb. It was the widow’s only son, and she was wild with grief. And Jesus said to her, Weep not, I am the life; your son shall live.
And Jesus raised his hand; the bearers of the dead stood still. And Jesus touched the bier and said, Young man, return. The soul returned; the body of the dead was filled with life; the man sat up and spoke.
The people were astonished at the scene, and every one exclaimed, Praise God. A Jewish priest stood forth and said, Behold a mighty prophet has appeared; and all the people said, Amen. (Aquarian Gospel 102:17-24)
Jesus, too, was a widow’s son; but he was much more: through his realization he was the embodiment of Divine Life itself. At his word he called back the departed spirit. We can look to him to restore to us the spirit with which we have lost contact, to make us live. That is why he told his disciples: “Because I live, ye shall live also” (John 14:19).
The Christines journeyed on; they taught, and healed the sick in many towns of Galilee, and then they came again unto Capernaum. (Aquarian Gospel 102:25)
True Christians are living proof of Jesus’ declaration: “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly [inmost being] shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38).
Read the next section in the Aquarian Gospel for Yogis