Cast Pearls Before Swine

Gospel of Matthew 7

“Do not judge, that you may not be judged. 2 For, just as you judge others, you will yourselves be judged, and the measure that you mete will be meted out to you. 3 And why do you look at the straw in your brother’s eye, while you pay no attention at all to the beam in yours? 4 How will you say to your brother, ‘Let me take out the straw from your eye,’ when all the time there is a beam in your own? 5 Hypocrite! Take out the beam from your own eye first, and then you will see clearly how to take out the straw from your brother’s and sister’s.

6 Do not give what is sacred to dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they should trample them under their feet, and then turn and attack you. 7 Ask, and your prayer shall be granted; search, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you. 8 For those who ask receive, those that search find, and to those who knock the door shall be opened.

9 Who among you, when your child asks you for a loaf, will give them a stone, 10 Or when they asks for a fish, will give them a snake? 11 If you, then, wicked though you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father, who is in heaven, give what is good to those that ask him!

12 Do to others whatever you would wish them do to you; for that is the teaching of both the law and the prophets. 13 Go in by the small gate. Broad and spacious is the road that leads to destruction, and those that go in by it are many; 14 For small is the gate, and narrow the road that leads to Life, and those that find it are few.

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Exploring the ‘Our Father’ Prayer

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15 Beware of false teachers: those who come to you in the guise of sheep, but at heart they are ravenous wolves. 16 By the fruit of their lives you will know them. Do people gather grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, too, every sound tree bears good fruit, while a worthless tree bears bad fruit. 18 A sound tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a worthless tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that fails to bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Hence it is by the fruit of their lives that you will know such teachers.

21 Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me: ‘Lord, Lord, was not it in your name that we taught, and in your name that we drove out demons, and in your name that we did many miracles?’ 23 And then I shall say to them plainly: ‘I never knew you. Go from my presence, you who live in sin.’

24 Everyone, therefore, that listens to this teaching of mine and acts upon it may be compared to a wise homeowner, who built their house upon rock. 25 The rain poured down, the rivers rose, the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, for its foundation was upon rock. 26 And everyone that listens to this teaching of mine and does not act upon it may be compared to a foolish one, who built their house on sand. 27 The rain poured down, the rivers rose, the winds blew and struck against that house, and it fell; and great was its downfall.”

28 By the time that Jesus had finished speaking, the crowd was filled with amazement at his teaching. 29 For he taught them like one who had authority, and not like their teachers of the law.

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To read Chapter 8 of the Gospel of Matthew, please go to: Dead Bury Their Dead

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Sheep Among Wolves

Gospel of Matthew 10

Calling his twelve disciples to him, Jesus gave them authority over foul spirits, so that they could drive them out, as well as the power of curing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: First Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebediah, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax–collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the zealot, and Judas Iscariot—the apostle who betrayed him.

5 These twelve Jesus sent out as his messengers, after giving them these instructions: “Do not go to the Gentiles, nor enter any Samaritan town, 6 But make your way rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 And on your way proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 Cure the sick, raise the dead, make the lepers clean, drive out devils. You have received free of cost, give free of cost. 9 Do not provide yourselves with gold, or silver, or pence in your purses; 10 Not even with a bag for the journey, or a change of clothes, or sandals, or even a staff; for workers are worth their food.”

11 “Whatever town or village you visit, find out who is worthy in that place, and remain there till you leave. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 Then, if the house is worthy, let your blessing rest upon it, but, if it is unworthy, let your blessing return upon yourselves. 14 If no one welcomes you, or listens to what you say, as you leave that house or that town, shake off its dust from your feet. 15 I tell you, the doom of the land of Sodom and Gomorrah will be more bearable in the day of judgment than the doom of that town.”

16 “Remember, I am sending you out as my messengers like sheep among wolves. So be as wise as serpents, and as blameless as doves. 17 Be on your guard against your fellow men, for they will betray you to courts of law, and scourge you in their synagogues; 18 And you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, that you may witness for me before them and the nations.”

19 “Whenever they betray you, do not be anxious as to how you shall speak or what you shall say, for what you shall say will be given you at the moment; 20 For it will not be you who speak, but the spirit of your Father that speaks within you. 21 Brother and sister will betray each other to death, and the father his child; and children will turn against their parents, and cause them to be put to death; 22 And you will be hated by everyone on account of my name. Yet the one that endures to the end shall be saved.”

 Discover the Meaning of the Lord’s Prayer

To continue reading Chapter 10 of the Gospel of Matthew, please click on page 2 below.

The Sower and Seed Parable

Gospel of Matthew 13

That same day, when Jesus had left the house and was sitting by the sea, 2 such great crowds gathered round him, that he got into a boat, and sat in it, while all the people stood upon the beach. 3 Then he told them many truths in parables.

“The sower,” he began, “went out to sow; and, 4 While sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it had not much soil, and, having no depth of soil, sprang up at once. 6 As soon as the sun had risen, it was scorched, and, having no root, withered away. 7 Some, again, fell into the brambles; but the brambles shot up and choked it. 8 Some, however, fell on good soil, and yielded a return, sometimes one hundred, sometimes sixty, sometimes thirty fold. 9 Let those who have ears hear.”

10 Afterwards his disciples came to him, and said: “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 “To you,” answered Jesus, “the knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given, but not to them. 12 For, to all who have, more will be given, and they shall have abundance; but, from all who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 13 That is why I speak to them in parables, because, though they have eyes, they do not see, and though they have ears, they do not hear or understand.”

14 “And in them is being fulfilled that prophecy of Isaiah which says: ‘You will hear with your ears without ever understanding, And, though you have eyes, you will see without ever perceiving, 15 For the mind of this nation has grown dense, And their ears are dull of hearing, Their eyes also have they closed; Lest some day they should perceive with their eyes, And with their ears they should hear, And in their mind they should understand, and should turn—and I should heal them.’“

16 “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear; 17 For I tell you that many prophets and good men have longed for the sight of the things which you are seeing, yet never saw them, and to hear the things which you are hearing, yet never heard them. 18 Listen, then, yourselves to the sower and seed parable.”

19 When anyone hears the message of the kingdom without understanding it, evil comes and snatches away what has been sown in their minds. These receivers are signified by the seed which was sown along the path. 20 By the seed which was sown on rocky places is meant the receivers who hear the message, and at once accept it joyfully; 21 But, as they have no roots, they stand for only a short time; and, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the message, they fall away at once.

22 By the seed which was sown among the brambles is meant the receivers who hear the message, but the cares of life and the glamour of wealth completely choke the message, so that it gives no return. 23 But by the seed which was sown on the good ground is meant the receivers who hear the message and understand it, yielding a return, sometimes one hundred, sometimes sixty, sometimes thirty fold.”

24 Another parable which Jesus told them was this: “The kingdom of heaven is compared to a farmer who sows good seed in their field. 25 But, while everyone was asleep, their enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and then went away. 26 So, when the blades of corn shot up, and came into ear, the weeds made their appearance also. 27 Seeing this, the owner’s servants came to him, and said ‘Was not it good seed that you sowed in your field? Where, then, do the tares in it come from?’“

What is the Lord’s Prayer?

To continue reading Chapter 13 of the Gospel of Matthew, please click on page 2 below.

The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life: Where is Our Joy?

Introduction…

The Living Hour: The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life takes a fresh and non-dogmatic look at the Lord’s Prayer to reveal new perspectives on the esoteric teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.  It is an SBNR book for Progressive Christians, Unitarians, Agnostics, & all spiritual seekers interested in discovering a more joyful and fulfilling life…

Henry David Thoreau, tucked away in his Walden cabin, famously said that most of us lead lives of quiet desperation. That was in 1845. Today, things are not so quiet. Anxiety and depression are regular rites of passage from which millions never graduate. Civility meanwhile has long been dropped from our national discourse. It’s a sad indictment of a country where so many pride themselves in a Christian heritage. We have the highest levels of church attendance in the world. Almost eighty percent of us say that we believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet, where is our joy? Where is our vitality? Where is our peace of mind?

The Son comes to complete our happiness in this life,¹ yet it’s clear not many are receiving “the good news”. Instead, we are sold a gospel that forsakes the living hour for a future heavenly reward: a spiritual reckoning that asks for little and receives even less in return. Simply accept Jesus Christ as your savior, we are told, and you’ll be hanging out with the good Lord for eternity. If it were only so easy.²

Jesus of Nazareth didn’t teach the idler’s path to God. He said that because much has been given us, much is expected.³ He described the kingdom of heaven as a place that doesn’t suffer fools.⁴ And he asked that his followers become as perfect as their Father in heaven⁵ ––a seemingly impossible task, if it were not for the fact that all things are possible with the help of God.⁶

The first step toward perfection, according to Jesus, is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind.⁷ The mind gets short shrift from many Christians today. We forget that Jesus amazed people with both his miracles and his wits.⁸ All who listened to him marveled at his intelligence and his answers. He was a man, we are told, whose wisdom grew as he grew in years.  Only after reaching maturity did his intellect surpass that of the legendary King Solomon.⁹

Clear thinking is essential for Christians because Jesus asks that we decide for ourselves what is right.¹⁰ Making those correct choices requires intelligence and learning, as well as faith and a loving heart. God did not bless us with extraordinary minds, whose complexity dwarfs that of any computer, only to have us park them in storage. Instead, we are called to develop our logic and reason—to transform our minds into Christ’s “winnowing fans.” So that the chaff might be removed from the wheat¹¹ the dead teachings from the living Word.

Like Jesus, we are asked to sweep away the dictates of the billy-club faithful, the literalists whose passion for scripture¹² is but another form of idolatry. The Pharisees and Sadducees may be historical footnotes, but their modern day equivalents litter the airwaves and pulpits of America—preachers of wealth and brimstone who chop up Biblical passages to feed prosperity theologies and end–time prophecy. And who bludgeon the confused with decrees on personal behavior, sexual orientation, and the evils of science. Like the “hypocrite” teachers before them, they turn the kingdom of heaven in our faces—refusing to enter that realm themselves, while barring entrance to those who try to do so.¹³

Christ comes bringing both love and truth,¹⁴ but discerning the truth has never been easy. Jesus’s first followers failed rather dramatically. Instead of pouring his “new wine” into fresh bottles,¹⁵ they refused to give up their Old Testament belief system that the Father plays favorites: that the people of Israel were God’s chosen, and that they would soon be rewarded with an earthly kingdom ruled by Christ, the Son of David.¹⁶

Jesus didn’t buy into their narrative. He was all about breaking Israel’s religious traditions, not preserving them.¹⁷ Rather than toe the Mosaic line, he replaced the law of an “an eye for an eye” with turn the other cheek, and “honor thy father and mother” with honor only thy Father in heaven.¹⁸ He revealed the hypocrisy of sin-based laws and punishments.¹⁹ And most importantly, Jesus taught that God’s kingdom was no longer a future reward for the race of Abraham; but the divine birthright of all mankind, since the beginning of the world.²⁰ If we had the eyes to see and the faith to believe, Christ would reveal the kingdom of heaven that exists within us²¹ and around us, right now, at this very moment.²²

Jesus’s disciples found this hard to accept. Nothing could persuade them from…

The Lord’s Prayer. To continue reading, click on page 2 at the bottom.

1. I have told you all this so that my own joy may be yours, and that your joy may be complete. – John 15:11 [↩]
2. Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven. – Matthew 7:21 [↩]
3. From everyone to whom much has been given much will be expected, and to those whom much has been entrusted the more will be demanded. – Luke 12:48 [↩]
4. Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps, but took no oil with them; 4 While the prudent ones, besides taking their lamps, took oil in their jars. 5 As the bridegroom was late in coming, they all became drowsy, and slept. 6 But at midnight a shout was raised: ‘The Bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’ 7 Then all the bridesmaids awoke and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the prudent: ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the prudent ones answered: ‘No, for fear that there will not be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell it, and buy for yourselves.’10 But while they were on their way to buy it, the bridegroom came; and the bridesmaids who were ready went in with him to the banquet, and the door was shut. 11 Afterwards the other bridesmaids came. ‘Sir, Sir,’ they said, ‘open the door to us!’12 But the bridegroom answered ‘I tell you, I do not know you. – Matthew 25:1-12 [↩]
5. You, then, must become perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. – Matthew 5:48 [↩]
6. With men it is impossible, but not with God; for everything is possible with God. – Mark 10:27 [↩]
7. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. – Mark 12:29 [↩]
8. And Jesus grew in wisdom as he grew in years, and ‘gained the blessing of God and men. – Luke 2:52 [↩]
9. She came from the very ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and here is more than a Solomon! – Luke 11:31 [↩]
10. Why do not you decide for yourselves what is right? – Luke 12:57 [↩]
11. His winnowing-fan is in his hand, that he may clear his threshing-floor, and store the grain in his barn, but the chaff he will burn with inextinguishable fire. – Luke 3:17 [↩]
12. So the Pharisees and the teachers of the law asked Jesus this question: “How is it that your disciples do not follow the traditions of our ancestors, but eat their food with defiled hands?” 6 His answer was: “It was well said by Isaiah when he prophesied about you hypocrites in the words: ‘This is a people that honor me with their lips, While their hearts are far removed from me; 7 But vainly do they worship me, For they teach but the precepts of men.’ – Mark 7:5-7 [↩]
13. But woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You turn the key of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you do not go in yourselves, nor yet allow those who try to go in to do so. – Matthew 23:13 [↩]
14. And the Word became Man, and dwelt among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the only Son sent from the Father, full of love and truth. – John 1:14 [↩]
15. And no one puts new wine into old wine-skins; for, if you do, the new wine will burst the skins, and the wine itself will run out, and the skins be lost. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh skins they insisted on dumping it into the old casks of scripture. – Luke 5:37-39 [↩]
16. The crowds that led the way, as well as those that followed behind, kept shouting: “God save the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! God save him from on high! – Matthew 21:9 [↩]
17. Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus, and said: 2 “How is it that your disciples break the traditions of our ancestors? For they do not wash their hands when they eat food.” – Matthew 15:1-2 [↩]
18. If anyone comes to me and does not hate their father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yes and his very life, they can be no disciple of mine. – Luke 14:26 [↩]
19. He that among you is without sin, let him cast the first stone at her. – John 8:4-9 [↩]
20. Come, you who are blessed by my Father, enter upon possession of the kingdom prepared for you ever since the beginning of the world. – Matthew 25:34 [↩]
21. Nor will people say ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ for the kingdom of God is within you! – Luke 17:21 [↩]
22. Now is my kingdom, not from hence. – John 18:36 [↩]

Understanding The Lord’s Prayer: Hallowed Be Thy Name

Chapter 2

Hallowed be thy name…

(Understanding God’s Identity)

Jesus establishes God as a heavenly father figure, but that’s not enough for most of us. Without a name, he seems lost in abstraction. Try as we might, we simply can’t bring him into view. There is only the vague presence of someone hovering around us—like the adult of a Charlie Brown Peanuts Special, always outside the frame, speaking in a strange indecipherable language. Jesus understands our predicament, but unlike Moses, who chiseled the Word to fit the hardness of our hearts,¹ he isn’t going to bend the gospel around our weaknesses. He’ll allow for the idea that God has a name, but he isn’t about to tell us what it is.

Why the secrecy? Because Jesus understood that once God is given a name such as Yahweh or Elohim, it doesn’t take long before we start asking for special favors.² Jesus, as we know, wanted to break the belief in a God that plays favorites. He wanted his followers to realize that in the Father’s eyes all races of people are equal: the gospel of Christ beating at the heart of all true religions. “He who is not against us are for us,”³ proclaimed the carpenter’s son. That includes Buddhists, Muslims, Taoists, Jews, and others. What we label ourselves isn’t important as long as we follow Christ’s gospel of love, charity, and good works—as long as we climb the mountain and live up to our potential as God’s children.

Our journey though is hard and steep—especially at the beginning—which is why when churches offer a shortcut to the kingdom of heaven we are quick to accept. It’s quite comforting to think that Jesus did all the legwork, and that we can just coast into heaven on the belief that he is our savior. Unfortunately, Jesus never made such a claim. In fact, he makes it quite clear that he expects us to do our own walking, carrying our own crosses.⁴ The obstacles we face on the way are our responsibility to remove because, more often than not, they are of are own making.

One obstacle to the kingdom is our habit of seeking God from without rather than within. In Old Testament days, this habit regularly took the form of idol worship. Today it is much the same, except we’ve replaced the golden calf with images of Jesus of Nazareth—fetishizing his likeness in our churches, art work, books, and car ornaments.

We’ve fallen into this trap because Jesus, while being cagey about God’s name, says that salvation is to be found through his own “name”.⁵ As usual, we have to be careful of taking Jesus’s reported words too literally. It is clear that he never wanted to be personally honored for the things he did.⁶ Throughout the Gospels he shuns the ego–trip, cherishing anonymity over fame.⁷ He even goes so far as to tell the disciples not to call him “good,”⁸ while urging secrecy from those whom he heals.⁹

When Jesus talks of Christ, God, or the kingdom of heaven, he always speaks in metaphors and parables,¹⁰ expecting us to seek the deeper meaning. When Jesus says that he is the pathway to the Father,¹¹ he is not talking as Jesus of Nazareth but as the Christ child who lives in us all. He is calling each of us to turn our attention inward, to reconnect with that child through the power of the Holy Spirit.¹² What he is not doing, is asking us to bow down and praise him, or go through life as spiritual automatons asking, “What would Jesus do?” If we are to kneel before anyone it is our neighbor, so as to wash their feet and honor them as sons and daughters of the Lord.¹³

This teaching has always been a pretty hard one to…

The Lord’s Prayer. To continue reading, click on page 2 at the bottom.

1. “Moses,” they said, “permitted a man to ‘draw up in writing a notice of separation and divorce his wife.’” 5 “It was owing to the hardness of your hearts,” said Jesus, “that Moses gave you this direction; 6 But, at the beginning of the Creation, God ‘made them male and female.’” – Mark 10:4-6 [↩]
2. Then the mother of Zebediah’s sons came to him with her sons, bowing to the ground, and begging a favor. 21 “What is it that you want?” he asked. “I want you to say,” she replied, “that in your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right, and the other on your left.” – Matthew 20:20–21 [↩]
3. Mark 9:40, Luke 9:50 [↩]
4. If anyone wishes to walk in my steps, let them renounce self, take up their cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34 [↩]
5. And you will be hated by everyone on account of my name. Yet the one that endures to the end shall be saved.” – Matthew 10:22 [↩]
6. Not that I am seeking honor for myself; there is one who is seeking my honor, and he decides. – John 8:50 [↩]
7. “You are the Christ.” 30 On which Jesus charged them not to say this about him to anyone. – Mark 8:30 [↩]
8. ““Why do you call me good?” answered Jesus. “No one is good but God. – Mark 10:18 [↩]
9. Her parents were amazed, but Jesus impressed on them that they were not to tell anyone what had happened. – Luke 8:56 [↩]
10. Of all this Jesus spoke to the crowd in parables; indeed to them he used never to speak at all except in parables. – Matthew 13:34 [↩]
11. I am the door; you who go in through me will be safe, and you will go in and out and find pasture. – John 10:9 [↩]
12. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you always—the Spirit of Truth. – John 14:16 [↩]
13. If I, then—‘the Master’ and ‘the Teacher’—have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet; 15 For I have given you an example, so that you may do just as I have done to you.” – John 13:14–15 [↩]

Teaching the Lord’s Prayer: Thy Kingdom Come

Chapter 3

Thy kingdom come…

(Understanding God’s Will)

With the second line of The Lord’s Prayer, we arrive at the heart of the matter: God’s kingdom. To understand how Jesus views his Father’s kingdom, we first need to do some–thing that will seem strange. We must take all discussion of “Heaven” off the table. There will be no talk about heaven with a capital “H,” the place we think we’ll go to (if lucky) when we die. We’re just not going to go there.

Why? Because as soon as we see heaven and hell as proper names, as specific places where rewards and punishments are meted out, the acceptance of Christ and all associated good works become petty acts of bribery. The afterlife must remain unknown, because the quality and strength of our faith, as well as the morality of our actions, depends on the mystery. For this reason, Jesus calls us to attend not to the dead¹ (who are beyond our reach) but to those who are living and can feel our touch.

It is by nurturing the living God in ourselves and others that we make the Father’s kingdom come.² But what exactly is this kingdom if it is not what we normally take for heaven? The Gospels provide us with plenty of clues. But also many false leads. We need to be careful when applying our winnowing fans.

We should remember that the tribes who handed down the story of Jesus believed that a final day of judgment would occur during their own generation.³ That is why the apostles are so despondent after Jesus’s death. They thought he was going to physically deliver Jerusalem from Roman authority, and then rule over an earthly kingdom.⁴ But Jesus had something different in mind. He wanted his disciples to view the Lord not as a King on High but as a secret spirit living in us all,⁵ with the power to reveal a kingdom already here.⁶

Therefore, we must sidestep any reference to the end–time theologies⁷ that were prevalent during Jesus’s day, and which today have made best–selling authors of those who exploit fears of being left behind. After all, how is it that we will find ourselves raptured into the sky or see Jesus surfing down from the clouds,⁸ when God’s kingdom, we are told, cannot be witnessed by the eye because it lives within us?⁹ The answer is, we can’t, and won’t. The gates of heaven are unlocked when our hearts and minds work in unison to discover God’s Word,¹⁰ which is alive all around us.

That is why Jesus insists on talking in parables when describing the kingdom: because parables make us think. They don’t dictate hard and fast answers. Jesus, like the river guide, leads us upstream to where the fish are, but insists that we make our own catch. The problem though is that we often feel stranded upriver without a pole!

But Jesus doesn’t actually leave us…

The Lord’s Prayer. To continue reading, click on page 2 at the bottom.

1. “Leave the dead to bury their dead; but go yourself and carry far and wide the gospel of the kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:60 [↩]
2. By that in the good ground are meant those who, with a good and honest heart, keep the message and patiently bring forth its fruit. – Luke 8:15 [↩]
3. I tell you that even the present generation will not pass away, until all these things have taken place. – Mark 13:30 [↩]
4. But we were hoping that he was the destined deliverer of Israel. – Luke 24:21 [↩]
5. I tell you, as often as you did it to one these my brothers and sisters, however lowly, you did it to me. – Matthew 25:40 [↩]
6. If it is by the help of the spirit of God that I drive out devils, then the kingdom of God must already be upon you. – Matthew 12:28 [↩]
7. Tell us when this will be, and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the close of the age. – Matthew 24:3 [↩]
8. Then will be seen the ‘Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. – Mark 13:26 [↩]
9. The kingdom of God does not come in a way that admits of observation, 21 Nor will people say ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ for the kingdom of God is within you! – Luke 17:20-21 [↩]
10. In the Beginning the Word was; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God; 3 Through him all things came into being, and nothing came into being apart from him. – John 1:1-4 [↩]

The Meaning of Lord’s Prayer: Thy Will Be Done

Chapter 4

Thy will be done…

(Understanding God’s Will)

In the Book of Luke, there is a curious statement about God. Luke quotes the prophet Isaiah as saying that through Christ (the Lord) all mankind shall see the “salvation of God”.¹ Considering the ham–fisted way that Jesus’s twelve apostles (not to mention the Pharisees and Sadducees) often handled Old Testament scripture, we might be tempted just to pass over this comment from Isaiah. But that would be a mistake.

Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, has been inspiring prophets since the beginning of the world. ² Jewish scripture, like all holy scripture, is capable of profound revelation, and this quote by Isaiah is a jewel of an example—albeit one that is rarely talked about. Our silence surrounds the disturbing question: From what exactly does an all powerful God need to be saved? For mankind, “salvation” means being rescued from the wages of sin, but is God a sinner too?

Some would argue that Jehovah certainly is no saint, considering the peevish, jealous, and wrathful behavior he exhibits in the Old Testament. But when Isaiah refers to God’s salvation, he isn’t talking about liberating Jehovah from his penchant for tormenting servants like Job just to win bets with Satan. He is talking about the justification of God’s will, and the choices he’s made. To illustrate God’s situation, Jesus tells the story of the prodigal son. ³

In this parable, a father has two sons. The youngest, anxious to experience the world, asks for his inheritance right away. The father abides by this request and grants him his share, which the boy then dutifully squanders on wine, women, and song in a far off land. The young man eventually crawls back home utterly destitute. Rather than chastise his fallen boy, the father welcomes him back with open arms, kills the fatted calf, and throws a big party.

All the merry–making upsets the older son, who stews over the fact that his father never gave him even a young foal to butcher and barbecue for his friends. The father gently rebukes his eldest, stating that everything he owns has always been available to him.

When this parable is taught today, the emphasis is usually on the prodigal son’s welcome home party. The celebration is used to demonstrate that we shouldn’t be afraid of God’s punishment, if we want to return to his fold after years of dissolute living. The beginning of the parable though is just as important, for it reveals the position in which God has placed himself.

The father in Jesus’s story did not have to advance his son his inheritance. He could have just as easily said: “No way, get out there and work the fields with your brother.” He chose to give the money to his son. And we expect he handed it over knowing full well that his boy wasn’t going to invest it in sheep futures.

Not many fathers today would let their child blow such a fortune. Why does this one? Because this father’s ultimate concern is not for his estate but for respecting his son’s independence. By granting his son the means to live on his own, the father hopes he will make the mistakes he needs to make; learn the lessons he needs to learn; and, when all is said and done, return home realizing that a boundless treasure lay within the bosom of family.

God, in granting us free will, also has given us our…

The Lord’s Prayer. To continue reading, click on page 2 at the bottom.

1. Every chasm shall be filled, every mountain and hill shall be leveled; the winding ways shall be straightened; the rough roads made smooth, 6 And all mankind shall see the salvation of God. – Luke 3:5-6 [↩]
2. “You are not fifty years old yet,” the Jews exclaimed, “and have you seen Abraham?” 58 “In truth I tell you,” replied Jesus, “before Abraham was, I am.” – John 8:57-58 [↩]
3. A man had two sons; 12 And the younger of them said to his father: ‘Father, give me my share of the inheritance.’ So the father divided the property between them. 13 A few days later the younger son got together all that he had, and went away into a distant land; and there he squandered his inheritance by leading a dissolute life. 14 After he has spent all that he had, there was a severe famine through all that country, and he began to be in actual want.” 15 “So he went and hired himself out to one of the people of that country, who sent him into his fields to tend pigs. 16 He longed to satisfy his hunger with even the bean-pods on which the pigs were feeding; and no one gave him anything.” 17 “But, when he came to himself, he said: ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more bread than they can eat, while here am I starving to death! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and say to him: ‘Father, I sinned against heaven and against you; 19 I am no longer fit to be called your son; make me one of your hired servants.’” 20 “And he got up and went to his father. But, while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was deeply moved; he ran and threw his arms round his neck and kissed him. 21 ‘Father,’ the son said, ‘I sinned against heaven and against you; I am no longer fit to be called your son; make me one of your hired servants.’” 22 “But the father turned to his servants and said: ‘Be quick and fetch a robe—the very best—and put it on him; give him a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet; 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; 24 For here is my son who was dead, and is alive again, was lost, and is found.’ So they began making merry.” 25 “Meanwhile the elder son was out in the fields; but, on coming home, when he got near the house, he heard music and dancing, 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what it all meant. 27 ‘Your brother has come back,’ the servant told him, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 This made him angry, and he would not go in. But his father came out and begged him to do so.” 29 “‘No,’ he said to his father, ‘look at all the years I have been serving you, without ever once disobeying you, and yet you have never given me even a kid, so that I might have a party with my friends. 30 But, no sooner has this son of yours come, who has eaten up your property in the company of prostitutes, than you have killed the fattened calf for him.’” 31 “‘Child,’ the father answered, ‘you are always with me, and everything that I have is yours. 32 How could we do anything else but make merry and rejoice, for here is your brother who was dead, and is alive; who was lost, and is found.” – Luke 15:11–32 [↩]

The Lord’s Prayer: On Earth As It Is In Heaven

Chapter 5

On earth as it is in heaven…

(Understanding God’s Divide)

In the last two chapters on the Lord’s Prayer, we’ve established that our entrance into the kingdom of heaven depends on our sense of wonder; our ability to think and love; our patience; and our acceptance of will as a matter of choice—a choice shared equally with God, the Father. We’ve also learned that the kingdom is filled with potential, and with treasures that can be experienced today and every day. Unfortunately, we often lose sight of this. Even those who have dedicated their lives to preaching the Word of God often remain just outside the kingdom’s doorway.

Take for example the story of Jesus and the scribe in the Book of Mark. In this story a teacher of Mosaic law asks Jesus which commandment supersedes all others. Jesus replies that it is the first of the ten: “The Lord our God is the one Lord; And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.” He then adds that the second most important commandment is: “Thou shall love thy neighbor as thou dost love thyself.” The scribe heartily agrees and congratulates Jesus on being so wise. Jesus, in turn, acknowledges the scribe’s own wisdom, telling him that he is “not far from the kingdom of God.”¹

This story shows once again that Jesus did not view heaven as a celestial mansion in the sky or a Garden of Eden revisited. Instead, he saw God’s kingdom as a hidden reality waiting to be brought into the light.² Much more than a state of mind, it is a state of being wherein the heart, soul, and mind work as one—and which find their perfect stride in Christ. Hitting that stride takes more than having one’s heart in the right place or possessing wisdom (such as the scribe had), it means tapping the latent power of the Holy Spirit to bring harmony to our divided house, and likewise to God’s.

When Jesus says that with the coming of the kingdom of heaven and the Son of Man two shall be found and then one taken and the other left,³ he is talking about our divided selves. He is not saying, as we discussed before, that there is going to be a rapture, where the faithful are whisked up into the sky while the sinners are left to stew in their juices.

As the story of Jesus got passed down, the term Son of Man⁴ became interchangeable with Son of God.6 But for Jesus, these appellations were not the same. The Son of Man refers to our ego’s currently limited perception of our selves. And while this perception is necessary because (as symbolized by John the Baptist) it bears witness to Christ and the Word of God,⁵ it also ultimately must be beheaded⁶ (i.e., crucified)⁷ to make way for the Son of God and our expanding Christ consciousness—wherein which we treat our neighbors as ourselves because we recognize them as true reflections of ourselves.

Each one of us is born into a kingdom divided. And in this kingdom, we find both Christ and Satan competing for our attention—one using the Holy Spirit as his emissary and the other using the Ego. Yet it is a kingdom which cannot stand,⁸ for it causes us to love one master and hate the other.⁹ Or rather we go through life flipping allegiances between the two. When praying The Lord’s Prayer, we therefore must think deeply on the ways we are divided against our better selves, divided against our consciences, divided against Christ—for these divisions prevent us from manifesting the kingdom of heaven within and recognizing its fruits around us.

Consider Martha’s behavior in the…

The Lord’s Prayer. To continue reading, click on page 2 at the bottom.

1. Then came up one of the teachers of the law who had heard their discussions. Knowing that Jesus had answered them wisely, he asked him this question: “What is the first of all the commandments?” 29 “The first,” answered Jesus, “is: ‘Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is the one Lord; 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thou dost love thyself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” 32 “Wisely answered, teacher!” exclaimed the teacher of the law. “It is true, as you say, that ‘there is one God,’ and that ‘there is no other besides him’; 33 And to ‘love him with all one’s heart, and with all one’s understanding, and with all one’s strength,’ and to ‘love one’s neighbor as one loves oneself’ is far beyond all ‘burnt-offerings and sacrifices.’” 34 Seeing that he had answered with discernment, Jesus said to him: “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one ventured to question him further. – Mark 12:28–34 [↩]
2. Nothing is hidden unless some day it comes to light, nor was anything ever kept hidden but that it should some day come into the light of day. – Mark 4:22 [↩]
3. Whoever is eager to get the most out of his life will lose it; but whoever will lose it shall preserve it. 34 On that night, I tell you, there shall be two in one bed, the one will be taken and the other left; 35 Two shall be grinding together, one will be taken and the other left. 36 Two shall be in the field, the one taken and the other left. – Luke 17:33-36 [↩]
4. “Foxes have holes,” answered Jesus, “and wild birds their roosting-places, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” – Matthew 8:20 [↩]
5. There appeared a man sent from God, whose name was John; 7 He came as a witness: to bear witness to the light that through him all men might believe. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to bear witness to the Light. – John 1:6 [↩]
6. He immediately dispatched one of his bodyguards, with orders to bring John’s head. The man went and beheaded John in the prison. – Mark 6:27 [↩]
7. The Son of Man is to be given up to be crucified. – Matthew 26:2 [↩]
8. When a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot last. 25 And when a household is divided against itself, it will not be able to last. – Mark 3:24-25 [↩]
9. No servant can serve two masters, for, either he will hate one and love the other, or else he will attach himself to one and despise the other. – Luke 16:13 [↩]

Lord’s Prayer: Give Us This Day

Chapter 6

Give us this day…

(Gathering the Moment at Hand)

Up to this point in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus has been laying a foundation—one that establishes our relationship to God and his creation. When we recite the beginning of the prayer, we are thus engaging in an act of grounding, reminding ourselves that at the core of our existence we remain rooted in Christ.¹

With the foundation complete, Jesus moves on to what many of us think is the business of prayer: asking for things. But as we mentioned in Chapter 2, prayer isn’t about asking for special favors. In fact, it isn’t even about “asking” at all—since, as Jesus says, God already knows what we need before we ask him.² So what is prayer about? The simplest answer is that it is about gathering and release.

When we think about gathering and Christ, the first image that comes to mind is probably the shepherd. Many of us see Jesus as the “Good Shepherd”³ gathering his lost flock back within the fold of his love. This image is popular because Jesus often used sheep and shepherds as metaphors when he taught. He described those who deliver the gospel of Christ as lambs among wolves,⁴ and those without Christ’s guidance as sheep without a shepherd.⁵ He also warned us of embracing false teachers who come in the guise of innocent sheep but have sinister hidden agendas.⁶

What we don’t usually think about when contemplating gathering is the story of the prodigal son. We talked earlier about how this parable reveals the will of God as a matter of choice. But when we turn our attention to the son, and view the story through his eyes, the parable reveals a different lesson—which is the wonderful thing about parables: like crystals, they reflect new light (insight) as we turn them.

When the young man seeks his inheritance from his father, he doesn’t plead for it. Instead, he speaks with authority: “Father, give me my share of the inheritance.” (A man had two sons; 12 And the younger of them said to his father: ‘Father, give me my share of the inheritance.’ So the father divided the property between them. – Luke 15:11-12)) We often overlook that fact. But it is an important one. Because it shows that the son is claiming ownership over something that he believes is rightfully his.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus also speaks with “authority”,⁷ and says that when we speak in such a way, our Father will dutifully respond. In fact, he claims that God will grant us anything:⁸ that the dead will rise,⁹ and mountains move at our command, if we but have the faith of a mustard–seed¹⁰ and command it in his name.

This teaching has caused a lot of confusion over the years. Some Christians have taken it at face value and, because of that, acted irresponsibly—such as recklessly barring medical treatment to loved ones (believing that they could heal them through faith alone). Others have disregarded the whole moving mountains thing as just Jesus getting a little carried away with his metaphors. But if we reflect on the teaching a little longer, the true Word begins to emerge.

Let’s begin our reflections by recalling that…

The Lord’s Prayer. To continue reading, click on page 2 at the bottom.

1. By the seed which was sown on the good ground is meant the receivers who hear the message and understand it, yielding a return, sometimes one hundred, sometimes sixty, sometimes thirty fold. – Matthew 13:23 [↩]
2. When praying, do not repeat the same words over and over again, as is done by the Gentiles, who think that by using many words they will obtain a hearing. 8 Do not imitate them; for God, your Father, knows what you need before you ask him. – Matthew 6:7-8 [↩]
3. I am the good shepherd; and I know my sheep, and my sheep know me. – John 10:14 [↩]
4. Now, go. Remember, I am sending you out as my messengers like lambs among wolves. – Luke 10:3 [↩]
5. On getting out of the boat, Jesus saw a great crowd, and his heart was moved at the sight of them, because they were ‘like sheep without a shepherd’. – Mark 6:34 [↩]
6. Beware of false teachers: those who come to you in the guise of sheep, but at heart they are ravenous wolves. – Matthew 7:15 [↩]
7. On the next Sabbath, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught them like one who had authority, and not like the teachers of the law. – Mark 1:21-22 [↩]
8. Whatever you ask for in your prayers will, if you have faith, be granted you.” Matthew 21:22 [↩]
9. Even now, I know that God will grant you whatever you ask him.” 23 “Your brother shall rise to life,” said Jesus. – John 11:23 [↩]
10. “For, I tell you, if your faith were only like a mustard-seed, you could say to this mountain ‘Move from this place to that!’ and it would be moved; and nothing would be impossible to you. – Matthew 17:20 [↩]

Lord’s Prayer: Our Daily Bread

Chapter 7

Our daily bread…

(Gathering Our Inheritance)

Knowing that we can claim ownership of our inheritance in the living hour is one thing. But what are we supposed to do with that knowledge? The childhood keys of wonderment and immediacy help unlock the door to the kingdom of heaven, but they don’t have the power to usher us across the threshold. To cross into the kingdom and gather our inheritance, we have to move beyond the carefree world of the child and into the care-driven world of adults—to expand our concerns beyond the “me” to include the “us”.

We can begin by recognizing that although the spontaneity of the child and the adult are similar, they are not one and the same. Take for example the miracles that Jesus performs in the Gospels. If we can set aside the unanswerable question of whether or not these miracles actually occurred, we can begin to see the miracle stories as parables of spontaneity, ones which teach us that living in Christ means immediately responding to the needs of others. Whether it is healing the sick,¹ walking on water,² or turning water into wine,³ Jesus never hesitates but responds spontaneously and confidently to those who call out to him.

Spontaneous charity is taught also by the story of the Good Samaritan.⁴ In this well–known parable a man gets robbed and beaten while on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho. A priest and a local man pass by him as he lies half–dead on the road. Finally a stranger from Samaria stops, tends to his wounds, and takes him to an inn to recuperate, paying the man’s bills—all without giving his actions a second thought.

The genuine caring shown by the Good Samaritan sheds light on Jesus’s enigmatic teaching: “When you do acts of charity, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your charity may be secret; and your Father, who sees what is in secret, will recompense you.”⁵ By performing our acts of charity spontaneously like the Samaritan, we keep them secret from our egos (that part of us which wants to debate whether we have the time, money, or energy to respond to others in need), and we allow our Christ consciousness to rise (that part of us which recognizes that when others suffer we suffer too). Our charity is thus driven by nothing except a true generosity of spirit.

Jesus encourages us to bring that same spirit to our acts of fellowship. The generosity of Christ is shown by welcoming all the members of our community to our table—the good and the bad, the funny and the dull, the smart and the annoying. Look at the way Jesus accepted twelve very flawed apostles as his intimates. That he took in Judas (knowing full well that he would betray him) and never gave up on the poor, clueless, and overzealous Peter should be a lesson to us all. Furthermore, we are told how Jesus regularly sat down to eat and drink with his neighbors,⁶ regardless of how “righteous” they might be or what other people thought—so much so that he was unfairly labeled a glutton and a wino.⁷

Never has Jesus’s gospel of fellowship and acceptance had more…

The Lord’s Prayer. To continue reading, click on page 2 at the bottom.

1. “Sir,” he said, “my servant is lying ill at my house with a stroke of paralysis, and is suffering terribly.” 7 “I will come and cure him,” answered Jesus. – Matthew 8:6–7 [↩]
2. When evening fell, the boat was out in the middle of the sea, and Jesus on the shore alone. 48 Seeing them laboring at the oars—for the wind was against them—about three hours after midnight Jesus came towards them, walking on the water, intending to join them. – Mark 6:47–48 [↩]
3. Jesus said to the servants: “Fill the water-jars with water;” 8 And, when they had filled them to the brim, he added: “Now take some out, and carry it to the master of the feast.” The servants did so. 9 And, when the master of the feast had tasted the water which had now become wine, not knowing where it had come from—although the servants who had taken out the water knew—10 He called the bridegroom and said to him: “Everyone puts good wine on the table first, and inferior wine afterwards, when his guests have drunk freely; but you have kept back the good wine till now!” – John 2:6–10 [↩]
4. A man was once going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him of everything, and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. 31 As it chanced, a priest was going down by that road. He saw the man, but passed by on the opposite side. 32 A Levite, too, did the same; he came up to the spot, but, when he saw the man, passed by on the opposite side. 33 But a Samaritan, traveling that way, came upon the man, and, when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, dressing them with oil and wine, and then put him on his own mule, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out four shillings and gave them to the inn-keeper. ‘Take care of him,’ he said, ‘and whatever more you may spend I will myself repay you on my way back.’ – Luke 10: 30–35 [↩]
5. Matthew 6:3–4 [↩]
6. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law found fault. “This man always welcomes sinners, and takes meals with them!” they complained. – Luke 15:2 [↩]
7. And now that the Son of Man has come, eating and drinking, they are saying: ‘Here is a glutton and a wino, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!’ Matthew 11:19 [↩]

Jesus Laughing

The Dalai Lama of Tibet is said to have an extraordinary laugh, one that rises frequently and joyfully from deep within his body. This is something we don’t attribute to Jesus much: laughter. We get so caught up with Jesus’s end game and the “man of sorrows” image that we lose sight of how much fun he must have been to be around.

After all, Jesus certainly wouldn’t have been welcomed to the dinner table of so many sinners and outcasts had he been a bore¹. He kept telling his disciples to “be of good cheer,” and he wasn’t the kind of teacher to be all talk. Jesus must have been full of cheer himself, with a spontaneous sense of humor and a hearty laugh.

When we laugh we leave ego and pride at the doorstep; we forget and forgive ourselves, as well as the trespasses of others. We move closer to Christ and the kingdom of heaven at hand. Eternity is a mere moment, said the writer Hermann Hesse, just long enough for a joke.

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Gain fresh insight into the Lord’s Prayer. Read our free online book The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life. The prayer’s hidden teachings will enrich and inspire you. Click the following link to begin reading the Living Hour book now: The Lord’s Prayer.

To read about whether or not God is Winnie the Pooh, go to: God is Pooh Bear

1. Now that the Son of Man has come, eating and drinking, they are saying: “Here is a glutton and a wino, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!” And yet wisdom is vindicated by her actions – Mat 11:19 [↩]

The First Will Be Last

Gospel of Matthew 19

At the conclusion of this teaching, Jesus withdrew from Galilee, and went into that district of Judea which is on the other side of the Jordan. 2 Great crowds followed him, and he cured them there. 3 Presently some Pharisees came up to him, and, to test him, said: “Has a man the right to divorce his wife for every cause?”

4 “Have not you read,” replied Jesus, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5 And said: ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and be united to his wife, and the man and his wife shall become one’? 6 So that they are no longer two, but one. What God himself, then, has yoked together man must not separate.”

7 “Why, then,” they said, “did Moses direct that a man should ‘serve his wife with a notice of separation and divorce her’?” 8 “Moses, owing to the hardness of your hearts,” answered Jesus, “permitted you to divorce your wives, but that was not so at the beginning. 9 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the grounds of her unchastity, and marries another woman, is guilty of adultery.”

10 “If that,” said the disciples, “is the position of a man with regard to his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 “It is not everyone,” replied Jesus, “who can accept this teaching, but only those who have been enabled to do so. 12 Some men, it is true, have from birth been disabled for marriage, while others have been disabled by their fellow men, and others again have disabled themselves for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let those accept it that can.”

13 Then some little children were brought to Jesus, for him to place his hands on them, and pray; but the disciples found fault with those who had brought them. 14 Jesus, however, said: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for it is to the childlike that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” 15 So he placed his hands on them, and then went on his way.

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What is the Lord’s Prayer?
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16 And a man came up to Jesus, and said: “Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain immortal life?” 17 “Why ask me about goodness?” answered Jesus. “There is but one who is good. If you want to enter the life, keep the commandments.” 18 “What commandments?” asked the man. “These,” answered Jesus: ‘Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not say what is false about others. 19 Honor thy father and thy mother.’ And ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thou dost thyself.’”

20 “I have observed all these,” said the young man. “What is still wanting in me?” 21 “If you wish to be perfect,” answered Jesus, “go and sell your property, and give to the poor, and you shall have wealth in heaven; then come and follow me.” 22 On hearing these words, the young man went away distressed, for he had great possessions. 23 At this, Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you that the rich will find it hard to enter the kingdom of heaven! 24 I say again, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

25 On hearing this, the disciples exclaimed in great astonishment: “Who then can possibly be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them, and said: “With men this is impossible, but with God everything is possible.” Then Peter turned and said to Jesus: 27 “But we…we left everything, and followed you; what then shall we have?” 28 “I tell you,” answered Jesus, “that at the new creation, ‘when the Son of Man takes his seat on his throne of glory,’ you who followed me shall be seated upon twelve thrones, as judges of the twelve tribes of Israel.”

29 “Everyone who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or fathers, or mothers, or children, or land, on account of my name, will receive many times as much, and will ‘gain Immortal Life.’ 30 But many of the first will be last, and those who are last will be first.”

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To read the Chapter 20 of the Gospel of Matthew, please go to: The Parable of the Vineyard Workers.

The Lord’s Prayer is a short prayer but one that is layered with meaning. Read our free online book The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life to begin discovering the prayer’s hidden teachings. Click the following link to begin reading the Living Hour book now: The Lord’s Prayer.

Browse the entire Gospel of Matthew here: Gospel of Matthew

Parable of the Vineyard Workers

Gospel of Matthew 20

“For the kingdom of heaven is like an employer who went out in the early morning to hire laborers for his vineyards. 2 He agreed with the laborers to pay them two shillings a day, and sent them into his vineyard. 3 On going out again, about nine o’clock, he saw some others standing in the market-place, doing nothing. 4 ‘You also may go into my vineyard,’ he said, ‘and I will pay you what is fair.’”

5 “So the men went. Going out again about mid-day and about three o’clock, he did as before. 6 When he went out about five, he found some other men standing there, and said to them ‘Why have you been standing here all day long, doing nothing?’ 7 ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. ‘You also may go into my vineyard,’ he said.”

8 “In the evening the owner of the vineyard said to his steward ‘Call the vineyard workers, and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, and ending with the first. 9 Now when those who had been hired about five o’clock went up, they received two shillings each. 10 So, when the first went up, they thought that they would receive more, but they also received two shillings each; 11 On which they began to grumble at their employer. 12 ‘These last,’ they said, ‘have done only one hour’s work, and yet you have put them on the same footing with us, who have borne the brunt of the day’s work, and the heat.’”

13 “‘My friend,’ was his reply to one of them, ‘I am not treating you unfairly. Did not you agree with me for two shillings? 14 Take what belongs to you, and go. I choose to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Have not I the right to do as I choose with what is mine? Are you envious because I am liberal?’ 16 So those who are last will be first, and the first last.”

17 When Jesus was at the point of going up to Jerusalem, he gathered the twelve disciples round him by themselves, and said to them as they were on their way: 18 “Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem; and there the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law, and they will condemn him to death, 19 And give him up to the Gentiles for them to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify; and on the third day he will rise.”

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The Lord’s Prayer is More Than You Think

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20 Then the mother of Zebediah’s sons came to him with her sons, bowing to the ground, and begging a favor. 21 “What is it that you want?” he asked. “I want you to say,” she replied, “that in your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right, and the other on your left.”

22 “You do not know what you are asking,” was Jesus’ answer. “Can you drink the cup that I am to drink?” “Yes,” they exclaimed, “we can.” 23 “You shall indeed drink from my cup,” he said, “but as to a seat at my right and at my left, that is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

24 On hearing of this, the ten others were very indignant about the two brothers. 25 Jesus, however, called the ten to him, and said: “The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them as you know, and their great men oppress them. 26 Among you it is not so. 27 No, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to take the first place among you, must be your slave; 28 Just as the Son of Man came, not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

29 As they were going out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30 Two blind men, who were sitting by the road-side, hearing that Jesus was passing, called out: “Take pity on us, Master, Son of David!” 31 The crowd told them to be quiet; but the men only called out the louder: “Take pity on us, Master, Son of David!” 32 Then Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he said. 33 “Master,” they replied, “we want our eyes to be opened.” 34 So Jesus, moved with compassion, touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight, and followed him.

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To read the Chapter 21 of the Gospel of Matthew, please go to: Den of Thieves.

The Lord’s Prayer is a short prayer but one that is layered with meaning. Read our free online book The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life to begin discovering the prayer’s hidden teachings. Click the following link to begin reading the Living Hour book now: The Lord’s Prayer.

Browse the entire Gospel of Matthew here: Gospel of Matthew

Jesus, Pharisees, & Hypocrites

Gospel of Matthew 23

Then Jesus speaking to the crowds and to his disciples, said: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees now occupy the chair of Moses. 3 Therefore practice and lay to heart everything that they preach but do not copy their works, for they do not follow what they preach. 4 While they make up heavy loads and pile them on other men’s shoulder’s they decline, themselves, to lift a finger to move them. 5 All their actions are done to attract attention. They widen their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and like to have the place of honor at dinner, and the best seats in the synagogues, 7 and to be greeted in the markets with respect, and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by everybody.”

8 “But do not allow yourselves to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master, Christ, and all you are brothers and sisters. 9 And do not call anyone on earth your father, for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10 Nor must you allow yourselves to be called ‘leaders,’ for you have only one leader, the Christ. 11 Those who would be the greatest among you must be your servant. 12 Whoever shall exalt themselves will be humbled, and whoever shall humble themselves will be exalted.”

13 “But woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You turn the key of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you do not go in yourselves, nor yet allow those who try to go in to do so. 14 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You destroy widow’s houses, even while pretending to make long prayers; therefore you shall receive greater condemnation.”

15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You scour land and sea to make a single convert, and, when he or she is gained, you make them twice as deserving of the pit as you are yourselves. 16 Woe to you, you blind guides! You say, ‘if any swear by the temple, it counts for nothing; but, if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, their oaths are binding’! 17 Fools that you are and blind! Which is the more important? The gold? Or the temple which has given sacredness to the gold?”

18 “You say, too, ‘If any swear by the altar, their oaths count for nothing, but, if anyone swears by the offering placed on it, their oaths are binding’! 19 Blind indeed! Which is the more important? The offering? Or the altar which gives sacredness to the offering? 20 Therefore anyone, swearing by the altar, swears by it and by all that is on it, 21 And anyone, swearing by the temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in it, 22 While anyone, swearing by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits upon it.”

What is the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer?

To continue reading Chapter 23 of the Gospel of Matthew, please click on page 2 below.

SBNR – Religion Can’t Bind The Spiritual Life

In The Times of India, there is an excellent SBNR article written by Father Dominic Emmanuel, who for decades has been promoting peace, harmony, and inter-religious dialogue. In this new article, Emmanuel explains why we should make a distinction between spirituality and religion:

Simply because, as it is said, that the largest numbers of wars in the world have been fought in the name of religion. One continues to witness numerous conflicts resulting in violence in the name of religion. This often confuses people not only about the role of religion but even its need in life.

The life and teachings of Jesus show that he, too, made this distinction. His spirituality often went against the religious practices of the Pharisees. He often attacked them for their adherence to rituals which showed little regard for the welfare of people. “For I say to you that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the Kingdom of Heaven” and “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”

From Buddha’s teachings, it does seem that he, too, distinguished between religion and spirituality. Buddhist insight and meditation practice is not believed to have been revealed divinely, but by the understanding of the true nature of suffering, discovered by personally treading a spiritual path.

To read the rest of the article go to: Religion Can’t Bind the Spiritual Life

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Talking of Eternal Things

In St. Pauls second Epistle to the Corinthians, he tells the community to remember that “the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” When this idea is delivered from the pulpit of Christian churches today, preachers usually discuss how it refers to God’s grace, the Holy Spirit, or the kingdom of Heaven.

The problem is that we tend to think of all these things as God’s alone or God’s gifts to us. They come from the outside and thus we don’t consider ourselves as co-creators of eternal things, along with the Father.

But as Sons and Daughters of God, we are all inheritors and builders of His kingdom, grace, and spirit of eternal things that are more magical than Harry Potter’s wand. India’s Mahatma Gandhi once delivered an adage that is probably as well known as St. Paul’s, and that is: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

It is by living intensely and learning joyfully that we grab the reigns of our eternal natures in Christ. Human experience and knowledge are not temporal: we cannot truly see the feelings associated with a beautiful sunrise, a first kiss, or the birth of a child, any more than we can see the thoughts connected with learning a new language, tying a slip knot, or mastering differential equations–they are eternal.

This life will one day end. But the harvest of the heart and mind is with you always.

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The Living Hour’s motivational series combines history, literature, philosophy, psychology, religion, and popular culture to help bring about new perspectives for Progressive Christians and anyone who seeks a better understanding of “God” and life’s purpose. Sign up to have these progressive Motivationals delivered to your e-mail box three times a week.

John – Gospel 18 – Christ’s Kingdom Is Now

When Jesus had said this, he went out with his disciples and crossed the brook Cedron to a place where there was a garden, into which he and his disciples went. 2 The place was well known to Judas, the betrayer, for Jesus and his disciples had often met there. 3 So Judas (who had obtained soldiers of the Roman garrison, and some officers from the chief priests and Pharisees) came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. 4 Jesus, aware of all that was coming upon him, went to meet them, and said to them: “For whom are you looking?”

5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” was their answer. “I am he,” said Jesus. (Judas, the betrayer, was also standing with them.) 6 When Jesus said ‘I am he,’ they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 So he again asked for whom they were looking, and they answered: “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 “I have already told you that I am he,” replied Jesus, “so, if it is for me that you are looking, let these men go.” 9 This was in fulfillment of his words: ‘Of those whom thou has given me I have not lost one.’

10 At this, Simon Peter, who had a sword with him, drew it, and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. 11 But Jesus said to Peter: “Sheathe your sword. Shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given me?” 12 So the soldiers of the garrison, with their captain and the Jewish officers, arrested Jesus and bound him, 13 And took him first of all to Annas. Annas was the father-in- law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews that it was best that one man should die for the people.

15 Meanwhile Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. That disciple, being well-known to the high priest, went with Jesus into the high priest’s court-yard, 16 While Peter stood outside by the door. Presently the other disciple—the one well-known to the high priest—went out and spoke to the maidservant, and brought Peter in. 17 So the maidservant said to Peter: “Are not you also one of this man’s disciples?” “No, I am not,” he said.

18 The servants and officers were standing round a charcoal fire (which they had made because it was cold), and were warming themselves. Peter, too, was with them, standing and warming himself. 19 The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching.

20 “For my part,” answered Jesus, “I have spoken to all the world openly. I always taught in some synagogue, or in the temple courts, places where all the Jews assemble, and I never spoke of anything in secret. 21 Why question me? Question those who have listened to me as to what I have spoken about to them. They must know what I said.”

22 When Jesus said this, one of the officers, who was standing near, gave him a blow with his hand. “Do you answer the high priest like that?” he exclaimed. 23 “If I said anything wrong, give evidence about it,” replied Jesus; “but if not, why do you strike me?” 24 Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

25 Meanwhile Simon Peter was standing there, warming himself; so they said to him: “Are not you also one of his disciples?” Peter denied it. “No, I am not,” he said. 26 One of the high priest’s servants, a relation of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, exclaimed: “Did not I myself see you with him in the garden?” 27 Peter again denied it; and at that moment a cock crowed.

28 From Caiaphas they took Jesus to the government house. It was early in the morning. But they did not enter the government house themselves; otherwise they should become ‘defiled,’ and so be unable to eat the Passover. 29 Therefore Pilate came outside to speak to them. “What charge do you bring against this man?” he asked.

30 “If he had not been a criminal, we should not have given him up to you,” they answered. 31 “Take him yourselves,” said Pilate, “and try him by your own law.” “We have no power to put anyone to death,” the Jews replied—32 In fulfillment of what Jesus had said when indicating the death that he was destined to die.

33 After that, Pilate went into the Government House again, and calling Jesus up, asked him: “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 “Do you ask me that yourself?” replied Jesus, “or did others say it to you about me?” 35 “Do you take me for a Jew?” was Pilate’s answer. “It is your own nation, and the chief priests, who have given you up to me. What have you done?”

36 “My kingdom,” replied Jesus, “is not of this world. If it had been so, my servants would be doing their utmost to prevent my being given up to the Jews; but now is my kingdom, not from hence.”

37 “Are you a king then?” asked Pilate. “You say that I am a king,” answered Jesus. “To this end was I born, and for this cause I came into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is on the side of truth listens to my voice.” 38 “What is truth?” asked Pilate.

After saying this, he went out to the Jews again, and said: “For my part, I find nothing with which he can be charged. 39 It is, however, the custom for me to grant you the release of one man at the Passover festival. Do you wish for the release of the King of the Jews?” 40 “No, not this man,” they shouted again, “but Barabbas!” This Barabbas was a robber.

To read the next chapter of the Book of John, please go to The Gospel of John – 19.

This Online New Testament Gospel of John is excerpted from the book The Living Hour: The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life (with New Century Gospels). Including over 200 bookmarked citations from the canonical Gospels, this Progressive Christian book appeals to the Unitarian spirit at the heart of all faiths.

Challenge your perceptions on the Gospel of Christ, Jesus’s parables, and the Kingdom of God by purchasing The Lord’s Prayer book today. Produced by LivingHour.org, a Thailand-based small press dedicated to publishing unique Learning Easy Thai Language Books, as well as works on progressive spirituality.

Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids

Gospel of Matthew 25

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps, but took no oil with them; 4 While the prudent ones, besides taking their lamps, took oil in their jars. 5 As the bridegroom was late in coming, they all became drowsy, and slept. 6 But at midnight a shout was raised: ‘The Bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’

7 Then all the bridesmaids awoke and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the prudent: ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the prudent ones answered: ‘No, for fear that there will not be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell it, and buy for yourselves.’10 But while they were on their way to buy it, the bridegroom came; and the bridesmaids who were ready went in with him to the banquet, and the door was shut. 11 Afterwards the other bridesmaids came. ‘Sir, Sir,’ they said, ‘open the door to us!’12 But the bridegroom answered ‘I tell you, I do not know you.’

13 Therefore watch, since you know neither the day nor the hour. 14 For it is as though a man, going on his travels, called his servants, and gave his property into their charge. 15 He gave three thousand pounds to one, twelve hundred to another, and six hundred to a third, in proportion to the ability of each. Then he set out on his travels. 16 The man who had received the three thousand pounds went at once and traded with it, and made another three thousand. 17 So, too, the man who had received the twelve hundred pounds made another twelve hundred. 18 But the servant who had received the six hundred went and dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

19 After a long time the master of those servants returned, and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the three thousand pounds came up and brought three thousand more. ‘Sir,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with three thousand pounds; look, I have made another three thousand!’ 21 ‘Well done, good, trustworthy servant!’ said his master. ‘You have been trustworthy with a small sum; now I will place a large one in your hands; come and share your master’s joy!’

22 Then the one who had received the twelve hundred pounds came up and said ‘Sir, you entrusted me with twelve hundred pounds; look, I have made another twelve hundred!’ 23 ‘Well done, good, trustworthy servant!’ said his master. ‘You have been trustworthy with a small sum; now I will place a large one in your hands; come and share your master’s joy!’

Discover the Lord’s Prayer

To continue reading Chapter 25 of the Gospel of Matthew, please click on page 2 below.

The Lord’s Prayer: In Pennylvania Dutch (Deutsch)

The Lord’s Prayer played a strong role in the services and worship of the Germans who settled in Pennsylvania. Pastor David, the director of LivingHour.org, numbers his ancestors among these German settlers. In homage to them, we offer a Pennsylvania Dutch (Deutsch) translation of The Lord’s Prayer, the prayer which Jesus taught his disciples when they asked him how to pray. It is this prayer that Jesus advises us to pray instead of making requests for specific things, as God already knows what we need.

The Lord’s Prayer

Unsah Faddah im Himmel,
dei nohma loss heilich sei,
Dei Reich loss kumma.
Dei villa loss gedu sei,
uf di eaht vi im Himmel.
Unsah tayklich broht gebb uns heit,
Un fagebb unsah shulda,
vi miah dee fagevva vo uns shuldich sinn.
Un fiah uns naett in di fasuchung,
avvah hald uns fu’m eevila.
[Fa dei is es Reich, di graft,
un di hallichkeit in ayvichkeit.
Amen.]

Gain fresh insight into the Lord’s Prayer & how God is with us today. Read our free online book The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life. The prayer’s hidden teachings will enrich and inspire you. Click the following link to begin reading the Living Hour Book now: The Lord’s Prayer.

To read The Lord’s Prayer in a Greek translation, the language in which the New Testament was written, please go to: The Lord’s Prayer in Greek.

The Lord’s Prayer: In A German Translation

German theologians such as Paul Tillich and Gerhard Ebeling have had a tremendous impact on what we call the Progressive Christian movement today, their works being as vital and contemporary now as when they were written.

In tribute to them and other German theologians, we offer the following German translation of the Lord’s Prayer, the prayer Jesus taught his disciples when they asked him how to pray, the prayer that is the Rosetta Stone for understanding the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Lord’s Prayer

Vater unser im Himmel,
geheiligt werde dein Name.
Dein Reich komme.
Dein Wille geschehe,
wie im Himmel so auf Erden.
Unser tägliches Brot gib uns heute.
Und vergib uns unsere Schuld,
wie auch wir vergeben unsern Schuldigern.
Und führe uns nicht in Versuchung,
sondern erlöse uns von dem Bösen.
[Denn dein ist das Reich und die Kraft
und die Herrlichkeit in Ewigkeit.
Amen.]

Gain fresh insight into the Lord’s Prayer & how God is with us today. Read our free online book The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life. The prayer’s hidden teachings will enrich and inspire you. Click the following link to begin reading the Living Hour Book now: The Lord’s Prayer.

If you would like to read The Lord’s Prayer in Pennsylvania Deutsch/German, please go to: The Lord’s Prayer in Pennsylvania Dutch.