Saying One, “Whoever finds the meaning of these sayings will not experience death.”

The Gospel of Thomas emphasizes embodied knowledge, or knowledge imparted by the spirit within.  With the usage of the word ‘meaning’, Saying One infers a pathway of learning.  

Thomas is always depicted as young, perhaps innocent.

For the acolyte, one final phase of Nazarene priestly training dealt with parable understanding.   Wisdom teachings are presented at this time as well.  The discipline of the Way requires a fundamental assertion into knowledge.  The rabbi would provide instruction as to the meaning and wisdom contained within the parable.*  These parable teachings later became one staple of Jesus’ ministry.

*Astronomical and astrological teaching also occurred, the threads of which might be viewed in the Book of Enoch.  See, Matt. 2.2, “…his star in the east.”  Mark 14.51-52, refers to the young man clothed in linen.  Linen is worn when certain teaching, instruction, or ceremonies are conducted.  The nakedness symbolizes being open to God and open to the instruction being received.  This form of ceremony and teaching was common throughout the middle-east.  Astrological instruction would occur at night, for obvious reasons.

[Understanding this preparation for instruction, I hope the above lays to rest inferences to Jesus being homosexual.  More likely, it was included in scripture to give credence to Jesus’ Nazarene priestly status as well as chronicle actual events.]

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Saying 3: Jesus said, “If those who lead you say to you, ‘See, the kingdom is in the sky,’ then the birds of the sky will precede you.  If they say unto you, ‘It is in the sea,’ then the fish will precede you.  Rather the kindom is inside of you, and it is outside of you.  When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize it is you who are the sons of the living father.  But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty.”

Jesus basically tells us to look within, to sow into the kingdom within, and it is there you will find the kingdom which is your treasure of understanding.  This process is noted in Saying Two: Jesus said, “Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds.  When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished (enlightened, realization), and he will rule over All.”  These first three sayings tell us much about the nature and practice of the Way.

God, being inside of you as well as outside of you, is a new understanding for men of that day.  They may have seen themselves as a child of God, but they did not understand that the spirit of God (and God is a spirit) is a part of our complete makeup as a soul. “When you come to know yourselves (your complete self),” you will know the spirit of God, and not just remain a believer.  Similarly we have, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God,” from chapter 3 of John.

Many people believed in God, they prayed to the God without, but could not receive the harvest because they did not understand the god within.  Instead, Judaism had resorted to legalism in the hope that things would work out by following the law.  Judaism had become dependent on rules instead of revelation.  “Sons of the living Father,” asserts Awakening and Eternality.  Both are consistent themes of Jesus as he proselytizes an awakening to these higher truths.  

The Way is an active teaching, one that is realized and practiced.  Sowing good seed, speaking from the spirit (the Word), and prayer, form the main body of the practice of the Way, for that may lead us to realization and confirmation.  James 1.22-27, gives the jist of Jesus’ true intent, (22) “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”  But further, Jesus expects us to become familiar with the kingdom within and points to the kingdom often.  In short, Jesus walked in this spirit-relationship, and brought the Father into the life experience. 

Previously, this enlightened vision into God and His nature had been the reserve of prophets, certain high priests or the few others who had received a vision.  Jesus brings this enlightened vision to all people.  In doing so the schism between man’s soul nature and God’s nature is bridged.  It is the mind that must eventually see this vision, not just the intellectual understanding or emotional confirmation. As Jesus often alludes, it is the spirit that supplies this vision, the very knowing we perceive, or the interpretation—he speaks as his Father directs him to speak.

Sowing seed for personal development is a most basic tenet of the Way.  Of course, both knowing and doing is the intent behind sowing good seeds.  As the world is, people more often want to ‘know about’ but have no inner realization.  They enjoy the sermon (the getting), but knowing how to put it into practice eludes them (the receiving).  They try and try, yet never truly sow one good seed.  They are much like the Pharisees, who know the law as plainly written but do not glean the deeper meaning or realization.  They argue from the law, but not on behalf of the person as does Jesus, and we see this outlook in the story of the woman caught in adultry.  The intellect can often operate in just such a manner, legalistic and comprehending, but lacking merit or substance.

As many may want to know the truth about the Essene, for instance, but do not want to know the truth about themselves.  This dissonance becomes a serious character issue, and brings us to the scriptures we find in the “woes” (Mt. 23).  The Pharisees covered their evil deeds by wiping the edge of the cup for cleanliness, but never looked within, else justified themselves.  They never grasped the substance of God’s yearning to awaken and convert the man.

God is interested in you, and until some inner inspection occurs many other revelations will remain blocked.  There are numerous examples of Jesus directing such an inspection.

Matt. 7.1-5, “Don’t judge so you won’t be judged.  For the way you judge others is how you will be judged—the measure with which you measure out will be used to measure you.  Why do you see the splinter in your brother’s eye but not notice the log in your own eye?  You hypocrite!  First take the log out of your own eye; then you will see clearly, so that you can remove the splinter from your brother’s eye!”

This seems a very clear statement concerning self-inspection.  But, Jesus has more.

(6) “Don’t give to dogs what is holy, and don’t throw your pearls to the pigs.  If you do they may trample them under their feet, then turn and attack you.”

Underneath, this statement questions each person’s true intent.

In Jesus’ times we have the Pharisees and scribes always trying to produce a conundrum, a riddle, for Jesus to explain or unravel.  These confrontations almost always concerned the law.  Speaking elemental values to such people seldom works.  Likewise, when the truth is revealed about self, we often respond like the Pharisees and provide an intellectual defense for our actions, or become negative and justify ourselves.  Without even mentioning the frailty of human beings always wanting to be right, Jesus offers a spiritual solution, revealed in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the Pearl of Great Price, Sowing in Good Soil, and other similar parables.

(7) “Keep asking, and it will be given to you; keep seeking, and you will find; keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.  (8) For everyone who keeps asking receives; he who keeps seeking finds; and to him who keeps knocking, the door will be opened.”

For what is each person seeking?  What are they asking about?  Which door are they knocking upon?

Avoid becoming your own Pharisee!

And what is given and what do you receive?  Do you receive bread instead of a stone, a fish instead of a snake?  Even though we are not perfect, you, like the Father, should give and receive the good (9-11).

Sow seed for the spirit to reveal knowledge concerning self.

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WALKING in the WAY

Matthew 10.39-40, shares the essence of the enlightenment teaching and perhaps provides the whole of the enlightenment journey.  “He that finds his life shall lose it: and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it.  (40) He that receives you receives me, and he that receives me receives Him that sent me.”

Saying One and Matt. 10.39 share a similar direction.  Saying One promotes the understanding of the Matthew scripture.  “Finding the interpretation” (Saying One), now the Matthew scripture becomes clear—that the old self must be discarded (“shall lose it”; “that loses his life”) so that real life (“finds his life”; “my sake shall find it”) can be found.  Secondly, the identity of Jesus is partially revealed: those who receive Jesus’ ministers are Jesus’ own and thus receive the Father who sent Jesus.

The first sentence, “He that finds his life shall lose it,” means that finding life with the spirit is to lay aside the old self and operate more closely with the spirit.  Attributes such as self-centeredness, false pride, and blaming others, disempower the spirit from lifting you and moving through you.  Deeply embedded attributes may need to be seen from more than one perspective.  But as the revelation is received, all begin to function in better order—once released (loses his life), he shall then find the spirit (his true life) within and without.

Many people will discover that previously withheld revelation will be revealed within the intercourse of daily life.  Whether sowing for knowing, tolerance, or other matters, a person can sow for better performance as well as sow for knowledge.  Do not remain within understanding alone, but put understanding into performance.  Teaching interpreted into Pathway becomes the goal, interpreted into the world with actions (Jm. 2.17).  Remember, the Way is a pathway that infers one step at a time, one day at a time.  To a great extent, this direct lesson became the teaching of the early Nazarenes; not only the gospel of the too-good-to-be-true-news but the walk which must then daily follow.

So, how do we do this?  Jesus tells us to plant these good seeds and nourish them.  This ‘how’ question brings us to the light and life-bringer, Jesus.   As he himself says so, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” Jn. 14.6; “I am the light of the world,” Jn. 8.12, both scriptures provide person, pathway, and teaching.  True believers may abound, but conversion onto the new life pathway becomes the commitment, and those are far fewer in number.  

Sow seed for the spirit to move through you in daily life.

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KNOW YOURSELF

                     Saying 3. “When you come to know yourselves,” seems to be the crux of the situation for everyone.  How indeed do you come to know yourself?  What is this process?  How does this happen, and what is important?  

Walking in the Way orders the process of knowing by planting good seeds in fertile soil, nourishing the seed (giving attention), and being willing to accept the harvest when it arrives.  By natural consequence, enlightenment into the spirit moves forward one day at a time.  Sowing the good seed, sowing by prayer, speaking the Word, and even positive speech can lead to a better application and will further revelation.  These three basic elements foster the daily work that yields the best sort of progress.  The daily pathway remains cognitively continual.  Pathway forms a natural continuity from day to day, which provides natural velocity or impetus to the spiritual walk.

It should be mentioned again that walking in the Way emphasizes positive attributes.  These attributes might focus on productive daily life within a business, speaking a good word within relationships, focusing on fatherhood or motherhood, and many other positive examples might be given.  Walking in the Way is not intended to be a walk of drudgery always revealing but another problem.  Its intent is resolution-oriented toward the overall message of joy, love, and forgiveness which sets free.  

Sow for application as well as a revelation;                                                                                                  

Sow for joy and continuity within daily life.                                                          

God Bless!