Admonitions and Hope
Teachings on spiritual advancement
Jesus taught saying, “Advancement in spirit is satisfying of itself. When one willingly becomes poor or chaste, obedient or humble for the kingdom of God, this conquest of poverty, chastity, obedience and humility frees the soul from the desire of the vices of these things. One feels richer and more satisfied to cast off the burdens of sin.”
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On one occasion the disciples were observing the Pharisees making pious supplication in the temple. Jesus said to the disciples, “How is one to judge the holiness of another?”
None of the disciples answered. Jesus instructed them saying, “You say nothing, and you are correct in your silence, because you are unable to completely judge another. The God of all knowledge alone is capable of passing moral judgment on a person. You must tell a thief that theft is wrong, but you cannot judge the thief, you must judge every act, but never a person.”
“The kingdom of God may be likened to a king who placed his many businesses in the hands of stewards. The stewards were assembled and given coins of gold to trade with. The stewards were also told that thieves had pilfered much of the gold, so no one was given a full share to trade with.”
“Nevertheless, the king distributed the gold coins. To some he gave five talent weights of gold coins, to others ten talents of gold, still to others only one talent of gold. To some stewards, the king issued a debt notice instead of gold, these stewards even had to earn the gold used to trade with.”
“The king then set off to apprehend the thieves who caused such trouble, and left the stewards to carry on his business, and even to make good on the missing gold for which the debt notices were issued.”
“In the king’s absence the stewards used the gold and obtained a range of results. Some stewards squandered the gold and showed a loss. Others began by squandering their gold, but then traded better, and in the end obtained a profit. Many who were given one, five, or ten talents of gold obtained a profit of many fold. But those who owed a debt from the start had great difficulty. These persons had to put forth great effort to obtain the single talent of gold that had been freely given to others. Yet some of these workers traded shrewdly and earned even more than those given the gold talents. They were able to pay off a great debt, yet their total holdings of gold were often less than those who started with much, because they started their trading in debt. The king knew that these workers paid off a large debt, from circumstances of great disadvantage.”
“When the king returned, he settled accounts. Those who had squandered their talents were banished from the sight of the king. Those given talents were judged according to their profit, and finally those who were issued a debt were examined. Some of these stewards worked off the debt and then traded for a profit, and this showed a very great love of the king.”
“The king was able to distribute all these profits to others who had no talents and enlarge his kingdom. Everyone shared in the joy of the king. Those who showed a profit were made governors, and those they released from debtors prison were given them as subjects.”
“Those profitable in small matters will rule in large matters, and those they bring into the kingdom will be under their benevolent rule. These new rulers will have passed the tests of love and wisdom necessary for good rule, and the Son of Man will be the ruler of all the citizens, having brought all of them into the kingdom.”
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Jesus said, “To advance in holiness may be likened to a small child who is enthralled with toys and trinkets. As he matures he will either discard the trinkets as an idle waste, or he will seek new ones that will satisfy his mature desire for wasteful pursuits under the guise of luxury, power, and gold.” “Be as children who expect their meals from their mothers, and have no worry about the next one. They are wondrous and joyful and live only each moment, and they give no concern to status or gain. People such as this are the highest in the kingdom of God. Become as an infant seeking only the rule of his mother, again such are the highest in the kingdom of Heaven.”
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Jesus taught the apostles concerning holiness saying, “You are to be priests of the New Covenant, yet take no joy or satisfaction in this. To be a good priest is not always to be a good Messiah.”
“One must hate all that not Messiah. You must hate father and mother, wealth and poverty, your life and your death. Indeed all who stop short of being Messiah will not attain to Heaven. This must be so, as your Heaven is the Messiah you now behold. To cease your ascent and to grasp any object, be it even apostleship is to cease your ascent to Messiah. Those who take satisfaction or pride in any office less than Messiah, have received all the reward that they may receive.”
“If what you love, be it motherhood, priesthood, wealth, or solitude is taken from you, and you are saddened by its removal, then you have not yet attained to the Messiah. Abandon all these things in spirit, and attain peace of spirit. Then take them up again, but now as a Messiah and a steward of them. Lesser honor will be bestowed upon an apostle who attains greatness, than a upon sinner who becomes Messiah.”
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Jesus responded to a question regarding how one might attain perfection of soul saying, “The truest and most effective teaching that you can receive is this. Keep yourself apart from all men, if not in body, then in spirit. Keep yourself free from all unneeded images and words. Free yourself from everything that is accidental, binding or that brings worry. Always direct your spirit to the intimate contemplation of God, keeping me constantly present before your eyes and never turning them away from me. Direct all other exercises, be it poverty, fasting, vigils and all other types of chastisement toward this goal and make use of them to the extent that they advance this end.”
“Do all this and you shall attain the summit of perfection that not one person in a thousand comprehends because they make these exercises their goal and therefore wander about for years.”{77}
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An apostle observed the mediocre advancement of soul that a certain disciple had attained. Jesus confirmed this estimate of soul, yet told the apostle that the disciple had made greater advancement than many others, even those others who exhibited a higher level of love and virtue.
Jesus further explained saying, "One who is given much, may enjoy a greater degree of virtue than one who is given little but has made great moral stride. Yet the one who makes the greater effort shows a love of God that may be greater than one who does little to increase his already great faith and virtue. Therefore be hesitant to consider oneself greater than a great sinner."
"One must judge acts, but must never judge the actor. A great sinner is like a man who has been cast deep into a dark cave filled with venomous serpents who inject him with poison that pleasantly numbs the senses. He does not even know that he is being poisoned."
The Messiah has assigned him this great trial, but also offers him a rope that he may grasp, and be led out of his darkness and poison. If the man exits the cave, he must then climb the mountain of virtue, upon which some have been already placed. If the caveman succeeds in even exiting the cave, he will show a great love of God, which will not go unrewarded."
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Jesus taught concerning the advancement of spirit saying, “In the advancement of one’s spirit, one must not expect satisfaction at first attempt. You will find satisfaction as your repeated attempts form your spirit as renewed character. Many put their hand to the plow, but turn back when they find little satisfaction along the road to holiness.
“Those of this world are accustomed to finding satisfaction in stimulation by wine, trinkets and the praise of others. Their actions find immediate place in their spirit, and satisfy it.”
“Be warned to avoid even pride and satisfaction of holy works or office. Your satisfaction must be in nothing less than your God. The priests and Pharisees often take great pride of office or asceticism, yet such pride remains only pride and is a poison to the spirit.”
“For those seeking the highest Heaven — they have been given a terrible privilege, and they must become Messiah for many others. The Father will give these Messiahs even the sin of others, that it may be returned as virtue and faith.” {78}
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Upon being asked what perfection of soul demanded, Jesus taught, “Perfection of soul may be likened to a wood carver who takes hold of a sharper blade, that he may trim away even more dead wood, thus producing a more accurate likeness. Again, perfection of soul may be likened to the man who prunes his own tree; he more easily prunes away the lower branches, and in doing so he attains a certain increase in fruit. He then says to himself, ‘There are still higher branches more difficult to climb to, yet they also consume the sap which feed the fruit on the good limbs. I shall make the required effort to trim away all the dead wood both high and low, that a better quality of fruit may be yielded from the tree.’”
Jesus taught further saying. “David was granted a terrible privilege when Saul sent him to the forefront of battle. So too is your pursuit of perfection. In the markets of Damascus one will find meat vendors who cater to fine and exclusive tastes. Such a person of fine taste may select a serpent to be prepared as a meal. The serpent is skinned while living, so as to increase the particular value of his flesh.”
“When the Father selects his child for perfection according to his own exquisite taste, that child also must suffer his very person to be stripped away from his living being. The child is crushed that his pride of self may be broken, the child is whipped to and away that he sees the futility of self direction. The child is burned alive by his own selfish will, until this selfish will exists only as ashes. Then the King of exquisite taste may consume the victim into his own being.”
“In the attainment of such perfection no one, no office, no privileges may be spared. Pride of prophet or priest, of King or Queen, must not be allowed to live in a soul. In the destruction of self and pride, the Father will allow this and that trial to assail you. When complete, only your will of wills shall remain. Your inner most will is your very existence and shall never cease, but once it is pure of contamination it may be joined to your God in holy matrimony. It is like a king selecting a leper bride who must first have her poisoned skin stripped away to reveal her true beauty.”
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Jesus said, “Many among you call Caesar both God and man; one who is animated by divine wisdom. So it is with the Messiah who is here now. Your Messiah however is given life by true wisdom, unadulterated with falsehood. This same Spirit of Truth is now offered to you. Become Messiah, who is God made man.” {79}
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Jesus taught again concerning the advancement of one’s soul, saying to the disciples, “You will fully love only after you fully hate. This must be so. You must not remain your self, but become a new being, that of my own person. You must first hate your very self, before you may be made love. The Son of Love may only love that which is love.”
“But how may one cast off one’s very self? One cannot, but one may allow the Author of Creation to do so. The poison of self must be cleaned from every act and thought and desire. Those who remain self, may not become Messiah. The poison of self infects every action and must be burned away just as a physician applies a hot iron to festering skin. Once the infection of self is removed, the patient heals by the unseen power of God.”
“You must become as Job, in your trust of God. You will think that your good fortune to suffer is a punishment from God. You will be abandoned to the darkness of the night, but this too is necessary. You must not work towards a self appointed goal, but you must find your way in faith.”
“You will find yourself at battle with God, who seeks to destroy who you are. You must not seek to triumph over your God; rather consent to your defeat. Unless you are first crushed and enslaved by a God who offers no mercy to who you are, you may not become a freeman.”
“No one attaining to Heaven is spared this discipline, it must be made in this life or the next. To those who enjoy holy discipleship, or motherhood, or even priesthood; all such self joy must be taken from them. Once the poison of self is removed, all these good trades will be returned to those who are no longer priests or mothers, but Messiah-stewards of these things.” {80}
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To those who care little about the meaning of their actions, Jesus taught, “The kingdom of Evil may be compared to a ball of twine that falls down steps into a pool of filth at the bottom of the steps. It descends the steps one at a time, no single step being a large distance in itself. So too is your journey of advancement in good or in evil. Every such journey is made in small steps such as this.”
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Again Jesus taught the people saying, “The strength of the weakest link in a chain, is common to the entire length of chain. So too is your weakest virtue common to every act that uses that virtue. Consider that when a chain is used as a weight on a net, the weak link is of no consequence, but when this same chain is used by oxen to haul a tree, their ability is limited by the strength of the chain. In a like manner, you will attain holiness by the perfection of every virtue. When one of your virtues is weak, your holiness may not attain to its completeness.”
“Your fasting must encompass all parts of your life. Fast from all that distracts your will from God. Numbers have no meaning, what must be broken in one’s desire for all that is less than God.”
“Become as an athlete. Those who train in the gymnasium exert themselves to the point of pain, that weakness may leave the body, to be replaced by strength. So to should you make moral effort to the point of discomfort. Moral trial is weakness leaving the soul.”
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Jesus came upon a discarded scrap of fishing net. He examined it and said to the disciples, “Take this netting with you, and use it as a framework. Adhere to it, the many things you encounter — both refuse and fine food, both gold and dust.”
The disciples did as they were told, and in the days following they amused themselves in depositing things of all sorts on the net. Coins, mud, food, other netting, and other items were adhered to it. They then presented the encrusted net to Jesus who told them, “Recall the simple framework you started with. Now use violence to strip the netting of all that obscures the core fiber.”
The disciples used many means of force to remove all that encrusted the core fiber and presented it again to Jesus. Jesus examined the clean netting and taught the disciples. “As it is with this scrap, so is it with one’s spirit. The many things, both common and fine that adhered to the core were in no way useful, and served only to add unneeded weight and burden. Indeed, the more deeply encrusted the core became, the more violence that was needed to restore it. Therefore, avoid all things which smother the life of the spirit, because they are removed only by using force of will.”
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Jesus taught, “I command you to forgive. And not only for the sake of others, but for your own benefit. Consider that no evil will enter into Paradise — not that held in a hand, or in a thought, nor even in memory. To enter Paradise while grasping disorder in any form would be akin to a man smuggling a weapon into a peaceful gathering. Therefore do not only forgive, but forget its memory. In this way you shall have no evil in your own temple.”
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When observing a woman weaving fabric he taught those around him saying, “The spirit is like the upright threads on a loom, giving support to the cross threads. These cross threads depend on the upright threads, just as action depends on spirit. Therefore make every thought upright, that your actions may be properly formed.”
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Jesus said, “Any act of mortification is useful to the degree it unites one with the Father, its value lies in this and nothing else. Indeed any act of this life has its value only as it unites one to God. This union is many fold, in attending to one’s duties, one unites to the Father’s goodness and virtues; in giving reverence to the Father, one shares in the holiness of the Father.”
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An ascetic approached Jesus and asked, “Master, what must I do to be perfect.”
Jesus looked with favor upon the man and said, “Azarel, to demand poverty is not better than to demand wealth. In both instances one is controlled by money. Likewise to demand silence is not more meritorious than to demand festive music. Abstention from food, luxury or anything else has value only to the degree that it assists in mortifying the self, for the end of union with God.”
“To mortify one’s self is not always to mortify one’s body. The most accomplished ascetic is able to live any type of life selflessly, and with full attention to God, whether it be that of a father or mother, a merchant, a king or queen, or a desert solitary.”
“Azarel my friend, your discipline has advanced you far in the life of the spirit. It is my wish that you now leave your solitary life and perfect your spirit by triumph over the obstacles of the world.”
“Stay close to my disciples and teach the life of the spirit to them and to all who seek perfection. The fulfillment of the spirit is now upon all those who seek it. Remember who you see today, for I will soon leave this world.”
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Jesus taught the disciples concerning will. “Purify your will, that it may attain to the very life of the God of Holiness. You see the athletes of the gymnasium train their bodies, and you see the Greeks train their logic, and you see the Pharisees train their piety. So too must you train your will,”
“Your training of the will is to conform it to that of the Messiah. The Law is your start, but not your end. You must end as Messiah on earth. Your will must be free of sin, and even free of self. Now wherever there are two wills, they must become one.”
“Learn from the prince’s soldiers. A certain prince commanded a cohort of sentry guards. He would command them to encircle anything he desired: land, seats of government, even other princes. He was always at the center of his roving circle of sentries, and commanded them by his own will.”
“In time a great king offered to share his great kingdom with the prince. The prince thought that his smaller cohort would simply be surrounded by the king’s larger legion. Instead the prince was instructed to join his sentries to the king’s larger circle of sentries. The prince joined the king at the center and together, but as one, they commanded a much greater circle of sentries. The king’s superior judgment had this legion of sentries encircle only the finest objects of desire. In doing so the kingdom that was built was the finest possible.”
“Your faculties of person may be likened to the prince’s soldiers who conquered all that the prince willed. Ensure that you too join all you command to that of the King of Heaven.”
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Jesus was confronted by several Zealots who demanded that he speak in support of military action against the Romans. Jesus said, “In killing your oppressors you fight a hydra of Greek legend. You dismember one head but it sprouts nine more in its place. Blood breeds blood, swords breed swords, hate breeds hate, and the newborn hate contains all the previous hate in addition.”
“How can you ever hope to kill the hydra of hate by bloodshed. Rather, do what is necessary to make such a hydra into your friend, then your good efforts will be multiplied nine times.”
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Jesus desired to raise the apostle John in holiness and instructed him saying, “Beloved, that you may increase as Messiah, consider:
Those who attain satisfaction in doing nothing are greater than those who find satisfaction in doing much.
Those who attain to holy office need still attain to holy personhood.
Those not given honor now, will be honored later. Those dwelling upon honor now, shall have lesser dwellings later.
Those who accept praise as fleeting, will attain lasting honor.
Those who conquer sin in all its forms may be greater than those who are born in angelic purity.
Those who now demand holiness of silence and poverty, will deny themselves riches in the new kingdom.
Those seeking perfection in the new kingdom, shall be thought of as cowards and imbeciles now. They must give no thought to this; rather their thoughts must be given only to the Son, so as to conform to the Father.
Know beloved, that aged women and meek men shall no longer be the least of me, but rather may be the greatest in the new kingdom. Yet neither shall those given and attaining, wealth or office be denied greatness in the new kingdom.
All shall have equal opportunity. Just as fine wine is produced by straining through a cloth that removes the cast off skins, so shall the new wine which the Father shall enjoy, be produced by straining through the will of the Son. The obstacle of self will shall not pass, even when wrapped in virtue. Only the will of the Father shall pass into the new kingdom.{81}
Teachings on many virtues
Jesus said, "This heaven will pass away, and the one above it will pass away.”
“The dead are not alive, and the living will not die. During the days when you ate what is dead, you made it come alive. When you are in the light, what will you do? On the day when you were one, you became two. But when you become two, what will you do?".{82}
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Jesus said, “That which you have will save you if you bring it forth from yourselves. That which you do not have within you will kill you if you do not have it within you.”
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Jesus taught saying, “He who will drink from my mouth, that is he who hears and acts upon my words will become as I am. I myself shall become he, and the things that are hidden will be revealed to him.”
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Jesus said, "Blessed are those who have been persecuted in their hearts: they are the ones who have truly come to know the Father.”
“Blessed are those who go hungry, for the belly of him who desires will be filled."
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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 to you, ‘It is in the sea’, then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom 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 that 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.”
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Jesus said, “Blessed is the lion which becomes man when consumed by man; and cursed is the man whom the lion consumes, and the lion becomes man.”
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A disciple said, “Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life.”
Jesus said, “How long am I to put up with you? Do you not know that I will make every female into male. Every woman who becomes Messiah will live, and she is worthy of such life.”
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The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us, how will our end come?"
Jesus said, "Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is. Congratulations to the one who stands at the beginning; that one will know the end and will not taste death."
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Jesus said, "I am the light that is over all things. I am all: from me all came forth, and to me all attained. Split a piece of wood; I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will find me there."
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Jesus was approached by a Pharisee sympathetic to him, and was told by the Pharisee, “Rabbi, if you will better acknowledge the Law of Moses, and require your followers to fast as the Pharisees do, you will have support from the temple priests and scribes. Perfection of the Law is perfection in the will of our God.”
Jesus answered, “If you fast you will bring sin upon yourselves, and if you pray, you will be condemned, and if you give alms, you will harm your spirits.”
“The Pharisees fast and pray, and they give alms, but none of these things can achieve salvation. To make these things your end, is to deny the Messiah. The Messiah himself is salvation, and only a Pharisee who becomes Messiah will attain salvation.”
“To fast, to pray and to give alms as a Pharisee is of no value. To fast, to pray and to give alms has value only if done as Messiah. When God and man are two there is not salvation, when the two become one salvation is had.”
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Jesus said, “I seek some to make excuse for the others, tell me of their misguidance rather than their evil. Speak to me that they are more ignorant then willfully wicked. Bind your good interests to their failings; this is what Abraham did. For my friend Abraham, I spared an evil city because his interests were involved.”
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In Judaea, the disciples were passing the night in an abandoned hut. A shepherd entered to claim the hut for use by his sheep, causing much turmoil. Jesus said to the shepherd, “This is not my home, I do not claim it and I will not fight for it.”
Jesus then said to the rude shepherd, “You would do well to discover a better home, than the one which you now dwell in,” and left.
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Jesus said to the apostles, “Do you see that man consuming his bread? What would be the meaning if bread were to consume the man? I am the bread of life, and you will be consumed by that who you eat.”
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Jesus said, “If you purchase a spare coat, you may be sure that you will require it, as your lack of faith will be fulfilled. Instead, give the money to the poor and your Father will see to it that your one coat suffices.”
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Jesus taught saying, “Judge the value of an object by your grasp of it. If your grasp may be broken by a thief; or if by rust, wind and rain it crumbles from your hands, it is of little value. Seek rather, the treasure that does not perish, and will never be depleted.”
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Jesus taught the disciples concerning union with the Messiah saying, “If you offered the Messiah your joy and even your leisure, fewer trials would occur, because it is only your union that I am seeking.” {83}
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Jesus taught concerning the illusion of status on earth, and of true judgment in the new kingdom saying to the disciples, “How is good judgment made between all the people you see here in the temple? How is one’s office, wealth or gender accounted for?” The disciples were silent and unable to make such a judgment.
Jesus said, “None of these are accounted for at all. Your treasure in Heaven will be where your heart is on earth. The accidents of life are of no account, but only your respo