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==CHAPTER 11==  

==CHAPTER 11==  

====Preaching at Archelais====

====Preaching at Archelais====

The first half of the month of August the apostolic party made its headquarters at the Greek cities of Archelais and Phasaelis. In contacting with these Roman citizens, the apostles encountered new difficulties in the proclamation of the message of the coming kingdom.  

The first half of the month of August the apostolic party made its headquarters at the Greek cities of Archelais and Phasaelis.  

A question asked by Philip was typical of their difficulties. Said Philip:

In contacting with these Roman citizens, the apostles encountered new difficulties in the proclamation of the message of the coming kingdom. A question asked by Philip was typical of their difficulties.  

*"Master, these Greeks and Romans make light of our message, saying that such teachings are fit for only weaklings and slaves. They assert that the religion of the heathen is superior to our teaching because it inspires to the acquirement of a strong, robust, and aggressive character. They affirm that we would convert all men into enfeebled specimens of passive non-resisters who would soon perish from the face of the earth. They like you, Master, and freely admit that your teaching is heavenly and ideal, but they will not take us seriously. They assert that your religion is not for this world, that men cannot live as you teach. And now, Master, what shall we say to these gentiles?"

 

*"Master, these Greeks and Romans make light of our message, saying that such teachings are fit for only weaklings and slaves. They assert that the religion of the heathen is superior to our teaching because it inspires to the acquirement of a strong, robust, and aggressive character. They affirm that we would convert all men into enfeebled specimens of passive non-resisters who would soon perish from the face of the earth. They like you, Master, and freely admit that your teaching is heavenly and ideal, but they will not take us seriously. <u>They assert that your religion is not for this world, that men cannot live as you teach. And now, Master, what shall we say to these gentiles?"</u>

After Jesus had heard similar objections to the gospel of the kingdom presented by Thomas, Nathaniel, Simon Zelotes, and Matthew, he said to the twelve:

After Jesus had heard similar objections to the gospel of the kingdom presented by Thomas, Nathaniel, Simon Zelotes, and Matthew, he said to the twelve:

*"Because my Father is a God of love and delights in the practice of mercy, do not imbibe the idea that the service of the kingdom is to be one of monotonous ease. The Paradise ascent is the supreme adventure of all time, the rugged achievement of eternity. The service of the kingdom on earth will call for all the courageous manhood that you and your coworkers can muster. Many of you will be put to death for your loyalty to the gospel of this kingdom. It is easy to die in the line of physical battle when your courage is strengthened by the presence of your fighting comrades, but it requires a higher and more profound form of human courage and devotion calmly and all alone to lay down your life for the love of a truth enshrined in your mortal heart.

*"Because my Father is a God of love and delights in the practice of mercy, do not imbibe the idea that the service of the kingdom is to be one of monotonous ease. The Paradise ascent is the supreme adventure of all time, the rugged achievement of eternity. The service of the kingdom on earth will call for all the courageous manhood that you and your coworkers can muster. Many of you will be put to death for your loyalty to the gospel of this kingdom. It is easy to die in the line of physical battle when your courage is strengthened by the presence of your fighting comrades, but it requires a higher and more profound form of human courage and devotion calmly and all alone to lay down your life for the love of a truth enshrined in your mortal heart.

*"Today, the unbelievers may taunt you with preaching a gospel of nonresistance and with living lives of nonviolence, but you are the first volunteers of a long line of sincere believers in the gospel of this kingdom who will astonish all mankind by their heroic devotion to these teachings. No armies of the world have ever displayed more courage and bravery than will be portrayed by you and your loyal successors who shall go forth to all the world proclaiming the good news -- the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of men. The courage of the flesh is the lowest form of bravery. Mind bravery is a higher type of human courage, but the highest and supreme is uncompromising loyalty to the enlightened convictions of profound spiritual realities. And such courage constitutes the heroism of the God-knowing man. And you are all God-knowing men. You are in very truth the personal associates of the Son of Man."

*<u>"Today, the unbelievers may taunt you with preaching a gospel of '''nonresistance''' and with living lives of '''nonviolence''', but you are the first volunteers of a long line of sincere believers in the gospel of this kingdom who will astonish all mankind by their heroic devotion to these teachings.</u> No armies of the world have ever displayed more courage and bravery than will be portrayed by you and your loyal successors who shall go forth to all the world proclaiming the good news -- the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of men. The courage of the flesh is the lowest form of bravery. Mind bravery is a higher type of human courage, but the highest and supreme is uncompromising loyalty to the enlightened convictions of profound spiritual realities. And such courage constitutes the heroism of the God-knowing man. And you are all God-knowing men. You are in very truth the personal associates of the Son of Man."

 

====Lesson on Self-Mastery====

====Lesson on Self-Mastery====

At one of the evening conferences, Andrew asked Jesus:  

At one of the evening conferences, Andrew asked Jesus:  

*"Master, are we to practice self-denial as John taught us, or are we to strive for the self-control of your teaching? Wherein does your teaching differ from that of John?"  

*<u>"Master, are we to practice self-denial as John taught us, or are we to strive for the '''self-control''' of your teaching? Wherein does your teaching differ from that of John?"</u>

Jesus answered:

Jesus answered:

About this time a state of great nervous and emotional tension developed among the apostles and their immediate disciple associates. Andrew was almost beside himself. He did not know what next to do, and so he went to the Master with his problems and perplexities.  

<u>About this time a state of great nervous and emotional '''tension''' developed among the apostles and their immediate disciple associates.</u> Andrew was almost beside himself. He did not know what next to do, and so he went to the Master with his problems and perplexities.  

When Jesus had listened to the apostolic chief relate his troubles, he said:

When Jesus had listened to the apostolic chief relate his troubles, he said:

Upon reaching the top of the mountain, Jesus seated them about him while he said:

Upon reaching the top of the mountain, Jesus seated them about him while he said:

*"My brethren, you must all learn the value of rest and the efficacy of relaxation. You must realize that the best method of solving some entangled problems is to forsake them for a time. Then when you go back fresh from your rest or worship, you are able to attack your troubles with a clearer head and a steadier hand, not to mention a more resolute heart. Again, many times your problem is found to have shrunk in size and proportions while you have been resting your mind and body."

*<u>"My brethren, you must all learn the value of '''rest''' and the efficacy of '''relaxation'''. You must realize that the best '''method''' of solving some entangled problems is to forsake them for a time.</u> Then when you go back fresh from your rest or worship, you are able to attack your troubles with a clearer head and a steadier hand, not to mention a more resolute heart. Again, many times your problem is found to have shrunk in size and proportions while you have been resting your mind and body."

Therefore Nalda asked Jesus:  

Therefore Nalda asked Jesus:  

*"How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink of me, a Samaritan woman?"  

*How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink of me, a Samaritan woman?"  

Jesus answered:  

Jesus answered:  

*"My Lord, I repent of my manner of speaking to you, for I perceive that you are a holy man or maybe a prophet."  

*"My Lord, I repent of my manner of speaking to you, for I perceive that you are a holy man or maybe a prophet."  

And she was just about to seek direct and personal help from the Master when she did what so many have done before and since -- dodged the issue of personal salvation by turning to the discussion of theology and philosophy. She quickly turned the conversation from her own needs to a theological controversy. Pointing over to Mount Gerizim, she continued:  

And she was just about to seek direct and personal help from the Master when she did what so many have done before and since -- dodged the issue of personal salvation by turning to the discussion of theology and philosophy. She quickly turned the conversation from her own needs to a theological controversy.  

 

Pointing over to Mount Gerizim, she continued:  

*"Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and yet you would say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship; which, then, is the right place to worship God?"

*"Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and yet you would say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship; which, then, is the right place to worship God?"

This was the first direct, positive, and undisguised pronouncement of his divine nature and sonship which Jesus had made on earth; and it was made to a woman, a Samaritan woman, and a woman of questionable character in the eyes of men up to this moment, but a woman whom the divine eye beheld as having been sinned against more than as sinning of her own desire and as now being a human soul who desired salvation, desired it sincerely and wholeheartedly, and that was enough.

This was the first direct, positive, and undisguised pronouncement of his divine nature and sonship which Jesus had made on earth; and it was made to a woman, a Samaritan woman, and a woman of questionable character in the eyes of men up to this moment, but a woman whom the divine eye beheld as having been sinned against more than as sinning of her own desire and as now being a human soul who desired salvation, desired it sincerely and wholeheartedly, and that was enough.

As Nalda was about to voice her real and personal longing for better things and a more noble way of living, just as she was ready to speak the real desire of her heart, the twelve apostles returned from Sychar, and coming upon this scene of Jesus' talking so intimately with this woman -- this Samaritan woman, and alone -- they were more than astonished. They quickly deposited their supplies and drew aside, no man daring to reprove him, while Jesus said to Nalda:  

As Nalda was about to voice her real and personal longing for better things and a more noble way of living, just as she was ready to speak the real desire of her heart, the twelve apostles returned from Sychar, and coming upon this scene of Jesus' talking so intimately with this woman -- this Samaritan woman, and alone -- they were more than astonished.  

 

They quickly deposited their supplies and drew aside, no man daring to reprove him, while Jesus said to Nalda:  

*"Woman, go your way; God has forgiven you. Henceforth you will live a new life. You have received the living water, and a new joy will spring up within your soul, and you shall become a daughter of the Most High."  

*"Woman, go your way; God has forgiven you. Henceforth you will live a new life. You have received the living water, and a new joy will spring up within your soul, and you shall become a daughter of the Most High."  

*“Worship -- contemplation of the spiritual -- must alternate with service, contact with material reality. Work should alternate with play. Religion should be balanced by humor. Profound philosophy should be relieved by rhythmic poetry. The strain of living -- the time tension of personality -- should be relaxed by the restfulness of worship. The feelings of insecurity arising from the fear of personality isolation in the universe should be antidoted by the faith contemplation of the Father and by the attempted realization of the Supreme.

*“Worship -- contemplation of the spiritual -- must alternate with service, contact with material reality. Work should alternate with play. Religion should be balanced by humor. Profound philosophy should be relieved by rhythmic poetry. The strain of living -- the time tension of personality -- should be relaxed by the restfulness of worship. The feelings of insecurity arising from the fear of personality isolation in the universe should be antidoted by the faith contemplation of the Father and by the attempted realization of the Supreme.

*“Prayer is designed to make man less thinking but more realizing; it is not designed to increase knowledge but rather to expand insight.

*<u>“'''Prayer''' is designed to make man less thinking but more realizing; it is not designed to increase knowledge but rather to expand insight.</u>

*“Worship is intended to anticipate the better life ahead and then to reflect these new spiritual significances back onto the life that now is. Prayer is spiritually sustaining, but worship is divinely creative.

*“Worship is intended to anticipate the better life ahead and then to reflect these new spiritual significances back onto the life that now is. Prayer is spiritually sustaining, but worship is divinely creative.

*“Worship is the technique of looking to the One for the inspiration of service to the many. Worship is the yardstick which measures the extent of the soul's detachment from the material universe and its simultaneous and secure attachment to the spiritual realities of all creation.

*<u>“'''Worship''' is the technique of looking to the One for the inspiration of service to the many.</u> Worship is the yardstick which measures the extent of the soul's detachment from the material universe and its simultaneous and secure attachment to the spiritual realities of all creation.

*“Prayer is self-reminding -- sublime thinking. Worship is self-forgetting – super-thinking. Worship is effortless attention, true and ideal soul rest, and a form of restful spiritual exertion.  

*“Prayer is self-reminding -- sublime thinking. Worship is self-forgetting – super-thinking. Worship is effortless attention, true and ideal soul rest, and a form of restful spiritual exertion.