Urantia Book 32. The life of Jesus of Nazareth, Joshua ben Joseph, Christ Michael, Sovereign God of Nebadon. The Sermon on the Mount, which appears in the New Testament, was not really the gospel of Jesus. It was presented as an ordination charge to the 12 Apostles. He told them that they were the salt of the earth, but if salt loses its flavor, it’s thrown away. Salt in Jesus’ time was precious; it was used as money. The word “salary” comes from salt. It not only flavors food, it is a preservative, and thus it serves by being spent. Jesus told the Apostles they were the “light of the world,”and not to hide their light, but to shine it before men that they may see the Apostles’ good work and glorify God. Shine light so that men may be led into new life. Strong character is not produced from not doing wrong, but from actively doing right. Unselfishness is the mark of human greatness. The highest levels of self-realization are attained by worship and service (this is a very profound idea for a Christian). I was a teacher before I retired, and I experienced self-realization one day at school. I had a parent conference in the principal’s office, and when I went back to my classroom, my conscious mind suddenly expanded to fill the whole room. I was in a state of bliss. Since I have chronic clinical major depression, naturally I wonder if that’s how I would feel if I were not depressed. But it wasn’t just a good feeling. It may have been my higher self. It was my self on a higher level. But soon it went away and never returned. Back to Jesus. Jesus told the 12 that the major error of religions is negativism, and that moral worth can’t be derived from repression, as in the injunctions of the 10 Commandments: Thou shall not: do this or that. It is unworthy of a human to obey the rules of a religion out of fear or shame. An effective philosophy of living is formed by a combination of cosmic insight and the total of one’s emotional reactions to the social and economical environment. Emotional responses to inherited urges can be changed, and thus the moral nature can be changed, and character can be improved. A unified personality is one in which emotional responses are integrated and co-ordinated. But a person must have a worthy goal, otherwise life becomes aimless, unprofitable and unhappy (140.4.1-10).******************** Jesus made a great change in his instructions to his Apostles. No longer did he tell them to love their brother as themselves. Now he told them to love other people as their father-as a father loves his child. This changed and widened the range of love that could be offered to another person. And Jesus loves us as a father, so it makes sense for us to love as fathers or mothers. Jesus again discussed the Beatitudes in light of this change: 1. Happy are the poor in spirit. Rich in spirit means egotistical, while poor in spirit means humble. Humble means teachable and truthspeaking. The poor is spirit seek spiritual wealth–God. 2. Happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Only those who feel poor in spirit will ever hunger for righteousness. Only the humble seek for divine strength and crave spiritual power. Experiential righteousness is a pleasure, not a duty. 3. Happy are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Meekness is a readiness to co-operate with God–to say: “Your will be done.” It is patience with life and other people. It is faith in a lawful and friendly universe. NOTE: Navy pilots have been seeing UFOs and they’ve been allowed to report this to the media. This is because they are getting the public ready for a disclosure event, which for most Americans will be a big, fat anti-climax. There are alien/human hybrids walking the streets as we live our lives unknowingly. Some of the hybrids are highly functional and work in technical areas. William Tompkins, a Navy spaceship designer, had a very good-looking secretary who fed him information about how to design spaceships. She fed him the information telepathically. He later married her. 4. Happy are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Jesus meant that we should love other people as we love our children. My love for my children is infinite, so I guess that’s what he’s talking about. Another aspect of a parent’s love is to see the best in his child, and thus we should see the best or at least the good in other people. To see God in other people is to acquire true spiritual insight, and this enhances Adjuster guidance, and these in the end augment Christ Consciousness. Jesus went on to instruct his Apostles in the chief purpose of all human struggling-perfection–even divine attainment. He pointed out 4 supreme responses of fatherly love: 1. Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. This takes an attitude of tenderheartedness, empathy or sympathy. It is a person who can listen and relate to another’s pain. And being sensitive and responsive to human need creates genuine and lasting happiness. 2. Happy are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Mercy here means the truest friendship-lovingkindness. Mercy can be passive, but here it is active and dynamic–supreme fatherliness. A loving parent has little difficulty in forgiving his child–even many times. 3. Happy are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. Jesus said: “Let not your heart be troubled; neither let it be afraid.” Jesus was talking about personal peace, peace of mind, the peace that integrates personality. Social peace prevents fear, greed and anger. Political peace prevents race antagonisms, national suspicions and war. 4. Happy are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Happy are you when men revile you and say all manner of evil against you falsely. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. And a fatherly love can freely do all these things–things which brotherly love can hardly encompass. And fatherly love delights in returning good for evil–doing good in retaliating for injustice.