Introduction to the Gospel of Mark 12/24/21
The following weekly articles will constitute a Journey for a year.
Yes, a year is an arbitrary time period. The conversion of the mind requires only a split second, the knowledge of the truth underlying everything. The conversion of the will, however, is the work of a lifetime, for the human will is reluctant to give up the illusion of control.
A year is a reasonable compromise.
In The Beginning as outlined in Genesis, God gave mankind the command to tend and keep (i.e., serve and protect) the Garden of Eden, a corner of the physical world still in its spiritual state. The manifestation of the Garden as solid creations was visible only from the spiritual state of Oneness with the Creator.
The color of each creation in the Garden was unique, representative of the endless color combinations as the viewer saw the intention of the Creator.
The sound of each creation also was unique, its voice a part of the endless sound spectrum as the viewer heard the intention of the Creator.
Every created being had its own portion of the mind of God, as did the human mind.
The Oneness with God was reflected in the oneness of the creation.
The event characterized as the Fall split this Oneness. The fractured universe no longer sang in harmony with the Creator.
To allow eternal existence for all that He had created would have condemned its inhabitants to eternal separation from Him, a fate worse than death. And so death of the physical body became necessary to allow reunion of the spiritual body.
We exist in this time between the union of the creation and the Creator in The Beginning, and the reunion of the Creator and the created at the doorway to eternity. We are living in Genesis 3 through Revelation 19.
We start this journey, home to reunion, at birth, but our destination is out of sight. Our sense of direction is faulty, the compass reading of true north is distorted by the false magnetic poles of the culture around us.
When Jesus called the disciples at the beginning of His ministry, He said, “Follow Me.” The disciples took this command literally, and they walked behind Him through Galilee and Judea.
Jesus’ last words spoken to the disciples at the end of the Gospel of John were, “Follow Me.” Oh, the difference in their meaning here!
I have used the Grit Bush as a metaphor for the Kingdom of Heaven on earth in other writings. In the Grit Bush is all of creation. This mythical piece of vegetation depends on all that the physical earth offers just to maintain its physical presence here.
For every part of Creation to be one and to be one with God, each part must play its role. Humanity was given the role of conductor of the orchestra. The music of the assemblage was a praise of the Creator in texture, sound, color, and spirit. The Master Creator passed the baton to the master of nature, to lead as He would lead.
But mankind wrote a new score, and the music is discordant, off key.
The wild Grit Bush of the physical world as it now appears – thorny and with a miserly offering of its fruit – is not how existence was envisioned in The Beginning. When the Grit Bush – all of Creation, including all of mankind – praises God from Whom all blessings flow, then all of Creation is again One with the Creator spiritually.
And so we (you and I, dear reader) will begin a year-long study of Jesus’ final command, “Follow Me.”
And in following, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, perhaps even implement what He taught.
The Gospel of Mark also contains Jesus’ repetition of His command, “Follow Me.” Mark appears to have been the first of the four Gospels written, and his record is sufficient for our belief. We will let Mark provide the outline for our journey.
A word of caution: Any time we start building something new, the old will have to come down to make room for it.
The following weekly articles will constitute a Journey for a year.
Yes, a year is an arbitrary time period. The conversion of the mind requires only a split second, the knowledge of the truth underlying everything. The conversion of the will, however, is the work of a lifetime, for the human will is reluctant to give up the illusion of control.
A year is a reasonable compromise.
In The Beginning as outlined in Genesis, God gave mankind the command to tend and keep (i.e., serve and protect) the Garden of Eden, a corner of the physical world still in its spiritual state. The manifestation of the Garden as solid creations was visible only from the spiritual state of Oneness with the Creator.
The color of each creation in the Garden was unique, representative of the endless color combinations as the viewer saw the intention of the Creator.
The sound of each creation also was unique, its voice a part of the endless sound spectrum as the viewer heard the intention of the Creator.
Every created being had its own portion of the mind of God, as did the human mind.
The Oneness with God was reflected in the oneness of the creation.
The event characterized as the Fall split this Oneness. The fractured universe no longer sang in harmony with the Creator.
To allow eternal existence for all that He had created would have condemned its inhabitants to eternal separation from Him, a fate worse than death. And so death of the physical body became necessary to allow reunion of the spiritual body.
We exist in this time between the union of the creation and the Creator in The Beginning, and the reunion of the Creator and the created at the doorway to eternity. We are living in Genesis 3 through Revelation 19.
We start this journey, home to reunion, at birth, but our destination is out of sight. Our sense of direction is faulty, the compass reading of true north is distorted by the false magnetic poles of the culture around us.
When Jesus called the disciples at the beginning of His ministry, He said, “Follow Me.” The disciples took this command literally, and they walked behind Him through Galilee and Judea.
Jesus’ last words spoken to the disciples at the end of the Gospel of John were, “Follow Me.” Oh, the difference in their meaning here!
I have used the Grit Bush as a metaphor for the Kingdom of Heaven on earth in other writings. In the Grit Bush is all of creation. This mythical piece of vegetation depends on all that the physical earth offers just to maintain its physical presence here.
For every part of Creation to be one and to be one with God, each part must play its role. Humanity was given the role of conductor of the orchestra. The music of the assemblage was a praise of the Creator in texture, sound, color, and spirit. The Master Creator passed the baton to the master of nature, to lead as He would lead.
But mankind wrote a new score, and the music is discordant, off key.
The wild Grit Bush of the physical world as it now appears – thorny and with a miserly offering of its fruit – is not how existence was envisioned in The Beginning. When the Grit Bush – all of Creation, including all of mankind – praises God from Whom all blessings flow, then all of Creation is again One with the Creator spiritually.
And so we (you and I, dear reader) will begin a year-long study of Jesus’ final command, “Follow Me.”
And in following, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, perhaps even implement what He taught.
The Gospel of Mark also contains Jesus’ repetition of His command, “Follow Me.” Mark appears to have been the first of the four Gospels written, and his record is sufficient for our belief. We will let Mark provide the outline for our journey.
A word of caution: Any time we start building something new, the old will have to come down to make room for it.
