THE MYSTERIES OF THE FOUR GOSPELS
Lesson One. Matthew 10.
Unity Interpretation of
We Cannot Conceal Anything From Spirit
CHARLES and CORA FILLMORE
September 25, 1941
CHARLES FILLMORE: Opening song:
We are all going to join in some song selections. I think you have the slips. Sing the first twice; the second once; the third once and the 4th song four times.
1. I am life, life, life,
Health creative life,
I express life here now2. I am healthy and I'm strong
I am healthy and I'm strong
I am filled with health & strength.
I am strong and well.
I am filled with health & strength.
(repeat)
I am strong. I am well.1. This is my story; this is my song;
Happy am I dear, all the day long.
This is my story; this is my song,
Happy am I dear, all the day long.1. Joyful, joyful, joyful, I am filled with joy
I am filled with joy today.
I am filled with joy today
I am filled with joy.1. God's love is deep with me
And satisfies my soul. (Repeat both Lines )
We will all join in the Lord's Prayer: repeat in unison. Amen.
CORA: MEDITATION
Our subject this afternoon and for this whole course I believe, is "The Mysteries of the Four Gospels." Today our lesson is based on the 10th chap. of Matthew.
We are taking for our text for this silence, this Scripture (Matt. 10:26-27:
10:26Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. 10:27What I tell you in the darkness, speak ye in the light; and what ye hear in the ear, proclaim upon the house-tops.
This text reveals God is Light and all things are luminous with light; that light permeates and penetrates every situation. There is no place where God is not. All is Mind, and to try to hide anything away from Spirit, away from God is to reflect a shadow on the soul, which dims the eyes and also hinders the expansion of the consciousness. Let's always be honest with God. Let's always talk everything over with God. But we truly cannot conceal anything from Spirit. Spirit sees all things.
Spirit is the source of all activity. We know that people who live close to Spirit, people who are holding continually for divine intelligence gradually come to know that there are no secrets in Spirit, that this whole wonderful creation is an open book.
Of course, we admit that there is a planetary infuence, but the Spirit-Mind sees that this influence exists only for us to rise above it. The spiritually quickened souls come to know we have only to press beyond the consciousness of the sun, moon and stars. When we contact this great Source of all, when we see into the great Source, make definite union with the original creative power of God-Mind, we came to know we are not governed by astrology or astrological conditions, but by the Spirit of God.
The light of Spirit, Divine Intelligence, is omnipresent for us to use. But we have a work to do before we can really contact Omnipresent Intelligence and make this Light our own. We do this through prayer, through meditation, through scientific silence. We might say, through one-pointed mind concentration. We penetrate into Spirit and make this one union, where all is made clear. When the way is lighted up, then Spirit shines in our whole consciousness, and we come to know in deed and in truth that there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, nor hid that shall not be known. What we hear in darkness shall be revealed in light and what we hear in the ear, shall be proclaimed from the housetops.
But I am going to ask you a question: in the very first years of your experience in the metaphysical field, how was it? Were not your realizations very intense? Very one-pointed! I know mine were—very, very intense, yet they were on a firm foundation. These realisations bring returns, but we have to admit at last that our first realizations are largely mental. These mental realizations really grow and expand and become spiritual.
In the very first stages of our experience in this metaphysical field, many testify that when they penetrate into this unseen world, into this silence, they find there is a mixture of all different kinds of laws. They come to know there are psychic forces as well as spiritual forces, and they say, "How can I be myself? Here are voices and voices, and all claiming to be the One Voice, the Voice of God? How may I become sure of the way? How may I really lay hold of Divine Light? In this situation where you hear voices and voices, what do you do?
There is only one thing for us to know and that is that the Voice of Spirit dominates. The Voice of Spirit may not make much of a noise. That goes about things in a very quiet unassuming way. But Spirit dominates. We should realize this over and over again until every impulse of the whole soul agrees. We should declare that statement of Jesus: "I love the Lord my God with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my strength." We should also hear the voice of Jesus in the heart saying, "My sheep know my voice and none other will they follow."
If we follow this line of thought, what is the result? All the lesser voices sink into nothingness and we hear the Voice of Spirit.
Now at a certain period of unfoldment, however, as we go forward, when we reach a certain development, all at once we find we are entering a second stage of the silence. No doubt many of you have experienced it, where the light of Spirit strikes to great depths. Our spiritual realizations are not so intense. They seem to be slowed down. However, this kind of realization gives way to the soft mellow glowing satisfying growth of Spirit. We have more substance and we have more power.
Many people think when they come to this second stage, they have lost out in the working power of the word. No. Go right along. They are just gaining a step in unfoldment, that's all. Let's be sure of our ground and never hesitate for a moment. A celebrated educator once said that "we let our hedges grow that we may later trim them down to artistic form."
There is a lot in that, is there not? Surely Spirit many times lets our mental hedges overgrow that later it may trim them down to artistic form. In our deep spiritual realizations, are they [n]ever lost. No word of Truth is ever lost. Our realizations are gaining in consciousness where they ripen, so in unfolding our realizations they would become more mellow, more beautiful, but they are always there to come forth when we need them. Praise God! that we are getting more and more light on the silence.
New here is a good illustration in regard to the different grades of spiritual fruit. Right now in our own California, we have an olive tree, young and healthy. The original tree brings forth fruits and they are making olive oil from that fruit. But this olive oil is really below grade. The very best of it tastes raw and green. The truth is that the olive tree is at least a hundred years old before it is ready to bear the choice fruit from which our best olive oil is manufactured, then it is treated and set back to ripen. Then we know, as man counts time, years have little to do with us. But there are different stages of spiritual growth, but as we live the life we come into these different steps of unfoldment. We learn to know we unfold step by step.
Again, there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, and hid that shall not be made known. The most important point in this lesson is to know, I believe, that this whole scripture is within ourselves. Believe it or not, there is much more good in man and woman than we have thought. The good more than outbalances the evil. So through our spiritual realizations, we are redeeming our subconscious mind, casting out error and expanding the good; bringing forth from the hidden subconscious our talents. We know we live hundreds and hundreds of lives and each life has stored up in the subconscious many many talents. Today we are unearthing these wonderful talents. They are coming forth, working for us.
Now is our time for spiritual mediation, when we prove for ourselves the law is luminous with Light, that there is nothing covered what shall not be revealed, or that which is hidden shall be known. With one accord let us turn within.
"THE LIGHT OF SPIRIT ILLUMINES ME."
Together please: (repeat). As we realize this truth, we find there is a core of light—a core of light extending from the crown of the head down through the entire body—a core of light. This Light, Spiritual Light goes out into the soul and into the body consciousness, and it forms within us a spiritual fire.
"I AM LUMINOUS WITH LIGHT."
"Consciously and subconsciously, I know the Truth that sets me free." Realize it. "Consciously and subconsciously, I know the truth that sets me free." "I know the working power of the word is casting out error and expanding the good; unearthing my buried talents to become more set into activity, to illumine, to aid, to uplift." Now let us hear the voice of Jesus whispering in our hearts: "My sheep know my voice and none other will they follow."
"The healing power of the word increases in my consciousness day by day and I am made every whit whole and perfect."
Now in conclusion, we realize we are Children of the Light; that the soul expands with the light.
Divine Intelligence, Omnipresent Intelligence, knows all things, working in soul and body to upbuild, to free, to make perfect.
In the Name of Jesus Christ.
CHARLES FILLMORE: Lesson
These lessons are giving to our consciousness "Mysteries of the four Gospels". We mean by that that there are truths in the Gospels that have not yet been interpreted in Unity literature and we are running through these different statements of Jesus' teachings and finding points that havn't been dwelt upon nor the spiritual interpretation brought out in the Unity literature.
Now today, we have selected the 10th chapter of Matthew. I am going to read the text we are using, beginning with: "There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, and hid that shall not be known. What I tell you in the darkness, speak ye in the light; and what ye hear in the ear, proclaim in the housetops." That is one point; we call that Omnipresent Light.
And then next: "Be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." So down there we might give the whole lessen on different interpretations of this. But I would say a great authority says there is no warrant for the use of "hell, damnation and devil" in the Bible. According to Farrar Fenton, this word "hell" was substituted for "Hades." That can give you something on translation there, is all he does.
[TruthUnity note: The Fenton translation in Matt. 10 reads:
Be not therefore afraid of them: for there is nothing concealed that will not be displayed; nor hidden which shall not become known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what is whispered to your ear, proclaim it upon the housetops. And do not shrink in fear from those who kill the body, for they are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who has power to destroy both soul and body in the Pit.]
The next statement is: "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny and not one shall fall upon the ground without your Father knoweth it. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." (Matt. 10:29-31) Here we have an explanation of the importance of man.
Next: "Everyone therefore who shall confess me before men, him also will I confess before my Father in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I deny before my Father who is in Heaven." (Matt. 10:32-34) What do you have? The point right here — man's importance and spiritual identification.
Jesus taught in different parts of the Scriptures over and over the same things under different illustrations, different parables, and we find this teaching in other parts of the Gospel. But as it is brought out, there is nothing that shall be hid. What is told in the ear shall be told on the housetops.
Now we will have to go back to the times of Jesus. The roofs of the houses were flat and they went to the top of the house to make their announcements, to announce what they knew or what was an announcement or proclamation of the government, whatever it might be. They did not have newspapers to read this nor anyway of telling the people but through the announcements of some authorised man.
But we can see now this is true in a large way when we consider that the one spiritual creative Mind is everywhere present and that that Mind knows. That is It not necessarily knows all the details of what's going on out in the world of events, but it has the Source of knowledge, and that Source is called Light, and that Light is interpenetrative, and we are told by those who study Light, that it is quickened within man, that our minds are effervescing currents of light; rays of light are always going forth.
You will recollect just as Moses put horns on the sides of his head — the Bible has it Moses when he came down from the mount, had horns. And that word in the Hebrew is the same as "light". In other words, they translated it "horns" instead of "light". So when he was in a state of illumination, there were rays of light, that is something we are not aware of in our conscious mind but no doubt these rays are going forth all the time and they are lighting up every thing and they art carriers of intelligence
Now if we know this and express it in our thoughts and everything we do, then you see we are going to stop this concealing things. There is a habit in the human consciousness of concealing and that leads to the dropping; we will say, of a curtain. When you think about concealing, you separate yourself from this light and pretty soon your eyes grow dim. The eyes represent light. We express intelligence and light through our eyes. If you get into the habit of thinking you can conceal, and that matter is real and permanent your eyes will get dimmer and dimmer and pretty soon you will form a scum over the eyes ... what the doctors call a cataract—the result of dropping these curtains. We think, "I am separate from my fellows. I can conceal. I can hide. I don't express my thoughts exactly. I don't tell just all I can" ... you have a concealing mind and in that sense hurts your eyes.
This brings us down to the practical teaching of Jesus Christ ... you can't give froth from the inner expression of Spirit. Now take that as fundamental: you can't hide. Murder will out. What you are thinking will come forth in language, affairs, face, form, everything, and especially in the eyes.
If you are weak of eyes, think to yourself: What have I been concealing? What have I been trying to hide? Then think about them as being spiritual; they are expressions of light. Light flowing forth and filling everything. I say your eyes will strengthen up. You will become one with the light of spirit. The fact is, this Spiritual light is permanent, permeating and penetrating every cell of your body. We are told blind people don't run into walls. They know when they come in contact without touching. Scientists tell us every cell does the seeing. People who are blind have transferred the seeing from their eyes all through the body. There you can see the latent ability which we all have.
Now then, we are told in our next point, about Satan, and we are a little bit dubious about Satan. Some people think they know more about him than others. Some people would like to know less about him. Satan is a real problem if you have been taught he is a real entity running up and down the earth seeking whom he may devour because he it an agent of God to bring you in the right way. That's a personal idea of Satan.
But is Satan a personality? Yes, he is just as much a personality as we form in our consciousness. Satan is the negative part of our personality. He is that part that will keep saying, "You can't do this." he is the "No! No!" of your mind. While the Christ is the "Yes, Yes, I can." And "I can't" is Satan. That's all you need to know about Satan. If you would apply that in everything you do, you wouldn't be long in the clutches of Satan. He wouldn't have any chance at you at all. Jesus put Satan behind him. That's the right place for him. Don't kill him. Don't destroy him. He has his place within the body element. You couldn't get along very well without him. You are to raise him up to higher standards. See him as he should be. We find him always on the move, always looking forward. If we don't, he will say, "It is doubtful whether you should go into this venture or not ... doubtful if you should go forward into this thing you are idealizing."
I read in the paper yesterday about a man and woman watching a squirrel. He and she wanted to get married and they had nearly given up because they didn't either of them have enough to support a family and they kept putting it off amd they watched the squirrel wanting to get out. She got herself out at last where she could see the limb; she aimed at it and landed on a lower limb. The woman said, "See how that squirrel made an opening for her opportunity. I thought she wouldn't make it. She made a stab at it. She didn't fail." She said, "That's the way with us." He said, "All right, we'll get married." They went over to Europe and made a success right after the war. They had to succeed. When they came back to this country he had quite a reputation. When they landed they said, "Can you give a series of lectures?" He said, "I couldn't lecture." His wife said, "You remember that squirrel." He said, "I'll lecture", and he made a success of this.
This is an illustration of how we might go on a way sometimes into which we can't see the way, and all at once we must jump. A young man once asked a suceessful merchant what was the keynote of success. "Jump at your opportunities." The boy said, "Just how am I to know my opportunities?" he says, "You don't. You keep jumping." (Laughter) That's life.
Then we have the next proposition which means much, the proposition of man's importance. We are all of more value than mere sparrows. The very hairs of our heads are numbered and all that. Now there is something we find is of vast importance to us as we go on without spiritual unfoldment. You know, we really have an important place in God's great universe, that we are part of His world, and that we should assert our power.
Now God has given to man the POWER of the "WORD". And that WORD is to use on all occasions. We get results according to our words. What kind of words are you talking. We have gone over this, over and over again. Yet here is Jesus Christ calling our attention te the importance of the word, consider the thinking of man—that means in everything we do we must assert our ability to speak the word.
Without the WORD there is NO MANIFESTATION. But whatever situation comes up, we have to speak the word. Whatever situation comes up if you speak the word you will get results. And the moment of going through a situation, you speak this power, your WORD, and get results.
But like old Job, we are told in Job that Job answered Jehovah and said: "Behold I am of small account; what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.." Then Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind: and said: Gird up thy loins like a man: I will demand of thee and declare thou unto me." ... "Array thyself with honor and majesty ... Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee." Here is a decree we need to believe ... here is a decree we need to apply. Have high ideals of ourselves—not egotistical emanation of personal ego; but hold yourself in spiritual thinking:
"I am the son of God. I came forth from the Most High. I have a great work to do, a duty to perform. I am here to do it. I must get busy. I must restore not only my own at divine standards but be an example for all people."
.... Or, "I mustn't. I'll crawl into myself. I am limited in this condition." I tell you that's the devil. You don't have to go to hell to find Satan. He talks to you every day: don't do this, and can't do that. That's Satan telling you: I can't do it. I am weak in this part of my work. I came not [unreadable]. [unreadable] Devil talk to you right along. Well "Get thee behind me Satan."
Get this thought: You [unreadable] of God, [unreadable] to do God's work. [unreadable] you can't do it without the utensils God gives us. Every thought and word, whatever you say, comes to pass. Some people think they can't be healed instantly. If you see the light of this real source of intelligence and power in you, you will be healed instantly and gain it may be that you [unreadable] take counsel with many words, like old Job said, God your [unreadable] are filled with death, doubt and fear. The devil gets into that part of your consciousness. That's got to be cleared. Sometimes it takes a little time. But in the end if you get to work, "Seek and ye shall find." If you don't seek you are not open to the thought that God is waiting to give everyone of us.
Right now we are [unreadable] healing meeting, we will have our offering right now.
Transcribed by Mark Hicks on August 15, 2016.
