Category: Gospels and the Revelation of Baha’u’llah

How to Pray

Published March 12, 2021 by admin

From the Gospel of Matthew

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

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Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the Mount

Published March 6, 2021 by admin

The Sermon on the Mount is the most famous and possibly the most significant of the words of Jesus. A critical portion of that sermon has come to be known as the “Beatitudes”, reproduced below from the Gospel of Matthew. Its impact on peoples hearts down through the centuries cannot be overestimated. Enjoy!

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

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Parable of the Rich Fool

Parable of the Rich Fool

Published March 5, 2021 by admin

The Parable of the Rich Fool (from the Gospel of Luke)

While Jesus was teaching, someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

Jesus replied, “Who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Photo by Sergei Akulich on Unsplash

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On Jesus

On Jesus

Published December 24, 2020 by admin

To our Christian brothers and sisters throughout the world- Merry Christmas!

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Liberal or Conservative?

Liberal or Conservative?

Published September 4, 2019 by admin

With this post, we continue our exploration of the Gospels of Jesus and their relationship with the Revelation of Baha’u’llah.

One of the common themes in our modern social discourse is the question of moral standards and how people relate to them and to others in light of them. In many traditional societies, right behavior was defined clearly, and people were taught these standards in their home, in their places of worship, in schools, and other social groups. A significant aspect of modern life has been the general break with those traditional standards with a greater focus on an individual’s freedom to express themselves in whatever way they would like. Religion is sometimes portrayed as “conservative”, “authoritarian”, or even frankly oppressive. The idea of following a “religious law” or adhering to high moral standards seems “old fashioned” and out of step with modern secular realities. These considerations have turned off whole generations of people from religion, especially youth and young adults. When people are exploring religion, one of the first things they want to know is how the faith fits along the spectrum from “liberal” to “conservative”, usually as it relates to the standards of moral behavior, particularly those involving sex.

Undoubtedly, as our society has moved away from the revelations of the past, there has developed a spectrum among people and institutions in relation to traditional values- those who either still adhere to traditional values, to those who find them meaningful but wish to “update” them, to those who reject them completely. Protestant Christianity, in particular, has increasingly splintered itself along this spectrum, of what is considered “conservative” vs “liberal”. It’s tempting to try and put Baha’u’llah’s revelation in this same paradigm, and judge it as one would other more traditional religions and sects of religions, but doing so severely limits one’s perspective on what Baha’u’llah has brought into the world. Moreover, the spectrum does not even fit with the Gospels themselves, when we read them with an open mind and heart. Indeed, both revelations, that of Christ and Baha’u’llah, challenge the very idea of a “liberal/conservative” spectrum in the first place.

When we read the Gospels of Jesus Christ, we see that He was opposed primarily by a traditional religious structure focused on “right behavior” as defined by traditional Jewish law. Jesus challenged that structure profoundly- first by the very fact that He claimed to be able to alter it, but also by the ways in which He expressed we should relate to divine standards in the first place. Jesus intentionally flouted these traditional standards by associating himself with those regarded as outcasts from the traditional structures- “tax collectors”, “sinners”, and prostitutes. He was active on the Sabbath day, the traditional day of rest, and stated it was He was Lord of the Sabbath- that is- the one who makes the laws as opposed to following them. In one passage, He and his disciples had broken the strict rules of eating in a certain manner and were challenged by the priests, to which He responded – “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach…What comes out of a person defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come- sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”.

It’s clear from this passage and others that Jesus enjoined a high standard of personal morality, but that doesn’t mean that he condoned having a judgmental attitude about morality. Indeed, there are just as many passages in which he promotes a certain attitude – a “spirit”- of generosity, magnanimity, and love for others. He said that “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…”. In the face of the hypocrisy of rich people and priests, he stated his love for the poor and downtrodden. In one instance, he watched as people made offerings at the temple, where many rich people “threw in large amounts”, but he highlighted “a poor widow who came in and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents”. Jesus said- “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They gave out of their wealth, but she, out of her poverty, put in everything she had to live on.”

He told them the essence of belief was to love others-

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. ’But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Though He called them to high standards of personal morality, he taught them not to judge others– Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you…Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

As one reads these passages, it becomes evident that Jesus did not take a “cookbook” approach to human virtue. Virtue was a balance of high standards of personal morality, but also a spirit of love, detachment, generosity, and a non-judgmental attitude at all times. Indeed, this “spiritual” aspect of Christ’s message was one of the main things that made it so revolutionary, powerful, and attractive to the many generations that followed. Christ taught us that religious standards and laws, when divorced from the spirit that animates them, could and indeed did become oppressive to people. He was responding to a situation in which that had occurred in His time. But the answer wasn’t to throw out or ignore appropriate moral standards, but to animate them with love, humility, and a true spirit of service. Without the “love of God”, those standards were just empty shells.

So was Jesus a liberal or a conservative? The answer is that He transcended all such categories- and He expected us to do the same. In the next post in this series, we will further explore these ideas as they are expressed in Baha’u’llah’s Revelation.

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash.

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Sovereignty

Sovereignty

Published August 28, 2019 by admin

This post continues our series looking at the Gospels and the Revelation of Baha’u’llah, this time focusing on the issues of Jesus’ kingship.

One of the questions that strikes you as you read the Gospels is a simple one. Why, if Christ was from God, did he allow Himself to be crucified? Of course, Christian theology throughout the centuries has taught that Christ was crucified as a ransom for the sins of humanity, and that is undoubtedly true and is reflected in Jesus’ own words. But if we look at it from the broader perspective that Baha’u’llah’s revelation brings to us, we can ask the question in a more general way. After all, it is not just Christ who has suffered when bringing a revelation, but all the Manifestations of God. Why, if God is All-Powerful, do His Manifestations allow themselves to be imprisoned, persecuted, and ignored? Couldn’t they just will their messages to be accepted by everyone? Couldn’t they, if they are from God, turn the tide on their oppressors with a simple movement of their finger?

The answer to this question is addressed in several ways by Baha’u’llah. The answers are really important to know and consider, because they set the pattern as to how God wants humans to interact with each other when it comes to religion. In a marvelous work known as the Kitab-i-Iqan, which translates from Arabic as the “Book of Certitude”, Baha’u’llah answers several theological questions put to him by the uncle of the Bab. The Bab’s uncle was perplexed by the claims of his nephew- to be a Prophet of God and the fulfillment of Islam- as he could not reconcile it with what he had been taught about how the Promised One was supposed to come. Among other issues, He could not understand how his nephew could be true if he did not become the worldly king that was expected- the one who would destroy the unjust governments of the earth and set up his own earthly kingdom that would reward believers and punish unbelievers. Instead, his nephew was imprisoned and executed, and never even showed interest in worldly authority, indeed specifically telling the Shah that it was not his intention to effect his kingship. The situation with Christ was the same- the people of that time could not understand how Christ could be the Messiah because the Messiah was supposed to be a worldly king who would see the triumph of the Jewish people. Instead, he was crucified by the Roman authorities, having no effect on the kingdom at all.

Baha’u’llah’s answer is that is that the sovereignty- the “kingship”- that the Manifestations of God exhibit is not a worldly kingship- but a spiritual kingship where they come to rule over human hearts. He emphasizes that the greatness of Jesus was not in His exhibition of worldly things, but in his detachment from them-

Thus Jesus, Son of Mary, whilst seated one day and speaking in the strain of the Holy Spirit, uttered words such as these: “O people! My food is the grass of the field, wherewith I satisfy my hunger. My bed is the dust, my lamp in the night the light of the moon, and my steed my own feet. Behold, who on earth is richer than I?” By the righteousness of God! Thousands of treasures circle round this poverty, and a myriad kingdoms of glory yearn for such abasement!

Baha’u’llah goes on to say that the “Were the Eternal Essence to manifest all that is latent within Him, were He to shine in the plentitude of His glory, none would be found to question His power or repudiate His truth. Nay, all created things would be so dazzled and thunderstruck by the evidences of His light as to be reduced to utter nothingness.”

In other words, if God were to reveal Himself with his true power, we would be forced to accept Him, and God wants to preserve human free will to make moral and spiritual decisions on our own. God intentionally reveals Himself to humanity in a form that is not one of worldly leadership and power. Indeed, the Manifestations of God come to the world “dressed in nothing but their own poverty” specifically because God does not want to be loved because he is feared. Baha’u’llah states that the reason God appears in such a condition is to bring out certain qualities in people-to act as a kind of filter- that encourages spiritual and moral qualities-

His purpose…is to enable the pure in spirit and the detached in heart to ascend, by virtue of their own innate powers, unto the shores of the Most Great Ocean, that thereby they who seek the Beauty of the All-Glorious may be distinguished and separated from the wayward and perverse. Thus hath it been ordained by the all-glorious and resplendent Pen….

That the Manifestations of Divine justice, the Day Springs of heavenly grace, have when they appeared amongst men always been destitute of all earthly dominion and shorn of the means of worldly ascendancy, should be attributed to this same principle of separation and distinction which animates the Divine Purpose…

By appearing in such a manner, the people who become attracted are not the ones who want power or wealth- the reasons many people are attracted to someone who is powerful or famous- but rather because of the beauty and virtues that the Manifestation brings into the world. Baha’u’llah tells us that this is also the reason that the prophecies of Jesus about the “end of times” cannot be interpreted literally. If Jesus were to appear literally “riding on the clouds”, nobody would dare to not believe in him- all human free will would be taken away.

Muhammad was born into poverty. His father died when He was an infant and his mother soon after. He was placed in the hands of his grandfather, who also died. Finally, He was raised by His uncle. When Muhammad starting preaching His revelation, He was initially persecuted and had to flee his home city of Mecca. Eventually however, He began to unite the various warring tribes and nations in a single community with common rules. Islam is thus somewhat different than the revelations of Christ and that of Baha’u’llah, in that Muhammad also became the leader of a growing nation, one that had worldly power. Nevertheless, Muhammad never had imperialist intentions but wanted people to accept His revelation and the teachings He brought, and apply them in their communities. Muhammad explicitly stated “There is no compulsion in religion”. He sent letters to the nations near Arabia inviting them to accept Islam but assuring Jews, Christians, and other religions that if they became part of His community, they would not be forced to convert but could worship God in their own way within His community. In a recent book that highlights the various agreements Muhammad made with the Jewish and Christian communities in the area of the growing Muslim empire, we see this principle in action. Muhammad established an agreement with the monks on Mount Sinai and addressed it to both Christians and Muslims assuring the monks of His protection:

“Whenever any of the monks in his travels shall happen to settle upon any mountain, hill, village, or other habitable place, on the sea, or in the deserts, or in any convent, church, or house of prayer, I shall be in the midst of them, as the preserver and protector of them, their goods and their effects, with my soul, aid, and protection…” (From the book, “The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World”, By John Andrew Morrow)

Though all of the Manifestations of God have encouraged us very strongly to believe in Them, and educated us about the dangers of turning away from the truths They reveal, they have acted and spoken in a way that specifically gives us the choice, a principle Baha’u’llah says is present in all the revelations.

Baha’u’llah was extraordinarily explicit that His faith could only be spread by the power of words and example. He states that if a person responds to His message, it must come from the person themselves and never be forced in any way-

Whoso ariseth among you to teach the Cause of his Lord, let him, before all else, teach his own self, that his speech may attract the hearts of them that hear him. Unless he teacheth his own self, the words of his mouth will not influence the heart of the seeker. Take heed, O people, lest ye be of them that give good counsel to others but forget to follow it themselves. The words of such as these, and beyond the words the realities of all things, and beyond these realities the angels that are nigh unto God, bring against them the accusation of falsehood….Beware lest ye contend with any one, nay, strive to make him aware of the truth with kindly manner and most convincing exhortation. If your hearer respond, he will have responded to his own behoof…

That last sentence- “he will have responded to his own behoof”- may not be a familiar phrase to some people, but it means that the person’s response comes from their own selves and is not forced from outside.

In a remarkable passage, Baha’u’llah states that- if God wanted- he could make everyone believe whatever He wanted them to, but He wants His teachings to spread through words and heart to heart-

If it be Our pleasure We shall render the Cause victorious through the power of a single word from Our presence. He is in truth the Omnipotent, the All-Compelling. Should it be God’s intention, there would appear out of the forests of celestial might the lion of indomitable strength whose roaring is like unto the peals of thunder reverberating in the mountains. However, since Our loving providence surpasseth all things, We have ordained that complete victory should be achieved through speech and utterance, that Our servants throughout the earth may thereby become the recipients of divine good. This is but a token of God’s bounty vouchsafed unto them. Verily thy Lord is the All-Sufficing, the Most Exalted.

If you think about it, the entire “system” makes sense and is intended for our education. God doesn’t appear in a form that makes us believe in Him, but instead clothes His message in the form of beauty and virtue. That then attracts people who are attracted to those qualities, who then spread it to others. In the process of spreading it to others, people need to “teach their own selves” first- that is- manifest the qualities that God wants us to possess. Then we can only teach it through the power of our example and our words. Even then, we must ensure that the people we are trying to influence respond only because they want to respond, and not because it is forced in any way.

It is because God wants his “servants throughout the earth” to “become the recipients of divine good” that he set up the system this way. It preserves our free will, while attracting us to beauty and virtue and encouraging us to lead others to the same path. While we attempt to teach others, we ourselves learn, both how to understand our Faith more fully, but also how to be an example of its virtues. In this way, the entire world becomes elevated by the teachings and it transforms people from the inside out, rather than being forced by the outside in. If God were to appear in an outward form that was immediately convincing to everyone, or if religion were to be forced upon people, it would shortchange all the learning that can be achieved by doing it the way God has outlined.

The implications of these truths in how we think about religion in modern society are important, and it sets the tone for how Baha’i communities operate. Baha’is don’t force their faith on anyone, or try and push their standards on others, but rather seek to attract people who are interested and let them explore using their own minds and consciences. Baha’u’llah Himself taught that all people must “look into all things with a searching eye” and specifically advises us to “know of our own knowledge” and “not the knowledge of thy neighbor”, defining this as a form of “justice”:

O SON OF SPIRIT!
The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes.

In a beautiful passage that will conclude this essay, Baha’u’llah outlines how He wants his followers to behave in the world and the attitude they should take towards others- that they should be a “leaven” that helps others to rise-

It is Our wish and desire that every one of you may become a source of all goodness unto men, and an example of uprightness to mankind. Beware lest ye prefer yourselves above your neighbors. Fix your gaze upon Him Who is the Temple of God amongst men. He, in truth, hath offered up His life as a ransom for the redemption of the world. He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the Gracious, the Most High. If any differences arise amongst you, behold Me standing before your face, and overlook the faults of one another for My name’s sake and as a token of your love for My manifest and resplendent Cause. We love to see you at all times consorting in amity and concord within the paradise of My good-pleasure, and to inhale from your acts the fragrance of friendliness and unity, of loving-kindness and fellowship. Thus counselleth you the All-Knowing, the Faithful. We shall always be with you; if We inhale the perfume of your fellowship, Our heart will assuredly rejoice, for naught else can satisfy Us. To this beareth witness every man of true understanding.

Next post in this series- Liberal or conservative?

Photo by William Krause on Unsplash. Throne housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.

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Falling Stars

Falling Stars

Published August 18, 2019 by admin

With this post, we continue our discussion of the Gospels and the Revelation of Baha’u’llah, this time focusing on the relationship between the Manifestations of God and the religious leaders of their day.

One the common themes in each of the great scriptures of humankind- the Gospels, the Quran, and the Baha’i Writings- is the challenges that the Manifestations of God faced by the clergy and religious leaders of their time. This is a prominent theme in the Gospels. It is of course a very natural and understandable thing. When a new Manifestation comes into the world, He speaks with great authority and often counters the traditional interpretations of the previous revelation, so conflict with the traditional authorities is bound to happen. There are many passages in the Gospels where Jesus dialogues with the priests of His day, in that case mostly Jewish priests, and challenges their behavior and teaching of the people.

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in…The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat,so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.”

Muhammad similarly faced persecution and denial by the priests of His time, in that case many of them were pagan leaders, but also Jews and some Christians, and there are prominent verses in the Quran attesting to the challenges. It should also be noted that Muhammad urged tolerance of those religious communities and urged respect among His followers for their priests.

In the time of the Bab, He knew that His revelation and teachings were going to face severe persecution and it is reflected in His Writings. The Bab commented on many themes related to the acceptance and denial of the Revelations of God. His Revelation was to prepare the way for Baha’u’llah and so He outlined many of the “pitfalls” people encounter in comprehending a new revelation, so that His own followers would not get tripped up and miss it. In one well-known passage, He describes one of the cities in Persia- Isfahan- known for its university and theological learning, in which only an illiterate man- a sifter of wheat by profession- accepted the new revelation-

In the land of Isfahan, which to outward seeming is a great city, in every corner of whose seminaries are vast numbers of people regarded as divines and doctors, yet when the time came for inmost essences to be drawn forth, only its sifter of wheat donned the robe of discipleship . This is the mystery of what was uttered by the kindred of the Prophet Muḥammad…concerning this Revelation, saying that the abased shall be exalted and the exalted shall be abased.

Likewise in the Revelation of Him Whom God shall make manifest (Baha’u’llah), among those to whom it will never occur that they might merit the displeasure of God, and whose pious deeds will be exemplary unto everyone, there will be many who will become the personification of the nethermost fire itself, when they fail to embrace His Cause; while among the lowly servants whom no one would imagine to be of any merit, how great the number who will be honored with true faith and on whom the Fountainhead of generosity will bestow the robe of authority.

Jesus also told a parable of a landowner who was looking for workers in his vineyard. He hired some in the morning for one denarii, and later hired others in the afternoon for the same amount, even though they worked less as they were hired later in the day. The morning workers complained, but the landowner told them they had all agreed to the same amount. Jesus then said- “So the last will be first and the first will be last”. The interpretation seems to be that the workers hired early- who had to work the longest- were like the priests, and the workers hired late were like the lay people- and both were offered the same reward, no matter their “station” in society. Indeed, it is often the case, as with the “sifter of wheat” that those considered “last” in society are actually ‘first” in the eyes of God.

It is also notable how each of the Manifestations of God in the last two thousand years- Jesus, Muhammad, the Bab and Baha’u’llah- were all lay people who had no formal training in religion. Their revelations came from completely outside the religious establishment of their day.

There seems to be a really important spiritual lesson in all this- and that is that it is never appropriate to think of yourself as better than others because of religion. God seems to really want to drive this lesson home. In a beautiful passage known as the “Tablet of the True Seeker”, Baha’u’llah outlines the spiritual qualities of people who are seeking spiritual truth and understanding-

That seeker must, at all times, put his trust in God, must renounce the peoples of the earth, must detach himself from the world of dust, and cleave unto Him Who is the Lord of Lords. He must never seek to exalt himself above anyone, must wash away from the tablet of his heart every trace of pride and vainglory, must cling unto patience and resignation, observe silence and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue is a smoldering fire, and excess of speech a deadly poison. Material fire consumeth the body, whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth both heart and soul. The force of the former lasteth but for a time, whilst the effects of the latter endureth a century. That seeker should, also, regard backbiting as grievous error, and keep himself aloof from its dominion, inasmuch as backbiting quencheth the light of the heart, and extinguisheth the life of the soul. He should be content with little, and be freed from all inordinate desire…He should forgive the sinful, and never despise his low estate, for none knoweth what his own end shall be. How often hath a sinner attained, at the hour of death, to the essence of faith, and, quaffing the immortal draught, hath taken his flight unto the Concourse on high! And how often hath a devout believer, at the hour of his soul’s ascension, been so changed as to fall into the nethermost fire!

Several parts of that Tablet suggest that we need to develop a sense of humility and never consider ourselves better than others. In another passage, Baha’u’llah further explains this-

“They who are the beloved of God, in whatever place they gather and whomsoever they may meet, must evince, in their attitude towards God, and in the manner of their celebration of His praise and glory, such humility and submissiveness that every atom of the dust beneath their feet may attest the depth of their devotion. The conversation carried by these holy souls should be informed with such power that these same atoms of dust will be thrilled by its influence. They should conduct themselves in such manner that the earth upon which they tread may never be allowed to address to them such words as these: “I am to be preferred above you. For witness, how patient I am in bearing the burden which the husbandman layeth upon me. I am the instrument that continually imparteth unto all beings the blessings with which He Who is the Source of all grace hath entrusted me. Notwithstanding the honor conferred upon me, and the unnumbered evidences of my wealth—a wealth that supplieth the needs of all creation—behold the measure of my humility, witness with what absolute submissiveness I allow myself to be trodden beneath the feet of men….”

As Christ said,” Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted”. Indeed, much of the criticism towards the priests of Their day, in all the great scriptures, centers around their haughtiness and lack of humility.

We started this post with how it is often religious leaders who contend with the revelations of God when they come, and some of the strongest passages in the world’s scriptures reflect these challenges. We could mistakenly conclude that all religious leaders- or even all leaders of thought generally- should be looked upon with suspicion. Such an “anti-intellectual” or “anti-clerical” stance is also specifically countered by Baha’u’llah-

O people of God! Righteous men of learning who dedicate themselves to the guidance of others and are freed and well guarded from the promptings of a base and covetous nature are, in the sight of Him Who is the Desire of the world, stars of the heaven of true knowledge. It is essential to treat them with deference. They are indeed fountains of soft-flowing water, stars that shine resplendent, fruits of the blessed Tree, exponents of celestial power, and oceans of heavenly wisdom. Happy is he that followeth them.

This Wronged One hath invariably treated the wise with affection. By the wise is meant men whose knowledge is not confined to mere words and whose lives have been fruitful and have produced enduring results. It is incumbent upon everyone to honour these blessed souls. Happy are they that observe God’s precepts; happy are they that have recognized the Truth; happy are they that judge with fairness in all matters and hold fast to the Cord of My inviolable Justice.

Baha’u’llah eliminated priesthood in his revelation and the leadership of His religion is placed in the hands of elected councils- “Houses of Justice”. One can appreciate how priests and other religious leaders were necessary in the earlier revelations, as people were largely illiterate and it was often the religious schools who trained the children and promoted learning. Religiously oriented scholars were also among the first scientists in the scientific revolution of the 16^th and 17^th centuries. The Islamic scholars and priests created philosophical schools of great merit, to the point where even one of the Popes trained there. Indeed, our civilization today was in some ways built by these religious institutions. (Think of all the universities and hospitals of the world with religious titles, reflecting that they were founded by religious organizations)

While encouraging His followers to respect the “divines and learned”, Baha’u’llah also let it be known that the days of priests (and kings) holding sway over the people would be ending. In a famous passage, He declares- “From two ranks of people hath power been seized, kings and ecclesiastics (priests).” And in a similar passage, He states- “O concourse of divines! Ye shall not henceforward behold yourselves possessed of any power, inasmuch as We have seized it from you, and destined it for such as have believed in God, the One, the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the Unconstrained.”

Baha’u’llah referred to the decline of the authority of religious leaders as the “falling of stars” and explained that it was one of the signs that Jesus was referring to in a passage from the Gospel of Matthew predicting His return- “But in those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken”. At the end of a revelation, when the religion no longer has force and has been corrupted, the “sun of truth” is darkened, and the religious leaders- the “stars”- no longer occupy the lofty place of wisdom- they have “fallen”- a new revelation comes to awaken humanity and the “heaven of divine revelation” is renewed.

Baha’u’llah also suggested that theology should no longer be someone’s profession- “The pious deeds of the monks and priests among the followers of the Spirit (Christ)…are remembered in His presence. In this Day, however, let them give up the life of seclusion and direct their steps towards the open world and busy themselves with that which will profit themselves and others. We have granted them leave to enter into wedlock that they may bring forth one who will make mention of God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen, the Lord of the Exalted Throne.”

He also re-defined what learning we should pursue, focusing on those studies that lead to the advancement of civilization and development of our understanding of the world-

“The learned of the day must direct the people to acquire those branches of knowledge which are of use, that both the learned themselves and the generality of mankind may derive benefits therefrom. Such academic pursuits as begin and end in words alone have never been and will never be of any worth. The majority of Persia’s learned doctors devote all their lives to the study of a philosophy the ultimate yield of which is nothing but words.”

He said we should study sciences “which redound to the progress and advancement of the people”. Baha’u’llah emphasized the promotion of knowledge and said it was obligatory for all people to acquire it to the extent of their abilities-

Knowledge is as wings to man’s life, and a ladder for his ascent. Its acquisition is incumbent upon everyone. The knowledge of such sciences, however, should be acquired as can profit the peoples of the earth, and not those which begin with words and end with words. Great indeed is the claim of scientists and craftsmen on the peoples of the world…. In truth, knowledge is a veritable treasure for man, and a source of glory, of bounty, of joy, of exaltation, of cheer and gladness unto him. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken in this Most Great Prison.

This ‘democratization’ of learning is a major feature of His revelation- “We shall cause wisdom to spread amongst the people”. A world where everyone works to acquire knowledge, where we all regard each other as brothers and sisters, where everyone works together for the building of true community- this appears to be the standard we are called to strive for. In many ways, it reflects what Jesus told us those so many years ago-

But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Next post in this series- Sovereignty

Photo by averie woodard on Unsplash. Durango, United States.

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Purity of Children

Purity of Children

Published August 14, 2019 by admin

In this post, we continue our series in which we are making correlations between the Gospels of Jesus and the Revelation of Baha’u’llah.

One of the most beautiful passages in the Gospels of Jesus centers around children and their purity of heart. This is from the Gospel of Matthew-

About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

“And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming Me. But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in Me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

Purity of heart is also a major theme in the Revelation of Baha’u’llah. His “first counsel” is to “possess a pure, kindly, and radiant heart”.

O SON OF SPIRIT! My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting.

O SON OF MAN! Rejoice in the gladness of thine heart, that thou mayest be worthy to meet Me and to mirror forth My beauty.

He also warns us, as does Christ, about the dangers of planting “thorns of doubt in pure and radiant hearts”. The imagery that Jesus gives us about the implications of spiritually harming a child is so vivid- “it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Our modern experience has taught us the immense importance of protecting children. Various forms of childhood trauma are among the most challenging experiences to overcome. We can now appreciate, more than ever, the guidance given to us by Jesus about protecting children- and the implications of not doing so.

Baha’u’llah told us that people and children are the true “treasures” of a community and we must protect and nurture that treasure at all times. Even when teaching about religion, He warned us to ensure our teaching did not “harm the children by resulting in ignorant fanaticism and bigotry”.

The spiritual and moral education of children is a major focus of Baha’i community activities all over the world. Formal trainings in childhood education are delivered regularly and programs are offered by Baha’i communities for children, junior youth, and youth. These programs are open to all the members of the community, not just Baha’is, teaching purity of heart, the oneness of humanity, and the other qualities that distinguish an illumined soul.

The following is a beautiful prayer often used in those classes-

O God! Educate these children. These children are the plants of thine orchard, the flowers of Thy meadow, the roses of Thy garden. Let Thy rain fall upon them, the Sun of Reality shine upon them with Thy love. Let Thy breeze refresh them in order that they may be trained, grow and develop, and appear in the utmost beauty. (‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

Next post in this series- Falling Stars

Photo by Loren Joseph on Unsplash

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The Way, the Truth, the Life- Part 2

The Way, the Truth, the Life- Part 2

Published August 3, 2019 by admin

This post continues as part 2 on the claims of Jesus and their relationship to Baha’u’llah’s teachings, from our series on the Gospels. In this part, we look at it from a more philosophical and theological perspective, exploring some of the terminology used in the Gospels and Baha’i Writings to explain the nature of religion.

In part 1, we discussed the passage where Jesus declares that He is the “Way, the Truth, and the Life” and “no one gets to the Father but through Him”. We discussed how an interpretation of this passage based on the truths revealed by Baha’u’llah maintains the obvious interpretation of the passage- that Christ represented God and He was the Way to God- even the exclusive way to God for that time in history- but that because Christ said He would return and Baha’u’llah claimed to be the return of Christ, Baha’u’llah’s claim is not fundamentally contradictory to the obvious meaning of the passage.

We could just stop there, but there is so much more depth to this discussion worth highlighting that it’s valuable to press on. Jesus had said He had many things to tell his followers but they “could not bear it” at that time, but the “Spirit of Truth” would come and lead us “into all Truth”. The “Spirit of Truth”, in a Baha’i understanding, is another Manifestation of God who builds on the teachings of Christ in a new age, a later time in history. For our time, that is Baha’u’llah.

A fundamental aspect of Jesus’ teaching is that He represented the “Father”– that is, God- on earth. He makes the point that “nobody has seen the Father”, and therefore Christ is needed to represent Him.

In the Revelation of Baha’u’llah, we have passages that explain this principle in greater depth than is spelled out in the Gospels. Baha’u’llah’s forerunner, his “John the Baptist”, the prophet known as the Bab, states again and again in His Tablets that the Essence of God- the “Father”- is unknowable to humans-

….There can be no doubt that from everlasting God hath been invested with the independent sovereignty of His exalted Being, and unto everlasting He will remain inaccessible in the transcendent majesty of His holy Essence. No creature hath ever recognized Him as befitteth His recognition, nor hath any created being ever praised Him as is worthy of His praise. He is exalted above every name, and is sanctified from every comparison. Through Him all things are made known, while too lofty is His reality to be known through anyone but Him.

For us, as beings created by God, our experience of our Creator is limited to the expression of God’s qualities in His creation. Just as Christ taught, we cannot know the “Father” directly- “You have not seen the Father”. It is as if we are living in a painting created by a painter, or we are a video game character created in a virtual reality. Our entire universe of experience is within the painting or the video game. We simply don’t possess the capacity to experience the Creator in a direct sense. Yet, we are of course completely dependent on the Creator at all times. The Báb expresses this concept in another passage-

God is sanctified from His servants and no direct relationship ever exists between Him and any created thing, while ye have all arisen at His bidding. Verily He is your Lord and your God, your Master and your King.

Baha’u’llah similarly expresses this fundamental concept throughout His Revelation-

To every discerning and illuminated heart it is evident that God, the unknowable Essence, the Divine Being, is immensely exalted beyond every human attribute… Far be it from His glory that human tongue should adequately recount His praise, or that human heart comprehend His fathomless mystery. He is, and hath ever been, veiled in the ancient eternity of His Essence, and will remain in His Reality everlastingly hidden from the sight of men.

Our experience of God is only that of His Will as expressed in the creation we experience. If we were living in the painting, our experience of God would be the paintbrush, which acts as the Will of the painter within the painting. The Báb called this the “Primal Will”, the paintbrush that acts within the painting.

In the Bible and Baha’u’llah’s Writings, it is also called “Word of God”, the primal Information that creates all that is- “The Word of God is the king of words and its pervasive influence is incalculable. It hath ever dominated and will continue to dominate the realm of being It is an ocean inexhaustible in riches, comprehending all things. Every thing which can be perceived is but an emanation therefrom. High, immeasurably high is this sublime station, in whose shadow moveth the essence of loftiness and splendour, wrapt in praise and adoration.”

Baha’u’llah further tells us that it is “Command of God”, that it is “spoken without any syllable or sound”, an essence that “is God’s all-pervasive grace, from which all grace doth emanate. It is an entity far removed above all that hath been and shall be. “ Everything we know is an expression of it. Nature itself “is God’s Will and is its expression in and through the contingent world. It is a dispensation of Providence ordained by the Ordainer, the All-Wise. Were anyone to affirm that it is the Will of God as manifested in the world of being, no one should question this assertion.” In other words, the “Primal Will’ of God, otherwise known as the “Word of God”, is the creative action of God in the world, and the closest we can see and understand of God from our limited perspective.

Divine revelation is the phenomenon of God expressing His Will through a human being- the Manifestations of God, bringing words and teachings that push humanity forward on our path of spiritual and social advancement. The Manifestations are the embodiment of the Divine Will. They aren’t God, but they are God to us. If God is the sun in the sky- too bright for us to look at directly- the Manifestations of God are like a perfect mirror of His light upon the earth, one that we can look at.

As Baha’u’llah further explains-

The door of the knowledge of the Ancient of Days being thus closed in the face of all beings, the Source of infinite grace…hath caused those luminous Gems of Holiness to appear out of the realm of the spirit, in the noble form of the human temple, and be made manifest unto all men, that they may impart unto the world the mysteries of the unchangeable Being, and tell of the subtleties of His imperishable Essence. These sanctified Mirrors, these Daysprings of ancient glory, are, one and all, the Exponents on earth of Him Who is the central Orb of the universe, its Essence and ultimate Purpose. From Him proceed their knowledge and power; from Him is derived their sovereignty. The beauty of their countenance is but a reflection of His image, and their revelation a sign of His deathless glory. They are the Treasuries of Divine knowledge, and the Repositories of celestial wisdom. Through them is transmitted a grace that is infinite, and by them is revealed the Light that can never fade.

In the Gospels, Jesus speaks with the authority of God throughout. In one significant passage, He is being chastised by the priests and leaders for His claim to be related to Abraham and He responds:

“Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

Jesus as a human being was only a young man, only about 30 years old, but as the embodiment of the Will of God to humanity, He was as ancient as the eternity of all creation itself, and therefore He was “before Abraham”.

Similarly, the opening passage of the Gospel of John expresses this idea-

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

For Christians, this became known as the “Logos”, from the Greek word that is the root of “logic” and “logical”. It also is translated as “word” or “reason”. It is the fundamental reality that holds everything together and through which the universe makes sense. In the Baha’i Writings, as well as the Bible, it is described as the “Word of God”, but, as noted, Baha’u’llah also uses the term “Command of God”, or the “Will of God”. The terminology can seem confusing, but if you think of it as God speaking a Word, or giving a Command, that reflects his Will- from which flows a creative action. The “word”, “command” and “will” are aspects of the same thing. Baha’u’llah tells us that this “Word” is uttered “without any syllable or sound”, which can help us understand that these terms are just metaphors for what is in reality something so sublime that it is beyond language to describe it.

The Báb, in preparing the way for people to accept Baha’u’llah’s, who He called “Him Whom God Shall Make Manifest”, explained further how the revelations that have created the major religions of humankind are a reflection of the action of that “Primal Will” in the world-

“…Know thou that the First Remembrance, which is the Primal Will of God, may be likened unto the sun. God hath created Him through the potency of His might, and He hath, from the beginning that hath no beginning, caused Him to be manifested in every Dispensation through the compelling power of His behest, and God will, to the end that knoweth no end, continue to manifest Him according to the good-pleasure of His invincible Purpose.

And know thou that He indeed resembleth the sun. Were the risings of the sun to continue till the end that hath no end, yet there hath not been nor ever will be more than one sun; and were its settings to endure forevermore, still there hath not been nor ever will be more than one sun. It is this Primal Will which appeareth resplendent in every Prophet and speaketh forth in every revealed Book. It knoweth no beginning, inasmuch as the First deriveth its firstness from It; and knoweth no end, for the Last oweth its lastness unto It.

In the time of the First Manifestation the Primal Will appeared in Adam; in the day of Noah It became known in Noah; in the day of Abraham in Him; and so in the day of Moses; the day of Jesus; the day of Muḥammad, the Apostle of God; the day of the “Point of the Bayán”; the day of Him Whom God shall make manifest; and the day of the One Who will appear after Him Whom God shall make manifest. Hence the inner meaning of the words uttered by the Apostle of God (Muhammad), “I am all the Prophets,” inasmuch as what shineth resplendent in each one of Them hath been and will ever remain the one and the same sun.”

For both Christ and Baha’u’llah, it isn’t their physical persons that are important, but the Will of God that was reflected in their person and words. Indeed, both their names are titles- “Christ” meaning “the Chosen One” and the appellation “Baha’u’llah” means “The Glory of God”. Baha’u’llah expressed His relationship to God in a prayer- “When I contemplate, O my God, the relationship that bindeth me to Thee, I am moved to proclaim to all created things ‘verily I am God!’; and when I consider my own self, lo, I find it coarser than clay!”

After declaring His Mission, Baha’u’llah continued to explain these concepts to His followers, including this Tablet to a believer named “Salman”.

O Salman! The door of the knowledge of the Ancient Being hath ever been, and will continue forever to be, closed in the face of men. No man’s understanding shall ever gain access unto His holy court. As a token of His mercy, however, and as a proof of His loving-kindness, He hath manifested unto men the Daystars of His divine guidance, the Symbols of His divine unity, and hath ordained the knowledge of these sanctified Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self. Whoso recognizeth them hath recognized God. Whoso hearkeneth to their call, hath hearkened to the Voice of God, and whoso testifieth to the truth of their Revelation, hath testified to the truth of God Himself. Whoso turneth away from them, hath turned away from God, and whoso disbelieveth in them, hath disbelieved in God. Every one of them is the Way of God that connecteth this world with the realms above, and the Standard of His Truth unto every one in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. They are the Manifestations of God amidst men, the evidences of His Truth, and the signs of His glory.

From a rational perspective, this all makes sense. If we look at the vast and ancient universe, and how small we are as a part of it, it is unreasonable for us to expect that we can know the Creator of this marvelous world directly. Since everything we know and have ever experienced proceeds from the Mind of God, we are completely dependent on His Reality- by definition- and that Mind so surrounds the creation that is is impossible for that creation to fully understand It. But God doesn’t leave us without a path to Him. Not only are His attributes reflected in the world, and in us- in our rationality and faith- but He also sends great Teachers who can educate us about His nature to the degree that we can understand it. These Teachers are the “Manifestations of God” and the embodiments of the “Will of God”, and the “Word of God”. These Teachers are not part of some haphazard process of conflicting claims, but part of one process- “the changeless Faith of God”– that continually educates humanity according to our capacity. Since the human race is over 200,000 years old, it only makes sense that, if any religion is true, it must be true as part of a long process, not just one event in history 2000 years ago.

In light of the passage above, and many others in the Tablets of Baha’u’llah, we can now understand Jesus Christ’s words more clearly- how he is “the Way, the Truth and the Life, and nobody gets to the Father but through Me”. As a Manifestation of God to humanity for that time in history and hundreds of years after, His religion was the “way of God that connects this world with the realms above” and He Himself was the embodiment of the “Word of God”. No more exalted a position could be claimed for Him, as beyond the paintbrush is the Painter Himself. The difference between a traditional Christian interpretation of these passages and the interpretation that Baha’u’llah gives us, is that Christians believe that Christ’s statement was true for Him and Him alone, whereas Baha’u’llah tells us that Christ’s words were not only true for Him, but also for every other time in which the Will of God has manifested itself to humanity in the form of a human being. It wasn’t the person of Christ that made Him special, it was the Word of God that He manifested to humanity. In reality, all the Manifestations of God said the same thing Christ did in other words, as They are all embodiment of the Will or the Word of God for their time in history-

“The Bearers of the Trust of God are made manifest unto the peoples of the earth as the Exponents of a new Cause and the Revealers of a new Message. Inasmuch as these Birds of the celestial Throne are all sent down from the heaven of the Will of God, and as they all arise to proclaim His irresistible Faith, they, therefore, are regarded as one soul and the same person. For they all drink from the one Cup of the love of God, and all partake of the fruit of the same Tree of Oneness.”

In several passages, Baha’u’llah explains that each of the Manifestations of God should be considered, in essence, One Reality, and it is through that Reality that we come to know God in the world of creation-

Know thou assuredly that the essence of all the Prophets of God is one and the same. Their unity is absolute. God, the Creator, saith: There is no distinction whatsoever among the Bearers of My Message. They all have but one purpose; their secret is the same secret. To prefer one in honor to another, to exalt certain ones above the rest, is in no wise to be permitted. Every true Prophet hath regarded His Message as fundamentally the same as the Revelation of every other Prophet gone before Him…The measure of the revelation of the Prophets of God in this world, however, must differ. Each and every one of them hath been the Bearer of a distinct Message, and hath been commissioned to reveal Himself through specific acts. It is for this reason that they appear to vary in their greatness. Their Revelation may be likened unto the light of the moon that sheddeth its radiance upon the earth. Though every time it appeareth, it revealeth a fresh measure of its brightness, yet its inherent splendor can never diminish, nor can its light suffer extinction.

It is clear and evident, therefore, that any apparent variation in the intensity of their light is not inherent in the light itself, but should rather be attributed to the varying receptivity of an ever-changing world. Every Prophet Whom the Almighty and Peerless Creator hath purposed to send to the peoples of the earth hath been entrusted with a Message, and charged to act in a manner that would best meet the requirements of the age in which He appeared. God’s purpose in sending His Prophets unto men is twofold. The first is to liberate the children of men from the darkness of ignorance, and guide them to the light of true understanding. The second is to ensure the peace and tranquillity of mankind, and provide all the means by which they can be established.

This last point tells us the purpose of the whole process. As humanity grows and our capacity for spiritual and moral progress increases, God sends us a new revelation of His “Will”, and the people who accept that Revelation become part of the vanguard of a new spiritual renaissance. Each Revelation is intended to “liberate us from ignorance” and “guide us to the light of true understanding” and to ensure the “peace and tranquility of mankind”, providing “all the means by which they can be established”. The process is not so that we can set up various religious camps, religious tribes, that cause disunity among humanity. Ideally, God wants us to recognize all the Manifestations of His Will as One Reality and warns us that, only then, are we truly recognizing God Himself. That is the standard that Baha’u’llah has brought into the world and the challenge for us to achieve. But this process will continue far beyond Baha’u’llah Himself. As the Bab states, it is like the rising and setting of the sun, and we should see it all as part of the “development of God’s Faith until the end that hath no end”.

Finally, one more point about the “Word of God”. Most of us will never meet a Manifestation of God, but we do have access to the words They reveal, whether it be the words of Jesus in the Gospels or the words of the Quran, or those of Baha’u’llah. Those words- which are the “Word of God”- is how we will all come to relate to the Manifestations- by reading and studying their words. Baha’u’llah taught that, just as the “Will” or “Word of God’ expressed in nature has creative power, ultimately to produce the physical reality we all know, the words of the Manifestations have creative power to create us spiritually. Baha’is refer to the words of the Manifestations as the “creative word” for just this reason. It is of course also expressed by Jesus in the Gospels- “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”. It is described as the “bread of heaven” but also as the ‘water of life”, as in the passage where Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well and tells her that the true water is the water he is offering, not the water that comes up from the well- “Everyone who drinks this water will become thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never become thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become a well of water for him, springing up to eternal life.”

Baha’u’llah describes His words in the same way-

O peoples of the earth! God, the Eternal Truth, is My witness that streams of fresh and soft-flowing waters have gushed from the rocks, through the sweetness of the words uttered by your Lord, the Unconstrained; and still ye slumber. Cast away that which ye possess, and, on the wings of detachment, soar beyond all created things. Thus biddeth you the Lord of creation, the movement of Whose Pen hath revolutionized the soul of mankind.

For most of us, the truth of any individual Manifestation of God, whether it be Jesus Christ, Muhammad, or Baha’u’llah, is judged by the power of their words on our hearts. The Gospels frequently note the distinctive character of the way Jesus spoke, as “someone who had authority”. It was because He was speaking with the Voice of God, with a power and beauty that is an unmistakable element of the Word of God. The “good news” of Baha’u’llah’s Revelation is the the best news of all, that God has not forgotten humanity, that our lives have a meaning and purpose that we can discover, and that the Voice of God has spoken to us again.

“This is the Day in which God’s most excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most mighty grace hath been infused into all created things. It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and, with perfect unity and peace, abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness. It behooveth them to cleave to whatsoever will, in this Day, be conducive to the exaltation of their stations, and to the promotion of their best interests…Beseech ye the one true God to grant that all men may be graciously assisted to fulfill that which is acceptable in Our sight. Soon will the present-day order be rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead. Verily, thy Lord speaketh the truth, and is the Knower of things unseen.”

Next post in this series- Purity of Children

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The Way, the Truth, and the Life

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

Published August 1, 2019 by admin

This post continues our series on the Gospels and the Revelation of Baha’u’llah, this time addressing a famous passage with varying theological interpretations. Today is part 1, tomorrow we will post part 2.

When Baha’is tell their Christian friends that Baha’u’llah is the return of Christ, or even when Baha’is present the idea that all the great religions are from the same God, Christians frequently point to a specific Gospel passage that they feel contradicts such a claim. The passage is very familiar to many people- John 14:6-where Jesus says- “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life and nobody gets to the Father except through Me”. This passage has historically been referenced as the source of the belief that it is only through Christ that human beings can be “saved”, and therefore Christianity is the exclusive path to God. For many Christians, this is a foundational belief, and they won’t even take seriously another claim to divine authority in the world.

So, let’s look closely at this passage and then review how Baha’is believe that Baha’u’llah upholds the truth of this passage, but with a less exclusive interpretation, and also significantly supplements its meaning.

The passage is most frequently quoted from the Gospel of John but appears in other Gospels as well. The words were spoken by Christ in the setting of a discussion about his imminent martyrdom and crucifixion. He was comforting the disciples, telling them that He would die but would go to heaven, that his “Father’s mansion has many rooms” and that He would go “and prepare a place for them”, so that they could find Him. He tells them that they know the “way”, but they are confused and question Him saying- “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”. Jesus then responds that He Himself is the way- “I am the way, the truth and the life and no-one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus goes on to explain that His relationship with the Father is such that if they know Him, they know the Father as well. The implication is also that, should they truly believe in Him, they would also find their way to Heaven just as He will when He is crucified. He further states-

Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me

For reference- here is the entire passage.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

It’s worth parsing out the specifics of the passage above. First, clearly Jesus is telling us that it is through His teachings and belief in His person that people can find God, that He Himself is the path to God. He further states that His relationship with God is such that it is through Him that God is manifested to the world- that He speaks with the authority of God and not on His own authority. It is also clearly true that Christ expresses that nobody can get to the Father “except through Him”. So how would Baha’is respond to these clear statements from Jesus Himself?

The first element of a response is to state that Baha’u’llah fully confirms the interpretation above, but that He is the return of Christ, and therefore carries the same authority that Christ did when He came the first time. It’s not that Baha’is believe that every path to God is the same or equally valid- that is a misinterpretation of the concept of progressive revelation. What Baha’u’llah taught is that the process of revelation has an historical dimension, that the Manifestations of God are the path to God in every age, but when they return in a new Revelation, they become the path to God for that new time in history. It is humanity’s responsibility to accept Them whenever They come, otherwise we remain deprived of the bounties of their Truth. Indeed, Baha’u’llah tells us that true recognition of God- the belief that conforms most to what God wants from us- His “good pleasure”— is to recognize the revelations whenever they come to humanity, as only then are we recognizing the Truth of God in purest form. Otherwise, we are just worshipping “forms”- the religious trappings that we have become accustomed to in our society- and not the pure Truth of God.

When Christ spoke these words, people of that time believed in all sorts of things- some were Jews and committed to the Jewish leaders and law, some were pagans and worshipped like their ancestors, some were supporters of the various cults that were coming into the Roman Empire from Greece, India and other places. Against that background, Christ is telling the world that it is through Him that people can get to God. He is the Manifestation of God for that time in history. It was an exclusive claim, but did not mean that we should remain blinded to Him when He returns. Indeed, in the next section, Christ also promises His return:

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.”

Christ is stating the principle of progressive revelation- that the Manifestations of God teach us according to our capacity, and that in every age, when our capacity has grown, a new Revelation comes to teach us more. He explicitly says that there were teachings He could give but that the people did not yet have the capacity to “bear”. It wasn’t that He didn’t know them, it was that the population wasn’t ready for them. He then promises that One would come to “guide you into all the truth” and that the One after Him would “glorify Me” and that the truth He reveals will be “from Me, that he will receive what He will make known to you”.

When we read the claims of Baha’u’llah, we see the exact same language. First, He claims that He represents God on earth-

“Naught is seen in my temple but the Temple of God, and in my beauty but His Beauty, and in my being but His Being, and in myself but Himself, and in my movement but His Movement, and in my acquiescence but His Acquiescence, and in my pen but His Pen, the Precious, the Extolled…There hath not been in my soul but the Truth, and in myself naught can be seen but God.”

In Baha’u’llah’s Tablet to the Christians, known as the “Most Holy Tablet”, He invites Christians to enter the new Kingdom that has been outspread by His Revelation-

Open the doors of your hearts. He Who is the Spirit (Jesus) verily standeth before them. Wherefore keep ye afar from Him Who hath purposed to draw you nigh unto a Resplendent Spot? Say: We, in truth, have opened unto you the gates of the Kingdom. Will ye bar the doors of your houses in My face? This indeed is naught but a grievous error. He, verily, hath again come down from heaven, even as He came down from it the first time. Beware lest ye dispute that which He proclaimeth, even as the people before you disputed His utterances. Thus instructeth you the True One, could ye but perceive it.

He then extols the blessings that come from His Revelation-

Blessed is the man who hath detached himself from all else but Me, hath soared in the atmosphere of My love, hath gained admittance into My Kingdom, gazed upon My realms of glory, quaffed the living waters of My bounty, hath drunk his fill from the heavenly river of My loving providence, acquainted himself with My Cause, apprehended that which I concealed within the treasury of My Words, and hath shone forth from the horizon of divine knowledge engaged in My praise and glorification. Verily, he is of Me. Upon him rest My mercy, My loving-kindness, My bounty and My glory.

These passages are proclamatory statements of Baha’u’llah’s claim, spoken with an authority and power that causes you to take notice. But one of the wonderful things about Baha’u’llah’s Revelation is that He not only makes this claim, but both He and the Bab patiently explained the nature of the Manifestations of God throughout their Writings, creating a philosophical and theological framework through which we can understand, not only Baha’u’llah’s claim, but also that of Jesus. In part two of this post, we will explore some of those significant passages in more detail.

Next post in this series- The Way, the Truth and the Life, Part 2

Photo by Lili Popper on Unsplash

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