I believe that most ( if not all that is written) must be interpreted to understand a deeper meaning and to be able to apply these teachings to our own life today.

Luke 8:13(King James Version)

They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

Some questions we may ask are:
What is meant with rock? A stone? Who are they? What does Jesus mean with hear? Or receive the word? What is the word and where does it come from? Do we feel at Joy with anything we know, maybe as knowledge? What does root mean? How long is a while? Is it a time? What could be temptation?What will change? What could drop away?

These are just some examples of the questions I ask myself when I read the Bible. You may use mine or come up with your own : )

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May your awareness be perfection

I'll "take a shot".

Those who are not ready to accept revelations in their life, may feel very good about recieving them, but forget their meaning at the first distraction.

People in whom such enlightenment takes root in their being are living on fertile ground, not a rock where revelations cannot take root.

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Only Love Prevails,
Don

That's called a bulls-eye, wwwdl.
That is: right in the centre of the target...... just in case "bulls-eye" means something different in America....

Vivamis, you can probably guess what i'm going to say....
It all has to be interpreted, it's all a metaphor, in my opinion.

If you really want to get totally lost in metaphor, read the Shepherd of Hermas: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/shepherd.html - a series of visions by one Hermas. It reads - to me - as though it is an actual record of the visions by the visionary, if one's going to fabricate visions i think it's highly unlikely one would also fabricate a lippy angel who has an attitude problem toward one's self.


Peace, Love, & Light

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The Peaceful Place: http://www.agedhippy.plus.com/

"An object is perceived, or not perceived, according as the mind is, or is not, tinged with the colour of the object. "
Patanjali - Sutra 4:17

Viv, this is really a deep topic but to begin with I'd just like to post your excerpt from Luke 8 in context:


Right now I'm a bit rushed but by next week, hopefully I can write something at least honestly about this very deep parable

I agree Don. Nice post.

I think Jesus is talking about spiritual knowledge, but this can be applied to any kind of knowledge. Unless we take the knowledge within us, we won't make it a part of us.

I have found that in order to make knowledge a part of me I have to make it my understanding and my awareness. I use two steps:

1) I look where I can relate to it. I look for things I have experienced in the past, things I have heard before and ask myself more questions such as: How does it feel to me and does it make sense?

2) I apply it in my life.

Only when we make knowledge a part of us do we have the understanding and awareness of it and we won't loose it. This I believe is what T.C. was trying to communicate to me in another thread, when we were talking about using different "tools" to open people up to receiving knowledge. That is why Jesus spoke in parables. You have to "think" about them.

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May your awareness be perfection

In the beginning of Matthew Jesus was tempted 3 times. Are these temptations maybe metaphores for 3 things we must overcome or resist?

1) And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

But Jesus answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

2) Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

3)Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Who or what is the tempter/devil? What are the 3 temptations and where do we encounter these temptation in our own life?

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May your awareness be perfection

some ppl believe Satan is the tempter, some believe it's a person's own negative instincts.

re: your question about '3 temptations'-- I don't know what 3 of them specifically would be

I think we all have certain things we need to learn in our lives and while they may not be the same from person to person, we're basically all headed in the same direction. I feel like I'm on a scavenger hunt sometimes, going to the next "clue," that within each of us is something (call it our connection with God, or our spiritual self, or whatever) that recognizes all those little keys that open doors for us. As we step through one door, we find another one ahead of us. The keys are everywhere, but we're not always ready for every key.

To me, the temptation of Jesus involved wrestling with the physical world vs. the spiritual world. I see the symbol of the "devil" as the material influence.

I think the tempter is our own mind.

The three temptations I see are:
1) The belief that we could add anything to that which God IS

2) The belief that we are seprated from God

3) The belief that there is a power outside of God

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May your awareness be perfection

How'd you get so smart?

That's a great summary!..... and to me, those beliefs are what many refer to as "the devil." Somehow we bought into the idea that we could be separate from the perfection of who we really are, in order to be "special" or different. It's like we want more than "all there is"! Of course, in the end we don't really get what we've wanted all along, which is perfect joy and love. But it's still there for us, unchanging and unchangeable, whenever we decide to choose it over the investments of the seperated self.

Thanks again for stating things simply and profoundly!