There are some things about us that seem inescapable. And I can state unequivocally there is not one thing about man in all his weakness and unknowing of which I have not been guilty. Not that the weakness is of itself a fault, nor even that not knowing is of necessity a fault that must inspire to a guilty plea, but that the presumption that may take opportunity in such circumstance is too ready an accomplice. And I am surely guilty of all complicity with it.
It can go by myriad identities; pride, willful ignorance, selfishness or self centered-ness, pretense and all the matters that spring from all self reference and referencing. How things are processed so wrongly when self is ascendant and assumed final and ultimate arbiter of what is right or righteous!
And all is conditioned upon an operation in primary acknowledgement and devotion to self. But you see the difficulty here; for who can, or is able to escape it? Let alone could want to? Self is all I know in relation to anything; all either comes to it, flows out from it and/or is even judged by it as anything at all, or of note. Unless something is shown in some way superior to it (that self holding all functions of soul) and can bring it into submission as even able to cry “uncle”, “tap out”, or such surrender as is remarkable to it, and known in it; it must continue in its place of superiority in its self. To itself, and of itself. It continues otherwise, to itself…as judge of all things. Doer of all things. Right (or correct) in all things. How could it not? Even its errors, always at best, are honest mistakes. Unless spirit is revealed.
And spirit has no care to explain or justify itself.
Being what is, and from which all other being comes, flows, or is made manifest in the creation and is dependent, creation places no obligation (nor can it) upward to source for likewise manifestation. Recognition may come to the creature caught in, or purposed to manifestation of its state (or estate) of being, but it can place no likewise necessity up, nor back to, what it depends upon for its being. As Jesus says, “the spirit blows where it wills”. We may hear the sound, we may feel the effects, but nothing in the creation either sustains, nor can constrain it. And God is the Spirit. Even from which all other spirits owe their being.
Even the greatest desire of the soul, or that the soul may know…that is, to be free in all things, unhindered, unencumbered, unweighted by any care, even this great desire is insufficient of itself to either know or bring about such liberty. It is either revealed or it is not. Desire is not evil nor “bad” of itself, but until it is known as woefully insufficient in the soul to accomplish any or all that the soul of itself knows to desire, the soul remains preeminent to the man. He looks to it as generator of all the power he can know (till spirit is revealed) and in such works to all frustration in finding desire that always exceeds his ability to do.
Likewise Jesus said to those few who heard Him “Fear not little flock, it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom”. For He knew that any provoking by His words toward such desire to have in all glory the wonderful matters of which He spoke, must come the likewise knowing in the soul that these are unattainable to it based solely upon its own desire to have. It even desires to be free…in some knowing at a very fundamental level…it is not. And the leopard cannot change its own spots. All can only be accomplished by a greater will, a greater power, a greater good pleasure to give...than the soul can summon to know to have, to desire, or possess. Rightly fear is encountered when considering flying too close to the sun. Or seeking to. And all that Jesus speaks of are matters too high for any man…alone. All.
To we who believe Jesus is so singular a man, so solely a representation to us of the all that one might ever hope to know or become like in being that it is too easily neglected by His preeminence (or taken advantage of by scheme) and therefore provoked to not hold to His fundamental confession of Himself. Of myself I can do nothing. He is made too easily (by scheme) to appear to the soul as the man of all power of Himself. And in such the unweaned soul delights…for it is a powerful attraction. To be complete to itself and of itself to all things.
Yet the Centurion is a man commended for a faith that exceeds all others yet found in Israel…the purported people of faith. A man made able to see by grace and such gift of faith that Jesus is not merely a “very powerful man” of Himself…but a man under authority. The centurion saw…what was true. Submission to authority (in this case the Authority, God His Father) was that which alone that made Jesus’ words of such power and sufficiency to all things. And Jesus marveled at such sight. For He understood all too well such is not attainable by man…alone. It is the gift of faith that led to such speaking in such understanding.
Jesus is not the “alone” man.
And neither are “we”.
Who believe.
What is the place of Jesus’ marveling? What is the place of His joy’s fulfillment?
All in His Father…and all found there.
I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
Are you able to attain to any of this…or do you believe?
Fear not.
Even at this: “and hast loved them…as thou hast loved me…”
You will not be able to believe you are as loved of the Father as Jesus is…alone. You will need help.
You will need help…even all the help there is (of the Helper)…to believe that. Being unashamed of needing all help…is what (and Who) will keep you…unashamed.
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