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Thank you Tas for your in depth thought on this subject. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. And I agree with some of it, maybe most of it. But I’m afraid I do consider myself a sheep, a tadpole, a mere child (son) of God. I also consider you and everyone else to be sheep, tadpoles and sons of God. I’m not confident that there is anyone out there capable of being an actual shepherd. At least I have never encountered a human who is a true shepherd. I have encountered many who try very hard to be LIKE a shepherd, just as we all try very hard to be LIKE the Father. But it all boils down to sheephood or sonship, a process where we become more and more LIKE the Shepherd or the Father. And yes, man is more valuable than the actual animal, but that is because man is a human animal with personality and indwelt by Spirit. It’s about the personality trying to become LIKE Spirit that makes man more than an animal.
Lucifer was a sheep who thought he was a shepherd, and he did lead other sheep astray, into the driest of deserts. Sheep follow other sheep. He was delusional. There are people who knock at my door on an occasional Saturday with Bibles and pamphlets who think they are shepherds – also delusional in my opinion. It’s a slippery slope – thinking you’re a shepherd. There’s only one Shepherd. The rest of us are sheep, but we do follow one another, and for that reason we must be diligent in listening for the True Shepherd and not fall in to the delusional thinking that somehow we know better where the still waters might be, lest other sheep follow us right off a cliff.
What an awesome topic. And this discussion went so well….even survived a troll attack and hijack attempt! The dark patch of a tormented mind was allowed for some time (too long IMO) to disgrace itself and disrupt the community.
I considered a resurrection of the thread….or the start of another. I decided we should forge ahead with this one due to some really good progress and still so much more to go!!
My initial reason for resurgence is I just received my new book published by the Foundation from the Amazon bookstore:
What an AWESOME book – The Parables of Jesus
Excellent artwork and quality paper and binding. What a gift for oneself and for others. All text, no commentary. A must have for one’s table and library. And only $14.00 hardcover. No, I’m not on commission….hahahaha. Just excited with my new presentation of the Parables as given us in the UB with Bible cross referencing and amazing art work.
Be back soon with more thoughts on the Parables we discuss here. Need to review the whole thread and find my place. This might also be a good companion topic for the fresh one on the Kingdom of Heaven.
Apologies for those who must endure the Troll in the early/middle part of the topic. He’s gone now for quite awhile so no worries.
Thanks Bonita for your marvelous sharing and perspective. Hats off to you. What a foxhole buddy when taking fire from fools and wolves!! Such an example of courage and long suffering…to trust and endure!! Mara called you steadfast….indeed!
I wonder if the Mods could delete certain posts to edit out the worst of the comments? Happy to have my replies to the inappropriate posts deleted as well if this can be done without destroying the topical discussion. The troll was ignored far more than otherwise.
May our community grow and be strengthened by our experience in the adventures of curiosity and discovery!
Just another tadpole too………………….. = )
Yeah, I was a little disappointed that this topic never really developed. I had done a great deal of research on it and was ready for an in-depth discussion. Alas, I guess we were all exhausted by the incessant attempts at derailing our study. It was a lesson in fortitude, that’s for sure.
I can’t even remember now what we were discussing, but I think the purpose of the thread was to get at the bottom of the prodigal son issue. The trolling party fixated on the inappropriate judgment by the brother, completely missing the issue of sonship and Fatherhood as part of the kingdom of heaven. The good news is that we’ve been able to interweave the parables into other discussions where appropriate.
All the study I did was not a loss for me. I’m just sorry I never got to share a lot of it. In fact, there are tons of topics that I put days and weeks into study and never got to share everything. But that’s because there is so little discussion and such a huge amount of quote publication with little or no commentary. It falls kinda flat for me . . . in other words, it doesn’t inspire the need for conversation. Quotes speak for themselves. It’s the commentary that is interesting to me. But then again, I am a little odd. We can all agree on that. Unless there’s someone to talk to and something to talk about, I lose interest real fast and move on to the next shiny object that catches my attention.
So carry on Bradly, I’ll follow your lead. Plenty to talk about, that’s for sure. Oh, and your book sounds very interesting!
Well…to reboot, here is the first post on the topic and the list of parables by Bonita. We were discussing the Good Shepherd as the topic waned for a season and having a lively discussion on who is or might be or is not either a shepherd or under-shepherd and the servant qualities required of anyone who aspires or claims to be a religious leader of people. I agree there is only one true form of leadership and that is the servant-leader….one who leads by personal free will service which attracts the cooperative and combined efforts of others by example and demonstration of the fruits of the Spirit.We are warned and have discussed the perils of the allegoricalization of parables. And it is my opinion that we may have gotten into the weeds of the Good Shepherd by extending the parable into allegory status….perhaps diving too deeply into the parable for additional meanings…which probably don’t exist. Michael is the true shepherd of Nebadon and the voice at the gate is his own by the gift of the Spirit of Truth. All who hear and respond are admonished to serve….not to ‘lead’ I do not think. Unless and until we become leaders by example as servants who seek nothing for themselves. The value of true servant-leaders is immeasurable I think and in the Mortal Epochs, we learn that the more servants there are then the more the world progresses. The more servants, naturally the more servant-leaders and the more coordination and cooperation at every level of service which includes not just the religious lives of the each but the social, economic, and political effects of a growing aggregation of spirit led servants – the true religionists bearing the fruits by attachment to the vine.But that’s another parable!!We all know them so well, the many different parables told by Jesus that have the same powerful message today as they did two thousand years ago. What I’d like to do in this thread is to first review the reasons why parables are useful teaching tools, as explained by Jesus, and follow with his admonitions concerning interpretation. Lastly, I’d like to take a close-up look at each of his parables. So far, I’ve come up with this list of parables. I’m not sure if they are complete, so if you think I missed one, please add it.
- The Parable of the Sower
- The Kingdom of Heaven is Like . . . Parables
- The Parable of the Pounds
- The Parable of the Talents
- The Parable of the Foolish Carpenter
- The Parable of the Good Shepherd
- The Parable of the Faithful Servant
- The Parable of the Moneylender
- The Parable of the Reckoning with the Stewards
- The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard
- The Parable of the Foolish Rich Man
- The Parable of the Great Supper
- The Parable of the Lost Son
- The Parable of the Shrewd Steward
- The Parable of the Two Sons
- The Parable of the Absent Landlord
- The Parable of the Marriage Feast
- The Good Samaritan
- The Parable of Job as explained by Jesus
- Parable Prayers
Bradly here: So let’s move forward to the Faithful Servant and the Talents. Anyone can return to prior discussion of prior Parables as desired. The following was on Mount Olivet near the end of Jesus ministry. The text before and after is very important for study and consideration for proper context – a great read!
176:3.4 (1916.4) “As individuals, and as a generation of believers, hear me while I speak a parable: There was a certain great man who, before starting out on a long journey to another country, called all his trusted servants before him and delivered into their hands all his goods. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one. And so on down through the entire group of honored stewards, to each he intrusted his goods according to their several abilities; and then he set out on his journey. When their lord had departed, his servants set themselves at work to gain profits from the wealth intrusted to them. Immediately he who had received five talents began to trade with them and very soon had made a profit of another five talents. In like manner he who had received two talents soon had gained two more. And so did all of these servants make gains for their master except him who received but one talent. He went away by himself and dug a hole in the earth where he hid his lord’s money. Presently the lord of those servants unexpectedly returned and called upon his stewards for a reckoning. And when they had all been called before their master, he who had received the five talents came forward with the money which had been intrusted to him and brought five additional talents, saying, ‘Lord, you gave me five talents to invest, and I am glad to present five other talents as my gain.’ And then his lord said to him: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over a few things; I will now set you as steward over many; enter forthwith into the joy of your lord.’ And then he who had received the two talents came forward, saying: ‘Lord, you delivered into my hands two talents; behold, I have gained these other two talents.’ And his lord then said to him: ‘Well done, good and faithful steward; you also have been faithful over a few things, and I will now set you over many; enter you into the joy of your lord.’ And then there came to the accounting he who had received the one talent. This servant came forward, saying, ‘Lord, I knew you and realized that you were a shrewd man in that you expected gains where you had not personally labored; therefore was I afraid to risk aught of that which was intrusted to me. I safely hid your talent in the earth; here it is; you now have what belongs to you.’ But his lord answered: ‘You are an indolent and slothful steward. By your own words you confess that you knew I would require of you an accounting with reasonable profit, such as your diligent fellow servants have this day rendered. Knowing this, you ought, therefore, to have at least put my money into the hands of the bankers that on my return I might have received my own with interest.’ And then to the chief steward this lord said: ‘Take away this one talent from this unprofitable servant and give it to him who has the ten talents.’ *
176:3.5 (1917.1) “To every one who has, more shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him who has not, even that which he has shall be taken away. You cannot stand still in the affairs of the eternal kingdom. My Father requires all his children to grow in grace and in a knowledge of the truth. You who know these truths must yield the increase of the fruits of the spirit and manifest a growing devotion to the unselfish service of your fellow servants. And remember that, inasmuch as you minister to one of the least of my brethren, you have done this service to me.
Taken altogether, the content of the Urantia Book is like a parable.
When the experience of reading and studying the Urantia Book (an embryonic talent) approaches the point of exhaustion, that’s when the meaning and value of the aforementioned experience should be used to attempt the next phase of the revelation of God, achieving contact with the divine presence (man’s greatest adventure).
(196:3.34) The great challenge to modern man is to achieve better communication with the divine Monitor that dwells within the human mind. Man’s greatest adventure in the flesh consists in the well-balanced and sane effort to advance the borders of self-consciousness out through the dim realms of embryonic soul-consciousness in a wholehearted effort to reach the borderland of spirit-consciousness—contact with the divine presence. Such an experience constitutes God-consciousness, an experience mightily confirmative of the pre-existent truth of the religious experience of knowing God. Such spirit-consciousness is the equivalent of the knowledge of the actuality of sonship with God.
Otherwise, the assurance of sonship is the experience of faith.
Well, we all know that the guy who dug the hole is the big loser. My guess is that he’s the biggest loser because he was selfish, only concerned about saving his self-image. For a long time I felt sympathy for the hole digger because I saw him as fearful coward. It couldn’t have been that he was too dumb to know better because each was given according to his abilities. The hole digger must have had the ability, but didn’t use it. Why didn’t he use it? And why would God take away gifts (talents) if digging holes is due to fear? That’s never made sense to me. I’m curious what you all think about hole diggers. Are they afraid, lazy, self-centered? Or what?
Well….as always we have to remember the Master’s audience when weighing his words. This was a private lesson to and for the Apostles (not that it does not extend in its application – it does!) who were about to lose their Master in horrible fashion. And I think part of the lesson in this parable is directed at the Jewish priesthood…hole diggers, whose collective choice seems to have been to sacrifice truth, loyalty, and service in favor of selfishness and self importance. Note the ‘punishment’ is merely the lack of spiritual fruit, for only those who love and serve will “enter fully into the joy”. The only thing taken from the unfaithful, slothful, and selfish servant was that which was given but he did nothing with anyway. The faithless servant lost only that which he did not and was not using. I also find it very interesting to note that the faithful and fruitful servants got increase by their gifts and the profits or return on those faithful endowments/talents still belonged to the master, not the servants who remain in service with those increasing fruits for further service to come. And the more service given, the more return on investing that loving service in others.
The profits or gains are the spiritual fruit of the believer who makes decisions and choices based on the fruits. Fruit begets fruit for the true faith child….no fruit, no faith. We’ve discussed on another topic about all the forms of mind, personality, and spirit gifts/talents and ministries of help, support, and leading we each enjoy within. But those require a response to grow soul and make Circle progress. The profit/gain expected is simply progress in the Circles demonstrated only by the fruits of the Spirit. In reality, it is only by those fruits that one can achieve fusion and eternity and they have no real purpose except in loving service to God and creation. They cannot be possessed or held, only given to others and by such self forgetting giving then do others benefit as well as the one who gives. And as such gifts/talents are freely given so are we given more and more and more to invest and to grow into ever greater harvests of spiritual fruit!
While fear may be one form or cause of negligence and slothfulness, it is hardly the only one. Indeed, selfishness seems the bigger issue in this example IMO. From the same section of text:
176:3.7 (1917.3) Truth is living; the Spirit of Truth is ever leading the children of light into new realms of spiritual reality and divine service. You are not given truth to crystallize into settled, safe, and honored forms. Your revelation of truth must be so enhanced by passing through your personal experience that new beauty and actual spiritual gains will be disclosed to all who behold your spiritual fruits and in consequence thereof are led to glorify the Father who is in heaven. Only those faithful servants who thus grow in the knowledge of the truth, and who thereby develop the capacity for divine appreciation of spiritual realities, can ever hope to “enter fully into the joy of their Lord.” What a sorry sight for successive generations of the professed followers of Jesus to say, regarding their stewardship of divine truth: “Here, Master, is the truth you committed to us a hundred or a thousand years ago. We have lost nothing; we have faithfully preserved all you gave us; we have allowed no changes to be made in that which you taught us; here is the truth you gave us.” But such a plea concerning spiritual indolence will not justify the barren steward of truth in the presence of the Master. In accordance with the truth committed to your hands will the Master of truth require a reckoning.
176:3.8 (1918.1) In the next world you will be asked to give an account of the endowments and stewardships of this world. Whether inherent talents are few or many, a just and merciful reckoning must be faced. If endowments are used only in selfish pursuits and no thought is bestowed upon the higher duty of obtaining increased yield of the fruits of the spirit, as they are manifested in the ever-expanding service of men and the worship of God, such selfish stewards must accept the consequences of their deliberate choosing.
176:3.9 (1918.2) And how much like all selfish mortals was this unfaithful servant with the one talent in that he blamed his slothfulness directly upon his lord. How prone is man, when he is confronted with the failures of his own making, to put the blame upon others, oftentimes upon those who least deserve it!
176:3.10 (1918.3) Said Jesus that night as they went to their rest: “Freely have you received; therefore freely should you give of the truth of heaven, and in the giving will this truth multiply and show forth the increasing light of saving grace, even as you minister it.”
The Urantia Book is not a parable or allegory or metaphor – it is a gift with the specific purpose to inform and inspire, to reduce confusion and eliminate error which so easily arises by personal revelation and mortal perspective. Those who but read the UB are the same as the faithless and slothful servant. Only those who employ and apply and invest this gift in their daily living benefit by it and the study of it. It cannot be studied without applying its teachings if one is actually learning the teachings within it. I’ll let you all know if I ever “exhaust” this book of facts and truths…well probably not as when its lessons are truly exhausted, one might expect fusion in that moment. Until then, the tadpole learns, applies, learns more, applies more, gains fruit by service, and gains more fruit by ever more service. Anyone who thinks the Revelation is merely an intellectual pursuit of knowledge has not penetrated this gift very deeply yet.
Jesus used parables to stump and confound his enemies while presenting truth to those who seek truth in a way that did not assault the mind or even belief systems but required thoughtful consideration of meaning and value within a well known context.
149:3.1 (1672.4) Notwithstanding the favorable reception of Jesus and his teachings by the common people, the religious leaders at Jerusalem became increasingly alarmed and antagonistic. The Pharisees had formulated a systematic and dogmatic theology. Jesus was a teacher who taught as the occasion served; he was not a systematic teacher. Jesus taught not so much from the law as from life, by parables. (And when he employed a parable for illustrating his message, he designed to utilize just one feature of the story for that purpose. Many wrong ideas concerning the teachings of Jesus may be secured by attempting to make allegories out of his parables.)
151:1.3 (1689.1) The apostles and those who were with them, when they heard Jesus teach the people in this manner, were greatly perplexed; and after much talking among themselves, that evening in the Zebedee garden Matthew said to Jesus: “Master, what is the meaning of the dark sayings which you present to the multitude? Why do you speak in parables to those who seek the truth?” And Jesus answered:
151:1.4 (1689.2) “In patience have I instructed you all this time. To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to the undiscerning multitudes and to those who seek our destruction, from now on, the mysteries of the kingdom shall be presented in parables. And this we will do so that those who really desire to enter the kingdom may discern the meaning of the teaching and thus find salvation, while those who listen only to ensnare us may be the more confounded in that they will see without seeing and will hear without hearing. My children, do you not perceive the law of the spirit which decrees that to him who has shall be given so that he shall have an abundance; but from him who has not shall be taken away even that which he has. Therefore will I henceforth speak to the people much in parables to the end that our friends and those who desire to know the truth may find that which they seek, while our enemies and those who love not the truth may hear without understanding. Many of these people follow not in the way of the truth. The prophet did, indeed, describe all such undiscerning souls when he said: ‘For this people’s heart has waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed lest they should discern the truth and understand it in their hearts.’”
151:3.1 (1691.4) The apostles were parable-minded, so much so that the whole of the next evening was devoted to the further discussion of parables. Jesus introduced the evening’s conference by saying: “My beloved, you must always make a difference in teaching so as to suit your presentation of truth to the minds and hearts before you. When you stand before a multitude of varying intellects and temperaments, you cannot speak different words for each class of hearers, but you can tell a story to convey your teaching; and each group, even each individual, will be able to make his own interpretation of your parable in accordance with his own intellectual and spiritual endowments. You are to let your light shine but do so with wisdom and discretion. No man, when he lights a lamp, covers it up with a vessel or puts it under the bed; he puts his lamp on a stand where all can behold the light. Let me tell you that nothing is hid in the kingdom of heaven which shall not be made manifest; neither are there any secrets which shall not ultimately be made known. Eventually, all these things shall come to light. Think not only of the multitudes and how they hear the truth; take heed also to yourselves how you hear. Remember that I have many times told you: To him who has shall be given more, while from him who has not shall be taken away even that which he thinks he has.”
151:3.2 (1692.1) The continued discussion of parables and further instruction as to their interpretation may be summarized and expressed in modern phraseology as follows:
151:3.3 (1692.2) 1. Jesus advised against the use of either fables or allegories in teaching the truths of the gospel. He did recommend the free use of parables, especially nature parables. He emphasized the value of utilizing the analogy existing between the natural and the spiritual worlds as a means of teaching truth. He frequently alluded to the natural as “the unreal and fleeting shadow of spirit realities.”
151:3.4 (1692.3) 2. Jesus narrated three or four parables from the Hebrew scriptures, calling attention to the fact that this method of teaching was not wholly new. However, it became almost a new method of teaching as he employed it from this time onward.
151:3.5 (1692.4) 3. In teaching the apostles the value of parables, Jesus called attention to the following points:
151:3.6 (1692.5) The parable provides for a simultaneous appeal to vastly different levels of mind and spirit. The parable stimulates the imagination, challenges the discrimination, and provokes critical thinking; it promotes sympathy without arousing antagonism.
151:3.7 (1692.6) The parable proceeds from the things which are known to the discernment of the unknown. The parable utilizes the material and natural as a means of introducing the spiritual and the supermaterial.
151:3.8 (1692.7) Parables favor the making of impartial moral decisions. The parable evades much prejudice and puts new truth gracefully into the mind and does all this with the arousal of a minimum of the self-defense of personal resentment.
151:3.9 (1692.8) To reject the truth contained in parabolical analogy requires conscious intellectual action which is directly in contempt of one’s honest judgment and fair decision. The parable conduces to the forcing of thought through the sense of hearing.
151:3.10 (1692.9) The use of the parable form of teaching enables the teacher to present new and even startling truths while at the same time he largely avoids all controversy and outward clashing with tradition and established authority.
151:3.11 (1693.1) The parable also possesses the advantage of stimulating the memory of the truth taught when the same familiar scenes are subsequently encountered.
151:3.12 (1693.2) In this way Jesus sought to acquaint his followers with many of the reasons underlying his practice of increasingly using parables in his public teaching.
So, are you saying the hole digger is selfish?
Maybe, the hole digger is not willing to work in the garden because there was so little fruit which would be produced; more likely lazy?
(1830.9) 166:4.9 “There was a certain man who planted a fig tree in his yard, and when he had many times sought fruit thereon and found none, he called the vinedressers before him and said: ‘Here have I come these three seasons looking for fruit on this fig tree and have found none. Cut down this barren tree; why should it encumber the ground?’ But the head gardener answered his master: ‘Let it alone for one more year so that I may dig around it and put on fertilizer, and then, next year, if it bears no fruit, it shall be cut down.’ And when they had thus complied with the laws of fruitfulness, since the tree was living and good, they were rewarded with an abundant yield.
Ah, so the hole digger is lazy too. But isn’t laziness also selfish? I think the parable is talking mostly about loyalty to Deity. The hole digger admitted he was afraid, so he took the self-centered and lazy approach to save his own skin, and that doesn’t fly in the kingdom. But I don’t think there’s an active form punishment for disloyalty. It’s just a matter of the inevitable results of reality avoidance. If you don’t honor the loyalty agreement your relationship with Deity suffers. If the relationship suffers, growth suffers. If there’s no growth, there is death, but anything good that was produced gets saved for others to enjoy. Isn’t it a simple matter of cause and effect? If you cut yourself off, you’re toast unless you renew loyalty relations and get back with the program and work for a living.
89:10.2 Sin must be redefined as deliberate disloyalty to Deity. There are degrees of disloyalty: the partial loyalty of indecision; the divided loyalty of confliction; the dying loyalty of indifference; and the death of loyalty exhibited in devotion to godless ideals.
89:10.5-6 The confession of sin is a manful repudiation of disloyalty, but it in no wise mitigates the time-space consequences of such disloyalty. But confession – sincere recognition of the nature of sin – is essential to religious growth and spiritual progress. The forgiveness of sin by Deity is the renewal of loyalty relations following a period of the human consciousness of the lapse of such relations as the consequence of conscious rebellion. The forgiveness does not have to be sought, only received as the consciousness of re-establishment of loyalty relations between the creature and the Creator. And all the loyal sons of God are happy, service-loving, and ever-progressive in the Paradise ascent.
132:2.2 My brother, good and evil are merely words symbolizing relative levels of human comprehension of the observable universe. If you are ethically lazy and socially indifferent, you can take as your standard of good the current social usages. If you are spiritually indolent and morally unprogressive, you may take as your standards of good the religious practices and traditions of your contemporaries. But the soul that survives time and emerges into eternity must make a living and personal choice between good and evil as they are determined by the true values of the spiritual standards established by the divine spirit which the Father in heaven has sent to dwell within the heart of man. This indwelling spirit is the standard of personality survival.
89:10.2 Sin must be redefined as deliberate disloyalty to Deity.
And then there came to the accounting he who had received the one talent. This servant came forward, saying, ‘Lord, I knew you and realized that you were a shrewd man in that you expected gains where you had not personally labored;
If you’ve received one talent (the Urantia Book) read it, studied it, know it, but haven’t perhaps made gains (contact with the divine presence per the instructions of the text) where the Lord didn’t personally labor, won’t that be considered a sin?
Bonita – isn’t lack of loyalty also selfish or self centered? The mind poisons are all about self importance in some way, including fear I think. I agree there is no real punishment – it is self depravation by free will choice and personally determined motive, intention, priority, purpose, etc. While in the parable, the master takes back the single talent, I think truly not investing the talent simply makes the talent null and void and without fruit or profit rather than investing the talent in loving service and reality response which does produce fruit/profit. Loyalty to self over loyalty to the giver of talents – mind, personality, free will, and the spirits within – means loyalty to the material nature and disregard for the spirit nature leading to self selected divorcement from reality….we are choosing irrelevancy and unreality.
The branch must choose to be attached and remain attached to the vine or the branch becomes fruitless and unproductive. Such is not sin if it is not a conscious and deliberate rejection of God and the Spirit and all evil of immaturity by the disloyal servant is still allowed time for correction and future response until such time when iniquity finally causes the branch to simply wither and die in a deliberate and conscious act of suicidal self importance. Or so I think…..so far that is! = )
In the explanation of the parable, we are taught:
176:3.8 (1918.1) In the next world you will be asked to give an account of the endowments and stewardships of this world. Whether inherent talents are few or many, a just and merciful reckoning must be faced. If endowments are used only in selfish pursuits and no thought is bestowed upon the higher duty of obtaining increased yield of the fruits of the spirit, as they are manifested in the ever-expanding service of men and the worship of God, such selfish stewards must accept the consequences of their deliberate choosing.
176:3.9 (1918.2) And how much like all selfish mortals was this unfaithful servant with the one talent in that he blamed his slothfulness directly upon his lord. How prone is man, when he is confronted with the failures of his own making, to put the blame upon others, oftentimes upon those who least deserve it!
Complying “with the laws of fruitfulness“?
(435.5) 39:4.12 These seraphim teach the fruitfulness of patience: That stagnation is certain death, but that overrapid growth is equally suicidal; that as a drop of water from a higher level falls to a lower and, flowing onward, passes ever downward through a succession of short falls, so ever upward is progress in the morontia and spirit worlds — and just as slowly and by just such gradual stages.
(1727.7) 155:3.7 They learned that, when religion is wholly spiritual in motive, it makes all life more worth while, filling it with high purposes, dignifying it with transcendent values, inspiring it with superb motives, all the while comforting the human soul with a sublime and sustaining hope. True religion is designed to lessen the strain of existence; it releases faith and courage for daily living and unselfish serving. Faith promotes spiritual vitality and righteous fruitfulness.
(1727.8) 155:3.8 Jesus repeatedly taught his apostles that no civilization could long survive the loss of the best in its religion. And he never grew weary of pointing out to the twelve the great danger of accepting religious symbols and ceremonies in the place of religious experience. His whole earth life was consistently devoted to the mission of thawing out the frozen forms of religion into the liquid liberties of enlightened sonship.
(1945.4) 180:2.1 Then Jesus stood up again and continued teaching his apostles: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. I am the vine, and you are the branches. And the Father requires of me only that you shall bear much fruit. The vine is pruned only to increase the fruitfulness of its branches. Every branch coming out of me which bears no fruit, the Father will take away. Every branch which bears fruit, the Father will cleanse that it may bear more fruit. Already are you clean through the word I have spoken, but you must continue to be clean. You must abide in me, and I in you; the branch will die if it is separated from the vine. As the branch cannot bear fruit except it abides in the vine, so neither can you yield the fruits of loving service except you abide in me. Remember: I am the real vine, and you are the living branches. He who lives in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit of the spirit and experience the supreme joy of yielding this spiritual harvest. If you will maintain this living spiritual connection with me, you will bear abundant fruit. If you abide in me and my words live in you, you will be able to commune freely with me, and then can my living spirit so infuse you that you may ask whatsoever my spirit wills and do all this with the assurance that the Father will grant us our petition. Herein is the Father glorified: that the vine has many living branches, and that every branch bears much fruit. And when the world sees these fruit-bearing branches — my friends who love one another, even as I have loved them — all men will know that you are truly my disciples.
(435.4) 39:4.11 What is loyalty? It is the fruit of an intelligent appreciation of universe brotherhood; one could not take so much and give nothing. As you ascend the personality scale, first you learn to be loyal, then to love, then to be filial, and then may you be free; but not until you are a finaliter, not until you have attained perfection of loyalty, can you self-realize finality of liberty.
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