"Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given....

...Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand;and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see:and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." (Matthew 13:9-17)

The Teaching of the Resurrection

After Lazarus had risen from the dead, the Holy Spirit spoke through Jesus and he said," I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"
(John 11: 25-26)

"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
(John 3:5-6)

Christ, the Son of God is your resurrection and your life. You live in Him because he lives in God as he also lives in you. Can you, then, perceive unworthiness in a brother and not perceive it in yourself? And can you perceive it in yourself and not perceive it in God? Believe in the resurrection because it has been accomplished, and it has been accomplished in you. This is as true now as it will ever be, for the resurrection is the Will of God, which knows no time and no exceptions. But make no exceptions yourself, or you will not perceive what has been accomplished for you. For we ascend unto the Father together, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, for such is the nature of God's Son as his Father created him.

There is no death, for the Son of God,
Christ Is Risen!

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The crucifixion did not establish your salvation, the resurrection did. Many sincere Christians have misunderstood this. No one who is free of the belief in incompletion could possibly make this mistake. If the crucifixion is seen through fear or a darkened glass, it does appear as if God permitted and even encouraged one of His Sons to suffer because he was good. This particular interpretation, which arose out of fear, has led many people to be bitterly afraid of God. Such anti-religious concepts enter into many religions. Yet the real Christian should pause and ask, "How could this be?" Is it likely that God Himself would be capable of the kind of thinking which His Own words have clearly stated is unworthy of His Son? Sacrifice is a notion totally unknown to God. It arises solely from fear, and frightened people can be vicious. Sacrificing in any way is a violation of Jesus’ injunction that you should be merciful even as your Father in Heaven is merciful. It has been hard for many Christians to realize that this applies to themselves. Good teachers never terrorize their students. To terrorize is to attack, and this results in rejection of what the teaching of Jesus offers and a learning failure.

"When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel
against Jesus to put him to death."
(Matthew 27:1)

The journey to the cross should be the last "useless journey." Do not dwell upon it, but dismiss it as accomplished. If you can accept that you need not crucify yourself, you are also free to join Jesus in the resurrection. Until you do so your life is indeed wasted. Your life will continue to merely re-enact the separation of Adam and Eve, the loss of power, the futile attempts to justify your anger. You will be stuck in an endless loop of despair until it is voluntarily given up. Do not make the sad error of "clinging to the old rugged cross." The only message of the crucifixion is that you can overcome the cross. There is a positive interpretation of the crucifixion that is utterly devoid of fear, and therefore wholly benign in what it teaches, if it is properly understood. The crucifixion is nothing more than an extreme example. Its value, like the value of any teaching device, lies solely in the kind of learning it facilitates. The crucifixion was the last useless journey the Sonship need take. It represents release from fear to anyone who understands it. It has a definite contribution to make to your own life, and if you will consider it without fear, it will help you understand your role as a Christian.

You have probably reacted for years as if you were being crucified. This is a marked tendency of those who believe that God has left them, who always refuse to consider what they have done to themselves. Projection means anger, anger fosters assault, and assault promotes fear. The real meaning is a call for peace for which it was intended. The Apostles often misunderstood it, and for the same reason that anyone misunderstands it. Their own imperfect love made them vulnerable to fear, and out of their own fear they spoke of the "wrath of God" as His retaliatory weapon. Nor could they speak of the crucifixion entirely without anger, because their sense of guilt had made them angry. These are some of the examples of distortions and upside-down thinking in the New Testament, although its gospel is really only the message of love. If the Apostles had not felt guilty, they never could have quoted Jesus as saying, "I come not to bring peace but a sword." This is clearly the opposite of everything he taught. Nor could they have described Jesus’ reactions to Judas as they did, if they had really understood him. Jesus could not have said, "Betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss?" unless he believed in betrayal. The whole message of the crucifixion was simply that he did not. The "punishment" Jesus said to have called forth upon Judas was a similar mistake. Judas was a close friend and a Son of God, as much a part of the Sonship as Jesus himself. Was it likely that Jesus would condemn him when he was ready to demonstrate that condemnation is impossible?

As you read the teachings of the Apostles, remember that Jesus told them himself that there was much they would understand later, because they were not wholly ready to follow him at the time. Jesus does not want you to allow any fear to enter into the thought system toward which he is guiding you. He does not call for martyrs but for teachers of his message. No one is punished for sins, and the Sons of God are not sinners. Any concept of punishment involves the projection of blame, and reinforces the idea that blame is justified. The result is a lesson in blame, for all behavior teaches the beliefs that motivate it. The crucifixion was the result of clearly opposed thought systems; the perfect symbol of the "conflict" between the fear and the Son of God. This conflict seems just as real now, and its lessons must be learned now as well as then. That is why you must teach only one lesson. If you are to be conflict-free yourself, you must learn only from the Holy Spirit and teach only by Him. You are only love, but when you deny this, you make what you are something you must learn to remember. The message of the crucifixion is, "Teach only love, for that is what you are." Only by teaching his teachings through demonstration can you learn it. "As you teach so will you learn." If that is true, and it is true indeed, do not forget that what you teach is teaching you. And what you fear or extend you believe. Would you join in the resurrection or the crucifixion? Would you condemn your brothers or free them? Would you transcend your prison and ascend to the Father? These questions are all the same, and are answered together. Yet you cannot be aware without interpretation, for what you perceive is your interpretation.

Do not underestimate the power of the devotion of God's Son, nor the power of the god he worships has over him. For he places himself at the altar of his god, whether it be the god he made or the God Who created him. That is why his slavery is as complete as his freedom, for he will obey only the god he accepts. The god of crucifixion demands that he crucify, and his worshipers obey. In his name they crucify themselves, believing that the power of the Son of God is born of sacrifice and pain. The God of resurrection demands nothing, for He does not will to take away. He does not require obedience, for obedience implies submission. He would only have you learn your will and follow it, not in the spirit of sacrifice and submission, but in the gladness of freedom. You will not find peace until you have removed the nails from the hands of God's Son, and taken the last thorn from his forehead. The Love of God surrounds his Son whom the god of crucifixion condemns. Teach not that Jesus died in vain. Teach rather that Jesus did not die by demonstrating that he lives in you. For the undoing of the crucifixion of God's Son is the work of the redemption, in which everyone has a part of equal value. God does not judge his guiltless Son. Having given Himself to him, how could it be otherwise? You have nailed yourself to a cross, and placed a crown of thorns upon your own head. Yet you cannot crucify God's Son, for the Will of God cannot die. His Son has been redeemed from his own crucifixion, and you cannot assign to death whom God has given eternal life. The dream of crucifixion still lies heavy on your eyes, but what you see in dreams is not reality. While you perceive the Son of God as crucified, you are fearful. You who are beginning to wake are still aware of dreams, and have not yet forgotten them. This world is a picture of the crucifixion of God's Son. And until you realize that God's Son cannot be crucified, this is the world you will see. Yet you will not realize this until you accept the eternal fact that God's Son is not guilty. He deserves only love because he has given only love. He cannot be condemned because he has never condemned. The crucifixion is the symbol of fear. When it was confronted with the real guiltlessness of God's Son it did attempt to kill him, and the reason it gave was that guiltlessness is blasphemous to God.

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the
world through him might be saved."
(John 3:17)

The statement "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" needs only one slight correction to be meaningful in this context; "He gave it to his only begotten Son." God does love the forgiven world, and those who perceive its reality cannot see the world of death. For death is not of the forgiven world, in which everything reflects the eternal. God gave you Salvation so you can see the forgiven world in exchange for the one you made out of your mind‘s divided devotions, and which is the symbol of death. For if you could really separate yourself from the Mind of God you would die. You will see Jesus, for he is not hidden, but it is you who are hiding. He will awaken you as surely as he awakened himself, for he awoke for you. In His resurrection is your release. Our mission is to escape from crucifixion, not from redemption. Trust in Jesus’ love, for he did not walk alone, and he will walk with you as our Father walked with him. Would you not believe that he walked with Him in peace? And does not that mean that peace goes with us on the journey?

“And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. "Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me."
(Matthew 28:1-10)

His body disappeared because he had no judgment and no fear about it. It was laid in the tomb, but there was nothing left to bury. It did not disintegrate because the unreal cannot die. It merely became what it always was. And that is what "rolling the stone away" means. The body disappears, and no longer hides what lies beyond. It merely ceases to interfere with Truth. To roll the stone away is to see beyond the tomb, beyond death, and to understand that the body is not meaningful. Jesus did assume a human form with human attributes afterwards, to speak to those who were to prove the body's worthlessness to the world. This has been much misunderstood. He came to tell them that death is illusion, and the mind can transcend all fear and judgment. They did not understand. God holds out His hand to His Son to help him rise and return to Him. Jesus can help you overcome the world. Look past the tomb, the body, and the fear. Have faith in nothing but the Spirit and the guidance God gives you. God created the Spirit because it is immortal. Can those who are created like Him be limited? The body is the symbol of the temporal world. Leave it behind. It cannot enter Heaven. But Jesus can take you there any time you choose. You can watch the world disappear and its symbol vanish as it does so. This is the message of the resurrection: fears are fears. Truth is true. Fears vanish. Only truth remains. These lessons needed to be taught but once, for when the stone of death is rolled away, what can be seen except an empty tomb? And that is what you see who follow Jesus into the sunlight and away from death, past all fearful imaginings, on to Heaven's gate, where God will come Himself to take you home.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

"And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to [his] father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on [his] feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found." (Luke 15:11)

Listen to the story of the prodigal son, and learn what God's treasure is and yours: This son of a loving father left his home and thought he had squandered everything for nothing of any value, although he had not understood its worthlessness at the time. He was ashamed to return to his father, because he thought he had hurt him. Yet when he came home the father welcomed him with joy, because the son himself was his father's treasure. He wanted nothing else. The Father did not forgive his son, for he had never condemned him. What God has willed for you is yours always. He has given His Will to His treasure, whose treasure it is. Your heart lies where your treasure is, as His does. You who are beloved of God are wholly blessed. Learn this of Jesus, and free the holy will of all those who are as blessed as you are. All striving must be directed against littleness, for it does require vigilance to protect your magnitude in this world. To hold your magnitude in perfect awareness in a world of littleness is a task the little cannot undertake. Yet it is asked of you, in tribute to your magnitude and not your littleness. Nor is it asked of you alone. The power of God will support every effort you make on behalf of His dear Son. Search for the little, and you deny yourself His power. God is not willing that His Son be content with less than everything. For He is not content without His Son, and His Son cannot be content with less than His Father has given him. For you were created in perfect love and eternal bliss, and no power in this world can take that away. What is created perfect is sinless and is wholly worthy of nothing other than perfect Love. Nothing can change the love the father has for his son, because what the father creates is changeless.