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chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember
the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they
persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching,
they will obey yours also.
The y wi l l t r ea t y ou t h i s way be c aus e o f my
name ,
for they do not know the One who sent me. If I had not come and
spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have
no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had
not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin.
But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me
and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated
me without reason.’”
(John 15: 18-25)
There is a parallel and a relativity between God and mere man, but while
having the same Divine purpose there is a distinctive difference. The Master
is LORD of Lords, and the servant who is now the Teacher and the student
is like the Master in mission and purpose. One is from above and one is of
the earth to distinguish their origins. How to distinguish such a reality calls
for wisdom, so take to heart these words:
“When t he Couns e l o r c ome s ,
whom I wi l l s end t o y ou f r om t he Fa t he r , t he Sp i r i t o f t ru t h who g o e s
ou t f r om t he Fa t he r , he wi l l t e s t i f y abou t me . ”
(John 15: 17-26)
This is a
testimony acceptable only to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.
Everything that Jesus expressed with His disciples came under strict
scrutiny. His actions, His speech, the actions of the Apostles, and the
disciples were severely examined; the way they went about life was very
different from what seemed normal. The rigid traditions demanded to keep
the doctrinal teachings the way they were: rigid and unloving—not much
has changed. The assertion was nothing needed to be changed, and
anything added would be offensive to Jesus and blasphemous. In other
words, they justify what is lacking in their theology by saying, “It’s a
mystery, and mysteries are not to be revealed; they are a secret,” which is a
denial of the revelations given. Revelations are new additions to what was
once mysterious, but now brought to light.
Truth is the only practical way to be spiritually free. Has this spiritual
freedom or evolution of truth already occurred? Who is free to rise above
literal doctrine, or free to comprehend deeper aspects of the Divine mind?
When one realizes he is free to ask deep questions and comprehend more
than what is written in theological doctrine, he or she will know perfectly
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; without further need to speculate.
