New Thought Lectionary, October 26, 2008

23rd Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 25)

Date: October 26th, 2008

Theme: Growing together as the body of Christ

Topic: Why did Jesus of Nazareth call Christ, Lord?

Key verse: Yahshua then said to the Pharisees, "How is it them that David by the Spirit, called him Lord..." [Matthew 22:43]?

Reference Scriptures: Matthew 22:34-46 ‘Jesus’ answers and questions about Messiah and the Lordship of Christ?’

Other Related Scriptures:

Deuteronomy 34:1-12, ‘Moses views the promised land’.

Psalm 90:1-6, ‘God’s providence and human frailty’.

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, ‘Paul’s love for and mission to the Thessalonians'.

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In today’s Gospel reading Matthew 22:34-46, Yahshua answered and asked the Pharisees, the essential questions which need to be clarified, in the Gospel of Christ. What commandment in the law the greatest? What do you think and believe about Yahshua of Nazareth as the promised Messiah? Whose Son is he? And, how is it then that David by the Spirit calls, Messiah, Lord?

Yahshua of Nazareth saw himself as an incarnate spiritual being, sent to earth from heaven, by God [John 5:30, 7:21]. His mission was to be the human model of the full manifestation of the eternal and invisible Christ, the image and likeness of God, in the spiritual core of all humankind [Genesis 1:26-31, John 10:10].

Yahshua was the fulfillment of the law [Matthew 5:17]. He was the fulfillment of God's promises in John 3:16-17. To Yahshua then, Christ was the divine and eternal Word and Presence of God, in the spiritual core of all humankind [John 1:1-5].

As Messiah, Yahshua of Nazareth always dwelt in the spiritual Kingdom of Heaven, the spiritual core of all humankind and in our midst [Luke 17:20-21]. As Messiah, Yahshua fully experienced mankind's eternal spiritual existence and at the same time, he also experienced mankind's temporary physical existence. He was both a loyal citizen in the kingdom of heaven and certainly a loyal citizen on earth [John 18:35-36, Luke 17:20-21]. Yahshua of Nazareth truly rendered unto Caesar the things of Caesar and unto God the things, which are God's [Matthew 22:21, John 18:37].

The promises of salvation, redemption and kingdom living though the Gospel of Christ, and Yahsua's claim as the promised Messiah, are based on the fact that the spiritual kingdom of heaven already eternally exists, within the spiritual core every human being and in our midst [Matthew 6:9-10, Luke 17:20-21, John 3:16-17].

God created all human beings for his glory and the kingdom living which Yahshua proclaimed and manifested, here on earth [Genesis 1:28-31, John 14:6]. Yahshua's understanding, teaching and questions about himself as both Messiah, the Son of God and Christ as Lord, in today's Gospel, were therefore logical, practical, Christ-centered and Spirit-based [Matthew 22:41-46].

The skeptical Pharisees in today's Gospel were unable to understand and answer his questions, because they looked at Yahshua and his questions through mental lenses which were primarily xenophobic, intellectual, erroneous, material and physical. They were spiritually blind, spiritually deaf and spiritually dumb. They missed the mark in thinking, judgment and the spiritual experience of mankind's basic, eternal spiritual core. Some people would say they had become spiritually dead, because of their trespassing and persistent sinning [Romans 8:1-8].

Yahshua's questions are based in the fact that like Yahshua of Nazareth, all humans are eternal spiritual beings, going through temporary human experiences. In the spiritual dimension of human lives, dwell the eternal grace, love, life, power and Truth of the Gospel of Christ, as taught and modeled by Yahshua of Nazareth [John 1:15-18].

Yahshua's answers and questions provide insight, into this often hidden and mysterious spiritual dimension of human existence and experience. This mystery is, 'Christ in you and me, the hope of glory' [Colossians 1:26-27].

Many religious leaders in all the world religions still fail to give sound, logical, Spirit-based answers to Yahshua's answers and questions about himself as Messiah, his Son-ship and Christ as Lord. The promised Messiah, in today’s text refers to a human being who is set apart, consecrated, baptized by the Holy Spirit, illuminated and empowered by God to complete a special mission. The Greek word for an individual fulfilling this role as Messiah is ‘Christos’.

Like these Pharisees, many religious people choose to focus only on the physical, mental and emotional dimensions of Yahshua's life, death and resurrection, as Messiah. They choose to overlook the essential and eternal saving work of the risen Christ as Lord, in Yahshua's and mankind's heart and spiritual core [John 5:19, 30].

Christ is not a mere man. Christ is the eternal and invisible image, likeness and life of God, in the spiritual core of not only Yahshua of Nazareth, king David, BUT all humankind, while here on earth [Luke 1:76-80].

Yahshua therefore sought to remind these religious leaders that in the royal Psalm 110:1, David their most celebrated king, was a spiritually awake king. Like Yahshua of Nazareth, David discerned Christ, the Son begotten only of God, as his eternal indwelling Lord, in his own spiritual core. King David experienced Messiah as his indwelling Shepherd who was steadfast and faithful in making his internal and external enemies his footstool [Matthew 22:44].

Like many people, I also choose to call Yahshua of Nazareth ‘The Christ’, Savior and Lord, because he fully understood, experienced and demonstrated God’s original plan for human kingdom living here on earth [Philippians 2:5].

Throughout his incarnation, Yahshua of Nazareth demonstrated Christ Consciousness. As Messiah, Yahshua presented a clear and compelling discernment of the indwelling Christ, as the eternal, omnipresent and invisible Lord of his life. Yahshua's life demonstrated the crucified, risen, living, indwelling and incarnate Christ; mankind’s individualized Great High Priest and mankind's only universal, Spirit-based Savior and Lord, fully manifested in human flesh [Colossians 2:9].

Yahshua affirmed the Presence and transforming work of Christ, the Son of God, in his spiritual nature, the spiritual nature of the Jewish patriarch David and the spiritual nature of every person [John 5:16-23]. It is on this scientific, logical and spiritual basis that Yahshua of Nazareth declared the urgent human need for repentance, baptism of water and the Spirit, and turning to Christ, in the kingdom of heaven [Mark 1:14-15, Luke 17:20-21, John 3:5-6].

Yahshua sought to establish the Lordship of Christ and kingdom living in every human soul, heart, mind and life, through our individual and collective spiritual cores [Matthew 28:1John 20:21].

In Mark 1:14-15, Yahshua proclaimed the good news of God. "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news". In Matthew 22:37-39, Yahshua declared that the greatest commandment in the law is this, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with your entire mind”. He then declared that the second says. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”. On these two commandments, Yahshua acknowledged "hang all the Law and the Prophets."

Yahshua's essential questions remains. What do you think of Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah? Whose Son is he? How is it then that David by the Spirit, calls Messiah, Lord? I now ask you these questions in the context of today's discussion. Is Christ the Lord in your heart and life? If not, why not?