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The Metaphysical Matthew
Foreword
[The Metaphysical Matthew] [Brad
Jensen's Home Page]
Comments to the author, Brad Jensen
brad@elstore.com
Foreward
God wants to be understood. It is in our best interests to understand
him, so that we can take on our responsibility as the creator of our own
life, as he has created us to be.
Yet, sometimes it seems that "That which is far off, and exceeding
deep, who can find it out?" (Eccl. 7:24)
One of the many tools we have been given for exploring the kingdom
of the heavens is the Bible. We can explore this work on many levels, and
find truth on each level.
To many, the Bible is the literal word of God, and is not to be questioned,
interpreted, or expanded on in any way. But the Bible we have today is
interpreted from ancient texts in foreign languages,and even as we read
the English version, our minds are interpreting black marks on paper into
our own, personal world.
The literalist cannot avoid interpretation, but wants that process
of interpretation to be unconscious. In some ways this is admirable, because
that literalist is desiring to be inspired by God even inthe process of
reading.
Except that he is ignoring the demand of Jesus Christ (in Matthew
16), he does no harm.
Jesus came to save man from his literalism, to teach him to think
symbolically. That is why the people who have not yet learned to do this
flock to his teachings.
As long as your attention is wholly in this world, you are of this
world, and you cannot know the kingdom of God. Yet if you take your attention
wholly out of this world, you lose your bearings, and end up with the leaven
of the Pharisees.
Jesus taught through the method of the parable, the symbolic story.
He constantly upbraided everyone, even his disciples, who tried to take
the stories literally.
Why did he use parables? Why not just declare the spiritual principle
outright? Certainly he knew he was teaching all the ages of man.
Yet what does a teacher of mathematics do? If he wants you to be
able to repeat a principle of mathematics, he can write it on a piece of
paper and teach you to repeat it. But if he wants you to understand the
principle, he gives you a problem to puzzle out.
In mathematics you must create the answer within your own mind,and
in doing so over and over again, you learn the principle.
Jesus, above all, knew our true nature to be that of the creator.
His parables are designed to exercise that part of our conscious-ness,
so that we learn the principles involved.
And if we truly love Christ, it would benefit us to ponder the parable
of his life as well.
You may find the following interpretation of the Gospel of Matthewas
challenging in many ways. You may have felt in the past that you have to
give up something, including perhaps your objectivity, to believe the Gospel.
But the wisdom of God is greater than man's, not lesser. Truly increased
understanding leads to greater faith.
Do not give up anything of what you know to be true, as you read
and ponder the following interpretation. If there is something that contradicts
what you know from your own experience to be true, then ignore it, let
go of it, pay it no heed.
Matthew is the story of the rich man who entered heaven, and it is
encouraging to those of us who wonder if our worldly success is a help
or hindrance to our spiritual development.
Matthew was a tax collector, considered a traitor by religious Jews
for his collaboration with the invading Romans. Think of how you feel about
the tax collector today. Now imagine that Hitler had won the second World
War, and this tax agent was working for the Nazis occupying our country.
How would you feel about this man? Do you think he is probably an
opportunist, a shallow, selfish, slimy fellow with no respect for tradition?
This is the guy that Jesus Christ is telling you that you must love as
your neighbor. Jesus is taking this man everywhere with him, and has made
him a part of his inner circle.
Matthew certainly made a good living, yet he let go of it to follow
Jesus.
Matthew was the furthest thing from a religious Jew of any who followed
Jesus - further even than the Romans. Matthew had turned his back on the
religious tradition of the Jews. He probably saw it as empty and meaningless
rituals practiced by a backward people who were out of step with the modern
world.
Yet he had not turned his back on God.
The Gospel of Matthew was traditionally considered to be the firstwritten
of the Gospels. Modern scholars generally are convinced that it is actually
later, and a derivative of Mark. I have listened to their arguments, and
drawn the opposite conclusions.
We believe that the disciples of Christ, who included several educated
men, were smart enough and literate enough to take notes. Certainly a tax
collector would be in the habit of keeping detailed records.
Each Gospel seeks Christ from a different point of view. TheGospel
of Matthew reaches out from a perspective of day-to-day awareness, the
point of view of the practical, down-to-earthperson.
The form of the following interpretation is to provide the King James
Version text in its entirety, on the left side of the page.The running
commentary and interpretation is on the right, next to the verses. Periodically,
more extensive discussion and interpretation will break in and fill all
the way across the page.
We have included the entire text of the verses, because of the inconvenience
of referring back and forth to a Bible. We haveused the King James Version
because everyone has access to it.
Rather than writing an extensive explanation of the method of interpretation,
we will explain as we go along. This is not designed as an intellectual
exercise, or as a theological argument, but as a spiritual journey.
It is not our intention to replace the Gospel that you are familiar
with, with a new one. Our interpretation is meant to illustrate the process
of discovery you may choose to go through as you interpret the Bible for
yourself.
The final interpreter is always you.
As you read each part of our interpretation, create the picture or
image in your mind. Your own words will make this picture clearer.
Count on God to grant the increase of your wisdom.
[Go forward to Chapter 1 ->]
[The Metaphysical Matthew] [Brad
Jensen's Home Page]
Comments to the author, Brad Jensen
brad@elstore.com
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