Chapter 14
{14:1} At that time Herod the Now the outer self that believes only
tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus in physical cause and effect can no
{14:2} And said unto his servants, longer ignore the inner changes. At
This is John the Baptist; he is first you think it is the desire for
risen from the dead; and therefore spiritual rebirth awakening again.
mighty works do shew forth
themselves in him
{14:3} For Herod had laid hold on You thought you had put this away,
John, and bound him, and put [him] and that you had totally squelched
in prison for Herodias' sake, his this impulse so you could go on
brother Philip's wife being attached to physical things.
{14:4} For John said unto him, It This impulse told you that love must
is not lawful for thee to have her be complete to be satisfying.
{14:5} And when he would have put You were afraid to totally reject the
him to death, he feared the spiritual basis of love because it
multitude, because they counted him is something you have told yourself
as a prophet is a basic value you hold.
{14:6} But when Herod's birthday You were so caught up in self-love
was kept, the daughter of Herodias and in being impressed with your
danced before them, and pleased own outer image
Herod
{14:7} Whereupon he promised with that you act to be consistant with
an oath to give her whatsoever she this false outer self.
would ask
{14:8} And she, being before And the ego tries to put its fear to
instructed of her mother, said, rest by making you profane your love,
Give me here John Baptist's head in and reason away your spiritual desire.
a charger
{14:9} And the king was sorry: You realize your error, but follow
nevertheless for the oath's sake, through on betraying your inner desire
and them which sat with him at for unity, because you still feel the
meat, he commanded [it] to be given need to be consistant in your actions.
[her]
{14:10} And he sent, and beheaded You rationalize the destruction of
John in the prison your spiritual ideals.
{14:11} And his head was brought in And for the moment you are satisfied
a charger, and given to the damsel: with yourself.
and she brought [it] to her mother
{14:12} And his disciples came, and But you realize that this desire has
took up the body, and buried it, been completed, and that the inner
and went and told Jesus change has already occurred.
{14:13} When Jesus heard [of it], Now you begin directly working with
he departed thence by ship into a the changes in yourself in the inner
desert place apart: and when the levels, before they become physical.
people had heard [thereof], they You no longer need to react to
followed him on foot out of the circumstance.
cities
{14:14} And Jesus went forth, and And you find that all conscious
saw a great multitude, and was attitudes spring from inner spiritual
moved with compassion toward them, desires, and you work to integrate them
and he healed their sick into your total self.
{14:15} And when it was evening, Your previous thought was that the outer
his disciples came to him, saying, thoughts could only learn in the outer
This is a desert place, and the world, from circumstance and physical
time is now past; send the action.
multitude away, that they may go
into the villages, and buy
themselves victuals
{14:16} But Jesus said unto them, But now you realize that all in mind is
They need not depart; give ye them one, that every thought is the image of
to eat. the creator.
{14:17} And they say unto him, We Before you thought the soul and the spirit
have here but five loaves, and two must stay separate from the phsyical self.
fishes
{14:18} He said, Bring them hither But now you know that you are made in the
to me. image and likeness of God : you are one.
{14:19} And he commanded the And with your attention on the I AM awareness,
multitude to sit down on the grass, you can learn in all levels of consciousness
and took the five loaves, and the at once, because you learn principles, not
two fishes, and looking up to facts. You use the organization and discipline
heaven, he blessed, and brake, and you have developed to carry this understanding
gave the loaves to [his] disciples, to all parts of your mind.
and the disciples to the multitude
{14:20} And they did all eat, and You appropriate this understanding through
were filled: and they took up of all twelve qualities of your consciousness.
the fragments that remained twelve
baskets full
{14:21} And they that had eaten And your understanding is complete throughout
were about five thousand men, your entire soul and body, and all the thoughts
beside women and children that derive from them.
{14:22} And straightway Jesus Your desire to use pure spiritual
constrained his disciples to get principle has been too abstract. You
into a ship, and to go before him need to attend to your conscious thoughts.
unto the other side, while he sent
the multitudes away
{14:23} And when he had sent the So you stop and reflect on this new idea.
multitudes away, he went up into a Who am I really? What should I be doing
mountain apart to pray: and when with my life?
the evening was come, he was there
alone
{14:24} But the ship was now in the And these new thoughts shake up your
midst of the sea, tossed with emotional self, and your commitment
waves: for the wind was contrary to using spiritual principles.
{14:25} And in the fourth watch of And finally you settle on a new mental
the night Jesus went unto them, plan, that brings you above your
walking on the sea emotional distress.
{14:26} And when the disciples saw You have identified yourself with the
him walking on the sea, they were superconscious mind or spirit, and
troubled, saying, It is a spirit; your mental and emotional selves are
and they cried out for fear in turmoil.
{14:27} But straightway Jesus spake You reach to reunite yourself to this
unto them, saying, Be of good new, truly spiritual point of view.
cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
{14:28} And Peter answered him and The outer belief in spiritual cause and
said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me effect unites with the inner knowing
come unto thee on the water of the superconscious mind.
{14:29} And he said, Come. And You give up the desire to protect
when Peter was come down out of the yourself emotionally, release all
ship, he walked on the water, to go defensiveness and self-importance, and
to Jesus desire true goodness.
{14:30} But when he saw the wind But you can't hold on to this attitude
boisterous, he was afraid; and yet in the face of all your intellectual
beginning to sink, he cried, opinions, and you fall back on your
saying, Lord, save me previous relationship with the truth
{14:31} And immediately Jesus as something beyond your conscious
stretched forth [his] hand, and knowing. Your spiritual purpose restabilizes
caught him, and said unto him, O your mind. To maintain you awareness in
thou of little faith, wherefore superconsciousness your will must be
didst thou doubt? strong and steady.
{14:32} And when they were come But for now you fall back on belief instead
into the ship, the wind ceased of knowing. You have had a glimpse of your
{14:33} Then they that were in the your infinite potential, and realize that
ship came and worshipped him, your priorities and sense of authority
saying, Of a truth thou art the Son must change.
of God
{14:34} And when they were gone You realize the richness of your life,
over, they came into the land of and reevalute your wealth in the light
Gennesaret of your new spiritual identity.
{14:35} And when the men of that Now you can experience true abundance.
place had knowledge of him, they You begin to align all aspects of yourself
sent out into all that country with your total self-awareness.
round about, and brought unto him
all that were diseased
{14:36} And besought him that they And even the outward expression of this
might only touch the hem of his understanding is enough to begin the
garment: and as many as touched process.
were made perfectly whole
I am working on the rest of the chapters.
The questions that may come to your mind as you read this interpretation
might include the following.
Was the Gospel of Matthew consciously written to include metaphysical
symbolism? Were the acts of Jesus designed to be metaphorical? Could the
inspiration of God direct the writing at this level? Is the entire
experience of Christ designed as a parable?
I have done my best to read the text in dream symbols and translate
it truthfully into everyday speech. I leave it to you to judge the
usefulness of the result in your own life.
The Gospel is supposed to be an encouraging message from God about
his relationship with you as an individual. Taken on this metaphysical
level it certainly seems to be so.
Brad Jensen
[The Metaphysical Matthew]
[Brad Jensen's Home Page]
Comments to the author, Brad Jensen brad@elstore.com
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