Chapter 3
{3:1} In those days came John the John the Baptist represents transforming
Baptist, preaching in the conscious awareness through uncondition-
wilderness of Judaea al love. The wilderness is the undisci-
plined subconscious mind that is seeking
{3:2} And saying, Repent ye: for God through praise (Judea).
the kingdom of heaven is at hand Repent means rethink. The kingdom of
heaven means order in mind thru accept-
{3:3} For this is he that was ance of the superconscious.
spoken of by the prophet Esaias, Esaias, or Isaiah (salvation of Yahweh)
saying, The voice of one crying in is the divine idea of total regenera-
the wilderness, Prepare ye the way tion of the self, through definite,
of the Lord, make his paths straight clear goals of spiritual development.
{3:4} And the same John had his The self is expressing (hair) through
raiment of camel's hair, and a the habit of meditation or taking the
leathern girdle about his loins; attention away from conscious exper-
and his meat was locusts and wild ience (camel), controlling or even
honey restraining the expression of creative
thought (girdle about loins), and
learning (meat) by overcoming the habit
of destroying new ideas (locusts are
insects that eat plants), and overcoming
the desire for sweet but simplistic
understandings (wild honey).
John represents a stage of spiritual searching that gets carried away with
spiritual truth in an impractical fashion. Christ takes this earnest desire
to be with God, and applies it fully to daily life.
{3:5} Then went out to him This is a transformation of thought
Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all (baptism) that is applied to these
the region round about Jordan states of consciousness.
{3:6} And were baptized of him in All the aspects of the self
Jordan, confessing their sins are brought to conscious attention
{3:7} But when he saw many of the The Pharisees were the fundamental-
Pharisees and Sadducees come to his ists of their day, who believed
baptism, he said unto them, O that by following a spiritual formula
generation of vipers, who hath they would be justified by God. Vipers
warned you to flee from the wrath refers again to the ego. The wrath is
to come the result of not thinking, but just
reacting.
{3:8} Bring forth therefore fruits Place your attention on creating sit-
meet for repentance uations to learn thru reevaluating your
relation to God.
{3:9} And think not to say within Aspects that come from understood ex-
yourselves, We have Abraham to periences (stones) can replace those
[our] father: for I say unto you, that have lost their willingness to
that God is able of these stones to do the work of the Father (I AM).
raise up children unto Abraham
{3:10} And now also the axe is laid It is a time for reevaluation of all
unto the root of the trees: thoughts that are growing within
therefore every tree which bringeth mind. Instead of letting worries and
not forth good fruit is hewn down, anxiety take over, discriminate and
and cast into the fire release those thoughts that do not
serve your purpose.
{3:11} I indeed baptize you with You will change now with your atten-
water unto repentance: but he that tion on conscious experience, but soon
cometh after me is mightier than I, your attention and authority will come
whose shoes I am not worthy to from within (Holy Ghost), the founda-
bear: he shall baptize you with the tion (shoes) of this new awareness is
Holy Ghost, and [with] fire from within mind.
{3:12} Whose fan [is] in his hand, Discrimination based on spiritual
and he will throughly purge his purpose. Getting the best out of each
floor, and gather his wheat into learning experience and completely
the garner; but he will burn up the letting go of the rest (no more resent-
chaff with unquenchable fire ment)
{3:13} Then cometh Jesus from The outer, intellectualizing desire
Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be for spirituality is presented with the
baptized of him inner, true spirituality.
{3:14} But John forbad him, saying, The intellect knows its limits. But
I have need to be baptized of thee, the inner recognizes that the self
and comest thou to me must be one whole.
{3:15} And Jesus answering said The conscious mind must give its
unto him, Suffer [it to be so] blessing. The Jordan (descender) is
now: for thus it becometh us to the stream of awareness from God to
fulfil all righteousness. Then he outer man.
suffered him
{3:16} And Jesus, when he was Not dwelling on conscious experience
baptized, went up straightway out (water) but taking the attention into
of the water: and, lo, the heavens mind and recognizing that it is in some
were opened unto him, and he saw way a divine idea (dove). Being respons-
the Spirit of God descending like a ible for the entire mind (spirit, soul,
dove, and lighting upon him and body).
{3:17} And lo a voice from heaven, God says Amen to us, when we say Amen
saying, This is my beloved Son, in to God.
whom I am well pleased
Jesus recognized that he was the co-creator with God of his experience.
This chapter demonstrates the balanced creation of a new spiritual awareness,
giving proper respect to the conscious mind, which chooses the form of
experience, and to the superconscious mind, that provides the power and
inspiration for the experience.
By now, the pattern of our interpretation is clear. The Bible is not about
some holy men, long ago and far away. The Bible is about YOU and the changes
that you are going through and will go through as you develop your awareness
of yourself and your responsibility for creation.
Jesus Christ lived his life as a parable, to teach us (and learn himself)
the pathway to the Father, or I AM awareness.
This pathway begins with the thought, "I created this experience for myself,
and I will be responsible for it."
You may agree or disagree with the symbolism I am using to express the
inner teachings of the Gospel of Matthew. But you have a choice to take on
the responsibilty for interpreting it. Freely chosen, this becomes the
interpretation of love, instead of the unconscious interpretation of fear.
The challenge to take on this responsibility is the cross.