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Mysteries of John
Chapter 6
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[Mysteries of John]
[Charles Fillmore's Works] [Unity on the Web Home Page]
John: Chapter 6
After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the
sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 2 And a great
multitude followed him, because they beheld the signs which
he did on them that were sick. 3 And Jesus went up into the
mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. 4 Now the
passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Jesus
therefore lifting up his eyes, and seeing that a great
multitude cometh unto him, saith unto Philip, Whence are we
to buy bread, that these may eat? 6 And this he said to
prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip
answered him, Two hundred shillings' worth of bread is not
sufficient for them, that every one may take a little. 8
One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith
unto him, 9 There is a lad here, who hath five barley
loaves, and two fishes: but what are these among so many?
10 Jesus said, Make the people sit down. Now there was much
grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about
five thousand. 11 Jesus therefore took the loaves; and
having given thanks, he distributed to them that were set
down; likewise also of the fishes as much as they would. 12
And when they were filled, he saith unto his disciples,
Gather up the broken pieces which remain over, that nothing
be lost. 13 So they gathered them up, and filled twelve
baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves,
which remained over unto them that had eaten. 14 When
therefore the people saw the sign which he did, they said,
This is of a truth the prophet that cometh into the world.
WE INCREASE our vitality by blessing and giving thanks in
spirit. To bring about this increase efficiently we must
understand the anatomy of the soul and mind centers in the
body.
It has been found by experience that a person increases
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his blessings by being grateful for what he has. Gratitude
even on the mental plane is a great magnet, and when
gratitude is expressed from the spiritual standpoint it is
powerfully augmented. The custom of saying grace at the
table has its origin in man's attempt to use this power of
increase.
A woman who had been left with a large family and no
visible means of support related in an experience meeting
how wonderfully this law had worked in providing food for
her children. In her extremity she had asked the advice of
one who understood the law, and she had been told to thank
God silently for abundant supply on her table, regardless
of appearances. She and her children began doing this, and
in a short time the increase of food was so great at times
that it astonished them. Her grocer's bill was met
promptly, and in most marvelous ways the family was
supplied with food. Never after that time did they lack.
In all its work the I AM (Christ) uses the faculties of the
mind. The I AM is Spirit, and it cannot move directly on
substance or formed states of consciousness. It uses the
spiritual faculties as its agents. The name Philip means
"power," and Jesus appealed to Philip to know how these
hungry "thoughts" or people were to be fed. Jesus did this
to "prove him." This means that power is still under the
limitations of sense. It looks on the visible supply and
judges its capacity from that viewpoint. Andrew (strength),
brother of Peter (faith), has a slight perception of true
supply on the seven-sense
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plane of consciousness (represented as the lad with five
loaves and two fishes). This is a good beginning for the I
AM. If you have a consciousness of the capacity that is
involved in the natural man's sevenfold nature, you have a
good foundation on which to build the twelvefold or
spiritual man.
Having quickened your idea of power and strength in
universal Spirit, you "sit down" or center your forces
within you and begin to bless and give thanks. In divine
order you make connection with the universal, vital energy
of Being and fill your whole consciousness with vitality.
The surplus energy settles back into the various centers as
reserve force (the twelve baskets that remained over). Thus
you learn to live by "the living bread which came down out
of heaven," the very flesh or substance of eternal life.
Jesus and His disciples were on a mountain when this great
increase of substance took place, which indicates a high
state of consciousness. An eminent British scientist, Sir
James Jeans, says that it may be that the gods that
determine our fates are our own minds acting on our brain
cells and through them on the world about us. Here is
stated a profound truth that, accepted and tested, will
demonstrate supply to meet every need. Science says that we
live in an invisible ether pregnant with the essence of all
visible things, that this essence is wrapped up in the
atom, and that it awaits an as yet undiscovered law to set
it free. Jesus knew the law and through Him we may know it.
In World War II science used this power in the destructive
atom bomb. Jesus used
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it constructively in feeding the five thousand.
15 Jesus therefore perceiving that they were about to come
and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew again
into the mountain himself alone.
Spirit always has the power and the ability to handle any
situation. Jesus knew His time had not yet come. He had not
yet developed the spiritual power necessary to meet the
many demands made on Him. The way out was to withdraw from
public work for a season. Those who are evolving
spiritually know whether or not they are equal to certain
demands made on them, and they withdraw to the within for
further spiritual realization and power.
16 And when evening came, his disciples went down unto the
sea; 17 and they entered into a boat, and were going over
the sea unto Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus had
not yet come to them. 18 And the sea was rising by reason
of a great wind that blew. 19 When therefore they had rowed
about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they behold Jesus
walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the boat: and
they were afraid. 20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be
not afraid. 21 They were willing therefore to receive him
into the boat: and straightway the boat was at the land
whither they were going.
To walk on the sea as Jesus did, without sinking down into
the waves, required established faith in the power of
Spirit.
We cannot walk on the waves of life in our
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own personal strength. If we remember to call on the
strength of Christ we are sustained by unlimited power, by
the real self.
22 On the morrow the multitude that stood on the other side
of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, save
one, and that Jesus entered not with his disciples into the
boat, but that his disciples went away alone 23 (howbeit
there came boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where
they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks): 24
when the multitude therefore saw that Jesus was not there,
neither his disciples, they themselves got into the boats,
and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25 And when they
found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him,
Rabbi, when camest thou hither? 26 Jesus answered them and
said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not
because ye saw signs, but because ye ate of the loaves, and
were filled. 27 Work not for the food which perisheth, but
for the food which abideth unto eternal life, which the Son
of man shall give unto you: for him the Father, even God,
hath sealed. 28 They said therefore unto him, What must we
do, that we may work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered
and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye
believe on him whom he hath sent. 30 They said therefore
unto him, What then doest thou for a sign, that we may see,
and believe thee? what workest thou? 31 Our fathers ate the
manna in the wilderness; as it is written, He gave them
bread out of heaven to eat. 32 Jesus therefore said unto
them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, It was not Moses that
gave you the bread out of heaven; but my Father giveth you
the true bread out of heaven. 33 For the bread of God is
that which cometh down out of heaven, and giveth life unto
the world. 34 They said therefore unto him, Lord, evermore
give us this bread. 35 Jesus said
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unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me
shall not hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never
thirst. 36 But I said unto you, that have seen me, and yet
believe not. 37 All that which the Father giveth me shall
come unto me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out. 38 For I am come down from heaven, not to do mine
own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is
the will of him that sent me, that of all that which he
hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up
at the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that
every one that beholdeth the Son, and believeth on him,
should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the
last day.
41 The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he
said, I am the bread which came down out of heaven. 42 And
they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose
father and mother we know? how doth he now say, I am come
down out of heaven? 43 Jesus answered and said unto them,
Murmur not among yourselves. 44 No man can come to me,
except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise
him up in the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets,
And they shall all be taught of God. Every one that hath
heard from the Father, and hath learned, cometh unto me. 46
Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he that is from
God, he hath seen the Father. 47 Verily, verily, I say unto
you, He that believeth hath eternal life. 48 I am the bread
of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness,
and they died. 50 This is the bread which cometh down out
of heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am
the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man
eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the
bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the
world.
52 The Jews therefore strove one with another,
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saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53 Jesus
therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his
blood, ye have not life in yourselves. 54 He that eateth my
flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life; and I will
raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat
indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my
flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him. 57
As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the
Father; so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of
me. 58 This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not
as the fathers ate, and died; he that eateth this bread
shall live for ever. 59 These things said he in the
synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
Here the multitudes (meaning a multitude of thoughts) are
really seeking comfort and consolation ("they themselves
got into the boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus").
They had entered into that inner conviction of the abiding
compassion and restoring power of God.
In the universal Mind principle, which Jesus called "the
Father," there is a substance that also includes the mother
or seed of all visible substance. It is the only real
substance because it is unchangeable, while the visible
substance is in constant transition.
The origin or source of all substance is the idea of
substance. It is purely spiritual and can be apprehended
only by the mind. It is never visible to the eye, nor can
it be sensed by man through any of the bodily faculties.
Bible authorities say that the Almighty God in Genesis
should have been translated
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El Shaddai, "the breasted one." Thus God is found to
include both the male and the female principle.
When the mind has centered its attention on this idea of
substance long enough and strongly enough, it generates the
consciousness of substance, and through the powers of the
various faculties of the mind in right relation it can form
visible substance. Jesus in this way brought into
visibility the loaves and fishes to feed the five thousand.
But this faculty of dealing with ideas is open to all men
and women. It is not given to privileged persons and
withheld from all others.
Jesus knew this, and He also knew that every man must
center his attention on this spiritual substance and bring
forth its fruits, just as He did. But those whose attention
has long been centered in things visible are slow to
appreciate this fact.
Jesus fed the multitude in an easy way, and they followed
Him over the sea in boats apparently in order to get more
food; at least that is the motive Jesus attributed to them.
Then He tells them plainly that they must not labor for the
food that perishes but for the food that "abideth unto
eternal life."
When they asked how they should do these "works of God" or
so-called miracles, He said, "Believe on him whom he hath
sent." One translation says, "Believe in him." Man is to
believe in the spiritual presence of the living God even as
one "sent"; that is, entered into the consciousness.
All shall attain who believe or have faith in the spiritual
source of life. Whoever comes to this Christ
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realm in the heavens all about us will be moved by its
will, which is the will of the Father. There will be no
loss, no failure in this realm, and whoever enters into the
Mind of Spirit will have poured out to him its life essence
and be wholly raised up from material conditions when
arriving at the "last day" (the last degree of
understanding).
Moses caused manna to fall from heaven to feed the Children
of Israel. The body of Christ is a spiritual substance that
we incorporate into consciousness through faith out of the
heavens of mind. That the food we eat has a spiritual
source is proved by those who fast in spiritual faith much
longer and easier than those who are forced to starve.
60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they heard this,
said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it? 61 But Jesus
knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this,
said unto them, Doth this cause you to stumble? 62 What
then if ye should behold the Son of man ascending where he
was before? 63 It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh
profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you
are spirit, and are life. 64 But there are some of you that
believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they
were that believed not, and who it was that should betray
him. 65 And he said, For this cause have I said unto you,
that no man can come unto me, except it be given unto him
of the Father.
66 Upon this many of his disciples went back, and walked no
more with him. 67 Jesus said therefore unto the twelve,
Would ye also go away? 68 Simon Peter answered him, Lord,
to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
69 And we have believed and know that thou art the Holy One
of God. 70 Jesus answered them, Did not I
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choose you the twelve, and one of you is a devil? 71 Now he
spake of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for he it was
that should betray him, being one of the twelve.
Jesus said, "It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh
profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you
are spirit, and are life." Being, the original fount, is an
impersonal principle; but in its work of creation it puts
forth an idea that contains all ideas: the Logos, Word,
Christ, the Son of God, or spiritual man. This spiritual
man or Christ or Word of God is the true inner self of
every individual. Man therefore contains within himself the
capacities of Being, and through his words uses the
creative principle in forming his environment, good or bad.
So we make our own heaven or hell.
The ideas that make words constructive are those of life,
love, wisdom, substance, power, strength, and all other
ideas that express divine attributes. Words carrying the
life idea produce a vitalizing and life-giving effect.
Words that express divine love are harmonizing and unifying
in their effect.
Words are made active in the body through their receptivity
by the mind and are carried into the body through the
subconsciousness by one's thought. Constructive words that
renew the body are made a part of the body consciousness by
prayer and meditation. These are the words that are Spirit
and give life.
Many people start out to walk in the light of Spirit, to
unfold Truth, but they become entangled in their own
misgivings and disbelief and therefore
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return to their old limited way of life.
After these events Jesus went to Galilee (the "whirl of
life"), for He did not walk in Judea (praise) because the
Jews sought to kill him. The Jews (the Pharisaical Jews in
this instance) believed in the letter of the law rather
than the spirit.
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[Mysteries of John]
[Charles Fillmore's Works] [Unity on the Web Home Page]
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