A ‘bible” is a word coming from the Latin word “bibliotheca,” meaning “a collection of books, library.”
There is a J. K. Rowling bible, which stars the superhero Harry Potter. People worship that Son of Rowling and even bow down before the goddess J. K. That religion has barely lasted an equivalent amount of time as that spent by the Israelites when they went camping out in the wilderness. That places this library under the heading Nouveau Riche, because it is a religion all about profits.
The collection of books contained in the library of God – the recognized ‘anonymous’ author of books from Genesis to The Revelation – is deemed a “Holy Bible” because God is not some money-hungry prostitute with a pen in His invisible hand or a plantation slave owner who whipped His slaves, forcing them to write down His ideas of philosophy in the current popular vernacular [whatever sells the most]. People worship God because His works are always relevant and never go out of style. While fads may come and fads may go, when more will see the relevance of the Holy Bible more easily at some times than other times, its longevity speaks loudly of its worthiness. After more than seventeen hundred years, it is still read (the old parts longer than that!). It does not take much to imagine how, in the future, whatever form of intelligent life that will exist on or around planet earth (say, in and about the year 4000 A.D. – C.E. to the atheists of now) will think the Harry Potter Library was a worthless exercise, in terms of enhancing human life. For future life forms to choose to destroy and forbid such nonsense of thought from public consumption [much like the Uncle Remus Library has been today], the Holy Bible will still be found relevant to ‘current affairs.’
Well, I say that because I see everything in the Holy Bible as conforming to contemporary times, without bending to the idiocy that mankind is fond of producing and raising to positions of power, wealth, and influence. Like zits on a teenager’s face, tyrants will always raise their ugly heads, glow red and ooze nastiness in their immediate surroundings, until the time comes to scrub them clean. Actions will leave a huge crater of bloody wrath that will slowly scab over and return to clear skin – amid other repetitions of the same elsewhere.
The Holy Bible is like the face of the Virgin Mary – always beautiful, always without make-up or cosmetics.
Still, if mankind ever gets the equivalent of rabies and turns stark raving mad, snapping wildly at its own shadows and noises, the Holy Bible might become totally forgotten and neglected. In these pandemic times, where madness is present in the thoughts of fear, making half turn on the other half, the Holy Bible is amid one of those fad times. Reading, discussing, understanding and living up to the wisdom the Holy Bible brings is difficult, as paying attention while sensing the breath of life respiring within a facial covering is most distracting. But like teens, the world grows out of its phases. The worry is if the world grows into a mass murderer and kills everyone just to see what that looks like. If that happens, then the Holy Bible will only exist in museums in Heaven.
While reading some thoughts I had written long ago, I ran across this reading set aside for the Pentecost season in Year C (Proper 18). It spoke to me in these terms of contemporaneousness. I felt the need to share it with you.
The official reading comes from Luke 14:25-33, although the two verses that close that chapter also add to this reading. The reading states:
Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus; and he turned and said to them, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, `This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.”
Verses 34-35 add:
“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
Due to the attention span people have these days, I will only address the first three verses from this selection. By understanding the meaning held in those three verses, all the rest become easily interpreted. Here are the three again:
“25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.'”
Since the translation of the New Revised Standard Version is confusing and misleading, I will slowly present English translations that are the intent of the written Word. This is evident from examining the actual Greek text, with the segmentation that is set off by marks of punctuation [not included below]. Here is a somewhat different [yet valid] English translation, with brief analysis of each segment:
25 Assembling with him now multitudes many –
As of the year 2015, Christianity had approximately 2.3 billion adherents out of a worldwide population of about 7.5 billion people. (Google quoting Wikipedia article) Whatever the number is today (2020), one has to be able to see how “larger crowds are traveling with Jesus” now. The truth of then – which might have amounted to thousands in Galilee – it still true today, in even larger numbers. So, it is important to see Christians today as “Assembling with him.”
The capitalized first word, “Syneporeuonto,” projects the importance of those who “Journey together, Come together, Journey together with; and, Assemble,” where the capitalization becomes a statement of a Movement. That Movement has continued to grow over the past two thousand years. At all times between then and now multitudes have Come together as followers of Jesus. The movement that physically surrounded Jesus then is the gathering of the masses that have joined in the journey of Jesus now, spiritually. Thus, one cannot get lost in the times and think us individuals today are not in this scene painted in Luke’s Gospel.
kai having turned –
The Greek word “strapheis” follows the Greek marker word “kai,” meaning that one word has importance that must be understood. It (and kai) is preceded by a semi-colon mark and followed by a comma, setting it apart, as the aorist passive participle “having [had] turned.” The root verb also means “to convert, to change, or to change direction.” Because this word follows a segment that state a lot of people are tagging along behind and around Jesus, the syntax of language fools our brains into seeing this word as a simple physical exercise, where Jesus stopped, turned around, and faced the crowd. Certainly, that happened then too; but, the truth of today does not require Jesus turning (“having had turned”), as much as the separation and marker of importance shines light on it being the crowds that had (and still have had] turned.
This one word states the importance of Christianity today, even though the truth applied to its fledgling state of being way back when. The root word, “strephó ,” implies: “to convert by changing (switching) direction, i.e. go the other way (an “about-face”); taking an opposite or divergent course.” This understanding of one word being highlighted in importance then states the significance of everyone, at all times who convert to the concept of “traveling with Jesus,” must realize what it really means to “change direction” in one’s personal life. Jesus saw the growth (which was expected) to continue after he was physically gone, so it became time then (as now) to let everyone following in his direction know the times would come when he would not be there physically for everyone to walk behind or around. Therefore, this word becomes a statement that addresses those who want to call themselves followers of Jesus – at all times.
he brought word to them –
The word “eipen” is the third-person singular form of “eîpon,” which translates as “answer, bid, bring word, command.” It only implies speaking or saying, either by talking or writing. This means the NSRV translating “said to them” (“eipen pros autos“) gives the impression that Jesus physically gave a speech or gave a short sermon about something that popped into his head and needed to be “said.” The word has greater power by Jesus doing more than talking to a crowd of followers that surrounded him on that day. Them being close to Jesus physically means it is more probable that the crowd intuited – Spiritually – what choosing to follow Jesus would demand of them – each individually.
These verses, as well as all the verses of the four Gospels, are the Word of God as spoken through His Son. The Apostles all spoke as Jesus Christ resurrected within their beings. Christianity is a religion that believes what Jesus spoke, as teachings that must be followed. Many recite faith that God has spoken through the prophets; and, Jesus was the biggest prophet of them all. Thus, the conversion of the many is based on what Jesus said, not the scrolls of the Israelites, because God has spoken through the Son.
The world has not changed its direction to Judaism. Multitudes have adopted Christianity because the Old testified to the coming of the New. What God spoke through the Torah, Psalms and Prophets was leading to a world following Jesus, as the Christ – the promised Messiah that would be more than a king reigning sixty years or so. This means the words that follow here [as like all those found throughout the New Testament books] are what Jesus says to you and to anyone who ever reads what Jesus “said.”
26 If anyone comes with me –
The capitalized first word “Ei” is an important word that states a condition – “If.” Its use “expresses” a condition, thought of as real, or to denote assumptions” (i.e. viewed as factual. for the sake of argument). [HELPS Word-studies] The condition is not exclusive to Jews, nor is it inclusive of them. The word “tis” says “anyone” or “someone” is capable of being part of the crowds following Jesus. However, the deeper meaning of “tis” is it places focus on a “certain one,” which is a powerful statement about one’s commitment to follow. The preposition “pros” states the direction “certain ones” will take, as either “to, towards, or with,” which can be from a position at the ‘back of the pack’ or ‘side-by-side,’ but more importantly “with” Jesus in being. Therefore, the verb “comes” (“erchetai“) must be seen as the conditions that do more than simply “come to” Jesus, but instead addresses those who “come with” Jesus, brought “towards” his state of righteousness. The “If” is then focused on that which makes one more than a casual observer, as it is a statement that places focus on those who will be just like Jesus – disciples who will be so devoted to God that they will become Jesus reborn.
kai not hates the father of himself –
The Greek marker “kai” again should be read as intended to draw one’s attention to an important statement to follow. The importance is relative to the word stated prior to the comma – kai combination, which was “me,” a form of the Greek word “ego,” meaning “I.” Again, the conditional established (“If”) should then be seen as relative to one’s own “ego,” which must not be seen as “with” that of Jesus, unless all criteria have been met. Thus, the first word following “kai” is “ou,” meaning “not,” where this word states the negative aspects of “self” (“me”) and/or becoming a resurrection of Jesus (“me”). Thus begins a series of statements about what a true Christian is “not.”
The Greek word “misei” is poorly translated as “hates.” It should be read as “loves less.” Jesus was not placing focus on “hate,” but, if one’s heart is led by a brain that seeks that translation, then that translation will be all one will be able to see. The word is a marker of “esteem” within one’s being. It is that level of “esteem” that one is asked to “love less” or have “less esteem” for “self” or Jesus: the call is to choose one over the other.
In America there once was a concept of “God, Country, Family,” where the implication is that all have great value, but they are not equals. One loves or holds esteem for all. The order infers that God is loved more than the other two, but no one ever saw Country or Family as being hated because God came first. This then comes across (minimally) as the call to choose between Jesus and one’s biological father. But, more can be read here.
The “father of himself” (“patera heautou”) is both a statement about lineage and bloodline, as well as a statement about self and religion. Lineage certainly was a fault in the children of Israel (descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). At the time Jesus spoke there were Jews present whose fathers might have had a recorded genealogy, going back generations to someone important in that history. As Jews, they were thought to be all blessed by God, above all others. Today, there are the children of priests-pastors-ministers-rabbis-preachers that likewise can feel a sense of superiority. People involved with their churches can feel that dedication raises themselves into higher positions of relevance to God and Christ. All (Jews then and Christians now) seem to be asked by Jesus, “Who would you choose? Daddy [who you know and love dearly] or Jesus [who you have only read about and seen cartoons of his image, with Jesus having no genetic relationship with you whatsoever]?” This creates a dilemma; but, it is not the intent.
As a statement about self and religion, the question strikes at the heart of those who see self as a father [a leader] of others. Regardless of one’s human gender, each individual creates self-esteem. As such, each individual “fathers” the way one projects into the world. In religion, we routinely call a spiritual guide “Father,” as though he or she is a resurrection of God in the flesh [not Jesus]. When Christianity is seen as the measure for who loves Jesus more, the “father of himself” is anyone [including oneself, regardless of human gender] who chooses their own brains over submission to the Father and His Son. A “father of oneself” is then that which creates one’s image of “self.”
By understanding this concept of “father” from the words of Luke, referencing what Jesus spoke intuitively to all followers, this is more than meets the eye. Rather than be intended to make one think about hating dear old dad, the call must be heard to love this aspect of self-promotion – be one who begets one’s image to the world – less than one loves God. One is called to love self-image less than God, the ultimate “father” figure. However, due to the self-ego, everyone (male or female) plays the role of god in one’s life, where that god is the father of self. Those who worship self more than God cannot be disciples of Jesus.
kai the mother –
As far as Jewish heritage goes, a baby born to a Jewish mother becomes a Jew by birth, even if the Jewish mother is married to a Gentile husband. Thus, the kai is an indication that this importance must be understood. As far as some Americans are concerned [Charlie Manson immediately comes to mind], momma is not always a saintly person in the eyes of children. While a father is the same [many hate their fathers], Jesus was not promoting anyone break the Commandment “Honor your father and mother,” as one does that (honors dad and mom) by becoming a “father and mother.” Therefore, loving mom less than God has nothing to do with this requirement to be a disciple of Jesus.
Just as a father is that which creates one’s image of self, a mother is the womb that gives birth to a new self. We are self in the flesh, born of a mother’s womb and given the breath of life by God (a soul entered into flesh); but, to be a disciple of Jesus we have to love less that soul-body entity and give birth to a new self, one that has the Holy Spirit. To transform in that Spiritual manner, one must become the “mother” of that transformation. One’s sinful body nurtures a weak soul to do its bidding, which is one’s self-mother; and, that is the mother that must be hated or loved less, in order to let go of the old and be born anew.
The conditional scenario set by Jesus is then stating that one must love less what oneself has given birth to in this world [including one’s self-identity] and strongly feels attached to. The drive to nurture and excuse every flaw in the book is the mother in us all; but, all are called to love that mothering instinct to protect oneself from all challengers less than all should love God.
[As an aside, my wife was an Episcopal priest. All her flocks referred to her as Mother. She was not a mother of Christianity. God’s priests serve the Father as Saints, who are all reproductions of the Son. There is no goddess principle in Christianity. The “If” scenario says a true Christian must love less such titles of self-respect and self-reverence [father and mother in some religious terminology], as God is the true love, with His Son the only relationship true Christians share.]
kai the wife –
Here the introduction by the word kai announces the importance of “the wife.” The Greek word “gynaika” is most often translated as “wife,” but the basic translation is as “a woman.” Certainly, “a woman” implies maturity and the only reason humanity has sexual identifications that are opposite is for the purpose of procreation. Thus, “a woman” presumes “a wife,” where “a wife” is the precursor of “a mother.” This is where the opposites stated prior [father – mother] is making a statement of importance through omission. By Jesus not stating the conditions for loving a husband less love, the statement “kai the wife” places the same focus on oneself, as were “father” and “mother.”
Each and every one who wants to follow Jesus must love less the concept of marriage as a human union of bodies, natural instincts to procreate have driven two of the opposite six together. In the concept of human marriage, the woman becomes the possession of the man (thus the tradition of name change), where the wife submits to the will of the husband. This arrangement is best viewed as equal behind closed doors, rather than in public (again speaking from a traditional view). Based on a man’s position and financial standing in the world, one man can be husband to multiple wives. The reverse is not a tradition found common. Thus, the implication seems to be Jesus saying a man must love God more than his wife, which is far from what is being stated.
A “wife” (or a “woman”) is a statement that reflects one possession of “self.” A natural state of being is to have one self, thus only one “wife.” To have multiple wives means to have a personality disorder, similar to demonic possession. The soul is then the ‘husband’ of the body of flesh it controls, such that the flesh of one’s body becomes ‘the wife’ of one’s soul. This is the meaning behind Jesus saying this. Regardless of human gender, all souls are expected to love God more than their fleshy temporal homes, made of elements in the material world. Each individual is asked to become married to God, and become His wife.
kai the children –
Here the kai introduces the importance of recognizing “the children” are those of God. It is this word that seems impossible to fathom, especially when the translation has been “hates.” Who in their right mind can ever hate a child – even one throwing a wild tantrum in a public place, causing all eyes to focus on the parent who possesses the child? To read this segment in that light, leads one to imagine, “I must throw all of this that Jesus said out with the dirty bath water of sins accepted, as there is no way I can hate my baby.”
Hearing with ears like this is why the rich, young ruler of the Jews dropped his head and walked away from Jesus moaning and groaning, because there was no way in hell he was ever going to give what he owned to anyone other than himself. The Jews following Jesus each saw themselves as individuals within the collective that was the “children” of Israel [of the man Jacob, son of Isaac]. Likewise, all followers today see themselves as individuals in the collective of Christians, with all individually being one of the “children” of Jesus [the man, son of Mary and Joseph]. Jesus was saying each of these “children” must find less love for that collective association than love of God, or they disqualify themselves from being his disciple.
kai the brothers –
Here the kai introduces the importance of brotherhood. This was extremely important to the Jews of Jesus’ time, because only menfolk held any sway in the world. That was not limited to Jews, as it wasn’t until the twentieth century that women became so angry that the men all agreed: “Okay! You are human beings too.” The importance of “brothers” is again relative to being a disciple of Jesus, which goes well beyond one’s human gender. In the same way that “father of himself” is less about human masculinity and more about the element of God in one’s life – who creates one’s image of “self” – that questioned who one truly believes is one’s father, daddy human being or God the Father? Oneself is either the image of a fleshy form (hiding a soul within) or the soul that can truly call God “Father.”
That right is not one able to be made by those who are incapable of following Jesus. Only those who are reborn as Jesus can call Yahweh “Father.” When that link is seen, then everyone who married God, becoming His wife, thereby giving birth as the mother of the Husband, the “child” will be none other than Jesus reborn. Therefore, all “children” are “brothers” regardless of their human gender, because souls have no sexual organs or need to procreate. All souls able to follow Jesus must have less love for masculine human gender than they do God, seeking to become His Sons reborn into their flesh, all as “brothers.”
kai the sisters –
Here the kai signals the importance of gender, but once again it has nothing to do with female human beings. Just as each individual who will follow Jesus and will be reborn as him [his Holy Spirit possessing and overriding one’s submissive soul that has become married to God], the aspect of “sisters” is like “mother,” where every human being takes on that designation. God the Father and Jesus the Son are masculine essence, because all that is Spiritual is masculine. A soul is masculine, but its body of flesh is feminine. That means a soul becomes “brothers” by the merging of a masculine essence soul with the masculine essence Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. What is then affected and effected in this transformation is a living, breathing body of flesh that has been forevermore changed. Regardless of what sex organs are on that body of flesh, all bodies of flesh that have been enabled to follow Jesus are feminine, thereby “sisters.”
This says all of the Apostles were “brothers” in the Spirit, which included the merged souls of Mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, and the other women followers of Jesus. Likewise, that same group of human beings possessing flesh of different genders were all “sisters,” based on their love of God having bonded them as those all being wives of God. This has nothing to do with any corruption of this recognition, as seen in the revelations of Fundamentalist Mormons, where women are repressed and abused (because they are women, called “sisters,” who fully submit to their menfolk). All religions that similarly abuse women in the name of false prophets (including Islam) do not love less the esoteric fact that all flesh is feminine and all humanity is the esoteric reality of “sisters.”
further
In between two comma marks is the one Greek word “eti,” which has erroneously been translated as “yes.” The word most commonly translates as “still, yet,” with normal usage being read as “of time: still, yet, even now” or “of degree: even, further, more, in addition.” Rather than one word making a statement so unimportant as “yes” [nothing God says is unimportant], translating “eti” as summing up the contrasts presented: of “father” (masculine), of “mother” (feminine), of “wife” (feminine), of “children” (neuter), of “brothers” (masculine), and of “sisters” (feminine), reading “eti” as “further” also bears the relative meaning of time: “of a thing which went on formerly, whereas now a different state of things exists or has begun to exist.” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon) This one word then speaks loudly as a one-word statement that a disciple of Jesus must love less everything associated with the human state of being, states which change over time, in order to love God more.
both kai–
The small Greek word “te” translates commonly as “and, both,” as a particle that often is paired with kai, stating “both … and” or “not only … but also.” By seeing it state “both,” or “alike,” the contrasts of human flesh can be seen as two of the same, where the soul is asexual, easily at home in whatever gender its flesh provides. To read “both” accommodates everything previously stated. This is then linked to the importance of kai, which announces the importance of that which follows:
the life of itself–
With this segment is introduced by the word kai, the importance is then relative to the duality that is “life” – “both” the soul (masculine) and the body (feminine). The Greek word “psychēn” is translated as “life,” but the root word “psuché ” commonly translates as “breath, the soul.” According to Strong’s usage, it means “(a) the vital breath, breath of life, (b) the human soul, (c) the soul as the seat of affections and will, (d) the self, (e) a human person, an individual.” Whereas the NRSV translation (“yes, even their own life”) strongly gives the impression that Jesus said anyone qualifying to be his disciple must be willing to die for him, the reality is Jesus stated anyone who loves his or her own soul – life in the flesh – more than God – the source of that life – is unworthy of being his disciple.
The element of of death (the opposite of life) is then the unsaid state of existence that contrasts “life.” To revere the flesh is to revere death, as the flesh is dead matter that is animated by a soul. Only the soul has life, as the body of flesh is temporal, representing pending death. When “psychēn” is paired with “heautou,” the pronoun means both human genders – “himself” and “herself” – with “itself” the neuter gender it expresses. The “self” is then the truth of a soul in mortal flesh; and it is this that must be sacrificed (loved less than God). That self-sacrifice means the death of the ego, while the flesh maintains the “breath of life” – “a soul.” One must be willing to die of “self,” forgoing self-worship, in order to be reborn as the Son of God – a submissive soul married to the dominant Holy Spirit.
not is able to be me disciple –
The first word in this series is the Greek word “ou,” which again states the negative “not.” As a single word of importance [all words from God are important], “not” reflects back on what was previously stated, which was “life of itself.” Again, that is a “soul” that is trapped in a dead body of flesh. The implication of death says then, “If” (the conditional stated first in verse 26) one is “not” willing to die of “self” [lust for the flesh], then “not is able to be me.” The word translates two ways, forwards and backwards.
The Greek word “μου” is transliterated as “mou.” The same letters can translate as “me” (personal and indirect object) and as “my” (possessive). Our brains seek to see “my” as the translation, because the soul-flesh union refuses to see “not is able to be me” as a viable option. One is unable to be Jesus, when one refuses to sacrifice self-ego, opening one’s flesh to be possessed by God and His Christ. When “not” is removed as a negative and hindrance in this final statement in verse 26, such that “life of itself” is “not” what one chooses, then one “is able to be me,” able to be reborn as Jesus Christ, is the result.
The final word, “mathētēs,” then states what one is either able to be or inable to become, which is a “disciple.” The singular number says everything stated by Jesus in verse 26 is a requirement for each individual to consider. It has nothing to do with a collective or the plural number. The word “mathētēs” must be seen as more than a student, learner, or pupil,” which would have been heard by Jews, all of whom had spent many hours, for many years memorizing the Torah, Psalms, and words of the Prophets. Those Jews were indeed students, learners, and pupils who still sought a deeper meaning and purpose for being God’s chosen people. Today, unfortunately, there is gross failure for individuals to seek understanding. The disgusting opinion these days is, “I went to Sunday School for years. Nothing has changed since those times. Besides, I have a priest-pastor-minister-rabbi-preacher who studies all that stuff and tells me all about it.” That attitude will not make one able to be Jesus reborn.
The word “mathētēs” is said by HELPS Word-studies to “properly” be defined as “a learner; a disciple, a follower of Christ who learns the doctrines of Scripture and the lifestyle they require; someone catechized with proper instruction from the Bible with its necessary follow-through (life-applications).” Christianity today is woefully lacking in this intent of being a “disciple” of Jesus. Therefore, Christianity has few true Christians.
27 whoever not bears this upright stake itself –
Here, the Greek word “heautou” is repeated, after having been used in the statement “the life of itself.” The neuter translation is used, rather than “himself” or “herself,” as the consistent translation is all forms is “self.” This then refers back to “whoever” is “not” a “disciple,” from having chosen to worship self more than God. The Greek word “hostis,” translated as “whoever,” meaning “anyone who” or “everyone who,” where the use of a relative pronoun says no one is special and without the prerequisite need to comply with everything Jesus stated, relative to being his disciple. Again, “not” can work backwards or forwards, relative to who “bears” or “carries” the weight of responsibility for the outcome of one’s soul (“life”) – self or God.
So many have placed so much focus on “stauron” being translated as “cross,” with everyone jumping to the end of Jesus’ life and seeing his death on a Roman crucifix as the meaning of this usage. The three words, “ton stauron heautou,” state together, “this upright stake oneself.” This means an “upright stake” is a “T” stake driven into the ground, by which vine-creeping fruits and vegetables would grow, using the stake for support, upon which they would grow up, away from the ground, reaching the sun and staying away from pests below. The use of “not” is then relative to who holds the responsibility to keep this stake upright and strong. If it is himself or herself, then one is not able to be Jesus, thus not disciple material. If the upright stake is from a marriage with God, so the stake is held upright by the Holy Spirit, able to bear the weight of becoming Jesus Christ, then the conditions of discipleship have been met.
kai goes behind me –
Here the use of kai introduces the duality of meaning, which fits the dual ways “ou” (“not”) can be read. The Greek word “erchetai” translates as both “comes” and “goes,” in the third person singular. The same word was used at the beginning of verse 26, when the condition proposition was established, “If anyone comes to me.” Now, the importance (kai) is relative to what “himself, herself, oneself” has done, as far as “bearing the upright stake” that symbolizes a righteous state of being. If nothing has changed within “oneself,” then one “comes” as one is, uninterested in sacrificing “self” to become Jesus reborn. Those must fall in “behind” Jesus, which was where Jesus told Satan to get, when he was tempted in the wilderness. However, if one has sacrificed self, then one “goes” forward with Jesus at the helm of one’s being, meaning one’s soul is in the “back” of “oneself,” trusting completely in God and Christ. Either way, one has chosen to be the “me” of self-ego or one has chosen to be the “me” of Jesus reborn.
not is able to be me disciple –
Here is repeated the segment of words that ended verse 26. It now ends verse 27 in the same manner, where “not” works backwards and forwards. If you have forgotten what I wrote then, reread it now. The same applies.
The metaphor of the tower parable speaks clearly about those who say they are Christian, but then do nothing to be Christian. Building a foundation [the history of children’s church as the foundation of one’s beliefs], but then doing nothing to add to that is the neglect that deserves ridicule.
The metaphor of going to war against another king, says oneself is the king of one’s body of flesh. The other king is more than another human being. Instead, the other king is either Jesus of Satan. The calculations necessary, as to how many soldiers are necessary to win a war with either [the upright stake of righteousness battle, against God or Satan, so self can be served] is relative to the hard work demanded to win the war. War is a challenge of rule and domination, where death is the stake placed in the ground. Jesus proposed the prospect of defeating death is a losing proposition (not enough soldiers to win the war). Thus, the logical thing for one to do is to “ask for terms of peace.”
The Greek word translated as “peace” is “eirēnēn.” That word also translates as “quietness, rest,” which are synonymous with death. According to HELPS Word-studies, the proper intent of this word is “wholeness, i.e. when all essential parts are joined together; peace (God’s gift of wholeness).” Thus, the moral of that parable is: If you are going to die in a losing war against death, it makes more sense to surrender one’s self-ego before even waging war. To do that, one lets God bring Christ into one’s soul, so that wholeness will mean the transition from a living body of flesh to losing one’s body of flesh at death being ‘no big whoop.’
The final parable about the salt is also relative to this aspect of being a disciple of Jesus. Salt is a preservative, which was especially used on perishable fish [fishers of men]. Salt was also a flavoring agent that was essential for life in the flesh to continue. Tasteless salt (where the Greek word “mōranthē” also bears the meaning “to turn foolish” or “to become tainted”) means the preservative of self is useless. Old people have become foolish when they still refuse to do the things demanded of a disciple of Jesus. To then hear Jesus refer to salt being as worthless as dirt [stuff bodies of flesh return to at death] or a manure pile [the accumulation of things over a lifetime that represent waste], the moral of this parable says one who does not qualify as a disciple of Jesus has no value that can save a soul.
It is vital that one read these verse properly and hear the call to sacrifice oneself to serve the Lord. Jesus had done that (from birth to death) and the only way one can be a follower of Jesus is to repeat that level of willing sacrifice. All statements that have been projected (through translation) a a call to hate others are wrong, as the call for hatred (or loving less) is totally Jesus speaking to each individual: YOU must hate yourself because you are the only one keeping you from heaven. YOU are the father of your self-ego. YOU nurture and soothe that ego every time someone or something challenges you, because you have become your mother to yourself. YOU are married to your soul, and as the wife of yourself you cower down in submission to whatever that soul leads you to do. YOU are the child of society and culture, like all children are dependent on grown-ups to get what you want and need. YOU are the brother that feels it can share equally with the crowd, while accepting what is handed down to you. YOU are the sister that has to do the work others refuse to do. YOU are all rolled into one; and YOU must choose it would be better to stop being you and become Jesus reborn. That can only happen to those who are his disciples.