Self-Effort, Too, Is Needed
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What is it to Make Peace
Reading and Affirmation for July
From the book The Beatitudes: Their Inner Meaning by Swami Kriyananda
Rays of One Light: Weekly Commentaries on the Bible and The Bhagavad Gita
Self-Effort, Too, Is Needed
Truth is one and eternal. Realize oneness with it in your deathless Self, within. The following commentary is based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda.
These past weeks we discussed the need for balancing self-effort with receptivity to divine grace. Both are important in the spiritual life. Passive dependence on grace hasn't the magnetism to attract grace. Boastful self-confidence, however, which closes itself off from the higher, divine power is shallow, brittle, and - given life's many uncertainties - susceptible to ultimate failure.
There is a story in the Bible that illustrates the need to put forth personal effort so as to draw magnetically on the divine power.
The story occurs in the Gospel of St. Luke, Chapter 8:
But as he went, the crowds nearly suffocated him. Among them was a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years and who had derived no benefit from anybody's treatment. She came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his cloak. As a result, her hemorrhage stopped immediately.
"Who was it who touched me?" Jesus asked.
When everybody denied it, Peter remonstrated, "Master, the crowds are all round, pressing you on every side!"
But Jesus said, "Somebody touched me. I felt power going out from me."
When the woman realized that she had not escaped notice, she came forward trembling and fell at his feet, and admitted before everyone why she had touched him, adding that she had been instantaneously cured."Daughter," Jesus said, "It is by your faith that you have been healed. Go in peace."
Self-confidence and self-effort are necessary, as the ignition of a car is necessary to the motor. Of what use the ignition, however, if the motor itself will not work? Wise is he who recognizes the real power in the universe, and guides his life by that supreme power.
As it says in the Bhagavad Gita, the ninth Chapter:
To those who meditate on Me as their Very Own, ever united to Me by incessant worship, I make good their deficiencies, and render permanent their gains.
Thus, through holy scripture, God has spoken to mankind.
Whispers From Eternity
112. Demand for Union with the Almighty
O Father, behold me through the pores of the sky. Smile at me through the twinkling stars. Strengthen me through the sun; calm my feelings through the moon. Caress me through the breeze.
Love me through my love. Throb in me through my heart. Breathe Thine immortality through this mortal frame of mine. Speak through my voice. Help others through my hands. Use my mind to inspire them. Breathe through my breath. For within this fragile viol Thou alone canst sing Thy complete, eternal song.
Paramhansa Yogananda
Inspiration from The Rays of the One Light
"Daughter," Jesus said, "It is by your faith that you have been healed. Go in peace."
We will take these sacred words into our meditation together for deep reflection and contemplation. But firstly, we will listen to some beautiful music by Swami Kriyananda, called “God's Call Within”
God's Call Within
Listen to God's Call Within
Reflect, Meditate and Listen to Instrumental Music
Reflect
Meditate
Refection & Inspiration from The Rays of the One Light
For Today’s Reflection….
Viewed from an empathic viewpoint, I began to deeply reflect on how Jesus may have been feeling amidst the overwhelming crowds, pressing on him from all sides, suffocating him with their demands, while no one seemed to have any true awareness or understanding of his inner emotions… Yet, in the midst of this chaos, Jesus never displayed any anger or frustration; you would never detect that he was upset or annoyed in any way. Instead, he remained calm and composed, fully focused even amidst the pressing crowds… He was likely immersed in deep worship and prayers to his Father.
What I found interesting was that the crowds never actually stopped him; they did not deter his focus or cause him to lose his inner peace and calmness… However, it was the unwavering faith of the woman who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years that truly made a difference… Because let’s be honest, if we were surrounded by a crowd of people pressing in on us in today’s fast paced world, who among us would be able to stay calm, not lose their peace of mind, let alone maintain such strong faith and confidence in the midst of it all…
Her unwavering faith in believing that Jesus could heal her was so powerful that it not only caused the crowds to stop but also made Jesus himself stop. Where he asked, “Who was it that touched me?” even though many people had physically touched him amid the pressing crowd. This question brought a sudden stillness, prompting everyone around to stop and pause and think about their actions and of what had just happened.
Now the woman was afraid to reveal herself because she felt like she had done something wrong… But Jesus wanted her to be brave and courageous and come forward and face him…
And as our reading states “When the woman realized that she had not escaped notice, she came forward trembling and fell at his feet, and admitted before everyone why she had touched him, adding that she had been instantaneously cured.
Jesus never knew that she was haemorrhaging for twelve years… But he surprisingly said "Daughter," Jesus said, "It is by your faith that you have been healed. Go in peace."
Jesus was not angry with the woman; rather, I believe that He wanted the crowds surrounding Him to see the importance of how we should treat others, regardless if they are unclean or not. Especially when we do not know the complete full truth… In Jesus asking a question, the woman came to him sincerely, and surrendered at the mercy of his feet and with self honesty and declared the truth so that everyone could hear and learn from her example.
This lesson teaches us that, even amidst the crowds or the busyness of our minds, we should never lose faith in Jesus. With patience, focus, and strong faith, we will be healed in body, mind, and soul. Just like the woman whom He lovingly called His daughter, He blessed her with God’s peace and freedom from the past, allowing her to live a renewed and transformed life in God’s love and grace.
And May this be so for all of us….
Aum Peace Amen
Blessings & Love
Rev Dinah Pemberton