This amazing parable, told by Jesus, in Luke 10:25-37, seems at first straight forward in its literal content, until, of course, we drill down and study its deeper ramifications. Cursory reading of this vital scripture, no matter how many times, or even just hearing it from time to time, is not sufficient for its intended outcome. At individual level, for manifestation of this scripture into consciousness, there is much more inner involvement required than first appears on the surface. The reality is, this message has profound implications on how we interpret heaven and eternal life daily in our life and beyond. This article, using some pivotal scriptures in the second half, may help bring clarity in these matters in more practical and relating ways.
As we can gather from the article’s title, it has two main themes: ‘love thy neighbor’ AND ‘the Good Samaritan’. Esoterically speaking, Luke 10:25-37 is here presenting a wide range of coded vital life-growth ingredients for our journey unto finding Christ within, and eternal life. On the surface level, yes, Luke 10:25-37 offers the very obvious lessons, of loving our neighbor, of being kind, moral and generous with others in our interactions, but particularly with our love. And, of course, no one would disagree with this in the slightest. But, really, did we need two vital commandments to remind us of what should be the natural expression for us humans? Surely, deep down, as intelligent beings, the highest known of God’s creation, we would figure this to be obligatory human behavior? But, Luke, here is not referring to the obvious obligatory standard of human behavior, but to something much more profound.
The fact is, that, in order to actually live obligatory human behavior — expression of love, peace, tolerance and kindness — these spiritual values would first need to be Realized directly within, meaning, direct experience of our own Resurrected Christ within.
Something not Working
When we look closely at the state of global consciousness today, and the many conflicts raging throughout the world, from the aspect of peace and ‘love they neighbor’ it becomes patently clear that something within the human species’ consciousness, is not working. Some basic scriptural translations and understandings, have not been grasped, not presented in cognizable detail. It further becomes obvious, that, preaching and generally talking to others about certain scriptures, without having first demonstrated such ourselves, is not compatible with the Bible’s Risen Christ within. In other words, ‘thinking about’ and ‘talking about’ — of sermonizing on love and peace, though truly well intentioned – effect-wise would seem not to be working in the greater global societal consciousness.
In this context — notwithstanding the massive family of spirit-empowered souls generating peace-consciousness into the world, passive participation of literal scriptures generally can amount to merely storing popular scriptures for intellectual regurgitation, thereby, to ignore the undeniable imperative of direct Christ experiencing inherent within all of scripture’s deeper interpretations.
According to Luke, so, in order to be living the above scripture in an automatic way, away from just memory referencing its content, activation of direct Christ-nature into consciousness should be a now-happening-priority. This is when vital scriptures really take form, begin crystallizing as ‘alive within’ for each of us, both in the material world and as eternity experiencing within consciousness.
Moving Beyond Limiting Belief Systems
When mature spiritual awakening begins — when all the inner mechanisms responsible for development of alive soul-based consciousness, are functioning as a Whole — then progress beyond limiting literal conditioning, beyond religious dogma, commences – we grow out of day-school. At another level, a broader range of insightful understanding begins surfacing into conscious awareness previously blocked due to subconscious programming. Spring-like activity begins clarifying perceptions of the relative and eternal realms. Newer insights sprout signifying the inner Teacher, the Holy spirit, has begun initiating consciousness in spiritual eternal matters. A state of unbounded awareness gradually replaces the previous soul-limiting belief systems, leading to an unshackled capacity of universal divine love.
This soul-freeing experience is consequent of the mind’s release from the clutches of generational subconscious conditioning. The inherited institutional, corporate and societal self-serving programming, over many life-times (more on this further down). This non-soul-serving conditioning-dynamic, maintained unwittingly by personal stress, and imposed fear-ridden misunderstandings, is directly responsible for holding the soul in bondage, in spiritual hibernation.
Bringing conscious awareness to this inner stifling, this conditioning-dynamic, therefore, is our number one job in life. The truth is, direct revelation of inner Christ awareness, requires no outsider or institutional overlaying. For, repetition of any message into mind, from wherever or from whomever, has addictive potential – such amounts to conditioning, programming, and is how the advertising industry operates and survives. They are masters at planting the message they want in our brain. Beware.
Divine nature is available to every soul when that soul ‘presents’, ‘surrenders’ in mind without expectations. In this way, Self-revelation, or, Holy Spirit, ensues, and is the way of direct Christ knowing without outsider interference. ‘Surrender’, of course, means inner meditation surrender of all mental effort in its practice. This approach reveals the how-why of our present particular life situation struggle. It disarms the automated subconscious programming responsible for all personal and global misery and suffering. This release in mental freedom, provides the clarity of mind needed by which we can develop spiritually on our journey of integration unto Resurrection and Redemption in Christ consciousness and eternal life.
Against this background, of the need of inner awakening as priority…
Let us now examine the importance of Jesus’ two commandments in Luke
Luke 10:25 puts it: A teacher of the law asked Jesus: “What must I do to receive eternal life?” Jesus answered him: “what do the scriptures say? How do you interpret them? The man answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind”; and love your neighbor as you love yourself”. Jesus replied, Luke 10:28, you are right, do this and you will live”. Then the teacher of the law asked Jesus, Luke 10:29, “who is my neighbor?”
Now, this truly is a most pivotal and poignant question.
Paraphrasing in [brackets]
Jesus answered with this Parable: Luke 10:30–35
30, “A certain man [Adam, asleep soul in divine nature, living through spiritual ignorance] was going down [fall of man] from Jerusalem [higher-self] to Jericho [lower-self: spiritual fall of man]when robbers [inner demons, wrong thinking, conditioning, addictions] attacked him, striped him, [a soul functioning without conscious Christ awareness and inner Truth] and beat him up, leaving him half dead [alive only to his lower carnal mind, and dead to his higher spiritual nature, similar to Lazarus, whom Christ raised from the spiritually dead state].
31, It so happened that a priest was going down that road; but when he saw the man, he walked on by, on the other side [the priest was still functioning out of left brain and lower ego].
32, In the same way a Levitt also came along, went over and looked at the man, and then walked on by, on the other side [the Levite had not attained a capacity of true compassionate love].
33, But a Samaritan [Christ within] who was travelling that way, [Christ remains always with us, either consciously or unconsciously] came upon the man [soul in need of healing], and when he saw him his heart was filled with pity, [direct experiencing through compassionate love].
34, He went over to him [inner Christ is always available to each of us at our time of need, or, in response to intuitive seeking], poured oil [unconditional love] and wine on his wounds [that which separated soul from direct inner Christ] and bandaged them; then he put the man on his own animal [aligning the soul with Higher Self] and took him to an inn, [place of peace / love within leading to further spiritual advancement through inner awakening] where he took care of him [commencement of journey unto Christ].
35, The next day, [period of spiritual growth] he took out two silver coins [silver symbolizing medium of redemption, in this case the mediums being mind and body, our means of gaining conscious contact with Higher Self] and gave them to the innkeeper [instructed the conscious mind spiritually]. ‘Take care of him’ he told the innkeeper, ‘and when I come back this way, [symbolizing second coming of Christ; Christ Realized within consciousness]. I will pay you whatever else you spent on him’ [soul gaining eternal life through Christ within].
Tangible Consciousness Transformation
“Love thy neighbor as thy self” is here referencing the requirement of ‘loving thy inner neighbor’, meaning, the integration process of merging lower-self neighbor into becoming One neighbor in higher self – Jerusalem — without the ignorance nature of Jericho.
Esoterically, Luke 10:25-37 is proclaiming a need of tangible consciousness transformation out of the Adam / lower ego Jericho state into direct awareness experience of our own inner Christ, depicted here as the Good Samaritan – they are one and the same. When Christ / Good Samaritan consciousness is Mature within, then automatically will loving our lower neighbor, Jericho, be happening UNCONDITIONALLY on a Higher level within.
Unconditional love is the big one, for, it’s not based on belief systems, religious dogma or creeds. Rather, Unconditional love is the pure ingredient of Good Samaritan status. Unconditional love is the awakened soul’s out-flowing of true compassionate love, not just for selected ones such as family members, but a universal state of Heart. Unconditional love is when the dominant lower ego is absent naturally, which was not the case with the Levi and the Priest.
Life’s Purpose
In qualifying the previous section, let us remind ourselves of Isaiah. When Isaiah 11:6 stated ‘the Lion (lower self / lower ego) shall lay down with the Lamb’ (higher self or indwelling Christ), this is referring to inner merging, this inner unifying process. ‘The Lion’ would be seen as King (of the jungle), hence the title, King Herod, representing the lower human ego. This unifying of higher and lower self, mentioned in scripture, is our individual life-purpose on earth. In this context, according to Luke 10:25-37 no matter what status in material or religious /spiritual life we’ve achieved, without the flowing healing presence of Unconditional Christ-Love, then our Good Samaritan connection within the mind, body, soul, remains at ‘fall of man’ level. Attainment of Wholeness — Wholeness of mind, body Spirit – therefore, is prerequisite of gaining ‘love thy neighbor’ status. In other words, without expression of Authentic Christ-infused compassionate love, then man-apportioned titles, religious or societal, amount to nothing.
The term ‘Good’, of course, does not mean the opposite of bad. Rather, Good is similar to the ‘Good’ News Bible, meaning, Off God, off Good nature, or, teachings of an awakening Christ within.
Steps of Contacting Good Samaritan and Pure Silence
The question arises: how do we carry-out the integration steps necessary for coming upon conscious Presence, conscious Wholeness, conscious Higher Self, conscious Christ, conscious Eternity? How do we love lower neighbor AS our higher-self neighbor?
Well, thankfully, WE don’t do it. Rather, the integration process is carried on at another level, or, Transcendentally.
But, there is practicality involvement in this process, on our part.
The first step in this process of integration, is, establishing ‘contact point’ in mind, which, is initiated by mental stillness. This ‘contact point’ then merges or transcends into Pure Silence, which then develops into expanded awareness.
Mental stillness, or, meditation, creates and establishes this ‘contact point’ of Now in the brain, which Now contact, over time, expands into conscious infinity, into Mature Christ or eternity consciousness. In this way, ‘contact point’ in Now awareness acts as a trigger for the asleep soul’s alarm clock to vibrate, thereby awakening the individual out of spiritual slumber – think Lazarus again — unto our core nature of eternal life. Without conscious contact with Pure Now Silence, leading to expanded timeless awareness, the conscious mind remains individual, without the cosmic, all-encompassing dimension. Remains intellectual only, remains prisoner in time-bound lower-self, or, spiritual ignorance.
“You cannot go where I am going” John: 8-21
The reason why ‘contact’ with Higher Self in meditation is so vital, is that, the love emanating from lower self is not one and the same standard as divine love, which, as we said, is Unconditional Christ love. Therefore, in setting out towards gaining Unconditional love, it’s necessary that we enter fully into its actual experience. As we cannot give ourselves, or express Unconditional Divine love through a lower state, such as the carnal mind, we must then transcend this lower nature by an inner-crucifying process, which is the hidden message within John 8-21: “You (lower ego) cannot go, (in ego’s present state) where I (transcendental Christ nature) am going” – meaning, lower ego must be crucified.
This place where Jesus is going, as mentioned here in John 8:21, is in regard to the Higher Self, transcending into the eternity of Christ within consciousness. The “you”, referred to by Jesus, represents the lower ego, which in its entirety comprises the 12 cranial nerves or, the 12 non spiritually awakened apostles. These 12 apostles or 12 tribes of Israel, are within each of us. They represent the lower personality aspects of our natural man soul which are in need of integration into a spiritually functioning realm. In other words, the son of man, or, the lower-self, before becoming the Sod of God, Higher Self, must undergo crucifixion, leading to healing and renewal of vital nerve channels or mechanisms within. This in turn opens the links unto the Holy Spirit, the Helper, the Teacher, or, Revelation dynamic into the mind, which in turn brings about direct Christ awareness, or Divine Presence.
This integration – or, crucifying dynamic — is mentioned also in Matthew 17:1-13 “Transfiguration on the Mount (transformation of lower nature into higher consciousness)”; meaning, Transfiguration of Peter, (ego) James, (mental mechanisms), and John, (human love)”.
Silence meditation is pivotal regards these last two scriptures. It’s during the mediation Now silence practice that our individual identity (the lower ego and all its associated false persona activity) ceases, become crucified. Our consciousness gradually becoming transformed, infused of Pure Silence, Joy, which equates to Divine Good Samaritan nature. It’s this ‘contact’ with Pure Silence that establishes Eternity as tangible Presence within consciousness; which tangibility permeates into every muscle, nerve and cell of the body – the eternal Youthful affect.
Many Births – what is this?
Each transcending encounter connects with Pure Silence or, Higher Self. And, on coming out of meditation, the mind returns to its individuality, which we lose during the practice period. Such returning – after dying to lower-self — signifies a new birth. New birth, spiritually speaking, therefore means, a new or changed overall person within. Transcendental Silence thus has transformed lower ego mind – son of man — into Christ Standard functioning. Thus, on our individual journey, of consciously finding our Higher Self, we must lose, or die to, the lower-self nature, in meditation. Repeated carrying out of this process, of losing and gaining, inner dying and Resurrection, is our means of achieving Wholeness of Consciousness referred to in Luke 10:25-37. ‘Many births’ therefore, means, many meditation journeys into deep Now silence via mental stillness – where lower ego personality dies — then on re-emergence robed with a new spiritual personality.
Post Meditation Activity
Finally, in making eternal Presence or Now consciousness the permanent state of Being, then, post meditation engagement in some gentle mental or physical activity, is necessary. Post meditation activity is essential, in that, it establishes capacity for intuitive-based feelings to become ‘set-up’ on our nervous system. It cultures, not only the nervous system into withstanding the on-flow of blissful happiness and deep peace, but also awakens the five senses of ordinary perception into Heightened functionality; becoming re-orientated away from their habitual patterns of unconscious behavior. Also, post meditation activity helps brings about that vital resolute intellect, the unwavering mind rooting itself in single mindedness – Matthew 6:22 “if thine eye be single”. Thereby, stability of thought, stability of thinking, stability of hearing and seeing divinely resulting in right thinking and soul-based decision. Further making spontaneity of Good Samaritan expression real in our daily life.