A
Soulless Vehicle
In all the cities of Orissa Jesus
taught. At Katak, by the river side, He taught, and
thousands of the people followed Him. One day, a car of Jagannath
was hauled along by scores of frenzied men, and Jesus said, “Behold, a
form without a spirit passes by; a body with no soul; a temple with no altar
fires. This car of Krishna (God) is an empty thing, for Krishna is not there.
This car is but an idol of a people drunk on wine of carnal things. God lives
not in the noise of tongues; there is no way to Him from any idol shrine. God's
meeting place with man is in the heart, and in a still small voice He speaks;
and He who hears is still (by quiet time and meditation).”
And all the people said, “Teach us to
know the Holy One who speaks within the heart, God of the still small voice.”
And Jesus said, “The Holy Spirit cannot be seen with mortal eyes; nor can men
see the Spirits of the Holy; But in their image man
was made, and he who looks into the face of man, looks at the image of the God
who speaks within. And when man honours man, he honours God; and by what man does for man, he does the same
for God. And you must bear in mind that when man harms another man in thought,
word or deed, he does a wrong to God.
“If you would serve the God who speaks within the heart, just
serve your near of kin, and those that are no kin, the stranger at your gates,
the foe who seeks to do you harm. Assist the poor, and help the weak; do harm
to none, and covet not what is not yours. Then, with your tongue the Holy One
will speak; and He will smile behind your tears, will light your countenance
with joy, and fill your hearts with peace.”
And then the people asked, “To whom
shall we bring gifts? Where shall we offer sacrifice?”
And Jesus said, “Our Father-God
asks not for needless waste of plant, of grain, of dove, of lamb. That which
you burn on any shrine you throw away. No blessings can attend the one who
takes the food from hungry mouths to be destroyed by fire on the pagan altars.
When you would offer sacrifice unto our God, just take your gift of grain, or
meat and lay it on the table of the poor. From it an incense will arise to
heaven, which will return to you with blessedness.
“Tear down your idols; they can
hear you not; turn all your sacrificial altars into fuel for the flames.
Make human hearts your altars,
and burn your sacrifices with the fire of love.” And all the people were
entranced, and would have worshiped Jesus as a God; but Jesus said,
“Physically, I am your brother
man just come to show the way to God; you shall not worship man. Praise God,
the Holy One. But spiritually, myself is God Almighty
your Father in the form of a man, Jesus Christ. That is why I do say, the
Father and I are one.”
By the above teachings, Jesus
explained that it is not all the sacrifices that are approved by God, because
offering such sacrifice is meaningless and useless. For example, there are many
chief priests and high priests today, in different parts of the world, who assume the
post of high priest, out of greed, jealousy, pride and pomposity. They are deceiving
themselves and misleading multitudes, by offering sacrifices in diverse places.
The truth is that God usually has only one chief priest in every age. Only what
is enough is enough, but humanity are offering uncountable sacrifices in many
places all over the world, which sacrifices are not acceptable to God, and
which offerings are provocations to God Almighty.
Misguided
Leaders Who Are Deceiving Multitudes
Continuing, Jesus said, “When men become afraid of God, and take Him for a foe,
they dress up other men in fancy garbs and call them priests. And charge them
to restrain the wrath of God by prayers; and when they fail to win His favour by their prayers, to buy Him off with sacrifice of
animal, or bird. When man sees God as one with himself, as Father-God, he needs
no middle man, no priest to intercede. He goes straight up to Him and says, ‘My
Father-God!’ And then, he lays his hand in God's own hand, and all is well.
“And this is God. You are, each one, a priest, just for yourself;
and sacrifice of blood God does not want, except as approved for humanity by
God through Holy Moses. Just give your life in sacrificial service (selfless
service) to all of life, and God is pleased.”
Sacrifice To God Almighty And
Sacrifice To Man
The Head: Sacrifice
to God is burnt offering, which is offered to God Almighty, according to the
processes and procedures given to humanity through Holy Moses. Sacrifice to man
means the selfless services which a person renders to his fellow human beings,
even so to the glory of God.