BETHANY MEANS "a place of fruits," dates, bread, that is, substance. Whenever we make a mental demonstration we get a certain result in our body. This is called the "fruit" of our thought.
When Jesus went to Bethany He realized the fruit or effect of raising Lazarus; that is, the quickening of certain sleeping energies in His body consciousness.
This realization is a feast to the soul and body, a filling of the whole man with a sense of satisfaction. Martha, the practical soul, and Mary, the devotional, serve the Master. Martha provides the material necessities and Mary the spiritual, while Lazarus sits at meat (abides as the living substance of the subconsciousness).
Mary, the devotional side of the soul, is grateful for the awakening of her brother Lazarus, because she depends for her manifestation on the subconscious life that he represents. When the soul is lifted up in prayer and thanksgiving, there follows an outflow of love that fills the whole "house" or body with its odor. The anointing of Jesus' feet represents the willingness of love to serve. When Jesus
washed the feet of His apostles He said, "He that is . . . greater among you, let him become as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve."
Judas Iscariot (sense consciousness) is incarnated selfishness, and his every thought is to build up personality. When Mary anoints the feet of Jesus (when love pours out her precious substance, diffusing its essence throughout the whole man), Judas inquires why the ointment was not sold and the proceeds given to the poor. The Judas consciousness believes in poverty and has no understanding of the true law of supply. All that comes into consciousness is selfishly appropriated and dissipated by this thief, yet he produces nothing. Sense consciousness is the enigma of existence, and in it is wrapped up the mystery of individuality. Jesus knew that through this department of His being He would be betrayed, but
He made no effort to defeat the act of Judas. Sense consciousness betrays man every day, yet it would be unwise wholly to destroy it before its time, because at its foundation it is good; it has simply gone wrong; it "hath a devil."
Love is the "greatest thing in the world," according to Henry Drummond, who analyzed it in a masterly manner. Jesus acknowledged the power of love when He said, "Suffer her to keep it against the day of my burying." When personality is hurt to the death and surrenders all, love pours her balm over every wound and the substance of her sympathy infuses hope and faith into the discouraged soul. A noted mental healer relates that her husband was dying of consumption. She had treated him in every way known to her science without results, when one day in her agony she exclaimed, "I will give my whole life to save you." Immediately, she says, a great flood of substance seemed to roll forth from her heart toward her husband, and from that day he began to improve, and he finally got well. This was the precious ointment of love, poured out for him when he was buried in the consciousness of death, and it resurrected him. Divine Love hath a balm for every ill.
The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and His reception by the multitude represents a transient and external enthusiasm, the result of demonstrations in the outer. This multitude that went forth to meet Him, crying, "Hosanna: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord," did so because they had witnessed the raising of Lazarus. Their homage to Jesus was based on the "signs" that they had witnessed, and not on that deep inner conviction of Truth that attests the sincere followers.
A large proportion of those who espouse the cause in this day do so from the "signs" standpoint. They have observed some demonstration, and accept the philosophy as they would a new patent medicine, and they change their doctrine as readily as the doser does his drug.
Common sense often saves a man from the fanaticism of religious enthusiasm. The Greeks represent the practical side of man's nature. They ask Philip for an interview with Jesus, and Philip tells Andrew. All this means that it is through the power (Philip) and strength (Andrew) in man that the sense reason acts, and when the I AM is called down from its lofty spiritual enthronement to the contemplation of practical life, there is a restoration of equilibrium. Then it recognizes the law of giving its exalted ideality to the earthly consciousness, that it may also be lifted up. To the higher consciousness this seems like the death of an ideal, but it is only a temporary submergence, which has its resurrection in a great increase of life and power. Thus we lose our life in the service of the good, and count it of no value in order to find it again in Spirit.
Jesus' mission on earth was to save the race from bondage, from sin, sickness, and death. This Scripture reveals that Jesus had been able to realize the Truth in this regard and that the time was now approaching for the demonstration. In the face of it all, He realized He was on new ground and there was that within Him which was troubled. "Father, save me from this hour. But for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name." From within Him came the reassuring voice of God: "I have both glorified it [the name] and will glorify it again." This means that Jesus' heavenly credentials were sufficient and that there was nothing to fear. The demonstration must eventually be forthcoming.
The multitude here referred to is the multitude of thoughts within the soul that is endeavoring to lay hold of the laws of spirituality. Jesus' admonition was "Yet a little while is the light among you. Walk while ye have the light, that darkness overtake you not."
By a "prophet" within the soul is understood the capacity to read out of the law and to perceive to what degree the soul can really demonstrate spirituality. It is revealed that in this Scripture the Pharisaical
intellect was in authority, compelling the soul forces that were beginning to understand Truth but that still loved the glory that is of men more than the glory that is of God to do obeisance to it.
In this Scripture Jesus (symbolizing the indwelling Christ) is declaring to the whole soul consciousness that the preponderance of power is spiritual. Spiritual character is the rock foundation of Being; therefore He is urging the multitude of thoughts to realize that their redemption comes through decreeing their oneness with Spirit and that the will of God is active in consciousness.
The realization of divine unity is the highest that we may attain. This is true glory, the blending and merging of the whole being in Divine Mind. "Build yourself into God and you will find yourself in heaven right here and now."