Holy, but where on Earth can such absoluteness be found?" BRT:3:30 "If by gathering in a temple, men feel they can better commune with God, then He will be there, and that place will be holy. If within a circle of stones or before a symbolic image, the soul of man may be stirred to attunement, then God will not absent Himself because of the Nature of the Place. He will meet man wherever man earnestly prepares for His coming.
Though the temple may be holy to one man and the circle of stones to another, both places will be hallowed by God, if therein, the souls of men are
elevated to commune with him."
BRT:3:31 "A structure of splendour, magnificent in its architecture, called holy by men who worship there, if their spirits remain asleep and unstirred will not be hallowed by the presence of God. He does not honour places where men just congregate, where their voices alone are raised in worship. He hallows the place where their souls and spirits are uplifted as they seek communion with Him. A Holy place is where the uplifted spirits of
men blend with the nature of God." BRT:3:32 A man asked, "What of wisdom? Has this not been plentiful in the world since the days of the Great Enlighteners, of whom Solomon was deemed the greatest? Even before him, there was much wisdom, yet is Earth a better place for this? What has it contributed to progress?" Jesus replied, "Alas, never has there been a shortage of wisdom in the world, but always there has been too little in the hearts of men. Wisdom is not something written in books, but that, which is conveyed from the book of the heart. It is
a way of life."
BRT:3:33 All the wisdom of the past, held in reverence by some, was easier to write than to live by. Yet, following it is the only wisdom. Wisdom,
however, is more than the thoughts of the wise, it is the accumulated philosophical knowledge of mankind winnowed by the wind of practicality.
BRT:3:34 Nobility is an attribute of the soul, and no man has this by right of birth. Nobility demonstrates an ability to live and act according to the high principles. It is expressed in deeds, outlook and bearing, in the manner of life and relationship with others. That, which ennobles a man is his recognition of something to love and strive for outside of himself. Nobility is the
subordination of self to principles. BRT:3:35 Jesus was One, in whom all the virtues came to fruition, and His gentleness drew to Him all His neighbours. In His presence, even enemies were reconciled, and this presence alone brought tranquillity to a restless and sorrowful heart. In the street, even the little children followed
Him, just to touch His hand.
BRT:3:36 His reaction to injustice and insult was a sorrowful compassion. He neither sought to acquire anything beyond His immediate needs nor treasured what he had. Beneath His soft exterior was a rocklike, immovable determination immune to oppression and suffering alike. Despite
His gentleness He could act decisively and swiftly, and when He had cause to strike in the name of justice and right He never avoided the issue. BRT:3:37 His mind and wit were like the lightning flash. He was always keen and alert, and His face never lacked the calm beauty of cheerfulness. He
was friendly towards all and acted so as not to annoy anyone. Only in the face of great injustice to another or oppression of the weak, or in the presence of gross hypocrisy did His wrath boil up and overflow; but never was it other than righteous. Though always compassionate and sympathetic, He was never sad or downcast. He rose above all suffering and pain, and ever seemed at
peace within Himself. BRT:3:38 Mary said to Jesus, "To whom can Your Disciples be likened?" Jesus said, "They are like children at play in a field, which belongs to a stranger, and when the owner comes, they say, 'This is our field, therefore
convey it to us.'"
BRT:3:39 Thomas said, "If the spirit brought the body of flesh into being, it is a marvel." Jesus said, "It would be a much greater miracle had the body brought the spirit into being, for the lesser cannot create the greater. I marvel how this great wealth of beauty can dwell in such a mean habitation. But to he who has goodness in his heart, goodness shall be given; he who lacks goodness shall be stripped of what he has." BRT:3:40 Jesus also said, "Just as it is impossible for any man to stretch two bows or mount two horses, so is it impossible for a man to serve two
masters."
BRT:3:41 The disciples asked, "Is circumcision a good thing?" Jesus replied, "If it were would not children be born circumcised from the mother's womb? Only circumcision in the spirit confers true benefit."
BRT:3:42 When asked concerning accounting, Jesus said, "Give to Caesar that, which is Caesar's and to God that, which is God's. Give Me what is justly mine, and keep for yourselves only that which is rightly your due. Deal fairly with all men, and shun the morals of the marketplace. Do not become like the Samaritans who, loving a tree, hate its fruits, or loving the fruit, hate the tree. The Pharisee is like a dog sleeping in the manger, from whence the oxen eat. It cannot eat what is in the manger; neither will it let the
oxen eat."
BRT:3:43 Jesus said, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a woman carrying a jar of good wine. Being careless, she puts the jar down heavily and crashes it, and when she resumes her way, the wine spills out behind her on the road,
but she blithely continues on her way, unaware of the spillage. When she enters the house, the master takes the wine jar and finds it empty." The disciples asked what this could mean, and Jesus replied, "When you possess the good things of the Kingdom of Heaven, do not let them slip away."
BRT:3:44 "For the Kingdom of Heaven is neither here nor there and contains all good things. It is in the hearts of men and exists where God reigns. When the lion lies down with the lamb and peace reigns over all, there shall be found the Kingdom of Heaven. Yet truly, Heaven and the Kingdom of Heaven are not the same." These things were said in the forecourt of the
temple.
BRT:3:45 Jesus took the disciples who were with Him into the Court of the Hebrews, which was an inner place, and a warden, a priest named Levi, stopped them, saying to Jesus, "Are You an ignorant man? Do You not know
it is forbidden to walk here in the presence of holy things without first purifying yourselves? See, those who follow You have not even washed their feet. They enter here defiled by the world." BRT:3:46 Then, Jesus stopped and said to Levi, "Concern yourself with your own state rather than with ours." The priest replied, "I am clean. Having bathed in David's pool, going down by one set of steps and coming up by another; only having done this and donned clean clothes have I come here." Jesus said, "Lord, have mercy on the blind! You have washed in standing water, which may have been befouled by dogs, and scrubbed your outer skin as harlots, singing girls and vain men do who are full of vileness inside. But My disciples and I have little need for outer forms of ritual cleanliness, being clean within, for we have washed in the living waters of the spirit."