God's Will IS Done

Hello again. I am curious how you might interpret Luke chapter 22 through a Neville lens? In chapter 7 of Your Faith Is Your Fortune, "Thy Will Be Done," Neville addresses Luke 22:42. But I find his explanation unsatisfactory, and it doesn't seem to fit the context. He equates this with “I can of Myself do nothing, the Father within Me, He doeth the work.” But he seems to skip over the part where Jesus is saying "I really don't want this, yet if it's your will, I will endure it." Like, I get the interpretation of God/Imagination working out the "how" of a desire versus trying to manipulate things by our own might. But it still makes no sense when Jesus is saying "I don't want this." Plus the rest of the chapter.. the supper, the betrayal, the arrest...?

Anonymous at 8:39 AM
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Dear Anonymous at 8:39 AM,

Yes, I see the problem. Neville extracted the sense of "resignation" that is in Luke 22:42, then simply continued the previous chapter of Your Faith Is Your Fortune as if "Thy Will Be Done" was but a subheading. It pretty much is. I am sorry Neville used the term 'resignation' in this context, because what he was talking about was more like resolution. Neville went to John 14:10 because this resolution and faith alone were his topic. He wasn't talking about anything else in Luke 22. Neville wanted his audience to buy into the idea that God's will IS done. Actually, there is nothing else that can happen. This is probably exactly what the passage in Luke intends, but you would never guess it from the traditional translations. Here is how Vic Alexander translates the passage from the ancient Aramaic (note the order):

42. And he fetched* (saw to it) himself an angel from heaven to give him strength.
43. And he said, “Father, if it was your will this cup would pass from me. However, let it not be my will, except your will.”
44. And as he was in submission, he prayed sacrificially* (with the fervor of one to be sacrificed), and his sweat poured like blood from him and he fell to the ground.
45. And he rose up from prayer and came to his disciples and found them sleeping because of their depressed state.

Fetched an angel to give himself strength. I believe we call these affirmations now. First he strengthened himself in belief, and then believed that if it were God's will for the experience to pass, it would. OTHERWISE, HE WAS HANGING TIGHT, for his desire WAS, and WOULD manifest. Missed by many is that it DID manifest. It is still manifesting.

You have read Ferrar Fenton's translation of the Lord's Prayer: "Thy will must be being done." "Must be being" means "is" (see Matthew 6:10-11 below). I.e., THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE. There is no 'future' element to a standing order. It will not 'be' later; it already exists and is in force. That is what a standing order is; it is already in effect. Thinking "it will happen in the future" GETS YOU NOTHING!! You have to BELIEVE IT NOW.

Let me interject here that the Hebrew ‘be’ verb, hayah, means "become." There is a quality of transition in it. E.g., “And the earth was without form, and void” (Genesis 1:2) is literally “And the earth BECAME—hayah—without form, and void.” It was not previously without form and void , but it became--transitioned into being--without form and void. It drank the kool-aid, entered the state of ignorance--"death", and became us (this is the original "long story short").

YHWH is in constant transition: “The only thing that does not change is change itself.” Transition is constant, BUT YHWH IS ALWAYS THE SAME THING. Hayah, i.e., "is," covers all states and stages throughout the transition as one unit. You can read page 3 of Bullinger's Companion Bible online. Read his note on Genesis 1:2, the word "was" = became. If you do not yet study the Bible using the Companion Bible, your world will be turned upside down when you do. (I just realized, having gone to check Bullinger yet again, that after so many years of seminary and having hundreds of books on my shelves and in boxes in the garage, it is mainly the Companion Bible and Alexander's translations that I really depend upon. I open the other books occasionally for ideas and inspiration, but otherwise, meh.)

Alexander's translation of Matthew 6:10-11 (part of the Lord's Prayer), by the way, is "Your Kingdom is come. Your will is done, as in heaven so also on earth. Give us the bread (provision) for our daily need" (emphasis mine). Note that it is a statement, "is come," not a petition, "be come." Do not make a request. God's Kingdom is the power of the Ineffable's presence. That power is the quality inherent in Him which makes Him king. Alexander's note on Exodus 3:14's Ahiyeh (the first word in "I AM THAT 'I AM'") is "the One Who Comes in His Coming," the absolute sense of "the One Who Comes". . . the "Never Ceasing Intent of the Comer to Come." You can rightly imagine the Ineffable saying, "If I am come, My Kingdom is come, and My will is done. I want TRANSITION!"

Neville signed up for the Selective Service and was drafted into the Unites States Army during World War II. He did not want the situation, but accepted it as the will of God, he being the victim of other people's ignoranced imaginations (that is my intended word choice). Because of his age, Neville was qualified for an honorable discharge. He applied and was denied. No appeal was possible. But that night in his imagination he slept in New York. Was this changing God's will for him, or bringing himself into alignment with God's will for a good transition? Let's just say that God's will for him transitioned from Army to New York. The Kingdom being come, the application for discharge was granted IN GOD'S IMAGINATION. Neville did NOTHING save believe he was in New York, resolved to letting God work it out UNTIL the cup passed from him. WITHOUT appeal, he was told by his commanders to resubmit his application. It was approved, and that night he slept in New York.

You may have read my recent post that we were destined to experience this world. We need it to cause us, to generate us into being more like the Ineffable than we were. There is no other way to get rid of the ignorance except we be brought to the realization that we ARE God. According to the Aramaic in Mark 15:34, Christ, crucified in this flesh, comes to this realization and cries, "I AM! I AM! To this I was destined!" (emphasis mine; [stated as "For this you destined me" in his Story of Jesus]). This is all purposeful, to get us to develop, to generate God's nature in us, to get us to realize what we are. You have really got to listen to "Unless I Go Away" to get this. As fixed sunflowers we acted out God's will in everything, but we had no idea what we were. The essence of that ignorance is what we are born into here in. We were not made ignorANT; we were made ignorANCE. We have become it to overcome it by our blood.
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Okay, you say you are interested in Luke 22 beyond the resolve and faith bit. Well, you have problems if you are reading Luke 22 as historic events in a traditional translation. The story is about man's psychological life, or rather, it is God's psychological experience as man. Yes, there is a human in the story: God being each of us individually as we develop psychologically. Let me help you with Victor N. Alexander's translation of Luke 22 from the Aramaic. Keep in mind that the Jesus Christ here is God as you, and you are imagination (of YHWH) who has evolved over eons to awakened awareness of being YHWH. It was YHWH who fell into amnesia to become you. You are He-Who-Is-Come Becoming, ready to ascend due to memory returning.

I am going to suggest that this portion of Luke is an enlargement of Matthew 12:40, "For just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights." First thing to understand: there is nobody there. Jesus is the goodness of YHWH who is descending into this state of death in order to become us that we we might become him. How long will that take? THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS FOR IT TO BECOME PERFECT AND COMPLETE. As in: "When that which is perfect has come."

I do not have an answer for who all the characters are, though I might venture to suggest they are ideas and psychological influences in the Almighty. We know that Kepa is Peter, who is Simon, which is hearing with intention to obey. Chief high priests and scribes play the role of Satan, and may I associate them with Seth, the substitute placed for Abel, and Enosh, the feebleness of religion (in my humble opinion).

The disciples/apostles are facets of our minds. The upper room is the skull. The Seder is literal--the Big Kahuna of all history. Verses 21-30 are us. I think the rest is God's relation with us as we get woken up by life here: "That's him; no, that's me . . . "

Luke 22

1. The Feast of (unleavened) Bread Offerings*, which is called the Passover* (lamb) was drawing near.
2. And the chief high priests and scribes were seeking a way to kill him, for they feared the people.

3. Then Satan entered into Judas who is called Iscariot, who was from the number of the Twelve.
4. And he went and talked to the chief high priests and scribes, and the chief powers of the temple, as to betray him to them.
5. And they were delighted and rose to give him money.
6. And he vowed to them, and he sought an opportunity to deliver him without the knowledge of the congregation.

7. And there arrived the Day of Bread Offerings, during which is commemorated the killing of the [Passover] Lamb.
8. And Jesus sent Kepa [Peter] and John and told them, "Go provide us with some Passover Lamb."* ("Go set us up with some [Passover] Lamb to chew on.")
9. They told him however, "Where do you wish to have it?"
10. He told them. "Behold, when you enter the city, a man will meet you who carries a jar of water, follow him and where he enters,
11. "Tell the owner of the house. 'Our Lord said. Which is the inn where he shall eat the [Passover] Lamb together with his disciples?'
12. "And behold, he will show you the upper room that is highly suitable, there you shall provide [the meal.]"
13. And they went and found [everything] as he had said. And they provided the Passover [meal.]

14. And when the time came, Jesus came to dine and the twelve apostles with him.
15. And he told them.

"This desire I have desired,
...that this Lamb* (Passover) I partake with you,
......before I sorrow.
16. "For I am telling you,
...as of now we shall not eat it,
......until it is consecrated in the Kingdom of God."

17. And he consecrated the cup in commemoration and said, "Take this and divide it between yourselves.
18. "For I am telling you,
...I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine,
......until the Kingdom of God has come."

19. And he consecrated the bread and pledged it and broke it and gave it to them and declared.

"This is my body that I give on your behalf. This is what you shall be doing* (practice henceforth) in your Offerings* (sacrifice) to me.

20. And likewise also the cup, after they ate, he declared.

"This is the cup of the new covenant* (new testament) in my blood ...that will be spilt on your behalf.

21. "However, behold, the hand that delivers me for the sacrifice.
22. "And the Son of Man goes where he will be slaughtered. But, woe to the man who betrays him."
23. And they began to argue among themselves as to which one of them was destined to commit the betrayal.

24. There was also something else involved between them, regarding who was the greatest among them.

25. However, Jesus told them. "The kings of the nations are their lords and [those who] have authority over them are called the Benefactors* (servants of goodness).
26. "But you, not like this, except whoever is great among you, should become like the small one. And the chief, [should become like] the servant.
27. "For who is greatest, the one who eats or the one who serves? Was it not the one who ate? However, I came among you as the one who serves.
28. "You are the ones that stuck with me through my trials.
29. "And I dedicate you, as my Father dedicated me the Kingdom,
30. "So you may eat and drink of the Offerings of my Kingdom, and sit up on the thrones, and judge the twelve tribes of Israel."

31. And Jesus told Simon. "Simon, behold, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat.
32. "And I want for you not to lose your faith. And in time you will also fight back and affirm your brothers' [faith.]"* (argue back and corroborate the truth, or reply and confirm).
33. Simon then told him. "Lord. I am within your Grace and with you to prison and to death.
34. And Jesus told him. "I am telling you, Simon, that the rooster will not crow [at the dawn of] the day until you have blasphemed three times that you did not know me."
35. And he said to them, "As I sent you without sacks and without [water] jars and shoes, were you lacking anything?"
36. He said to them, "From now on, whoever has a sack [take it along,] and likewise the [water] jar, and whoever has no sword, should sell his new [garments] and buy himself a sword.
37. "For I am telling you, that even this that was written about shall be fulfilled, that he will be counted among the outlaws* (abominable). For everything has been fulfilled in me."
38. And they told him. "Lord, we already have two swords." He said to them, "They will suffice."

39. And he went out and proceeded as was his habit to the Mount of Olives, and also his disciples followed him.
40. And as he arrived to the place, he said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."
41. And he left them, like a stone's throw, and stopped on the road and prayed,
42. And he fetched* (saw to it) himself an angel from heaven to give him strength.
43. And he said, “Father, if it was your will this cup would pass from me. However, let it not be my will, except your will.”
44. And as he was in submission, he prayed sacrificially* (with the fervor of one to be sacrificed), and his sweat poured like blood from him and he fell to the ground.
45. And he rose up from prayer and came to his disciples and found them sleeping because of their depressed state.
46. And he said to them, "Why are you sleeping. Get up and pray so as you do not enter into temptation."

47. And as he spoke, behold, a crowd and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, coming before them, and he approached Jesus and kissed him. For this was the sign that he had given them, that whom he kissed would be him.
48. Jesus told him, "Judas, you deliver the Son of Man with a kiss?"
49. As those who were with him saw what happened, they said to him, "Our Lord, shall we strike them with the swords?"
50. And one of them struck the servant of the chief high priest and cut his right ear in two.
51. Jesus then replied and said, "This is enough." And he approached the ear of the injured and healed him.
52. And Jesus said to those who came out against him, chief high priests and priests and chief powers of the temple, "You came out at me like I were a criminal, with swords and clubs, to arrest me?
53. "Every day I was with you in the temple and you did not stretch your hands against me. Except this is your hour and the power of darkness."

54. And they took him and brought him to the house of the chief high priest. And Simon followed him at a distance.
55. And they took [and made] a fire in the middle of the yard and they sat around it, and there also sat Simon among them.
56. And one young girl saw that he sat with them, and she gazed at him and said, "This one also was with him."
57. Then he blasphemed and said, "Woman, I do not know him."
58. And after a little [while] someone else saw him and said to him, "You too are with him, you." Simon however told him, "I am not."
59. And after one hour, another one remembered him and said, "Truly, this one was with them too, for he is Galilean also."
60. Simon declared. "Man, I do not know what you are talking about!" And suddenly while he spoke, the rooster crowed.
61. And Jesus turned and looked at Simon. And Simon remembered the words* (manifestations) of the Lord, who told him that before the rooster crows you will blaspheme against me three times.
62. And Simon went outside and wept bitterly.

63. And the men that arrested Jesus, ridiculed him,
64. And they hit him from the blind side,* (ambushed) and slapped his face and said, "Prophesy, who hit you."
65. And many other blasphemies they said and did against him.

66. And as they had succeeded, the priests and chief high priests and scribes gathered and went up with him to their synagogue.
67. And they told him. "If you are that Messiah* (Anointed One, or Christ), tell us." He told them. "If I tell you, you will not believe me.
68. "And if I ask you, you will not return me an explanation or release me.
69. "From now on the Son of Man sits from the right of the Power of God."
70. "They all said then, "Are you such the Son of God?" Jesus said to them, "You say yourself that I am he."
71. They said, "What more* (again) do we need witnesses? For we have heard it from his own mouth."

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*22:1.1 Lit. Ar. idiomatic name retained: "Feast of Unleavened Bread."
*22:1.2 Lit. Ar. name: "Passover Lamb."
*22:8 Lit. Ar. idiomatic construction: "Go set us up with some [Passover] Lamb to chew on."
*22:15 Lit. Ar. id.: "Passover."
*22:19.1 Lit. Ar. id.: "Practice henceforth."
*22:19.2 Lit. Ar. id.: "Sacrifice."
*22:20 Lit. Ar. idiomatic construction. Or: "New Testament."
*22:25 Lit. Ar. id.: "Servants of goodness."
*22:32 Lit. Ar. expression: "Argue back and corroborate the truth," or "reply and confirm."
*22:37 Lit. Ar. idiomatic figure of speech: "Abominable."
*22:43 Lit. Ar. id.: "Saw to it." (I believe this goes to the asterisk in Alexander's verse 42. Notice that the translators reversed 42 and 43. -Steele)
*22:44 Lit. Ar. idiomatic construction: "With the fervor of one to be sacrificed."
*22:61 Lit. Ar. id.: "Manifestations."
*22:64 Lit. Ar. id.: "Ambushed."
*22:67 Lit. Ar. id.: "Anointed One," or "Christ."
*22:71 Lit. Ar. id.: "Again."