Gospel of Matthew Metaphysical Interpretation References
For Use With Thursday Matthew Studies Podcasts.
Introduction to the Esoteric Interpretation of Matthew
Consciousness: is the accretion- (growth or increase) of knowing resulting in its own experiences over many lifetimes of incarnations.
Four Levels of Existence:
Active-the physical being who looks like a human.
Formative- having feelings loving, angry, jealous, vengeful, merciful, etc.
Creative - a non-physical being that is pure knowing - these are the patterns we see in nature, for example. Winter, spring, summer, fall. Rocks are rocks, animals are animals, people are people. Each is designed according to a kind of intelligence, a divine pattern.
Spiritual-pure being, life force, life will, the intent for existence
Spiritual -Fire
Creative -Air
Formative-Water
Active-Earth
The Trinity:
Conscious, Unconscious, and Superconscious also known as Idea,Image and Manifestation are all aspects of ONE totality called GOD CONSCIOUSNESS -GOD-MIND
Man, and Mankind:
"Man" is the Sanskrit word meaning "Mind."
You have probably heard the term mantra. This is a combination of two Sanskrit words (man+tra)— meaning mind and tool.
A mantra is the tool for managing the mind, or man.
When we speak of Man, the Mind-Being, we are referring to consciousness.
Mankind is the vehicle through which man experiences life.
MAN IS MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD
Figure 1— Tree of Life—Sephiroth—
The circles are the fruit of the Trees mentioned in the Bible. When well-tended the Tree bear’s fruit. These fruit, when utilized properly, nourish and develop Consciousness.
In Kabbalah, the "Sephiroth" or "Tree of Life" is a symbolic diagram representing the different aspects of God's creative energy as it manifests in the universe, essentially acting as a map of how divine potential flows into creation, with each "Sephirah" (a node on the tree) representing a specific attribute like wisdom, compassion, or power; it's a way to understand the spiritual structure of reality and how humans can connect to it through spiritual practices.
Ten Sefirot:
The tree has ten main "Sefirot" which are like spheres or points on the diagram, each representing a divine attribute.
The Tree of Life symbolizes how God's energy "emanates" or flows out to create the universe.
Spiritual Path:
Kabbalists study the Tree of Life to understand their own spiritual potential and how to ascend to higher levels of consciousness.
Figure 2— Virtues and Vices
This is a simplified list of the principles. virtues, vices, positive qualities and negative qualities that each Sephirah represents.
Mankind has a physical body that has a blueprint, a pattern, for its proper development. A model of perfection, so to speak. So does consciousness. Just as the physical body allows us to be active in the physical world. consciousness has a means of activity as well. That is what the Sephirothic principles provide - the model of perfection and the means of expression. As above, so below. Our feet give us movement through walking the Sephirothic principles give us movement through energy (power). Our hands give us the ability to create on the physical level, the Sephirothic principles are the way consciousness creates on all levels
We describe feet as having toes, arches, bones and muscles. More important, we also describe them by what they dee provide a foundation to stand on and the ability to move about in the world. The same is true with the Sephirothic principles. They represent what consciousness and God are made of. It is in this way that we are created in the image and likeness of God.
The Sephirothic principles are the DNA, the hands and feet and arms and legs, etc., for consciousness. We can only understand them by the power they produce, which is why these principles are also called powers. They are defined by the results of their expression as either a virtue or a vice. All are related to our ability to live life because God is life. Diagnosis and discrimination are life-related, for example.
The Sephiroth themselves are neutral. They are an energetic power within each of us that is available at all times for our use. We get to choose how to utilize it. Applied properly, the power of a Sephirah results in a virtue or positive quality and the light of greater awareness. When applied inappropriately, the power results in a vice or negative quality and the darkness of unawareness.
Every time you express these principles in your life, what we call self- expression, you are programming your consciousness. In every moment of every day, in every experience, choice, word, and action, you are adding to the knowing in your consciousness. Virtues result in growth in wisdom. inner strength and self-certainty, whereas vices result in fear, pain, stagnation or regression.
Imagine what the world would be like if everyone expressed only virtues and positive qualities. It would be a much different place than the one we live in now. All the teachers who came in to help humanity, including the Avatar Jesus Christ, were attempting to help us develop the principles of the Tree of Life, to help us become spiritual adults. The opportunity to learn and grow from self-expression through creation into manifestation is why we are alive in the vehicle we call mankind.
Another thing to note on the Tree are the three pillars. These are also mentioned in the bible. The middle pillar is the straight gate found in Matthew 7:13 and the narrow way in Matthew 7:14, for example. The narrow door is mentioned in Luke 13:23. The outer pillars represent force and form, the dualities we experience in physical existence. The middle pillar is called the Pillar of Consciousness and will be important to remember as we proceed with the translations.
One of the most important reasons for understanding the Tree of Life, beyond what it means for our own growth, is that it is also relates to the activity described in the four gospels. See Figure 3.
Figure 3—Tree of Life Gospels
All of the places listed in Figure 3 are symbolic and such are clues to the depth of meaning of Biblical Texts.
THE GOSPELS AND JESUS' LIFE
As stated previously, the gospels relate to everyday existence and when you understand them in light of where we are now, collectively in consciousness, they take on tremendous meaning. When placed on the Thee of Life, you can begin to see that they follow a divine plan.
Even the story of Jesus' life shows this plan, as seen in Figure 3. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which means "house of bread" and represents physical existence. Jerusalem, meaning "foundation of peace." is where most of His teaching was done. Notice that Jerusalem is on the Sephirah Yesod. Yesod represents the unconscious, which is where our collective consciousness is at this point in time. But Jesus' home-and ultimately our home is Nazareth. He went there a lot when He left Jerusalem. Nazareth means consecrated. It It represents our potential to be consecrated, meaning devoted to the expression of spiritual adulthood. This is where we are meant to be.
Figure 4— Map of Palestine in the time of Jesus
Looking at the map in Figure 4, we can see where the activities described in the gospels were occurring. It is important to realize that by following the journey of Jesus' life you are also following your own spiritual growth process. This map is within all of us, showing levels of consciousness and its journey, much like the Tree of Life.
The term New Testament means "new covenant." This implies that Jesus' life and work brought forth a new connection with higher vibratory frequencies, a new contract with God, so to speak.
The names of people, places and things are very important. They give clues to esoteric meanings. When you translate them, they provide a whole new perspective.
For example, have you ever wondered why there are so many Marys in the gospels? Why nearly every woman is named Mary? Or Martha, which is a derivative of Mary? There is a reason for that. You will see as we go along the importance of the translations and the clues they provide for mystical interpretation.
The name Jesus is derived from the Hebrew Joshua. Jesus is the Greek translation, meaning "savior" or "deliverance." It is important to note that there are many references in the Gospel of Matthew to the Hebrew prophesies that Jesus fulfills. References to the Old Testament prophets were meant to convince the Jewish people of the truth of Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophesies they held dear. They had to be convinced or they would not have believed His message. And of course, He did fulfill the prophesies.
This concludes the preliminary groundwork for understanding the esoteric interpretation of the gospels. Let us now discover what Matthew has to tell us.
Note: the biblical text quoted in these lessons comes from the Revised Standard Version.
Matthew 12
The Lord of the Sabbath
1 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.
2 When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”
3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
4 How he entered the house of God, and they ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests?
5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are guiltless?
6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.
7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.
8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
9 He left that place and entered their synagogue.
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
10 a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, “Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath?” so that they might accuse him.
11 He said to them, “Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out?
12 How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other.
14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.
Isaiah’s Prophecy
15 When Jesus became aware of this, he departed. Many followed him, and he cured all of them,
16 and he ordered them not to make him known.
17 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
18 “Here is my servant, whom I have chosen,my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the gentiles.
19 He will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
20 He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick until he brings justice to victory.
21 And in his name the gentiles will hope.”
A House Divided
22 Then they brought to him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see.
23 All the crowds were amazed and were saying, “Can this be the Son of David?”
24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this man casts out the demons.”
25 He knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.
26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how, then, will his kingdom stand?
27 If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists[c] cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges.
28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered.
30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Blasphemy of Spirit
31 Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
A Tree is known by its Fruit
33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.
34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
35 The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure.
36 I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter,
37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The Sign of Jonah
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”
39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth.
41 The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and indeed something greater than Jonah is here!
42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and indeed something greater than Solomon is here!
The Return of the Unclean Spirit
43 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but it finds none.
44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it returns, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order.
45 Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So will it be also with this evil generation.”
The True Kin of Jesus, Our True Family
46 While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to him.
47 Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”[d]
48 But to the one who had told him this, Jesus[e] replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”
49 And pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!
50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”