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“36
And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new
garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and
the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. 37 An
no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst
the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. 38 But new
wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. 39 No man
also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new; for he saith, The
old is better.”
- St. Luke Chapter
V:36-39, The Holy Bible, Translated out of The Original Tongues, 1866
This
week we take another look at Deepak Chopra's newest book, "THE
THIRD JESUS ... THE CHRIST WE CANNOT IGNORE," and it is wonderful
timing for this book as we will soon be observing Easter. The next
time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be in the year 2228 (220
years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913. And so
we have a special new book about Jesus to bring him to our attention in
this special Easter year.
As I read Chopra's book, I
was fascinated to see what the differences may be between his ideas
about the teachings of Jesus and those of Dr. Ernest Holmes, who wrote
"The Science of Mind" in 1926, later edited in 1938, which
contains 84 pages on the Teachings of Jesus and the New Testament.
I chose the passages from "The Holy Bible" above as Chopra
used these (Luke 5:36-39) in his new book and Dr. Holmes used the
parallel passages from Matthew 9:16,17 ... keep in mind, there are 70
years between these two books.
From Deepak Chopra's "THIRD
JESUS": "This passage is stronger when the last phrase
reads, "The old wine is better," as some versions have it.
Jesus is referring to how many would rather stick with the old laws than
to follow his new truth, but these words apply equally to belief in
general. We resist giving up our old beliefs, so at best we try
cautiously to blend the familiar with the new and unknown. Jesus
argues that this won't work. He brings something radically new
that must be accepted on its own terms."
And from Dr. Ernest Holmes'
"The Science of Mind": "In saying that "no man
puts a piece of new cloth on an old garment or new wine into old
bottles," Jesus was teaching a lesson in religious development.
We are continuously living a new life, and when the old and the new do
not fit nicely together, the old - being no longer able to contain the
new - should be discarded. Continually we must expect new
revelations of old truths. We should never lose sight of the fact
that the soul is on the pathway of an endless and ever-expanding
experience, and that only by expansion can it evolve. This does
not mean that we should cast away any good the old has to offer, but
that we convert it into a greater good. Accepting the lessons and
experiences of the past, and taking the best from everything, we should
press boldly forward, looking ever for the Truth, and ever ascending
higher and higher into the heavens of reality. ... There is no limit to
the possibility inherent in all men. Let the timid soul put its
complete trust in good and press bravely on."
As we can see from reading both Chopra's and
Dr. Holmes' ideas regarding Jesus' teaching of the "new wine in old
wine skins," there is a great similarity in what they have
written even though Dr. Holmes' words were written 70 years prior to
Chopra's. I believe that both Chopra and Holmes have a very good
understanding of these statements from Jesus, however, they appear to
make these passages more complex than they are. Basically, what
Jesus' is teaching is that we must eliminate "contradictions"
from our mind. As we understand that whatever is held in mind,
demonstrates in our outer life, we realize that we must be specific in
our intentions, and without contradiction.
A good example of the "new wine in old
wine skins," could be our current political situation with the
Democratic candidates for President in the United States. If
Hillary Clinton holds the idea in her mind that it is doubtful that a
woman can be elected President, then she probably will not be elected.
And if she does get the nomination, holding this idea in her mind, it
will lack the grace and ease of a mind that is without contradiction.
The same can be said for Barack Obama regarding his race. It is
imperative that we eliminate contradictions, as in many instances, our
contradictions are also present in the collective consciousness, and in
support of the contradiction. I believe that both the Clinton and
Obama candidacies reflect this consciousness to some degree.
Whether it comes from their individual consciousness, or the collective
consciousness, is anyone's guess at this time.
Many people who seek to demonstrate financial
prosperity are held back because they continue to "make real"
their past experiences of financial lack or struggle. As long as
we hang onto the belief that our experiences hold power in and of
themselves, rather than understanding that what we experience, is always
our "beliefs" then we shall hinder the beliefs that we have
gained from our new awareness, by this contradiction. Both Dr.
Holmes and Chopra, too, have evidence in their writings of holding on to
ideas from their cultural backgrounds; Dr. Holmes had difficulty
divorcing the Science of Mind philosophy from Christianity. Yet,
every religion holds limitations, and the Science of Mind teaches
infinite possibilities. Deepak Chopra refers to sacred images and
a belief in Karma ... both give power to something besides God, Infinite
Spirit, yet he emphasizes that we contact God within: "Be
still, and know that I am God."
I have found
Chopra's book to be one of the best books to be published in the past
several years. Although, his interpretations of Jesus' teachings
are not as clear as the metaphysical interpretations, they can be
instrumental in elevating the consciousness of all who are guided to his
new book and the teachings of Jesus. Jesus' teachings are not
exclusive to religion, and this is the new idea that will benefit each
and every one of us. But, we must let go of the idea that Jesus
and Christianity are intertwined. We really can't pour new
wine into old wine skins ... and get something better.
AND
SO IT IS!
Keep
the faith!
Rev.
Dr. Henry Lee Bates
Visit Rev. Bates BLOG: Living
the Science of Mind
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