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The Twelfth Lesson: The Message of the Master.1101
“Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do
men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth
unto all that are in the house. Even so let your light shine before men; that
they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
(Matthew 5:14–16)
These words, like those preceding it, teach the Elect to shed abroad the
light which has come to them. They are warned against concealing it beneath
the cover of conventional conduct, but are urged to live and act so that men
may perceive the light that is within them—the Light of the Spirit—and may
see the right road by means of its rays. A man having the Light of the Spirit
shining bright within him is able to rouse the lamps of understanding in the
minds of other men, to become kindled and alight. That is the experience
of the majority of those who read these words—they have had their lamps
of knowledge kindled by the rays of the Spirit emanating from some soul,
either by word of mouth, writings, or by personal contact. Spirituality is
contagious! Therefore spread it! This is the meaning of this passage.
“Think not that I came to destroy the law of the prophets: I came not to
destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away,
one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law till all things be
accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17–18)
In this passage Jesus asserted positively the fact that He was not teaching
a new doctrine, but had come simply to carry on the work of those who
had preceded Him. He asserted the validity of the Ancient Wisdom, and
told that the Law that had been in force would so continue until heaven
and earth should pass away—that is, until the end of this great World Cycle.
In these words Jesus proclaimed His allegiance to the Occult Teachings. To
those who would claim that He referred to the current Jewish teachings we
would point out the fact that these he did come to destroy, for Christianity
is opposed to the Jewish formalism and outer teachings. Jesus referred to
the Inner Teachings, not to the outer religious creeds or forms. He came