the commandments I spoke to him, and he spoke with me. And I said to him: Art thou Rabbi Elias?' And he said to me: 'I am not Elias.' And I said: 'Who art thou, my Lord?' And he said to me: 1 am Jesus, whose body thou didst beg from Pilate, and wrap in clean linen; and thou didst lay a napkin on my face, and didst lay me in thy new tomb, and roll a stone to the door of the tomb.' Then I said to him that was speaking to me: 'Show me, Lord, where I laid thee.' And he led me, and showed me the place where I laid him, and the linen which I had put on him, and the napkin which I had wrapped upon his face; and I knew that it was Jesus. And he took hold of me with his hand, and put me in the midst of my own house though the gates were shut, and put me in my bed, and said to me: 'Peace to thee!' And he kissed me...'" —Gospel of Nicodemus. Trans, by Alexander Walker
The Roman Empire eventually lost their tolerance for Jewish and Christian-Jewish protests, and they reacted with deadly force and destruction, forcing many to flee Jerusalem for safer lands.
Eusebius of Caesarea, (AD 260-340), one of the earliest and most comprehensive of church historians, wrote that "some have crossed the Ocean and reached the Isles of Britain" with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Judeo-Christian teachings and practices along with the Holy Grail were in Glastonbury and Salisbury shortly after the Resurrection.
3. King Arthur and Sir Perceval
And it is the Holy Grail that brings us to our final fascinating period of time. We are now in 600-500 AD, the beginning of the Dark Ages, the rise of medievalism, and the fall of the once mighty Roman Empire that had lasted 1,000 years. The story and teachings of Jesus Christ have spread throughout what is modern-day Europe, Scandinavia, and to this island of the Britons. (It has also spread into Egypt, Turkey, and farther east, but our focus is on Britain.) This is not to say that it wasn't mingled with what is often called "paganism," which contained nature spirits and
magic, but the message of one God, creator of all, and the need to practice the fruits of the Spirit (love, kindness, forgiveness, and so on) were known as well.
This was a dark time of hardship, illness, and death in Britain. It was widely believed that the life force that brought fertility and bounty had left the king, the people, and the land. The Christian-trained people felt that the dark shadow of the crucifixion had fallen upon them. And because some believed that the Grail contained the Holy Spirit and that it would bring back life and bounty, Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table went on an arduous quest to find the Grail that Joseph of Arimathea had brought to this land.
Initially they failed, and this failure was due to their not asking and answering two key questions: "What is the Grail?" and "Whom does it serve?" Once Sir Perceval comprehended the importance of first asking himself what truly is the Grail, and realizing that it is not simply the objects but the Holy Spirit represented by the objects, he moved on to the next question, realizing that the Grail does not serve man and mans perspective, rather, it serves God and God's wfll. As Jesus himself told Peter: "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men." Once the Holy Grail is recovered and understood, life flows through the king, the people, and the land, and goodness and bounty are restored. (Perceval, the Story of the Grail, written between 1181 and 1190 by Chretien de Troyes) Eventually, the Holy Grail was carried to heaven by "a hand." (The Quest of the Holy Grail by Pauline M. Matarasso)
Conclusion
These three periods of time reveal how
God keeps the Light on by using enlightened people who seek to find the freedom to grow by the Spirit within them. Yet, they are often "pushed" to make the change by outer, negative circumstances. And there is always a struggle to reach that desired freedom. Cayce asked us all: "How can it be then that you do not understand God loves you?" Sensing our doubting this, given that our lives are not always happy, he asked, "Why do you suffer?" And have the answer, "It is mercy, it is justice to your soul! For those things that are cares of the flesh and of the Earth cannot inherit eternal life. Hence life alters, life changes in the experiences of individuals through their sojourns in the Earth, and thus you learn your lessons, even as He; for though He were the Son, though you are His sons and daughters, yet must you learn obedience through the things that you suffer" (262-100)
Now I am not encouraging suffering, especially not seeking to suffer. In fact Cayce often pointed out that Jesus did not suffer as much as we might think because in his heart and mind he knew that God our Father was guiding him toward eternal happiness and the "peace that passes understanding." (Phil. 4:7) Physical and ego suffering is softened when we "crucify" self-centered desire to make room for the "Spirit of Truth," (2475-1) and as Jesus told us in John 14, 15, and 16. Jesus also called this Spirit "the Comforter," indicating the love and care God has for all of us in our efforts to find freedom and new hope for a better life, a more spiritual life.
Three enlightened times and the people who made them special by keeping the Light on for generations to see. And they did it despite powerful negative forces against them. We today see seriously dark forces working against God's love and humanity's brotherhood-sisterhood. Some are obvious and some are treacherously subtle. It is our turn to keep the Light on. And, as with Elemeshia, Joseph, Arthur, and Perceval, the Spirit of Truth is ever ready to help us from within our hearts and minds. A
5. Fall 2015
Venture Inward Newsletter