"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn't she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:8-10)
What is Jesus saying with his analogy?
Jesus is continuing his explanation of why he was willing to mingle with - and teach to - those who were lost:Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. (Luke 15:1)Jesus is stating that the Supreme Being is not just kind and forgiving. He is also joyful and pleased when a person who has been ignoring Him and rejecting Him has a change of heart and wants to return to Him.
What does this say about the Supreme Being?
It says that the Supreme Being is not the angry, vengeful Person that the many Bible scribes and translators have made Him out to be.Just consider the difference in personalities as portrayed here by Jesus and those portrayed in some of the Old Testament translations. If God was an angry, vengeful God, then why would He be so pleased when someone had a change of heart and "rejoice" when someone decided to return to Him?
Just consider a man who loses his pet dog and begins searching for the dog everywhere. He even offers a reward for finding the dog. Is the man angry at the dog? Does he want to harm the dog? Surely not. Certainly, the man might be upset that the dog ran off - and might even scold the dog not to run off again. But when the man sees the dog again he will pet and even hug the dog and be so glad the dog has been found - right?
Is God vengeful?
Just consider this consciousness in the face of the supposedly vengeful God that is portrayed by these ecclesiastical institutions and their translations. How could they get it so wrong?In fact, we find that Jesus was a scholar of the Hebrew scriptures and psalms that were later pieced together into the Bible by the Roman government-influenced translators and editors. Jesus quoted David and quoted Solomon and quoted Jeremiah. He was an astute follower of the Prophets - and this is why they referred to Jesus as υἱὸς Δαυίδ - which means "follower of David."
(The Greek word υἱὸς only refers to "son" when it is used within the context of a physical family - of father or mother and son. Jesus was not the son of David, as David lived centuries prior to Jesus' appearance.)
Here is an example of how some institutional translators have inaccurately translated some of the Hebrew in the Old Testament:
In fact, this instruction by Moses uses the Hebrew word יָרֵא (yare') - translated to "fear" by institutional translators. Yet this word can also mean to "revere" and "to cause astonishment and awe, be held in awe."
Now which of these two ways to translate this word is more compatible with loving someone? Fear? Or reference - seeing someone as awesome - as astonishing? Certainly the latter.
This gives us one glimpse into the butchering that ecclesiastical translators have done to the Scriptures. But why?
Because these institutions and their leaders have wanted people to be afraid of God. This allowed them to control the people. By threatening them: 'If you don't obey the Church, God will get you. He's an angry God and you should be afraid of Him. Therefore come to Church and give us your money. If you don't, you'll go to hell.'
This isn't much different than some terrorist group that threatens people with cutting off their heads unless they join their sect. It is fanatical. It is threatening people.
And with regard to threatening people with hell: These people are already in hell. Hell is turning our back on the Supreme Being and forgetting our loving relationship with Him.
He doesn't need anyone threatening people for Him either. The fact is, these people are not representing God anyway. They are simply manipulating God's scriptures to make themselves more powerful.
Jesus appeared in order to introduce people to the real Supreme Being. This is why he was using parables. He wanted people to see how much the Supreme Being loves us and cares for us. God wants us to come home and resume our innate loving relationship with Him.
Why? Because He knows that this will give us joy. This will fulfill us. He wants us to be happy - because He loves us.
And Jesus is teaching this as God's representative - because God is lovable.
Loving the Supreme Being will make us happy because we need this loving relationship - it is an innate part of us. This is why everyone is looking for true love, and practically every movie is about people looking for love, and practically every song is about trying to find true love. Because we are each looking for our lost loving relationship with the Supreme Being. We are looking for true love because we have turned our back on the Supreme Being - our Beloved - and we've forgotten our loving relationship with Him.
This is why, when he was asked which was the most important instruction, Jesus quoted Moses' instruction from Deuteronomy 6:5:
Here is an example of how some institutional translators have inaccurately translated some of the Hebrew in the Old Testament:
"Fear the LORD your God and serve Him. Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His Name." (Deuteronomy 10:20)
Did Moses teach his followers 'fear' of God?
He also taught them to love God (Deuteronomy 6:5). How could they love someone they feared? Why would we want to "hold fast" to someone we feared?In fact, this instruction by Moses uses the Hebrew word יָרֵא (yare') - translated to "fear" by institutional translators. Yet this word can also mean to "revere" and "to cause astonishment and awe, be held in awe."
Now which of these two ways to translate this word is more compatible with loving someone? Fear? Or reference - seeing someone as awesome - as astonishing? Certainly the latter.
This gives us one glimpse into the butchering that ecclesiastical translators have done to the Scriptures. But why?
Because these institutions and their leaders have wanted people to be afraid of God. This allowed them to control the people. By threatening them: 'If you don't obey the Church, God will get you. He's an angry God and you should be afraid of Him. Therefore come to Church and give us your money. If you don't, you'll go to hell.'
This isn't much different than some terrorist group that threatens people with cutting off their heads unless they join their sect. It is fanatical. It is threatening people.
And with regard to threatening people with hell: These people are already in hell. Hell is turning our back on the Supreme Being and forgetting our loving relationship with Him.
Does the Supreme Being threaten people?
He doesn't need to get angry. If He wanted to force everyone to worship Him He could do it in a split second. He could make everyone a robot-slave who would bow down to Him. But He doesn't want slaves or robots. He created us with the free will to love Him or not.He doesn't need anyone threatening people for Him either. The fact is, these people are not representing God anyway. They are simply manipulating God's scriptures to make themselves more powerful.
Jesus appeared in order to introduce people to the real Supreme Being. This is why he was using parables. He wanted people to see how much the Supreme Being loves us and cares for us. God wants us to come home and resume our innate loving relationship with Him.
Why? Because He knows that this will give us joy. This will fulfill us. He wants us to be happy - because He loves us.
And Jesus is teaching this as God's representative - because God is lovable.
Loving the Supreme Being will make us happy because we need this loving relationship - it is an innate part of us. This is why everyone is looking for true love, and practically every movie is about people looking for love, and practically every song is about trying to find true love. Because we are each looking for our lost loving relationship with the Supreme Being. We are looking for true love because we have turned our back on the Supreme Being - our Beloved - and we've forgotten our loving relationship with Him.
This is why, when he was asked which was the most important instruction, Jesus quoted Moses' instruction from Deuteronomy 6:5:
“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’" (Luke 10:27)
