Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Book of John Chapter two 1-11 - Wedding Feast at Cana

For six years in the late 1970s-80s, William LePar offered a Bible Study on the Book of John. This was a detailed study, verse by verse. Once transcribed this study filled seven volumes. They are now all available for purchase. We thought that an example of the depth of study was appropriate. Verses 1-11 of chapter two were selected.

NIV (New International Version) – On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

 Here are some clues as to the meanings of the miracle at Cana. Jewish legalism is represented by the water of ritual purification; it then becomes the Gospel, the wine which gladdens the Marriage Feast of the Kingdom of God. Judaism is represented by the water. Christianity is represented by the wine. It is Christ that makes the difference between water and wine. Therefore, the choice – living the strict laws created by the Jewish system which Christ opposed or living the law of love as Christ demonstrated. The lesson that we must learn then is not only to be transformed by Christ’s power, but in the context of joyous human fellowship. We must reject the spirit of gloomy religiosity that was prevalent at that time and is carried forward today by some.

 Now some historical facts about Jewish weddings at that time: A wedding was a very notable occasion. One of the Jewish laws was that a wedding of a virgin should take place on a Wednesday. The wedding festivities lasted more than just one day. The actual wedding ceremony took place in the evening after the main feast. The couple did not go away for a honeymoon. They stayed at home and kept an open house for about a week. At a Jewish feast, wine was essential. The saying of the Rabbi at that time was, “Without wine there is no joy.” The people were not drunkards. Drunkenness was a great disgrace. Hospitality in the East was a sacred duty. So, for the food and drink to fail at a wedding feast would be a terrible humiliation for the bride and groom.

 For Mary to approach Jesus about the problem of the lack of wine would indicate that Mary held a certain position as far as the wedding was concerned. This indicates that possibly one of the two in the wedding was a member of her family. Whether it was an immediate member or secondary, the event would still be important to her.

 The Authorized Version of King James makes Jesus’ reply sound very discourteous or very abrupt. That was not the case. Those are the correct words, but do not give the true meaning. “What have I to do with thee?” was a common conversational phrase. It did not indicate disagreement or reproach, but means the indication of misunderstanding. The meaning of the phrase could mean: “Don’t worry,” “You don’t quite understand what is going on,” “Leave things to me” or “I will settle them in my own way.” We see Jesus then as telling His mother to leave the situation to Him, and He will deal with it in His own way.

 The word “woman” (the Greek word “gunai”) is also misleading. It sounds rough and abrupt, but this is the same word used when Jesus, on the cross, addressed John concerning His Mother, Mary, as He left her in the care of John. Christ gave His mother into John’s care and universally, to all of us. “Woman” is a title of respect. There is no word in the English language that gives us an exact rendering, but it is possibly better translated as “lady,” which gives us at least the courtesy indicated by it. Mary had confidence in Jesus. She told the servants to do as He said.

The word “firkin” has been translated in the Authorized Version as stone jars. A “firkin” represents the Hebrew measure called “bath” which represents a large jug of about a 20-gallon capacity. It also represented the purification ceremony. The purification ceremony had two purposes: First, it was required to wash the feet whenever entering the house. On dry days the feet were dusty and on wet days the feet were muddy.

 Second, it was required to wash the hands. Strict Jews washed their hands before the meal and between each course. First the hands were held upright and the water was poured over them in such a way that it ran right down to the wrists. Then the hands were pointed down and the water was poured in such a way that it ran from the wrist to the fingertips and this was done with each hand. Then each palm was cleansed by rubbing it with the fist of the other hand. If this was not done, technically the hands were unclean.

 John definitely states that the jugs were filled to the brim. He makes this point clear to show that there was nothing else in there but the water.

We now note three general things about the miracle that Jesus performed. We note when it happened – at a wedding feast. Jesus was no severe austere killjoy. He enjoyed sharing in the happiness and rejoicing of a wedding feast. Some religious people like to shed gloom wherever they go. They are suspicious of any joy and happiness. To them, religion is a thing of black clothes and lowered voices and the expulsion of all social fellowship. These people would be better as undertakers and bury the dead for they will not succeed in influencing the living. It is better to commend cheerfulness to all who wish to win souls, not levity or frothfulness, but geniality and happy spirit. There are more flies caught with honey than vinegar, and there will be more souls led to Heaven by a man who wears Heaven in his face than one who bears grimness in his look. Jesus never counted it a crime to be happy, so why should His followers?

We note where it happened. It happened in a modest home in a village in Galilee. This miracle was not performed against the background of a great occasion or vast crowds. Looking briefly at the Gospel of Luke, we see the author delights in showing Jesus against the background of very simple things, homey things and people such as oxen and servants. Luke domesticates God. Luke brings God right into the home circle and into the ordinary things of life. With the miracle at Cana, this shows us what Christ thought of the home. His first public miracle was in the sanctity of the home. As the RSV (Revised Standard Version) states it, “He manifested forth His glory.” We can understand from this, that to Christ the home was a place for which nothing but the best was good enough.

 We note why it happened. In the East, hospitality was a sacred duty. If the wine at the marriage feast had run out, it would have been a great embarrassment and shame on the home. So it was to save this humble Galilean family from hurt and embarrassment. It was in sympathy, in kindness, in understanding for the simple people that Jesus acted. There is a kind of natural human malice that enjoys seeing the misfortunes of others. The Lord of Life, the King of Joy, used His power to save the bride and bridegroom from humiliation. It is by such deeds of understanding and simple kindness that we can also show that we are followers of Jesus Christ.

There are two other things the story tells us about Mary’s faith in Christ. First, Mary instinctively turned to Jesus because she knew her son, and she knew that He would not let her down. Second, she believed in Him and she immediately turned to the serving people and told them to do whatever they were instructed by Jesus to do. She did not know what to expect, but she had faith that He would do the right thing. In every life there comes a period of darkness when we, too, do not know what to expect. By placing our faith in Jesus Christ, all things are fulfilled.

 Also, the story tells us something about Jesus. “My hour has not yet come.” All through His life Jesus knew He came into the world for a definite purpose and a definite task. He saw His life, not in terms of His wishes, but in terms of God’s purpose for Him. He saw His life not against the shifting background of time, but against the steady background of eternity. He steadily went towards that hour for which He knew He had come into the world. It is not only Jesus Who came into this world to fulfill the purpose of God. Every man is a dream and an idea of God, so we too, must think not of our own wishes and our own desires, but of the purpose for which God sent us into this world.

 Now for the deeper, more permanent truth that John is telling us with this story. We must remember that John was writing with a double background. He was a Jew and he was writing the story of Jesus for the Greeks and the rest of mankind to come. We must remember that beneath John’s simple stories there is always a deeper meaning, which is opened only to those who have eyes to see. John never wrote an unnecessary word or insignificant word. Everything means something and everything points beyond.

 There were six water pots. The water in them turned to wine. According to the Jews, seven is the number which is complete and perfect. Six is the number which is unfinished or imperfect. The six stone (stone=dead) water pots stand for the imperfection of the Jewish Law. Jesus came to do away with the imperfection of the Law and to put in its place the Wine of the New Gospel of Grace (God’s gift that we don’t deserve) or the New Covenant that man has with his God. Jesus turned the imperfection of the Law into the perfection of Grace. There were six water pots, each held between 20 and 30 gallons of water. Jesus turned water into wine that would give up to 180 gallons. Simply to state that fact is to show that John did not mean the story to be taken with crude literalness.

 What John is saying is that when the Grace of Christ comes to men, there is enough to spare for all. It would be unlikely that a wedding party would drink 180 gallons of wine. No need on earth can exhaust the Grace of Christ. There is a glorious superabundance of it. What John was telling us is that in Christ, imperfections become perfection. Grace is without limit, sufficient, and more than sufficient, for every need. We see that John is teaching us that Jesus does not do a thing once and never again, but of something which He is doing always and forever. The Christ Consciousness is there forever to feed us. Jesus did not do something once in Palestine, but continues doing it today. Whenever Jesus comes into a man’s life, there comes a new quality which is like turning water into wine. Without Jesus life is dull, stale and flat, but when Jesus comes into our life, it becomes a vivid, sparkling and exciting life, the joy of a wedding feast.

Monday, September 23, 2024

Jewels in the Crown

The Council: “Look about your own existence, your own home.  Look at your possessions.  What good are they to you?  Once you leave the material you cannot take them with you.  The only thing one can take with them, when they leave the material manifestation, is the good deeds, the love, and the concern that they have had for others.  These are the garlands; these are the jewels.  This is the crown that sits upon the head, and this is what you will have to wear when you enter the new world or the new land or the next consciousness, and if you do not have those jewels, those crowns, those garlands, then there are areas which will not be accessible to you, and hopefully, you will have at least one thing that will allow you entrance to that area you truly seek.”

For more about William LePar and The Council visit WilliamLePar.com

Universal Being 2024 - North Canton, Ohio - Oct. 12th

 Universal Being Conference – North Canton, Ohio – Saturday, Oct 12th

9 Am to 3 PM


Speakers – Janet Weir Creighton – Dining With Presidents

She will share first-hand experiences: The White House State Dinner


– Rev. Deborah Rhinesmith - Revelation

Will draw on scripture and history to address the problem of evil, including numbers and colors used by the book’s creator.


–   Elizabeth Howell – Tarot Cards

We will be introduced to the cards and the art of reading them.

A demonstration will be given.


– Denny Highben

The heavenly realms – learn what we experience there.


For more information visit WilliamLePar.com

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

THE COUNCIL SPEAKS OF THEMSELVES


In this quote, The Council tells us about themselves and their level of spirituality.

 After a soul or an entity has accomplished a certain level or degree of perfection, through whatever system that is the ruling belief system of that time, then the individual or the soul or the entity is elevated to a level wherein it is not necessary for reincarnation. Once entering the spiritual realms without the need to reincarnate, a growth period is undergone. Many steps of awareness or many levels of awareness are accomplished, many degrees of elevation, many degrees of perfection until finally the soul, the entity has evolved into a state where there are no levels, no degrees, but begins to expand in love and awareness to the point where there is a total mergence or merging with other beings; where all ideas of limitations, all awarenesses of false limitations, have been done away with; where the person or the soul or the entity begins to realize its true unlimitedness and in that begins to expand greater and greater and greater, interweaving more delicately and more closely with all others and all other things, and in so doing grows closer to the Divine Himself. Once a soul or entity has reached this level, then they are in union with others, total union, yet completely individual, and yet completely united. This soul, this entity has its own personality, yet delicately flows in and out and with other souls but yet maintains its own personality, its own being. The soul, the entity becomes more god-like in that it becomes part of all things, yet maintains its own personality, its own being. Once a soul has reached this level then there is no name. there is no body as you would recognize or understand, but a more complete and unlimited Child of God, one who is so developed that no name could ever describe him. That is the existence we live in, and if you wish to use confining and restricting terminologies as levels, then we souls have to say that is the level we exist in. In all of mankind's history this level has never before spoken in the physical plane.

For more on William LePar and The Council visit WilliamLePar.com

Monday, September 2, 2024

Projecting Images of Pets Who Have Died

 In this interesting exchange between a researcher and William LePar’s spiritual source, The Council, we learn about projecting a life force that has passed on.

Questioner:  My cat died the other day and yesterday while I was projecting I saw him sitting on the steps in front of the apartment. Now I had been thinking about doing him a favor by telling him to go on to wherever he was going. Do you think it would be better to have him keep his separate awareness?

The Council:  Did you love the animal?

Questioner:  Certainly.

The Council:  Well, then why not?  He can offer as much to you now as he did when he was alive.  Really once you have given that love to a pet you just do not put it back into non-existence and their true purpose is not to do anything further, but they are as a comfort.  Do you understand?

Questioner:  Yes.

The Council:  They are as a symbol of your love.  Now, you do not have that awareness now, but as you change your consciousness as, shall we say, you go through the death process then you will be able to truly appreciate your pet, because you will have a complete awareness of actually giving that energy force an existence.  Do you understand?

Questioner:  Yes.

The Council:  So by telling it to go on its way, you are telling it to go nowhere because it has nowhere to go.

Questioner:  That's nice.  Thank you.

The Council:  It is presently a form of energy, the same as any other pet that is within your presence now.  And as you have need for it, you can actually bring these into a manifestation, whether it would be the "material manifestation" or whether it would be strictly an inner manifestation.

For more on WIlliam LePar and The Council visit WilliamLePar.com

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

The Love Vibration

The Council: “Much development and in fact the only development that an entity can fully make is in the ability to train and work with the physical.  And the easiest and quickest way is developing the attitude and the thought.  If you constantly keep on your mind your relationship and your responsibility to everybody and everything around you, you will soon be not only a channel for love, but you, will become a booster of that energy or that vibration.  You will add to it.  We will suggest for you specifically to begin to think in terms of service.  Think in terms of service to your fellowmen.  If one were to feel as though one's purpose was to be of service and in return through that service become more aware of the unity of man and God, great spiritual development can be expected.  The greatest growth that an entity can make is through his day-to-day existence, in the simple little things, in the establishment of a very firm attitude of his existence within the Grace or Love of his God and his existence with his fellow man.”

For more on William LePar and The Council visit williamlepar.com

Friday, August 2, 2024

Prayers are Energy

 This is a beautiful thought from William LePar’s spiritual source, The Council.

 Questioner:  Prayers are energies, then?

 The Council:  That should be no surprise.  Everything is energy; everything

is energy.

 Questioner:  And prayers would be so filled with love energy?

 The Council:  Yes.  Very positive, very positive thing, prayer.

 Questioner:  I don't understand how that would work, how that could be such an aid, help?

 The Council:  Well, if you could understand what the existence is at this level, then it would not be hard at all, but just think of it as a ball of total love, positive, of God, of all the beautiful things, all the holy things; and as that ball hovers over you, you have the option to accept it and put it into your heart, and it helps you shine out.  It enters your body or your system or your soul or your spirit and radiates outward.  It acts as an amplifier when your, shall we say, batteries are down a little.  It brings new life, new hope, into you, new strength. It clears out the old fog and allows the Divine to speak with you; but since it is a part of your soul, since it is a part of God, you must remember that when you reach a level of being able to pray for others out of love, God is talking to you and He is using you as an instrument, He is flowing His energies through you into that prayer; and you are directing it to a specific person or a specific thing; and if those things or persons do not wish to accept it, then it goes to someone else who is needy; and it will go until it is accepted.  None of God's efforts are in vain.

For more on William LePar and The Council visit WilliamLePar.com