2 Corinthians 3:16 … The removal of all Veils (04/23/17)
“When one turns to the Lord, all veils are removed.”
~ Paul (2 Corinthians 3:16)
First & foremost, realize that there are number of “veils” that keep us from witnessing the “Glory of the Lord” (i.e. cherishing the Life we have been given by choosing to serve those in need – see Matthew 22:37-40) … There are veils of fear for personal safety, and there are veils of desire for personal pleasure; there are veils of political allegiance, and there are veils of religious subservience; there are veils of arrogant judgment, and there are veils of submission to tragedy & despair.
Indeed Life is filled with “veils” that keep us from witnessing the wonders of living and that keep us from engaging the opportunities to Care. And thus how wonderful it is that The Way of Christ removes all of these mirages from our midst — How wonderful it is that radical acts of selfless love are all we need to See clearly again!
Of course, for some – like the “apostle” Paul – removing Life’s veils isn’t that simple. For Paul “turns to the Lord” by looking “up” to Jesus Christ, which becomes a veil in & of itself … Indeed, Jesus himself does not want us to turn to him at all (see Mark 10:18, John 5:41, John 7:16, John 8:50-54, John 12:44 et al), but would much rather have us “turn to the Lord” instead — allowing the Christ Essence within us (see John 14:20) to imbue our deeds & choices with a Love that is pure and unconditional and willingly self-sacrificial.
For Paul, the Lord was a spiritual tyrant; a celestial judge & jury who condemned those who didn’t profess the proper subservience (see Romans 2:16 + Romans 9:27 + Romans 12:19, Romans 11:32, Romans 11:21-22, Romans 14:10-12, 1 Corinthians 4:4, 1 Corinthians 5:13a, 1 Corinthians 10:5, 1 Corinthians 11:32, 2 Corinthians 4:4, 1 Thessalonians 4:6 et al) — and yet for Jesus, the Father was perfectly Loving (Matthew 5:43-48), perfectly Merciful (Luke 6:36) and perfectly Forgiving (Matthew 18:21-22); a Divine Essence who could by Its very nature never condemn any sentient being for any trespass whatsoever (see John 5:22 + Matthew 5:48 + 1 John 4:18 + John 6:45 + John 8:15 et al).
Yes, it is indeed true that whenever we choose not to Love, we are in effect keeping ourselves from the presence of the Father – but this is not a punishment inflicted by the Divine, but rather a chosen consequence we have ladled upon ourselves; a consequence that is just & fully proportionate: a consequence that never carries with it any negative effects in excess to the wrong we happen to commit. Otherwise God — in whatever form or expression — would have constructed a Life ruled by capriciousness & injustice, and would thus not be worth worshiping at all.
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