Blessed are the Meek, for They Shall Inherit the Earth

The latest Richard Urban Show:
#108-Strengthening Families & Communities Forum-April Gallart

Cheon Seong Gyeong 2143

All things are seeking such owners. We should feel ashamed of not having yet realized this degree of love. The universe is filled with all beings existing as pairs at their level, but ultimately, they follow the principle of being absorbed into higher levels of love. Thus, minerals want to be absorbed by plants, plants by animals, and finally all of creation by human beings. Through this process they ultimately reach the position where they can experience the essence of true love, which is the love that is nearest to God, the origin of love, who created everything with an intrinsic nature to provide value to a higher level.

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1178

Through the principle of indemnity, we must liberate God from all of the sorrowful circumstances, pain, and suffering that He endured throughout history. This is how we understand what un-filial children we have been and how much suffering we have caused God by our misdeeds. This is how we become true filial children who can attend their Parent with the filial piety that outdoes our past lack of filial piety. Thus, in serving God, we must understand the toils of our Parent who sacrificed everything and made such effort through history. Step by step, gradually, we have come into the age where we can clear away past mistakes. So we must attend God, and at least from today, take upon ourselves the hardships of God, so that He can be completely liberated. (144-274, 1986.4.25)

Chapter 18

Humility and Self-Denial

Humility

AN ATTITUDE OF HUMILITY IS ESSENTIAL ON THE PATH to God. Any self-conceit, whether nurtured by superior intelligence, wealth, high status, or the praise of others, is an obstacle blocking our way. Genuine humility requires a constant willingness to deny oneself, to be critical of oneself, to endure hardship without complaint, and to be open to Heaven’s guidance even when it differs from one’s preconceived concepts.
Humility requires sincerity and honesty; thus some passages liken the humble person to a little child, whose natural spontaneity and acceptance of life is the antithesis of the often-complicated personality of the adult with its many masks, hidden resentments, and prejudices. Other scriptures teach us to cultivate humility by meditating on the insignificance and transience of the human being, who is nothing but a puff of wind, a bag of excrement, food for worms.
Here, too, is the paradoxical wisdom that the humble and self-effacing person ultimately prospers and wins more respect from others than the person who is arrogant and powerful. We have the example of Jesus, who took the path of humility to triumph over the Devil’s most deadly attack. Father Moon explains this in terms of the principle that humility, being in accord with the original way of life in Eden, aligns us with God and His creative power, while arrogance places us in Satan’s camp—ultimately a losing cause. In another passage, he alludes to the natural cycle of rise and fall, where arrogance places us at the peak of the cycle where the only way forward is to decline, while humility places us at the bottom where all roads lead upward.

  1. Blessed Are the Meek

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
    Matthew 5.5

Successful indeed are the believers
who are humble in their prayers,
and who shun vain conversation,
and who are payers of the poor-due,
and who guard their modesty.
Qur’an 23.1-5

If you desire to obtain help, put away pride. Even a hair of pride shuts you off, as if by a great cloud.
    Oracle of Kasuga (Shinto) Continue reading “Blessed are the Meek, for They Shall Inherit the Earth”

Rather Than Curse these Enemies, Jesus Loved Them

The latest Richard Urban Show:
#108-Strengthening Families & Communities Forum-April Gallart

Cheon Seong Gyeong 2188

    If the son advises and teaches his parents to love their country so that they become patriots, and makes them a mother and father whom heaven remembers, is he a filial or unfilial son?
    So, rather than a son who says to his parents, “Mom, Dad, don’t go out! Just rest at home.” he should say, “Mom, Dad, what are you doing? Please, let’s try together to find even one more person who can be a patriot, who can work for the unification of North and South Korea, who can work to save North Korea.” Then he makes them shed tears, blood and sweat. Then what would you think if the people in the neighborhood were to praise this achievement?
    Would the parents say, “You scoundrel, you really made your mother and father’s life difficult, so at first we thought you were a bad boy. Yet we became successful and are praised by everyone. My! You really are a filial son.” Do you think the parents would say this, or would they say, “You are an unfilial son”? What do you think? (209-266, 1990.11.30)

Cheon Seong Gyeon 1613

With a greater heart than that of God who nurtured His love for the universe at the time of creation, you need to bring your people together and invest everything you have into them without expecting anything in return. We are responsible to form a model family serving God. Its final destination is the highest ideal of a family, with love so beautiful that when the True Parents come to visit, they would never want to leave. In fact, all world leaders, including the royal family of True Parents’ direct sons and daughters, would desire to live in the home of this family. (298-54, 1999.1.1)

Martyrdom

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Great religions were born and grew up in the soil of persecution and martyrdom. They stand on a foundation of the precious traditions of their founders. Therefore, we must not avoid sacrifices as we recover the original honor of our religions. (271:72, August 21, 1995)

Throughout history religions have taught the value of sacrifice, ultimately to guide people in approaching God. The stairway to Heaven has thousands of steps. For each step God must triumph and Satan must be defeated, but each time Satan demands his maximum price—a sacrifice. Satan does not like to be defeated. That is why so many martyrs appeared in Christian history.
    Christianity has produced more martyrs than any other religion because it is the central religion of the providence. To human eyes, each martyr’s death looked like a setback, yet in fact it was a victory for God. The martyrs are the reason Christianity kept advancing victoriously despite opposition and persecution. At every step, Satan demanded a huge sacrifice as the price for his defeat. (130:283) Continue reading “Rather Than Curse these Enemies, Jesus Loved Them”

They Came Upon Him and Seized Him

Latest Richard Urban Show: #107-Strengthening Families & Communities Forum: Richard Urban

Cheon Seong Gyeong 675

Jesus strove to establish his family but could not fulfill that portion of God’s will. He then went the path of the cross, putting behind him the thought of bride and bridegroom. Hence, he said that he would come again and hold the Marriage of the Lamb. This refers to the appearance of the ideal family in which God can find rest. Then the Lord can attain the position of True Parent. As the True Parent, he has to give birth to true children and then form true brothers and sisters. Centered on this true family, by forming true clans and true races, he has to establish a new race and a new nation. We come to the conclusion that Jesus has to come again to realize this. (39-345, 1971.1.16)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1056

    Your family should not become secularized or slaves of habit. You should not think, “Things will be better in the future even though it is terrible now.” You are to be perfect now; the present is the problem. When the past and the present are perfected, the future will be perfect. Not having had a perfect day in the Garden of Eden still causes us to suffer the effects of the Fall.
    The ideal is the place where the past, present, and future can be united into one. You should be able to offer up the present. God’s desire is to set up the eternal stepping stone on earth. This is the historical point of synthesis. (21-77, 1968.10.20)

Martyrdom

WHEN PEOPLE OF FAITH ENCOUNTER HOSTILE AUTHORITIES who feel threatened by their convictions and values, some may pay the ultimate price. Father Moon explains from a spiritual viewpoint that whenever goodness advances, Satan exacts his toll. That is why it is often the best people who are sacrificed.
The word “martyr” means witness. In their steadfastness in the face of death, the martyrs bear testimony to their faith and to God who inspires such faith. The example of the martyr, who places God above his or her own life, is powerful and inspiring. Martyrdom, therefore, strengthens the community of faith, deepening its roots and furthering its growth. Tertullian famously wrote, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”
Today some regard fighters who die in the course of offensive operations that take innocent lives, e.g., suicide bombers, as martyrs. If that is martyrdom, it is the weakest form. The highest form of martyrdom stands on the foundation of goodness and mercy, even as Jesus blessed the Roman soldiers who nailed him to the cross.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
    Psalm 116.15

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.
    Matthew 24.9

Continue reading “They Came Upon Him and Seized Him”

True People of Faith Accept Persecution and Trials

Latest Richard Urban Show: #107-Strengthening Families & Communities Forum: Richard Urban

Cheon Seong Gyeong 2148

    Yet, as God is eternal, unchanging, absolute, and unique, so also is His will; therefore, through the true individual, family, society, nation, world, and sovereignty, He will surely build the world in which He can freely operate both in heaven and on earth. Then, what is the original world which He seeks? It is one centered on true parents; yet, due to the Fall, we lost the true parents of humanity and the true world from the very beginning of history. That being the case, nothing in the world – whether our country of residence, human ideology, or anything else – can connect us directly to true parents; therefore, we ourselves should first restore trueness.
    Thereby, the day when true parents, spouses, children, citizens, creation, sovereignty, and the true universe can move and settle in unison with God’s true heart on earth will signify the final days of the evil world. The time when such an ideal will be realized is the Last Days, the Second Advent. As such, when the Lord returns, there will be no cataclysmic phenomena such as judgment by fire, the destruction of Earth, or believers levitating into the air. Instead, it is a time when history entangled with tragedies will be untangled through indemnity paid to establish the individual, family, society, nation, and world, which were lost in the vertical course of history and will be restored horizontally in the present day. We have been longing for such a day, and that is the final destination at which we all should arrive. 
    However, individuals, families, and nations have lost their way. All kinds of problems such as air pollution, famine, religious conflict, and racial antagonism are constantly arising throughout the world, causing all manner of disputes. Who is going to take responsibility for this world? This is a serious matter. Communist countries in the past could not transcend nationalism, nor can today’s superpower, the USA, transcend Pan-Americanism. When a nation places its self-interest first, it will not be able to lead the world. We need a people or a religion that is willing to sacrifice its interests for a higher purpose and strive to build an ideal nation that embraces all humankind. With this view, in response to God’s command, I came here to America and poured all my energy to educate its young people, reawaken it from its moral crisis, and revive its declining Christianity.  The Path for America and Humanity in the Last Days

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1274

In the Bible you read the story of Jacob, who plotted with his mother and tricked his father into giving him the blessing. You also read about Tamar, who committed immoral acts. Yet, it states in the Bible that Jesus will come to the earth through the tribe of Judah. What does all this mean? It is because the problem of conversion of the lineage remained and had to be resolved. The bloodline must be purified. Of all the religions, only Christianity has placed importance on the lineage, and laid down the conversion of lineage as its main ideology. You cannot find this in any other religion, and that is why you can safely conclude that we must follow this teaching.

Persecution

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

You have to pass through hell in order to reach the Kingdom of Heaven. (Way of God’s Will 1.8)

Persecution is God’s strategic expedient to recover the ownership of the satanic world. If you understand this principle, it becomes self-evident why true religions prosper under persecution. The founders of the major religions of the world—Jesus, Buddha, Confucius, and Mohammed—all were persecuted. Yet, because of this principle, these persecuted people became saints. History progresses following this principle; therefore, with the flow of time they were naturally destined to become the victors. (189:205-06, April 6, 1989) Continue reading “True People of Faith Accept Persecution and Trials”

Blessed Are You When Men Revile You and Persecute You

Latest Richard Urban Show: #107-Strengthening Families & Communities Forum: Richard Urban

Cheon Seong Gyeong 2104

In your family you are told, “Be a child of filial piety!” What does this mean? It means to practice true love. Then, what does it mean to say, “Be an heir” or “Be a patriot”? It is saying that we should inherit the nation. What does it mean to say, “Be a saint?” It means that we should love the world; if we do, we will inherit the world. We will be the owner of the world. If we say, “Be a holy son and daughter” and “Be God’s son”… what does that mean? It is saying that we should participate in God’s love and receive the right to inherit the entire universe. Based on the traditional way to inherit all these things, God has been preparing the foundation to develop this logical stage in the fallen world of humanity. From this we can draw the conclusion that the purpose of religion or the path of spiritual attainment is possible. On what basis? On the basis of love. (142-337, 1986.3.14)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1079

Our members should not be wearing expensive neckties. I am not saying this because I am concerned about what others will think. If possible, however, we should be frugal in these matters. If we live this way, a great revolution of resourcefulness will explode out of this. This is absolutely necessary in America. (94-195, 1977.9.1)

Persecution

SACRIFICE IS OFTEN THRUST UPON A MAN OR WOMAN in the form of persecution. Few desire to be mistreated, misunderstood, slandered, ostracized and harassed. Yet persecution often follows righteous believers like a shadow.
Persecution is of no value if it crushes us. However, those who can persevere with faith and digest these troubles without complaint or resentment can attain the highest goal of fellowship with Heaven. Persecution can be a blessing, because it pushes us into the realm of total self-sacrifice and self-denial. Its circumstances allow us to attain an unsurpassed degree of selflessness beyond what we could achieve by our own efforts. In view of the beatification which comes through sacrifice, it is not surprising that people who are persecuted in faith often lose any negative feelings of hate or vengefulness toward their persecutors and even develop compassion for them. Selflessness begets holiness and relatedness to the divine. Hence the paradoxical fact of history that religions thrive in times of persecution.
Father Moon also teaches that God and Satan have, as it were, a contract between them: If Satan unrighteously persecutes innocent believers, God has a right to claim compensation for damages. In this way, throughout history goodness at first suffers attack but triumphs in the end. God takes this principle to its logical application: Believers should welcome maltreatment and even consciously embark on a course leading to persecution as a way to advance the divine purpose.

Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.
    Matthew 5.11-12 Continue reading “Blessed Are You When Men Revile You and Persecute You”