Daily Inspiration: A Community for Daily Scripture Study

After this Many of His Disciples Drew Back

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1014

If a grandmother comes and asks, “Is the church leader here?” and you look at her and reply, “No, he’s not here,” you will be punished. Just see what happens when she asks, “Where did the church leader go?” and you answer, “Why do you ask, grandmother? We have no need for an old grandmother.” God will scold you saying, “You good-for-nothing! Where did you come from?” Denying aged grandmothers and grandfathers is the same as denying your mother and father. That is why you can only be a devoted son when you serve and support your aged parents and grandparents. (56-38, 1972.5.10)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1051

When dealing with people, you must not do it unsatisfactorily. The work of resurrection does not occur in a course that is mandatory. It has to be exciting. You must stay up at night without even realizing it is night. You discover the value of heaven only when you get to the point at which you can say, “The place where I am now is heaven.” Isn’t that right? Even with trees, unless they are completely bonded, they don’t engraft. (75-177, 1975.1.2

Jesus

10. Jesus Performed Miracles, but They Were Not Conducive to Faith

The apostles returned to Jesus… and he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves. Now many saw them going, and knew them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns, and got there ahead of them. As he landed he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a lonely place, and the hour is now late; send them away, to go into the country and villages round about and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And the disciples said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?” And he said to them, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then he commanded them all to sit down by companies upon the green grass. So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. And taking the five loaves and two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
Mark 6.30-44

When the disciples said, “O Jesus son of Mary! Is your Lord able to send down for us a table spread with food from heaven?”42 He said, “Observe your duty to God, if you are true believers.” They said, “We wish to eat of it, that we may satisfy our hearts and know that you have spoken truth to us, and that we may be witnesses thereof.” Jesus son of Mary said, “O God, our Lord! Send down for us a table spread with food from heaven, that it may be a feast for us, for the first of and for the last of us, and a sign from Thee. Give us sustenance, for Thou art the Best of sustainers.”
Qur’an 5.112-114

When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”…
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst… Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day…”
Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, “Do you take offense at this?… The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you that do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him.
John 6.25-67

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Jesus was willing to do anything for the sake of the Father’s Will… Touring with his disciples, when he saw that the people were hungry, he performed the miracle of feeding the 5,000 with five loaves and two fishes. He gave everything he could. (4:83, March 9, 1958)

Jesus did not delight in performing miracles. If you think he performed miracles in comfort and joy, you are greatly mistaken. When he felt compelled by a painful situation to show mercy upon the people, he raised his hands and cried out, “Father!” This is when the miracles took place. They took place when Jesus cried out in excruciating sadness, as if his bones and flesh were melting. Do not think that Jesus performed miracles because he liked them or was reckless.
On the hill of Bethsaida, 5,000 people waved their arms and shouted out, “Jesus, you are our Savior! You are the chosen leader of Israel!” They sought him out because they expected to obtain some benefit from him. However, after some time passed they began to see that Jesus’ standard of heart was different from theirs. They could not relate to his internal situation and ideals, which came from a different, higher realm. That was when they turned their backs on Jesus and abandoned him. Yet all the while, Jesus was giving them his utmost love. (3:291, February 1, 1959)

The multitudes that followed Jesus believed he was the Messiah and their Savior when he showed them the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Yet when Jesus was about to be killed, everyone abandoned him and scattered.
If the people who followed Jesus had understood his internal heart toward Heaven, if they had understood that he possessed a deeply penetrating heart toward God, and that he came to take responsibility for the whole of the God’s historical providence, they would have understood his predicament and followed him to the end. (3:291, January 19, 1958)

God May Reveal the News of the Return of Christ First to Lay People

Lamentations 3

⁴¹When we lift our hands
    in prayer to God in heaven,
we should offer him our hearts
    and say, ⁴²“We’ve sinned!
We’ve rebelled against you,
    and you haven’t forgiven us!
⁴³Anger is written all over you,
as you pursue and slaughter us
    without showing pity.
⁴⁴You are behind a wall of clouds
    that blocks out our prayers.

Psalm 5

⁵No one who boasts can stand
in your presence, Lord,
    and you hate evil people.
⁶You destroy every liar,
    and you despise violence
    and deceit.

Jesus

9. Jesus Gathered Disciples and Trained Them for the Kingdom

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Rejected by the prepared people, Jesus appeared as a laborer and became a friend of fishermen. He shared with them his life, heart and desires. He fought for them, determined to satisfy their hearts’ desires. As a result, Peter and the other fishermen could follow him.
    After selecting these uneducated disciples, what did Jesus do for three years? He served them, just as God had toiled for 4,000 years as a servant to raise the Israelites.
    Jesus had great hopes for his twelve chosen disciples. He never forgot that God had sent him to influence Judaism by guiding its priests and officials. His teaching was grand, his hopes were high, and his passion was great.
    After enduring the agony of rejection by the chief priests and scribes… Jesus sacrificed and served to raise up his disciples to take their place. Through the three years of his ministry he searched for them, forgetting food and drink. If he acquired new clothes, he gave them to his disciples and was content with his rags. If he found a comfortable place to sleep, he let his disciples sleep there and sat
in an uncomfortable place. (5:225, February 1, 1959)

People believe in religion to find salvation, and the purpose of salvation is to reach perfection. To this end, religious people know that they should love God and the founder of their religion more than anyone in the fallen world. We should clearly know that the path of religion requires such a pledge. All religious believers should walk this path—to go beyond the love of the world—and thereby win over Satan’s world.
We can connect with God’s love only when we have transcended the love of the fallen world. This is the very reason Jesus said, “He who loves father or mother—or wife or husband—more than me is not worthy of me, and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Why should we love Jesus more than our own family members? By so loving Christ we become people
with greater love than people in the fallen world, and through our bond of love with Christ we are entitled to enter heaven. Meeting this condition is a requirement of God’s Principle; therefore Jesus had to say these words. (93:326, June 17, 1977)

Hunger and suffering creates a bond of heart between us. Just socializing together while we wear good clothes and lead a comfortable life does not link us together. Rather, you and I should experience the misery of persecution and oppression, working day and night in difficult circumstances as we shoulder the enormous burden of fulfilling our responsibility. There is no way to build a bond of heart except through tears… You talk about a relationship of heart with Jesus or with True Parents,
but where can you find it except through suffering? There is no other way. (94:233, October 1, 1977)

When people receive revelations about Christ at the Second Advent or hear his words, they will respond in ways similar to the way the Jews in Jesus’ day responded. God did not reveal the news of the birth of Jesus to the priests and scribes, but to gentile astrologers and pure-hearted shepherds. This is like the case of a father who, due to the ignorance of his own children, has to confide in his step-child. Likewise, God may well reveal the news of the return of Christ first to lay people, to marginal spiritual groups and churches which the mainstream treats with disdain, or to conscientious non-believers. Only later may the news reach the mainstream Christian clergy who are unthinkingly keeping to their conventional ways of faith. In Jesus’ day, those who sincerely received the Gospel were not the Jewish leaders, but simple common folk and Gentiles. Likewise, at Christ’s return, simple Christians and non-Christians will accept the Lord’s words before the Christian leadership, which regards itself as God’s elect. This is the meaning of Jesus’ parable of the marriage feast. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Second Advent 4)

He Who Loves Father or Mother More than Me Is Not Worthy of Me

Cheon Seong Gyeong 212

Who has had to walk this path, that you know – the path of the servant of servants and of the adopted son? It was I who had to walk that path. I am building the bridge because I have walked that way, survived the fight, and triumphed. Whenever you see a pitiable person on the street, remember that I have been in that kind of situation. Don’t you think that I was indignant when I was being stepped on, tortured and kicked by the communists? But I never prayed, “O God, strike these enemies with a thunderbolt and slaughter them all.” Although my body was bleeding, I was praying for them to receive blessings. (63-88, 1972.10.8)

Cheong Seong Gyeong 258

Furthermore, only when we establish True Parents’ Day throughout all of heaven and earth will the sorrow of restoration be completely removed. Even though we have established True Parents’ Day and True Children’s Day, we have not established True Parents’ Day on the levels of an individual, a family, a people, a nation, the world and the cosmos. The same is true for True Children’s Day, and for the Day of All True Things. Only when we have developed to the point where we can be governed by the standard in which True Parents’ Day, True Children’s Day, and the Day of All True Things have globally triumphed will God’s original purpose of creation be completed. Only then will True Parents’ Day finally become True Parents’ Day for all humankind and at the same time True Parents’ Day for Heaven itself. In the same way, True Children’s Day and the Day of All True Things will be True Children’s Day and the Day of All True Things both for all humankind and for Heaven. When we have reached such a position, then the time will have finally come when God can say that everything has finally been accomplished. We must establish True Parents’ Day, True Children’s Day and the Day of All True Things on all levels from the individual, through the family, peoples and nations. Only when we have established these days on the level of one nation can they become the central days of the nation and of the entire world. This is the issue. (13-294, 1964.4.12)

Jesus

9. Jesus Gathered Disciples and Trained Them for the Kingdom

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
Matthew 4.18-22

He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.
Matthew 10.37-39

A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, “Come; for all is now ready.” But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, “I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.” And another said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.” And another said, “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.” So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, “Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.” And the servant said, “Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.” And the master said to the servant, “Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.”
Luke 14.16-24

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
John 15.4-11

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

The Truth that Is Dwelling in Jesus’ Heart Has Been Completely Revealed

#97-Why is the Truth about the January 6th US Capitol Protest Being Obfuscated? – VisionRoot The Richard Urban Show

Why is the Truth about the January 6th US Capitol Protest Being Obfuscated? – Editorial

Romans 1

²⁸Since these people refused even to think about God, he let their useless minds rule over them. That’s why they do all sorts of indecent things. ²⁹They are evil, wicked, and greedy, as well as mean in every possible way. They want what others have, and they murder, argue, cheat, and are hard to get along with. They gossip, ³⁰say cruel things about others, and hate God. They are proud, conceited, and boastful, always thinking up new ways to do evil.

Matthew 8

⁸But the officer said, “Lord, I’m not good enough for you to come into my house. Just give the order, and my servant will get well. ⁹I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I can say to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I can say to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he will do it.”

Jesus

8. Jesus Taught in Parables

Another parable he put before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”
All this Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed he said nothing to them without a parable…

Matthew 13.31-34

The disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
Matthew 13.10-13

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

For what purpose did Jesus come to this earth and proclaim the Gospel? Why did he shed tears for 30 years and walk a path of tribulations? First, he wanted human beings to restore their relationship with God; and next, he wanted to lead them to the Kingdom of Heaven.
    Jesus introduced the Kingdom of Heaven with the Word—the truth. Through Jesus, God bestowed the Word upon human beings, that they might establish an eternal, unchanging relationship with Him and to build the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Through Jesus, God desired to manifest His truth. Hence, Jesus began to spread the word of truth to bring human beings back to God…
    However, instead of receiving the truth, the people of Israel did not believe in Jesus… For this reason, he could not fully communicate the truth to humanity. He was left to convey the truth only in symbols and parables, while its fullness remained hidden.
    Since then, numerous people throughout history have utilized all their knowledge and wisdom trying to open the gate to the hidden truth. They have been searching inwardly by the Spirit and externally by the truth. When the Last Days arrive, finally spirit and truth will meet. The truth that has been dwelling in Jesus’ heart will be completely revealed, and the numerous people who had been searching for it will become Jesus’ true followers. In that day, as people learn the truth both inwardly and outwardly, they will come to know Jesus truly. (2:126-27, March 17, 1957)

Jesus Walked Into the Wilderness Alone, Without a Friend

#97-Why is the Truth about the January 6th US Capitol Protest Being Obfuscated? – VisionRoot The Richard Urban Show

Why is the Truth about the January 6th US Capitol Protest Being Obfuscated? – Editorial

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1011

The purpose of a church is to find and establish God’s nation; it is not to find and establish a church. God’s original ideal for creation was to establish one world centered on a nation. Hence, the destination of the church is to find that nation. (149-48, 1986.11.2)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1107

What do the words “Principle of the Unification Church” mean? Why is it called the Principle? The purpose of the Principle is to show clearly the borderline between the realm of dominion based upon accomplishments through the Principle and the realm of direct dominion.Adam and Eve, as firstborn children, had to grow through the stages of formation, growth and completion. This is the way of the Principle. Even within the realm of indirect dominion, human beings must fulfill their portion of responsibility if they are to perfect themselves. It means that until you reach maturity you should never have a love relationship. Before reaching adult-hood, Adam and Eve should not have committed themselves in this kind of relationship. That is why a boundary line was set and God told them, “Wait; do not take and eat!” (137-252, 1986.1.3)

Jesus

7. The Three Temptations in the Wilderness

Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hun-gry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered,

“It is written,‘‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceeds from the
mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,‘‘He will give his angels charge of you,’ and
‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Begone, Satan! for it is written,‘‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”

Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.
Matthew 4.1-11

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Jesus defeated Satan by overcoming the three temptations in the wilderness, the last of them on a mountaintop. Yet we should realize that when Jesus journeyed to the wilderness after being rejected by John the Baptist and his followers—a situation that made likely his rejection by the Jewish people as well—he carried a heart of sorrow the like of which no one on the earth had ever experienced.
    Jesus appeared as the only Son of God, who came to resolve the 4,000-year history of God’s providence. He came as the seal of victory that God could boast about before that generation and countless generations to come. Yet it was with a sad heart Jesus that walked into the wilderness—alone, without a friend, leaving his family, the chosen John the Baptist, the religious authorities, and his people behind.
    Jesus set out, filled with determination and sense of mission to pay the debts of history. What did he think about during his 40 days of fasting? He felt an acute sense of responsibility to restore through indemnity, by himself, the rueful course of his forbearers…
    No one ever had more determination and resolution to fulfill God’s will than Jesus Christ. He went to the wilderness with a burning heart to capture and subjugate Satan. He stood alone on that mountain with a firmer determination than any ancestor in history. (5:194-96, January 25, 1959)

Satan tempted Jesus three times. First, while he was fasting for forty days, Satan tempted him with food. He appeared before Jesus and asked him to change a stone into bread. This would be good news to a starving person, but Jesus refused. He clearly stated, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” This means that Jesus refused to yield any conditions to Satan pertaining to the necessities of life.
    Throughout history up until that time, people had been fighting over material wealth. However, Jesus’ victory over Satan’s first test made it possible to bring and end to this interminable struggle for material goods.
    What trial did Jesus have to face next? Satan led him to the top of the Holy Temple. There he tested him, saying, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.” Jesus came with the religious teaching that could educate Judaism and the people of Israel. When Satan said, “throw yourself down,” he meant for Jesus to bow down before the conventional Jewish doctrines and traditions and abandon his role to educate and lead them. But Jesus did not fall for Satan’s test. Instead he won the victory.
    What was the third test? “The devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’” Here Jesus rejected Satan’s demand in order to fulfill the Will of God. Far from needing Satan’s help, Jesus came bearing the universal teaching by which he would build God’s nation, the Kingdom of God. (3:121, October 13, 1957)