The Wealth of Spirit
The wealth of spirit refers to the idea that material pursuits are not the highest objective of life, that material forms are not the fundamental reality, and that we should identify with our spiritual nature, not our material nature, as the true self.
In the Gospel of Thomas, saying 28, Jesus said:
“I took my stand in the midst of the world and in flesh I appeared to them; I found them all drunk, I found none among them athirst. And my soul was afflicted for the sons of men, because they are blind in their heart and do not see that empty they have come into the world and that empty they seek to go out of the world again. But now they are drunk. When they have shaken off their wine, then will they repent. Jesus said: If the flesh has come into existence because of the spirit, it is a marvel; but if the spirit has come into existence because of the body, it is a marvel of marvels. But I marvel at how this great wealth has made its home in this poverty.”
What does it mean when Jesus says “they are drunk”? One of the principal themes of Gnostic thought is a characterization of life in the world as being in a state of intoxication, also depicted as the idea that men are generally “asleep” in the world. Gnosis, which is the knowledge or realization of our true nature, is the means of salvation by which we begin to awaken to our Divine nature.
What does it mean to become drunk with the things of the world? In one respect it means focusing too much on material things, such as personal possessions or money. To be drunk with matter can also refer to how we see our own identities, whether we identify with our title, position, or degree; our political beliefs; our relationships, etc.
The wealth of spirit also refers to the gifts of the spirit, which are mysterious and infinite: epiphany, realizations, moments of genius, psychic perception, dreams, and unconscious stirrings of the soul. As we celebrate the Wealth of Spirit, let us be reminded of these gifts of the spirit, which are reminders of the immensity of our spiritual natures. When we are divested of our physical bodies, and we no longer have or require these means by which we navigate the physical world, it will behoove us in moving through the spiritual realms to have developed these powers and perceptive capabilities of the spirit.
So while we dwell in the heaviness of matter and material concerns, let us remember the infinite wealth of our minds and souls and identify with the highest parts of ourselves beyond our physical natures. Amen.
In the Gospel of Thomas, saying 28, Jesus said:
“I took my stand in the midst of the world and in flesh I appeared to them; I found them all drunk, I found none among them athirst. And my soul was afflicted for the sons of men, because they are blind in their heart and do not see that empty they have come into the world and that empty they seek to go out of the world again. But now they are drunk. When they have shaken off their wine, then will they repent. Jesus said: If the flesh has come into existence because of the spirit, it is a marvel; but if the spirit has come into existence because of the body, it is a marvel of marvels. But I marvel at how this great wealth has made its home in this poverty.”
What does it mean when Jesus says “they are drunk”? One of the principal themes of Gnostic thought is a characterization of life in the world as being in a state of intoxication, also depicted as the idea that men are generally “asleep” in the world. Gnosis, which is the knowledge or realization of our true nature, is the means of salvation by which we begin to awaken to our Divine nature.
What does it mean to become drunk with the things of the world? In one respect it means focusing too much on material things, such as personal possessions or money. To be drunk with matter can also refer to how we see our own identities, whether we identify with our title, position, or degree; our political beliefs; our relationships, etc.
The wealth of spirit also refers to the gifts of the spirit, which are mysterious and infinite: epiphany, realizations, moments of genius, psychic perception, dreams, and unconscious stirrings of the soul. As we celebrate the Wealth of Spirit, let us be reminded of these gifts of the spirit, which are reminders of the immensity of our spiritual natures. When we are divested of our physical bodies, and we no longer have or require these means by which we navigate the physical world, it will behoove us in moving through the spiritual realms to have developed these powers and perceptive capabilities of the spirit.
So while we dwell in the heaviness of matter and material concerns, let us remember the infinite wealth of our minds and souls and identify with the highest parts of ourselves beyond our physical natures. Amen.