THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SPIRITISM

1. And Jesus answered and spake unto them again in parables, and said, The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again he sent forth other servants saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, slew them. But when the king heard thereof he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which are bidden were not worthy Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So the servants went out into the highways, and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how comest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for many were called, but few are chosen (Matthew, 22:1-14).

2. Those who are incredulous laugh at this parable, which seems to them to be childishly ingenuous, because they are unable to understand that there could be so many difficulties in going to participate in a feast and, even more so, that the guests would resist the invitation to such a point as to massacre those who had been sent to them by the master of the house. "Parables," say the incredulous, "beyond doubt are figurative, but nevertheless it is not necessary to ultra-pass the limits of plausibility."

The same may be said about allegories or ingenious fables if their respective outer coverings are not removed so as to find their hidden meaning. Jesus composed His allegories from the most common of everyday occurances and customs and then adapted these to the characters of the people to whom He talked. The vast majority of these allegories had as their objective the penetration into the minds of the masses of the idea of a spiritual life. Many appear to be unintelligible merely because those who listen do not look at them from this point of view.

In this parable, Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven, where everything is happiness and good fortune, to a feast. When referring to the first guests to be invited He alludes to the Hebrews, who were the earliest peoples to be called by God to know His law. Those sent by the king are the prophets who came to advise them to follow the road of true happiness. However, their words were hardly listened to and their warnings were disregarded; many were massacred, like those in the parable. The guests who declined the invitation with excuses of having to look after their pastures and their businesses symbolize those worldly people who, being absorbed in terrestrial matters, remain indifferent to the things of Heaven.

It was common belief amongst the Jews of those times that their nation had to achieve supremacy above all others. In effect, didn't God promise Abraham that his posterity would cover the face of the Earth? But as always, they paid attention only to form and not substance, believing it meant actual material domination.

Before the coming of Christ all peoples, with the exception of the Jews, were idol worshippers and polytheistics. If a few people, superior to the vast masses, conceived the idea of a unique God, that idea remained only as a personal belief. Nowhere was it received as a fundamental idea, except perhaps by a few initiates who hid their knowledge under a veil of mystery, impenetrable to the masses. The Hebrews were the first to publicly practise monotheism and it was to them that God transmitted His Law, firstly through Moses and later through Jesus. From this tiny focal point the light, which was destined to spread throughout the whole world, went forth to triumph over paganism and to give Abraham a spiritual posterity "as numerous as the stars that fill the skies." Nevertheless, having completely abandoned idol worship, the Jews scorned the moral law and persisted in the practise of an external cult which was easier. Evil came to a head and the nation was destroyed, enslaved and divided into sects; incredulity reached even the sanctuary. It was at this point that Jesus appeared, having been sent to call them to keep the Law and to open up new horizons of a future life. Having been the first to be invited to the great banquet of universal faith, they rejected the words of the Celestial Messiah and sacrificed Him. In this manner they lost the rewards which should have been reaped from their own initiatives.

Nevertheless, it would be unjust to accuse the entire population for this state of affairs. The main responsibility rests with the Pharisees and Saducees who sacrificed the nation through the pride and fanaticism of some, and the incredulity of others. Therefore it is these, above all others, whom Jesus identified among those guests who refused to appear at the wedding feast. He then added that on seeing their refusal, the master of the house told his servants to go out into the highways and gather all those they could find, good and bad. Jesus was saying in this manner that the Word would be preached to all the other peoples, pagans and idol worshippers, and that these on accepting it would be admitted to the feast in place of the initial guests.

But it is not enough to be invited; it is not enough to say you are a Christian; nor to sit at the table in order to take part in the celestial banquet; before all else it is essential, as an express condition, to be clothed in the nuptial tunic, that is to say to be pure of heart and to comply with the spirit of the law. But although all the law is contained in the words: without charity there is no salvation, amongst all those who hear the divine Word there are so few who keep it and make good use of it! So few become worthy to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven! This is why Jesus said: “There will be many who are called, however, few will be chosen.”


THE NARROW DOOR


3. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it (Matthew, 7: 13-14).

4. Then said one unto Him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And He said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able, when once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and He shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are; then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in Thy presence, and Thou hast taught in our streets. But He shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence you are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the Kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the Kingdom of God, and, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last (Luke, 13: 23-30).

5. Wide is the door to damnation, because evil passions are numerous and the vast majority of humanity follow this pathway. That of salvation is narrow, because Man is obliged to exert great control over himself in order to dominate his evil tendencies if he wishes to pass through, and this is something that few are resigned enough to do. It complements the maxim 'Many are called, but few are chosen.'

This then is the situation of terrestrial humanity, because as the Earth is a world of atonement, evil is the predominating factor. When the planet has been transformed the pathway to goodness will be the one most frequently followed. Therefore these words should be understood in a relative manner and not as an absolute. If this was to be the permanent state of humanity then God would have condemned the great majority of His creatures to damnation, which is an inadmissible supposition since we recognise that God is all justice and all kindness.

But what crimes has humanity committed to deserve such an unhappy state of affairs, in the present and the future, if everything here on Earth is so degraded, and if the soul has had no other existences? Why are there so many obstacles placed before each one? Why is the gateway so narrow as to allow only a few to enter if the destiny of the soul is permanently determined immediately after death? In this way, with only one existence, Man would always be at odds with himself and with God's justice. But with the pre-existence of the soul and the plurality of worlds, the horizons spread out; enlightenment comes to even the most obscure points of faith; the present and the future become linked to the past and it is then that it is possible to understand the depth, truth and wisdom of those words spoken by Christ.

NOT ALL THOSE WHO SAY: LORD! LORD! WILL ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

6. Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matthew, 7: 21-23).

7. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the flood came, and the winds blew, and beat upon the house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon the house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it (Matthew, 7: 24-27, and similarly in Luke, 6: 46-49).

8. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven.' but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew, 5: 19).

9. All who recognise the mission of Jesus say; Lord! Lord! But of what use is it to call 'Master' or 'Lord' when you do not follow His precepts? Are they Christians then, who honour Him with exterior acts of devotion while at the same time making sacrifice to pride, selfishness, greed and all the passions? Are they then His disciples, those who pass their days in prayer yet show themselves no better, nor more charitable, nor more indulgent towards their fellow beings? No, seeing that as the Pharisees, they have prayer on their lips but not in their hearts. They can impress men with their manner, but not God. In vain they can say to Jesus; "Lord! Do we not prophesy, that is to say, do we not teach in Your name? Do we not expel demons in Your name? Do we not eat and drink with You?" He will reply to them; "I know not who you are; go away from me, you who commit iniquity, you who deny by your acts what you say with your lips, who slander your neighbour, who rob widows and commit adultery. Go away from me, you whose hearts distil hate and bile, who spill the blood of your brothers and sisters in My name, who cause tears to flow instead of drying them. For you there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, seeing that God's Kingdom is for those who are gentle, humble and charitable. Do not expect to bend God's justice by the multiplicity of your words nor the amount of your kneeling. The only pathway which is open wherein you may find grace in His sight, is by the sincere practice of the law of love and charity."

The words of Jesus are eternal because they are the truth. They constitute not only a safe conduct to celestial life, but also a pledge of peace, of tranquility and the stability of earthly things. This is why all institutions, be they human, political, social or religious, that rely on these words will always remain steadfast as the house built upon rock. They will be retained by Man because in them he will find his happiness. However, those who violate these words will be as the house built upon sand, which the wind of renewal and the river of progress will sweep away.

MUCH WILL BE ASKED OF HE WHO RECEIVES MUCH

10. And that servant, which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to His will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required.' and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more (Luke, 12: 47 & 48).

11. And Jesus said, For judgement lam come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with Him heard these words, and said unto Him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, we see; therefore your sin remaineth (John, 9: 39-41).

12. These maxims apply even more especially to the Spiritist teachings. Whoever knows Christ's precepts and does not keep them is certainly guilty.

However, besides the fact that the Gospel which contains them is only found scattered in the bosom of the Christian sects, even amongst those, how many there are who do not read them! And even amongst those who do read them, how many there are who do not understand them! The result of all this is that the words of Jesus remain lost to the majority of men and women.

It is important to note that nothing is circumscribed within the teachings of the Spirits, who reproduce these maxims in various forms, developing and commenting on them in order to put them within the reach of all. Every person, be they learned or illiterate, believer or incredulous, Christian or not, is able to receive them because the Spirits communicate in all places. No one who receives them either directly or through an intermediary, can allege ignorance. It is not possible to excuse oneself under the pretext of lack of instruction, nor even that of the obscure allegoric meaning. Therefore those who do not take advantage of these maxims to better themselves, who admire them only as something curious or interesting, without allowing them to touch their heart, who do not become less futile, less prideful, less selfish, less attached to material things, or who are no better towards their neighbour, will be all the more guilty in proportion to the number of ways open to them to acquire knowledge of truth.

Those mediums who receive good communications but continue to persist in evil, are even more censurable because they frequently write their own condemnation. Also, because if it were not for the fact of their being blinded by pride, they would recognise that it is to them that the Spirits address themselves. But instead of taking the lessons which they write or those they read, written by others, for themselves, their only preoccupation is in applying these lessons to others. In this manner they confirm these words of Jesus: "You see the splinter in the eye of your neighbour, but you do not see the beam that is in yours." (See chapter 10, item 9.)

In the sentence: "If you were blind you would not have sinned," Jesus wished to signify that the culpability is according to how enlightened a person may or may not be. Now the Pharisees, who maintained the pretence of being to all effects the most enlightened peoples of their nation, showed themselves to be more guilty before God than those who were ignorant. The same applies today.

Much will be asked of Spiritists because they have received much; on the other hand, to those who have taken every advantage of their learning much will be given.

Therefore, the first thought of all sincere Spiritists should be to find out if in the counselling received from the Spirits there is not something which applies to themselves. Spiritism will multiply the number of those who are CALLED; likewise through growing faith the proportion of those who are CHOSEN will also be multiplied.

TO THOSE WHO HAVE WILL BE GIVEN MORE

13. And the disciples came, and said unto Him, Why speaketh Thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance.' but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not.' and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand,. and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive (Matthew, 13: 10-14).

14. And He said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you.' and unto you that hear shall be given more. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath (Mark, 4.. 24 & 25).

15. "For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away." Let us meditate on these great teachings which have so often seemed paradoxical. 'He who has received' signifies those who possess the meaning of the divine Word. They have received it solely because they have tried to be worthy of it and because the Lord, in His merciful love, animates the efforts of those who are inclined towards goodness. By their unceasing perseverance their efforts attract the blessing of God, which acts as a magnet calling to itself progressive betterment. It is these copious blessings which make them strong enough to scale the sacred mountain on whose pinnacle is to be found rest after labour.

"From whosoever hath not, or but little, shall be taken away." This should be understood as a figurative antithesis. God does not retract the good He has conceded. Blind and deaf humanity! Use your intelligence and your hearts; see with the eyes of your spirit; listen by means of your soul and do not interpret so coarsely and unjustly the words of He Who makes the justice of God shine resplendently before your eyes. It is not God who takes away from the one who has but little, but that Spirit itself who, by being wasteful and careless, does not know how to conserve, increase, and bring to fulfilment the mite which had been given to that heart.

The son who does not cultivate the field which the work of his father had conquered for his inheritance, will see it covered with weeds. Is it then his father who takes away the harvest he did not prepare? If through lack of care he allowed the seedlings, destined to produce the crop, to wither, is it the father he should accuse for their having produced nothing? No, it is not. Instead of accusing the one who had done all the preparing, as if he were guilty of taking it back, he should complain to the real author of his miseries. With repentance and desire to be industrious, the son should put himself to work courageously to reclaim the soil by sheer will-power, digging deeply with the help of repentance and hope. Then confidently sow the good seed, which he has separated from the bad, and water it with love and charity. Then God, the God of love and charity, will give to him who has already received. He will see his efforts crowned with success and one grain will produce a hundred and another a thousand. Courage, workers! Take up your harrows and your ploughs; work with your hearts; tear out the weeds; sow the good seed that the Lord has given and the dew of love will cause the fruits of charity to grow. - A Friendly Spirit (Bordeaux, 1862).

A CHRISTIAN IS RECOGNISABLE BY HIS WORKS

16. "Not all of those who say: Lord! Lord! will enter into Heaven, but only those who do the Will of my Father, who is in Heaven."

Listen to these words of the Master, all those who repel the Spiritist Doctrine as the work of the devil. Open your ears because the moment to listen has arrived.

Is it sufficient to carry the uniform of the Lord in order to be His faithful servant? Is it enough to say: 'I am a Christian', for anyone to be a follower of Christ? Search for the true Christians and you will recognise them by their works. "A good tree cannot give forth bad fruits, nor a bad tree good fruits." "Every tree that does not give forth good fruits will be cut down and cast into the fire." These are the words of the Master. Disciples of Christ, understand them well! What kind of fruits should be given by the tree of Christianity, which is a mighty tree, whose leafy branches cover part of the world with shade, but does not as yet shelter all who should seek refuge around it? Those from the Tree of Life are fruits of life, hope and faith. Christianity, as it has done for many centuries, continues to preach these divine virtues. It uses all its strength to distribute its fruits, but so few pick them! The Tree is always good, but the gardeners are bad. They tried to mould it to their own ideas, to prune it to their necessities. They cut it, diminished it and mutilated it. Having become sterile it does not give forth bad fruits, because it gives forth no fruits at all. The thirsty traveller who stops under its branches looking for the fruits of hope, which are capable of restoring strength and courage, sees only bare branches foretelling a coming storm. In vain he asks for the fruits from the Tree of Life. Only dry leaves fall at his feet. The hands of Man have so tampered with it that it has become scorched.

My dearly beloved, open then your hearts and ears. Cultivate this Tree of Life whose fruits give eternal life. The One who planted it incites you to treat it with love and even yet you will see it give an abundance of its divine fruits. Conserve it just as it was when Christ gave it to you. Do not mutilate it. It wants to cast its immense shade over the Universe, so do not cut its branches. Its tasty fruits fall abundantly so as to satiate the hungry traveller who wishes to reach the end of his journey. Do not gather these fruits in order to leave them to rot, so they are of no use to anyone. "Many are called, but few are chosen."

This is because there are monopolizers of the Bread of Life, as there are also of material bread. Do not be one of them: the Tree that gives good fruits must give to everyone. Go then, and seek those who are hungry, lead them under the leafy branches of the Tree of Life and share with them the shelter it offers. "You cannot collect grapes from amongst the thorns." My brothers and sisters, turn away from those who call to you in order to show you the thorns of the way; instead, follow those who will lead you under the shade of the Tree of Life.

The Divine Saviour, the Just par excellence, spoke, and His words will never die; "Not all who say: Lord! Lord! will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but only those who do the Will of my Father who is in Heaven."

May the Lord of blessings bless you; may the God of Light illuminate you; may the Tree of Life offer you its abundant fruits! Believe and pray. - SIMON (Bordeaux, 1863).