The Reward of True Visioning

"He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet
shall receive a prophet's reward:
and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man
shall receive a righteous man's reward."

There comes to each, the logical and exact result of his own receptivity. To each, life brings the reward of his own visioning; to the pure all is pure, to the righteous all is righteous, and to the good all is good. The reward of merit is an objective outcome of merit itself and not a thing superimposed by any Divine Mandate. Each man is rewarded not by virtue but through virtue.

An interesting experiment along this line would be for one to penetrate the mistakes of human frailty, under whatever guise, and demand of himself that he see the reality hidden behind the veil of illusion. To speak to his fellow man as though he were addressing a god; to overlook the lie and see the truth, to behold a perfect image, hidden in the form of clay. Who knows what such visioning might bring forth? The lame would walk, the blind would see, the untruthful would desert his lies and we would find ourselves in the company of angelic presences, peopling our world with forms of beauty and thoughts of peace, bringing heaven to earth and revealing the God incarnated in everything.

The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them.

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And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitude concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?

But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.

But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist; notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.

The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But Wisdom is justified of her children.

At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, 0 Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

Even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

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Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

MATTHEW -- Eleven.