The Gospel of St. Luke
GA 114
26 September 1909, Basel
Lecture Ten
Our task to-day will be to bring the knowledge gained in these lectures on the Gospel of St. Luke to the culminating point indicated by spiritual investigation—the culminating point we know as the Mystery of Golgotha.
Yesterday's lecture endeavoured to convey an idea of what actually took place at the time when for three years Christ was on Earth, and the preceding lectures indicated how the convergence of streams of spiritual life made this event possible. The writer of the Gospel of St. Luke gives a wonderful account of the mission of Christ Jesus on the Earth, as we shall realize if the light of knowledge derived from the Akashic Chronicle can be brought to bear upon what he describes.
The following question might be asked: As the stream of Buddhism is organically woven into Christian teachings, how is it that in the latter there is no indication of the great Law of Karma, of the adjustment effected in the course of the incarnations of an individual human being? It would, however, be sheer misapprehension to imagine that what the Law of Karma enables us to understand is not also implicit in the words of the Gospel of St. Luke. It is indeed there, only we must realize that the needs of the human soul differ in different epochs and that it is not always the task of the great emissaries in world-evolution to impart the absolute truth in abstract form, because men at different stages of maturity simply would not understand it; the great pioneers and missionaries must speak in such a way that men receive what is right and suitable in a particular epoch. The teaching received by humanity through the great Buddha contains, in the form of wisdom, everything that in conjunction with the teaching of compassion and love and the synthesis of this in the Eightfold Path, can enable the doctrine of Karma to be understood. Failure to achieve this understanding only means that no effort has been made to use faculties in the soul leading to knowledge of the teaching of Karma and Reincarnation.
In the lecture yesterday it was said that in about three thousand years from now, large numbers of human beings will have progressed sufficiently to unfold from their own souls the teaching of the Eightfold Path and—we may now add—that of Karma and Reincarnation. But this must inevitably be a gradual process. Just as a plant cannot unfold its blossom immediately the seed has been sown but leaf after leaf must develop according to definite laws, so too the spiritual development of humanity must progress stage by stage and the right knowledge be brought to light at the right time.
Anyone possessed of faculties that can be kindled by spiritual science will realize from the voice of his own soul that the teaching of Karma and Reincarnation is indispensable. It must be remembered however that evolution is not fortuitous and in point of fact it is only now, in our own time, that human souls have become sufficiently mature to discover these truths through their own insight. It would not have been a good thing to give out the teaching of Karma and Reincarnation exoterically a few centuries ago; and it would have been detrimental to evolution if the present content of spiritual science—for which human souls are longing and with which research into the foundations of the Gospels is connected—had been imparted openly to mankind a few hundred years earlier. It was necessary that human souls should be yearning for it and should have developed faculties able to accept such teaching; it was essential that these souls should have passed through earlier incarnations, even in the Christian era, and have undergone the available experiences before reaching a degree of maturity capable of assimilating the teaching of Karma and Reincarnation. Had this teaching been proclaimed in the early centuries of Christendom in the form in which it is proclaimed to-day, this would have meant demanding of human evolution the equivalent of demanding a plant to produce the blossom before the green leaves.
Humanity has only now become sufficiently mature to assimilate the spiritual content of the teaching of Karma and Reincarnation. It is therefore not surprising that in what has been imparted to humanity for centuries from the Gospels, there is much that gives a quite erroneous picture of Christianity. In a certain respect the Gospel message was entrusted prematurely to men and it is only to-day that they are becoming mature enough to develop all the faculties that could lead to an understanding of the actual content of the Gospel records. It was absolutely necessary that what was proclaimed by Christ Jesus should take account of the conditions and the attitude of soul prevailing in those days. Therefore Karma and Reincarnation were not taught as abstract doctrines, but feelings were cultivated through which human souls would gradually become ready to receive this teaching. What was needed at that time was to speak in a way that could lead by degrees to an understanding of Karma and Reincarnation rather than any enunciation of the teaching itself.
Did Christ Jesus and those who were around Him speak in this way? In order to understand this we must study the Gospel of St. Luke and interpret it rightly. If we do so we shall realize in what form the Law of Karma could be made known to men at that time.
“Blessed be ye poor; for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now; for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now; for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day and leap for joy; for behold your reward is great in heaven”—i.e. in the spiritual worlds. (Luke VI, 20–23.)
Here we have the teaching of ‘compensation’. Without going into the subject of Karma and Reincarnation in an abstract way, the aim is to let the feeling of assurance flow into the souls of men that one who for a time is still hungering will eventually experience the due compensation. It was necessary that these feelings should flow into the souls of men. The souls then living, to whom the teaching was given in this form, were not, until they were again incarnated, ready to receive, as wisdom, the teaching of Karma and Reincarnation.
What was to ripen in human souls had to flow into these at that time. For a completely new epoch had begun, an epoch when men were preparing to develop their Ego, their self-consciousness, to maturity. Whereas revelations had hitherto been received and the effects made manifest in the astral, etheric and physical bodies of men, the Ego was now to become fully conscious but be filled only gradually with the forces it was eventually to acquire. Only the one Ego1See references to the nature of this Ego in Lectures Four, Five and Seven. which came to the Earth as the Nathan Jesus and into whose bodily constitution, when this had been duly prepared, the Individuality of Zarathustra passed this Ego-Being alone could bring to fulfilment within itself the all-embracing Christ-principle.
The rest of humanity must now, in imitation of Christ, gradually develop what was present for three years on the Earth in the one single Personality. It was only the impulse, as it were the seed, that Christ Jesus was able to implant into humanity at that time and the seed must now unfold and grow. To this end provision was made that at the right times there shall always appear on Earth individuals able to bring the truth that humanity will not be ready to assimilate until a later period. The Being who appeared on Earth as Christ had to take care that His message would be accessible to men immediately after His appearance, in a form that they could understand. He had also to make provision for Individualities to appear later on and care for the spiritual needs of human souls at the stage of maturity reached in the course of time.
In what manner Christ made such provision for the ages following the Event of Golgotha is related by the writer of the Gospel of St. John. He shows us how, in Lazarus, Christ Himself ‘raised’, ‘awakened’, that Individuality who continued to work as ‘John’, from whom the teaching proceeded in the form described in the lectures on the Gospel of St. John.2See the lecture-courses given at Hamburg, in May 1908, and at Cassel, in July 1909; also the book Christianity as Mystical Fact, Ch. VIII. But Christ had also to provide for the appearance, in later times, of an Individuality who would bring to humanity in a form compatible with subsequent evolution, that for which men would by then be ready. How an Individuality was ‘awakened’ by Christ for this purpose is faithfully described by the writer of the Gospel of St. Luke. Having declared that he would describe what ‘seers’ endowed with the vision of Imagination and Inspiration could say about the Event of Palestine, he also points to what would one day be taught by another—but only in the future. In order to describe this mysterious process the writer of St. Luke's Gospel has also included an ‘awakening’, a ‘raising’, in his account (Luke VII, 11–17.) In what we read concerning the ‘awakening’ of the young man of Nain lies the mystery of the progress of Christianity. Whereas in the case of the healing of the daughter of Jairus, to which brief reference was made in a previous lecture, the mysteries connected with it were so profound that Christ admitted only a few to witness the act and charged them not to speak of it, this other ‘raising’ was accomplished in such a way that it might immediately be related. The former healing was an act presupposing in the healer a profound insight into the processes of physical life; the latter healing was an ‘awakening’, an Initiation. The Individuality in the body of the young man of Nain was to undergo an Initiation of a very special kind.
There are various kinds of Initiation. In one kind, immediately after the process has been completed, knowledge of the higher worlds flashes up in the aspirant and the laws and happenings of the spiritual world are revealed to him. In another kind of Initiation it is only a seed that is implanted into the soul, and the individual has to wait until the next incarnation for the seed to bear fruit; only then does he become an Initiate in the real sense.
The Initiation of the young man of Nain was of this kind. His soul was transformed by the event in Palestine but he was not yet conscious of having risen into the higher worlds. It was not until his next incarnation that the forces laid in his soul at that earlier time came to fruition. In an exoteric lecture names cannot now be given; all that is possible is an indication to the effect that the Individuality awakened by Christ in the young man of Nain subsequently appeared as a great teacher of religion; in later time a new teacher of Christianity arose, equipped with the powers implanted into his soul in a previous incarnation.
Thus Christ provided for the subsequent appearance of an Individuality able to bring Christianity to a further stage of development. Moreover the mission of the Individuality who had been awakened in the young man of Nain is destined to permeate Christianity later on, and to an ever-increasing extent, with the teachings of Karma and Reincarnation—teachings which when Christ was on Earth could not be proclaimed explicitly as wisdom, because the human soul had first to receive them into the life of feeling.
Christ indicates clearly enough (according to the Gospel of St. Luke too) that an entirely new factor had now entered into the evolution of humanity, namely, Ego-consciousness. He shows—it is only a matter of being able to read the meaning—that in earlier times the spiritual world did not flow into the self-conscious Ego, for men received this spiritual stream through the physical, etheric and astral bodies; a certain degree of unconsciousness was always present when, as in previous epochs, divine-spiritual forces flowed into men. In the stream in which Christ Jesus was actually working, men had had formerly to receive the Law of Sinai, which could be addressed only to the astral body. The Law was imparted to man in such a way that it did indeed work in him, but not directly through the forces of his Ego. These forces could not operate until the time of Christ Jesus because it was not until then that man became conscious of the Ego in the real sense. This is indicated by Christ in the Gospel of St. Luke when He says that men must first be made ready to receive an entirely new principle into their souls. He indicates this when speaking of His forerunner, John the Baptist. (Luke VII, 18–35.)
How did Christ Himself regard this Individuality? He said that before His own coming the mission of John was to present in its purest and noblest form the old teaching of the Prophets that had been handed down, unadulterated, from bygone times. He regarded John as being the last to transmit, in its pure form, the teaching belonging to past ages. The ‘Law and the Prophets’ held good until the coming of John. His mission was to set before men once again what the old teaching and the old constitution of soul had been able to impart. How did this old constitution of soul function in the times preceding the advent of the Christ-principle?
Here we come to a subject—incomprehensible as it may seem at the present time—that will some day become a teaching of natural science as well, when it allows itself to be inspired to some extent by spiritual science. I must now refer to a matter of which I can touch only the very fringe but which will show you what depths spiritual science is destined to illumine in the domain of natural science. If you survey the branches of natural science to-day and perceive the efforts that are made to penetrate the mysteries of man's existence with the limited faculties of human thought, you will find it stated that the whole human being comes into existence through the intermingling of the male and female seeds. One of the basic endeavours of modern natural science is to establish this theory. Searching microscopical examination of substances is made in order to ascertain which particular attributes proceed from the male or from the female seed, and the researchers are satisfied when they believe, it can he proved that the whole human being is thus produced. But natural science itself will eventually be compelled to recognize that only one part of the human being is determined by the intermingling of the male and female seeds and that however precisely the product of the one or the other may be known, the whole nature of man in the present cycle of evolution cannot be explained by this intermingling.
There is in every human being something that does not arise from the seed but is, so to speak, a ‘virgin birth’, something that flows into the process of germination from a quite different source. Something unites with the seed of the human being that is not derived from father and mother, yet belongs to and is destined for him—something that is poured into his Ego and can be ennobled through the Christ-principle. That in the human being which unites with the Christ-principle in the course of evolution is ‘virgin-born’ and—as natural science will one day come to recognize through its own methods—this is connected with the momentous transition accomplished at the time of Christ Jesus. Before the Christ Event there could be nothing that did not enter into man's inner being by way of the seed. Something has actually happened in the course of the ages to bring about a change in the development of the Ego. Humanity has not been the same since the Christ Event; but the element that has been added since then to what is produced by the seeds must be gradually developed and ennobled by assimilating the Christ-principle.
We are here approaching a very subtle truth. To anyone conversant with modern natural science it is extremely interesting that already to-day there are domains where investigators are faced with the fact that there is something in man not derived from the seed. The preliminary conditions for realizing this are already there, only the investigators are not yet intellectually capable of recognizing what is present in their own experiments and observations. More is at work in the experiments than is known to modern natural science and little progress would be made if it were entirely dependent upon the ability of the investigators. While one or another is working in a laboratory, in a clinic, or perhaps in his own study, there stand behind him the Powers which direct and guide the world, and these Powers allow that to come to light which the researcher himself does not understand and for which he is merely the instrument. It is therefore also true that even objective investigation is guided by the ‘Masters’, that is, by higher Individualities. The facts now indicated are not usually observed; but they certainly will be when the conscious faculties of researchers are permeated by the spiritual teachings of Anthroposophy.
As a result of the fact of which I have just spoken, a great change has taken place in connection with the faculties of the human being since Christ came to the Earth. Previously, the only faculties available to man were those derived from the paternal and maternal seeds, for these faculties alone were able to develop in him. Between birth and death we develop through our physical, etheric and astral bodies such faculties as we possess. Before the time of Christ Jesus the instruments employed by man for his own life could be developed only from the seed. After the appearance of Christ Jesus that element was added which is of ‘virgin birth’ and does not in any sense arise from the seed. This element can of course be gravely impaired if a man is entirely given over to materialistic thought; but it can be sublimated if he lets his being be suffused by the warmth issuing from the Christ-principle and he then brings it into his following incarnations in an ever higher and higher form.
What has now been said necessarily implies that in all the proclamations made to humanity prior to that of Christ, there was an element bound up with faculties originating from the line of descent and from the seed; and it also imparts the conviction that Christ Jesus addressed himself to faculties that have nothing to do with the seed arising from the Earth but from out of the divine worlds unite with the seed. Teachers before Christ Jesus could speak to men only by using the faculties transmitted to their earthly nature through the seed. All the prophets and forerunners, however exalted, even when they descended as Bodhisattvas, were obliged to use faculties transmitted by way of the seed. Christ Jesus, however, spoke to that in man which does not pass through the seed but comes from the realm of the Divine. He indicates this when He speaks to His disciples of John the Baptist (Luke VII, 28): "For I say unto you, among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist"—that is to say, among those who, as they stand before us, can be explained as having come into existence through physical birth from male and female seeds. But then Christ adds words to the effect that the smallest part of that which is not born of women and which unites with the man from the kingdom of God is greater than John. Such are the depths hidden beneath these words! Some day, when study of the Bible is illumined by spiritual science, it will be found to contain physiological truths of far greater significance than any finding of the blundering thinking applied in modern physiology. Words such as those just quoted can lead to recognition of one of the very deepest physiological truths. Profound indeed is the Bible when it is truly understood!
Christ Jesus exemplifies in manifold ways, and also in a different form, what I have now told you. His purpose is to indicate that the element which is to come into the world through Him is something altogether new, a truth differing from any hitherto proclaimed, because it is connected with faculties derived from the kingdoms of Heaven—faculties that have not been inherited. He points out how difficult it is for men to learn to understand such a teaching, and that they will demand to be convinced in the same way as formerly. He tells them that they cannot be convinced in the old way of the new truth that has now come; for what could be proof of truth in the old form could not bring conviction of the new. The old truth was presented in comprehensible form when symbolized by the ‘Sign of Jonah’. This symbolized the old way in which man gradually attained knowledge and penetrated into the spiritual world, or how—to use biblical terms—he became a ‘Prophet’.
The old way of attaining Initiation was this: first the soul was brought to maturity and every necessary preparation made; then a condition lasting for three-and-a-half days was induced in the candidate, a condition in which he was completely withdrawn from the outer world and from the organs through which that world is perceived. Those who were to be led into the spiritual world were carefully prepared and their souls trained in knowledge of the spiritual life; then they were withdrawn from the world for three-and-a-half days, being taken to a place where they could perceive nothing through their external senses and where their bodies lay in a deathlike condition; after three-and-a-half days their souls were summoned back again into the body and they were awakened. Such men were then able to remember their vision of the spiritual worlds and to testify of those worlds. The great secret of Initiation was that the soul, prepared by long training, was led out of the body for three-and-a-half days into an entirely different world, was shut off from the environment and penetrated into the spiritual world. Men who could bear witness to the realities of the spiritual world were always to be found among the peoples; they were men who had undergone the experience referred to in the Bible in the story of Jonah's sojourn in the whale. Such a man was made ready to undergo this experience and then, when he appeared before the people as an Initiate of the old order, he bore upon him the ‘sign of Jonah’ the sign of those who were able themselves to testify of the spiritual world.
This was the one form of Initiation. Christ said, in effect: ‘In the old sense there is no other sign save the sign of Jonah.’ (Luke XI, 29.) And He expressed Himself even more clearly according to the meaning of words in the Gospel of St. Matthew. ‘As a heritage from olden times there remains the possibility that without effort of his own, without Initiation, a man can develop a dim, shadowy kind of clairvoyance and through revelation from above be led into the spiritual world.’ The indication here is that there were also Initiates of a second kind—men who went about among their fellows and who, as a result of their particular lineage, were able to receive revelations from above in a kind of sublimated trance condition, without having undergone any special Initiation. Christ indicated that this twofold manner of being transported into the spiritual world had come down from ancient times. He bade the people to remember King Solomon—thereby pointing to an Individuality to whom, without effort on his own part, the spiritual world was revealed from above. The ‘Queen of Sheba’ who came to King Solomon was also the bearer of wisdom from above; she was the representative of those predestined to possess, by inheritance, the dim, shadowy clairvoyance with which all men were endowed in the Atlantean epoch. (See Luke XI, 31.)
Thus there were two kinds of Initiates: the one kind typified by King Solomon and the symbolic visit paid to him by the Queen of Sheba, the Queen from the South; the other kind typified by those who bore upon them the ‘sign of Jonah’, meaning the old Initiation in which the candidate, entirely cut off from the outer world, passed through the spiritual world for a period lasting three-and-a-half days. Christ now added: ‘A greater than Solomon, a greater than Jonah is here’—indicating thereby that something new had come into the world. The message was not to be conveyed to the etheric bodies of men from outside, through revelations, as in the case of Solomon, nor was it to be conveyed to etheric bodies from within through revelations imparted by the duly prepared astral body to the etheric body, as in the case of those symbolized by the sign of Jonah. ‘Here is something which enables a man who has made himself ready for it in his Ego, to unite his being with what belongs to the kingdoms of Heaven.’ The forces and powers from those kingdoms unite with the virginal part in the human soul, the part that belongs to the kingdoms of Heaven and that men can destroy if they turn away from the Christ-principle, but can cultivate and nurture if they receive into themselves what streams from the Christ-principle.
As indicated in the Gospel of St. Luke, Christ's teaching is imbued with the new element which came to the Earth at that time, and we see how all the old ways of proclaiming the kingdom of God were changed through the Event of Palestine. Christ says to those from whom, because of their preparation, He could expect some measure of understanding: ‘Of a truth there are some among you who are able to see the kingdom of God, not only in the manner of Solomon, through revelation, or through the Initiation symbolized by the sign of Jonah; if any among you had attained nothing further than that they would never see the kingdom of God in this incarnation before their death.’ The meaning is that before their death they would not have seen the kingdom of God unless they had attained Initiation in some form; but then they would also have had to pass through a condition similar to death. Christ wished to show that because of the new element now present in the world there can also be men who, even before they die are able to behold the kingdom of Heaven. The disciples did not at first understand what this meant. Christ wanted to convey to them that they were to be the ones who would come to know the mysteries of the kingdoms of Heaven before natural death or the death experienced in the old form of Initiation. The wonderful passage in the Gospel of St. Luke where Christ is speaking of a higher revelation, is as follows: "But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God." (Luke IX, 27.) The disciples did not understand that it was they themselves who, being closely around Him, were chosen to experience the tremendous power of the Christ principle which would enable them to penetrate directly into the spiritual world. The spiritual world was to become visible to them without the sign of Solomon, and without the sign of Jonah. Did this actually happen?
Immediately after these words in the Gospel comes the scene of the Transfiguration, when three disciples—Peter, James and John—are led up into the spiritual world. The figures of Moses and Elijah appear before them in that world and, simultaneously, Christ Jesus in Glory. (Luke IX, 28–36.) The disciples gaze for a brief moment into the spiritual world—a testimony that insight into that world is possible without the faculties designated by the sign of Solomon and the sign of Jonah. But it is evident that they are still novices, for they fall asleep immediately after being torn out of their physical and etheric bodies by the stupendous power of what was happening. Christ finds them asleep. This account was meant to indicate the third way of entering the spiritual world, apart from the ways denoted by the signs of Solomon and of Jonah. Anyone capable in those days of interpreting the signs of the times would have known that the Ego itself must develop, that it must now be directly inspired, that the Divine Powers must work directly into the Ego.
It was also to be made evident that the men of that time, even the very best among them, were not capable of taking the Christ-principle into themselves. The event of the Transfiguration was to be a beginning but it was also to be shown that the disciples were not able, at the time, to receive the Christ-principle in the fullest sense. Hence their powers fail them immediately afterwards, when they want to apply the Christ-power to heal one who is possessed by an evil spirit but are unable to do so. Christ indicates that they are still only at the beginning, by saying: I shall have to stay a long time with you before your forces are able also to stream into other men. (See Luke IX, 41.) Thereupon He heals the one whom the disciples could not heal. But then He says, again hinting at the mystery behind these happenings, that the time has come when “the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of men”. This means: the time has come when the Ego, which is to be developed by men themselves in the course of their Earth-mission, is gradually to stream into them, to be given over to them. This Ego is to be recognized in its highest form in Christ. “Let these sayings sink down into your ears; for the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of men. But they understood not this saying; it was hid from them, that they perceived it not.” (Luke IX, 44–45.)
How many have understood this saying? Greater and greater numbers will, however, eventually understand that the Ego, the ‘Son of Man’, was to be given over to men at that time. And the explanation that was possible in those days, was added by Christ Jesus. He spoke to the following effect: As he stands before us, man is a product of the old forces that were active before the Luciferic beings had laid hold of human nature; but the Luciferic forces drew man down to a lower level. The results of all these processes have passed into the faculties possessed by him to-day. Everything that comes from the seed, as well as all human consciousness, is permeated by the influence that dragged man to a lower sphere.
Man is a twofold being. Whatever consciousness he has developed hitherto is permeated by the Luciferic forces. It is only the unconscious part of man's being, the last remnant of his evolution through the Saturn, Sun and Moon periods when no Luciferic forces were at work—it is only this that streams into him to-day as a virginal element of his nature; but it cannot unite with him without the qualities and forces he is able to develop in himself through the Christ-principle. As he stands before us, man is primarily a product of heredity, a confluence of what derives from the male and female seeds. From the beginning he develops as a duality—a duality already permeated by Luciferic forces. As long as a man is not illumined by self-consciousness, as long as out of his own Ego he cannot fully distinguish between good and evil, he reveals to us his earlier, original nature through the veil of his later nature. Only the part of man that is ‘childlike’ still retains a last remnant of the nature that was his before he succumbed to the influence of the Luciferic beings.
Hence there is a ‘childlike’ part and also a ‘grown’ part in man. It is the latter part of his being that is permeated by the Luciferic forces but its influence asserts itself from the very earliest embryonic stage onwards. The Luciferic forces also permeate the child, so that in ordinary life what was already implanted in the human being before the Luciferic influence, cannot make itself manifest. The Christ-power must re-awaken this, must unite with the best forces of the child-nature in man. The Christ-power may not link itself with the faculties that man has corrupted, with what derives merely from the intellect; the link must be with that which has remained from the child-nature of primeval times. That is what must be reinvigorated and must thereafter fructify the other part (of man's nature).
“But there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be the greatest,” that is, which of them was most fitted to receive the Christ-principle into his own being. "But Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child and set it by them and said unto them. Whosoever shall receive this child in my name"—that is, whosoever is united in Christ's name with what has remained from the times before the onset of the Luciferic influence “receiveth me; and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me” (Luke IX, 46–48)—that is, He who sent this (childlike) part of the human being to the Earth. Emphasis is there laid upon the great significance of what has remained ‘childlike’ in man and should be fostered and nurtured in human nature.
We may say of a human being standing before us that he has the rudiments of very good qualities. We may try our hardest to develop those qualities of his so that he makes real progress, but the methods usually adopted to-day take no account of what is present in the foundations of man's being. It is essential to pay heed to what has remained ‘childlike’ in man, for it is by way of this childlike nature that warmth can be imparted to the other faculties through the Christ-principle. The childlike nature must be developed in order that the other faculties may follow suit. Everyone has the childlike nature within him and this, when wakened to life, will also be responsive to union with the Christ-principle. But forces—of however lofty a kind—that are dominated by the Luciferic influence will, if they alone work in a man to-day, repudiate and scoff at what can live on Earth as the Christ power—as Christ Himself foretold.
The Gospel of St. Luke, brings home very clearly the purport and meaning of the new proclamation. When a man who bore on his forehead the sign of Jonah went about the world as an Initiate of the old order, he was recognized—but only by those who were knowers—as one who had come to testify of the spiritual worlds. Special preparation was needed before the sign of Jonah could be understood. But a new kind of preparation was now necessary in order to understand what was greater than anything indicated by the signs of Solomon and of Jonah—a new preparation which was to pave the way for a new understanding, a new way of maturing the soul. The contemporaries of Christ Jesus could at first understand only the old way, and the way preached by John the Baptist was the one known to most of them. That Christ was now bringing an entirely new impulse, that he was seeking for souls among those who did not in the least resemble men who would formerly have been considered suitable, was utterly incomprehensible to them. They had assumed that He would associate with those who practised the old kind of disciplinary exercises and would impart His teaching to such men. Hence they could not understand why He sat among those whom they regarded as ‘sinners’. But He said to them: If I were to impart in the old way the entirely new impulse I have come to give to mankind, if a new form of teaching were not to replace the old, it would be as if I were to sew a piece of new cloth on an old garment or pour new wine into old wine-skins. What is now to be given to humanity and is greater than anything indicated by the sign of Solomon or the sign of Jonah, this must be poured into new wine-skins, into new forms. And you must rouse yourselves sufficiently to understand the new teaching in a new form! (See Luke V, 36–37.)
Those who were to understand must now do so through the powerful influence of the Ego—not through what they had learnt but through what had poured into them from the spiritual Christ-Being Himself. Hence the chosen ones were not men who according to the old doctrines were properly prepared but men who in spite of having passed through many incarnations, proved to be simple human beings, able to understand through the power of Faith what had streamed into them. A ‘sign’ was to be placed before them as well, a sign now to be enacted before the eyes of all mankind. The ‘mystical death’ that had been a ceremonial act in the Mystery Temples for hundreds and thousands of years was now to be presented on the great arena of world-history. Everything that had taken place in the secrecy of the Temples of Initiation was brought into the open as a single event on Golgotha. A process hitherto witnessed only by the Initiates during the three-and-a-half days of an old Initiation was now enacted before mankind in concrete reality. Hence those to whom the facts were known could only describe the Event of Golgotha as being what in very truth it was: the old Initiation transformed into historical fact and enacted on the arena of world-history.
That is what took place on Golgotha! In former times the three-and-a-half days spent in deathlike sleep had brought to the few Initiates who witnessed it, the conviction that the spiritual will at all times be victorious over the bodily nature and that man's soul and spirit belong to a spiritual world. This was now to be a reality enacted before the eyes of the world. An Initiation transferred to the outer plane of world-history such was the Event of Golgotha. Hence this Initiation was not consummated only for those who witnessed the actual Event, but for all mankind. What issued from the death on the Cross streamed into the whole of humanity. A stream of spiritual life flowed into mankind from the drops of blood which fell from the wounds of Christ Jesus on Golgotha. For what had been imparted by other Teachers as ‘wisdom’ was now to pass into humanity as inner strength, inner power. That is the essential difference between the Event of Golgotha and the teachings given by the other Founders of religion.
Deeper understanding than exists to-day is necessary before there can be any true conception of what came to pass on Golgotha. When Earth evolution began, the human Ego was connected physically with the blood. The blood is the outer expression of the human Ego. Men would have made the Ego stronger and stronger, and if Christ had not appeared they would have been entirely engrossed in the development of egoism. They were protected from this by the Event of Golgotha. What was it that had to flow? The blood that is the surplus substantiality of the Ego! The process that began on the Mount of Olives when the drops of sweat fell from the Redeemer like drops of blood, was carried further when the blood flowed from the wounds of Christ Jesus on Golgotha. The blood flowing from the Cross was the sign of the surplus egoism in man's nature which had to be sacrificed. The spiritual significance of the sacrifice on Golgotha requires deep and penetrating study. The result of what happened there would not be apparent to a chemist—that is to say to one with the power of intellectual perception only. If the blood that flowed on Golgotha had been chemically analysed it would have been found to contain the same substances as the blood of other human beings; but occult investigation would discover it to have been quite different blood. Through the surplus blood in humanity men would have been engulfed in egoism if infinite Love had not enabled this blood to flow. As occult investigation finds, infinite Love is intermingled with the blood that flowed on Golgotha. The writer of the Gospel of St. Luke adhered to his purpose, which was to describe how, through Christ, there came into the world the infinite Love that would gradually drive out egoism. Each of the Evangelists describes what it was his particular function to describe.
If these things could be explained in still greater depth we should find that all contradictions alleged by materialistic research would be invalidated, as they are in the case of the antecedents of Jesus of Nazareth when the true facts of his early childhood are known. Each Evangelist describes what concerned him most closely from his own standpoint. St. Luke describes what his informants, who were ‘seers’ and ‘servants of the Word’ were able to perceive as the result of their special preparation. The other Evangelists are concerned with different aspects—the writer of the Gospel of St. Luke perceives the out-streaming Love which forgives the most terrible of all wrongs the physical world can inflict. Words expressing this ideal of Love, words of forgiveness even when the most terrible of wrongs has been committed, resound from the Cross on Golgotha: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!” (Luke XXIII, 34.) Out of His infinite Love, He who on the Cross on Golgotha accomplishes the Deed of untold significance, implores forgiveness for those who have crucified Him.
And now we turn once again to the doctrine of the power of Faith. Emphasis was to be laid upon the fact that there is something in human nature that can stream from it and liberate man from the material world, no matter how firmly he may he bound to that world. Let us think of a man embroiled in the material world through every imaginable crime, so that the forum of that world itself inflicts the punishment; let us conceive, however, that he has saved for himself something that the power of Faith can cause to germinate within him. Such a man will differ from another who has no Faith, just as the one malefactor differed from the other. The one has no Faith, and the judgment is fulfilled. In the other, however, Faith is like a faint light shining into the spiritual world; hence he cannot lose the link with the spiritual. Therefore to him it is said: ‘To-day’—since you know that you are connected with the spiritual world—‘you shall be with me in Paradise!’ (See Luke XXIII, 43.)
Thus do the truths of Faith and Hope, as well as the truth of Love, resound from the Cross in the account given in the Gospel of St. Luke.
There is still something else, belonging to the same realm of the soul's life, upon which the writer of this Gospel wishes to lay emphasis.
When a man's whole being is pervaded with the Love that streamed from the Cross on Golgotha he can turn his eyes to the future and say: Evolution on the Earth must make it possible for the spirit living within me gradually to transform the whole of physical existence. We shall in time give back again to the Father-principle which existed before the onset of the Luciferic influence, the spirit we have received; we shall let our whole being be permeated by the Christ-principle and our hands will bring to expression what is living in our souls as a faithful picture of that principle. Our hands were not created by ourselves but by the Father-principle, and the Christ-principle will stream through them. As men pass through incarnation after incarnation, the spiritual power flowing from the Mystery of Golgotha will stream into what they achieve in their bodies—which are the creations of the Father-principle—so that the outer world will eventually be imbued with the Christ-principle. Men will be filled with the confidence that resounded from the Cross on Golgotha and leads to the highest Hope for the future, leads to the ideal that can be expressed by saying: I let Faith germinate within me, I let Love germinate within me and I know that when they grow strong enough they will pervade all external life. I know too that they will pervade everything within me that is the creation of the Father-principle. Thus Hope for humanity's future will be added to Faith and Love, and men will understand that in regard to the future they must acquire firm confidence, saying: If only I have Faith, if only I have Love I may entertain the Hope that what has come into me from Christ Jesus will gradually find its way into the outer world. And then the words resounding from the Cross as a sublime ideal will be understood: “Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit!” (Luke XXIII, 46.)
Words of Love, of Faith and of Hope ring out from the Cross according to the Gospel which indicates how spiritual streams that had previously been separate united in the soul of Jesus of Nazareth. What had formerly been received in the form of wisdom, streamed into men as an actual power of the soul, exemplified by the sublime ideal of Christ. It is incumbent upon human beings to acquire deeper and deeper understanding of what is communicated in a record such as the Gospel of St. Luke, in order that the three words resounding from the Cross may become active forces in the soul. When with the faculties that the truths of spiritual science can develop in them men come to feel that what streams down to them from the Cross is not lifeless exhortation but vital, active force, they will begin to realize that a truly living message is contained in the Gospel of St. Luke. It is the mission of spiritual science gradually to unveil what is enshrined in such records.
In this course of lectures we have tried to penetrate as deeply as possible into the content of St. Luke's Gospel. In the case of this Gospel too, one course of lectures cannot possibly unveil everything and you will realise at once that a very great deal has inevitably remained unexplained. But if you pursue the path indicated by lectures such as have been given here you will be able to penetrate more and more deeply into these truths and your souls will be better and better fitted to receive and assimilate the living Word hidden beneath the outer words.
Spiritual science is not a body of new teaching. It is an instrument for comprehending what has been given to humanity. Thus for us it is an instrument for understanding the Christian revelation. If you have this conception of spiritual science you will no longer say: ‘It is Christian theosophy or just another form of theosophy!’ There is only one spiritual science and we apply it as an instrument for proclaiming the truth, for bringing to light the treasures of the spiritual life of mankind. It is the same spiritual science that we apply in order to explain the Bhagavad Gita on one occasion and on another the Gospel of St. Luke. The greatness of spiritual science lies in the fact that it is able to penetrate into every treasure given to humanity in the realm of spiritual life; but we should have a false conception of it if we were to close our ears to any of the proclamations made to humanity.
It is with this attitude of mind that you should listen to the proclamation made in the Gospel of St. Luke, realizing that it is pervaded through and through by the inspiration of Love. And then the increasing knowledge that can be acquired from this Gospel with the help of spiritual science will contribute not only to insight into the mysteries of the surrounding Universe and of the spiritual ground of existence but to an understanding of the momentous words in the Gospel of St. Luke: ‘And peace be in the souls of men in whom there is good will.’ When thoroughly understood, the Gospel of St. Luke is able, more than any other religious text, to pour into the human soul that warmth-giving Love through which peace reigns on Earth—and that is the most beautiful mirror-image of divine mysteries revealed on Earth. What can be revealed must be mirrored on Earth and, as mirror-image, rise up again to the spiritual Heights. If we learn to understand spiritual science in this sense it will be able to reveal to us the mysteries of the divine-spiritual Beings and of spiritual existence, and the mirror-image of these revelations will live in our souls. Love and Peace—here is the most beautiful mirror-image on Earth of what streams down from the Heights.
In this way we can receive and assimilate the words of the Gospel of St. Luke which resounded when the forces of the Nirmanakaya of Buddha streamed down upon the Nathan Jesus-child. The revelations pour down from the spiritual worlds upon the Earth and are reflected from human hearts as Love and Peace to the extent to which men unfold the power, the ‘good will’, which the Christ-principle enables to flow from the centre of man's being, from his Ego. The proclamation rings out clearly and with the glow of warmth when we truly understand the meaning of these words in the Gospel of St. Luke:
The revelation of the spiritual worlds from the Heights and its answering reflection from the hearts of men brings peace to all whose purpose upon the evolving Earth is to unfold good will.
Zehnter Vortrag
Was uns heute beschäftigen soll, ist die Hinführung der verschiedenen Erkenntnisse, die wir in den letzten Tagen gewonnen haben, zu dem Gipfelpunkte des Ganzen, wie es uns gerade an der Hand des LukasEvangeliums aus der Geistesforschung heraus erscheinen kann, zu jenem Gipfelpunkte, den wir das Mysterium von Golgatha nennen.
Wir haben gestern versucht, in eindringlicher Weise zu schildern, was eigentlich an jenem Zeitpunkte der Menschheitsentwickelung geschehen ist, als der Christus durch drei Jahre hindurch auf der Erde wandelte, und wir haben in den vorhergehenden Vorträgen zu charakterisieren versucht, wie dieses Ereignis überhaupt durch den Zusammenfluß jener Geistesströmungen, die wir betrachtet haben, zustandekommen konnte. Gerade der Schreiber des Lukas-Evangeliums charakterisiert uns die ganze Mission des Christus Jesus auf der Erde in einer wunderbaren Weise, wenn wir nur das, was er schildert, im Lichte jener Erkenntnisse zu sehen vermögen, die aus der Akasha-Chronik gewonnen sind.
Es könnte jemand nun die Frage aufwerfen: Wie kommt es denn, da sich doch die buddhistische Geistesströmung ganz organisch in die christliche Lehre hineinverwebt, daß innerhalb der christlichen Lehre keine Andeutungen geschehen von dem großen Gesetze des Karma, von jener Ausgleichung, die im Verlaufe der einzelnen Inkarnationen des Menschen geschieht? Es wäre aber nur ein Mißverständnis, wenn man glauben wollte, daß das, was wir durch das Gesetz des Karma erkennen sollen, nicht auch in der Verkündigung des Lukas-Evangeliums liege. Es liegt darin. Nur müssen wir uns klar sein, wenn wir so etwas richtig verstehen wollen, daß die Bedürfnisse der Seelen der Menschen zu den verschiedenen Zeiten eben verschiedene sind und daß die großen Missionare der Weltentwickelung nicht immer die Aufgabe haben, die absolute Wahrheit in abstrakter Gestalt den Menschen zu geben. Denn die würden die Menschen auf den verschiedenen Reifestufen gar nicht verstehen, sondern die großen Missionare müssen so zu den Menschen sprechen, daß diese das Richtige in einer entsprechenden Epoche erhalten. In dem, was die Menschheit durch den Einschlag des großen Buddha erhalten hat, ist alles das als Weisheit enthalten, was in Verbindung mit der Lehre vom Mitleid und von der Liebe und der Umschreibung dieser Lehre in dem achtgliedrigen Pfade zu einem weisheitsvollen Verständnis der Lehre vom Karma führen kann. Und es heißt: nicht alles in der Menschenseele suchen, was zu der Lehre vom Karma und der damit verbundenen Lehre von der Reinkarnation führt, wenn man, von diesem ausgehend, nicht zu dieser Lehre kommt.
Gestern ist geschildert worden, wie dreitausend Jahre nach unserer eigenen Zeit ein großer Teil der Menschheit so weit sein wird, daß er die Lehre vom achtgliedrigen Pfade und damit — wie wir heute hinzufügen können -— auch die Lehre von Karma und Reinkarnation aus sich selbst heraus gewinnen kann. Dies muß aber nach und nach geschehen, muß ganz allmählich geschehen. Denn ebensowenig, wie bei der Pflanze, unmittelbar nachdem wir den Keim in die Erde gesenkt haben, sich gleich die Blüte entwickeln kann, sondern wie sich nach notwendigen Gesetzen erst Blatt für Blatt entwickeln muß, ebenso ist notwendig, daß die geistige Entwickelung, die sich durch die Menschheit hindurchzieht, von Stufe zu Stufe geht und daß zur richtigen Zeit das Richtige erscheint. Wer, durchströmt von den Fähigkeiten, welche ihm die Geisteswissenschaft geben kann, sich heute in die eigene Seele versenkt, findet die Lehre von Karma und Reinkarnation als eine notwendige Lehre. Aber beachten Sie, daß die Entwickelung nicht umsonst ist, daß es wirklich so ist, daß erst in unserer Zeit die Seelen wieder reif geworden sind, um in sich zu finden, was man die Lehre von Karma und Reinkarnation nennt. Es wäre nicht gut gewesen, wenn etwa einige Jahrhunderte vorher diese Lehre exoterisch verkündet worden wäre, und es wäre für die Menschheitsentwickelung nicht gut gewesen, wenn das, was heute Inhalt der Geisteswissenschaft ist, wonach die Menschenseelen lechzen, und womit die Erforschung der Untergründe der Evangelien verbunden ist, schon vor ein paar Jahrhunderten der Menschheit in offener Gestalt verkündet worden wäre. Denn dazu war notwendig, daß diese Seelen der Menschheit danach lechzten und Fähigkeiten entwickelten, um die Lehre von Karma und Reinkarnation aufzunehmen. Dazu war notwendig, daß diese Seelen durch frühere Inkarnationen, auch der nachchristlichen Zeit, schon durchgegangen sind und das erlebt haben, was man erlebt, bevor man eben reif ist, um die Lehre von Karma und Reinkarnation zu empfangen. Hätte man in den ersten Jahrhunderten des Christentums die Lehre von Karma und Reinkarnation so offen verkündet, wie dies heute geschieht, so würde das geheißen haben, von der Menschheitsentwickelung dasselbe zu verlangen, was man verlangen würde, wenn aus der Pflanze statt des grünen Blattes gleich unmittelbar die Blüte herauswachsen sollte.
So ist die Menschheit erst heute dazu herangereift, die Lehre von Karma und Reinkarnation ihrem geistigen Inhalt nach in sich aufzunehmen. Es ist daher durchaus nicht zu verwundern, daß in dem, was der Menschheit seit Jahrhunderten aus den Evangelien übergeben worden ist, manches steht, was eigentlich ein ganz falsches Bild vom Christentum gibt. Es ist das Evangelium den Menschen sozusagen in einer gewissen Beziehung verfrüht übergeben worden, und erst heute reift die Menschheit heran, in der Seele alle Fähigkeiten zu entwickeln, welche zu einem Verständnisse dessen führen können, was in den Evangelien eigentlich enthalten ist. Es war durchaus notwendig, daß das, was als Verkündigung des Christus Jesus erfolgte, auf den damaligen Zustand, auf die damalige Verfassung der Menschenseelen Rücksicht nahm; so daß man damals nicht in abstrakten Lehren Reinkarnation und Karma lehrte, sondern daß man solche Gefühle in die Menschenseele einströmen ließ, durch welche die Seelen erst nach und nach reif wurden, die Lehre von Reinkarnation und Karma aufzunehmen. Das heißt, man mußte in der damaligen Zeit das sagen, was nach und nach zum Verständnis der Lehre von Karma und Reinkarnation führen konnte, und nicht die Lehre selber.
Sagten das der Christus Jesus und die, welche um ihn waren? Um das zu verstehen, müssen wir das Lukas-Evangelium aufschlagen und es in richtiger Weise vor unsere Seele treten lassen. Und wenn wir es mit dem Verständnis für diese Dinge richtig vor unsere Seelen treten lassen, so werden wir schon lesen, wie damals gerade das Karmagesetz den Menschen verkündet werden konnte.
«Selig seid ihr, die ihr arm seid, denn euch wird das Reich der Himmel werden.
Selig seid ihr, die ihr jetzt hungert, denn ihr werdet gesättigt werden. Selig seid ihr, die ihr jetzt weinet, denn ihr werdet lachen.
Selig seid ihr, wenn euch die Leute hassen, wenn sie euch ausschließen und beschimpfen und euren Namen ausstoßen als einen bösen wegen des Sohnes des Menschen.
Freuet euch an diesem Tage und jubelt, denn siehe euer Lohn ist groß in den geistigen Welten» (Lukas 6, 20-23).
Hier haben wir die Lehre von der Ausgleichung, welche, ohne auf die Lehre von Karma und Reinkarnation in abstrakter Weise einzugehen, bemüht ist, die gefühlsmäßige Gewißheit in die Seelen fließen zu lassen, daß der, welcher auf irgendeinem Gebiete noch eine Zeit hungert, den Ausgleich erfahren wird. Diese Gefühle mußten in die Menschenseelen einfließen. Und die Seelen, die damals lebten, und in die sich diese Lehre damals in dieser Form hineingegossen hat, sie waren erst, als sie wieder verkörpert waren, reif, um als Weisheit die Lehre von Karma und Reinkarnation aufzunehmen.
So mußte zu jener Zeit in die Seelen hinüberfließen, was in den Seelen heranreifen sollte. Denn es war eine vollständig neue Zeit gekommen, eine Zeit, in welcher sich die Menschen in völliger Reife anschickten, ihr Ich, ihr Selbstbewußtsein, zu entwickeln. Während früher die Menschen die Offenbarungen empfingen und deren Wirkungen im Astralleibe, Ätherleibe und physischen Leibe hatten, sollte jetzt das Ich vollbewußt werden. Aber es sollte sich erst nach und nach mit den Kräften anfüllen, die es erhalten sollte. Nur das eine Ich, das damals auf der Erde wandelte und in seiner Leiblichkeit dazu vorbereitet war, das als nathanischer Jesus die Individualität des Zarathustra in sich verkörpert hatte, nur dieses Ich konnte das allumfassende ChristusPrinzip in sich verwirklichen. Die anderen Menschen müssen nun nach und nach in der Nachfolge des Christus das entwickeln, was damals in der einen Persönlichkeit drei Jahre hindurch auf der Erde war. Nur die Anregung sozusagen, den Keim, konnte damals der Christus Jesus in die Menschheit hineinverpflanzen, und dieser Keim muß nun nach und nach wachsen und sich entfalten. Auch dafür wurde vorgesorgt, daß immer in entsprechend richtigen Zeiten diejenigen Menschen innerhalb der Erdenentwickelung erscheinen können, die nun das bringen können, wofür die Menschheit in einer späteren Zeit reif wird. Der, welcher damals auf der Erde als der Christus erschienen ist, mußte dafür sorgen, daß die Menschheit unmittelbar nach seinem Erscheinen die Verkündigung hatte, so wie sie dieselbe verstehen konnte; und er mußte auch Vorsorge treffen, daß später Individualitäten erschienen, die in dem Maße für die Seelen in spiritueller Beziehung sorgten, als diese später reifer geworden sind.
Die Art und Weise nun, wie der Christus für die Zeiten vorgesorgt hat, die auf das Ereignis von Golgatha folgten, schildert uns der Schreiber des Johannes-Evangeliums. Er zeigt uns, wie der Christus selber in Lazarus jene Individualität auferweckte, die dann als Johannes weiterwirkte, und von der die Lehre in der Form ausging, wie sie in den Vorträgen über das Johannes-Evangelium beschrieben worden ist. Aber der Christus mußte auch dafür vorsorgen, daß in späteren Zeiten jene Individualität kommen konnte, welche ganz sachgemaß im Sinne der weiteren Entwickelung das in die Menschheit hineinbringen konnte, wofür die Menschen später reif sein konnten. Dazu mußte der Christus aber eine andere Individualität auferwecken Wie das geschah, schildert uns treulich der Schreiber des Lukas-Evangeliums. Während er sagt, daß er schildern will, was damals die imaginativen und inspirierten Hellseher über das Ereignis von Palästina sagen konnten, weist er zugleich darauf hin, was einmal gelehrt werden wird von einem anderen; aber erst in der Zukunft wird es gelehrt werden. Und um uns diesen geheimnisvollen Vorgang zu schildern, hat der Schreiber des Lukas-Evangeliums in sein Dokument auch eine Auferweckung hineinverwoben (Lukas 7, 11-17). Was wir über die «Auferweckung des Jünglings zu Nain» lesen, enthält das Geheimnis von dem fortwirkenden Christentum. Während bei der Heilung der Tochter des Jairus, die ich Ihnen vorgestern wenigstens andeutungsweise erklären konnte, die damit verknüpften Geheimnisse so tiefe sind, daß der Christus Jesus nur einige der Menschen mitnimmt, die den Heilungsvorgang ansehen konnten, und ihnen dann den Auftrag gibt, daß es nicht erzählt werden solle, sehen wir eine andere Auferweckung sich so abspielen, daß sie dann gleich erzählt wird. Das eine war ein Heilungsvorgang, der voraussetzte, daß der, der ihn vollzog, tief hineinschaute in die Vorgänge des physischen Leibes. Das andere war eine Auferweckung, eine Initiation. Diejenige Individualität, die in dem Leibe des Jünglings zu Nain enthalten ist, sollte eine Initiation ganz besonderer Art erfahren.
Es gibt verschiedene Arten von Initiation oder Einweihung. Die eine Art besteht darin, daß der Betreffende, der eingeweiht worden ist, unmittelbar nach dem Einweihungsvorgange in sich aufleuchten sieht die Erkenntnisse der höheren Welten, daß er hineinschauen kann in die Vorgänge und Gesetze der geistigen Welten. Eine andere Art der Initiation kann aber so stattfinden, daß zunächst in die betreffende Seele nur der Keim hineinversenkt wird, so daß sie dann noch eine Inkarnation abzuwarten hat; dann tritt dieser Keim heraus, und es wird dann in der späteren Inkarnation der Betreffende ein Initiierter im ausdrücklichen Sinne.
Eine solche Initiation wurde mit dem Jüngling zu Nain vollzogen. Damals wurde seine Seele bei dem Ereignis von Palästina umgewandelt; da hatte sie noch nicht das Bewußtsein, hinaufgestiegen zu sein in die höheren Welten. Erst in der nächsten Inkarnation keimten die Kräfte heraus, die damals in diese Seele gelegt waren. — Es können hier in einem exoterischen Vortrage nicht die Namen genannt werden, welche damals in Betracht kamen, es kann nur darauf hingewiesen werden, daß später in einem gewaltigen Religionslehrer diejenige Individualität erwachte, welche der Christus Jesus in dem Jüngling zu Nain auferweckt hatte, und daß auf diese Weise in späterer Zeit ein neuer Lehrer des Christentums erstehen konnte mit den Kräften, die damals in seine Seele versenkt worden waren.
So hat der Christus dafür gesorgt, daß auch später eine Individualität erscheinen konnte, die das Christentum weiterbrachte. Und diese Individualität, diein dem Jüngling zu Nain auferweckt wurde, ist dazu berufen, später immer mehr und mehr das Christentum mit den Lehren von Reinkarnation und Karma zu durchdringen, jene Lehren mit dem Christentum zu verbinden, welche damals, als der Christus selber auf der Erde wandelte, noch nicht ausdrücklich als Weisheitslehren verkündet werden konnten, weil sie damals erst gefühlsmäßig in die Menschenseelen hineinversenkt werden mußten.
Der Christus Jesus weist in der Tat, auch im Sinne des Lukas-Evangeliums, genügend darauf hin, wie etwas ganz Neues, das Bewußtwerden des Ich, in die Menschheitsentwickelung eingetreten ist; er weist darauf hin, und man muß es nur lesen können, daß die Menschen früher die geistige Welt nicht in ihr selbstbewußtes Ich einströmend gesehen haben, sondern daß sie dieses Geistige in sich einströmend hatten durch ihren physischen Leib, Ätherleib und Astralleib und daß immer ein Grad von Unbewußtheit dabei war, wenn früher göttlich-geistige Kräfte in den Menschen einströmten. Das sollte jetzt anders werden. Früher mußten die Menschen in der Strömung, in die der Christus Jesus unmittelbar hineinversetzt war, das Gesetz vom Sinai empfangen, das nur zum menschlichen Astralleib sprechen konnte. Es war dem Menschen so gegeben, daß es zwar in ihm wirkte, aber nicht unmittelbar aus den Kräften seines Ich heraus wirkte. Diese Kräfte waren erst in den Zeiten des Christus Jesus möglich, weil erst da die Menschen überhaupt zu einem Bewußtsein ihres Ich kamen. Das deutet der Christus Jesus auch im Lukas-Evangelium an da, wo er davon spricht, daß die Menschen allerdings zur Aufnahme eines ganz neuen Prinzips in ihre Seele erst völlig reif werden müssen; das deutet er an, wo er von seinem Vorläufer Johannes dem Täufer spricht (Lukas 7, 18-35).
Wie sah der Christus selbst diese Individualität des Johannes an? Er sagte: Johannes war dazu berufen, vor dem Erscheinen des Christus selbst den Menschen in der reinsten, edelsten Form das zu charakterisieren, was alte Prophetenlehre war, was rein und edel von alten Zeiten heraufströmte, Er sah den Johannes sozusagen als denjenigen an, der als der letzte in reinster, edelster Form brachte, was den alten Zeiten angehörte. Das «Gesetz und die Propheten» gehen bis zu Johannes. Er sollte noch einmal vor die Menschen hinstellen, was alte Lehre und alter Seeleninhalt den Menschen bringen konnte. Denn wie mußte dieser alte Seeleninhalt in den Zeiten vor dem Eintritt des ChristusPrinzips wirken?
Hier haben wir etwas, was auch einmal Lehre der modernen Naturwissenschaft werden wird, wenn diese sich ein wenig inspirieren lassen wird von dem, was Geisteswissenschaft oder Theosophie ist, wenn es ihr auch heute noch ganz sonderbar vorkommen würde. Ich muß hier auf etwas eingehen, was ich allerdings nur streifen kann, was Ihnen aber zeigen wird, in welche Tiefen Geisteswissenschaft gerade in bezug auf die Naturwissenschaft hineinzuleuchten berufen ist. Wenn Sie sich heute auf den Gebieten der Naturwissenschaft umsehen und sehen, wie diese durch die eingeschränkten Fähigkeiten des menschlichen Gedankens in die Geheimnisse des Menschendaseins eindringen will, so können Sie dargestellt finden, daß das Zusammenwirken des männlichen und weiblichen Fruchtkeims den ganzen Menschen zustande bringe. Das ist gerade ein Grundbestreben der modernen Naturwissenschaft, daß sie darstellen will, wie aus dem Zusammenwirken des männlichen und des weiblichen Keims der ganze Mensch wird. Sorgfältig sucht die Mikroskopie in den Substanzen festzustellen, was von den Eigenschaften aus dem männlichen und was aus dem weiblichen Keim herrühren kann, und sie ist befriedigt, wenn sie beweisen zu können glaubt, wie der Mensch wird aus einer Zusammenwirkung von männlichem und weiblichem Keim. Aber die Naturwissenschaft wird durch sich selber gedrängt werden, anzuerkennen, daß nur ein Teil der menschlichen Wesenheit durch das Zusammenwirken von männlichem und weiblichem Keim bestimmt wird und daß es für den heutigen Menschen in dem gegenwärtigen Entwickelungszyklus in der Tat so ist, daß man, selbst wenn man noch so genau weiß, was von dem einen und was von dem anderen Keim kommt, in der Regel nicht den ganzen Menschen erklärt hat.
Es gibt in jedem Menschen etwas, was nicht durch den Keim angeregt wird, sondern was sozusagen jungfräulicher Geburt ist, was sich von ganz anderen Gebieten her in die Keimung ergießt. Es verbindet sich mit dem Keime des Menschen etwas, was nicht von Vater und Mutter abstammt und was doch zu ihm gehört, was doch für ihn bestimmt ist, was sich hineinergießt in sein Ich und was veredelt werden kann, wenn es das Christus-Prinzip aufnimmt. Dasjenige ist im Menschen jungfräulich geboren, was sich im Laufe der Menschheitsentwickelung mit dem Christus verbindet. Und das hängt zusammen das wird einmal die Naturwissenschaft mit ihren eigenen Mitteln erkennen — mit jenem bedeutsamen Übergange, der sich in der Zeit des Christus Jesus abgespielt hat. Vorher konnte nichts in des Menschen Innern sein, was nicht auf dem Wege des Keimes in die Menschen gekommen ist. Es geschieht wirklich etwas zur Veränderung der IchEntwickelung im Laufe der Zeit. Die Menschheit ist seit jener Zeit. anders geworden; nur muß sie das, was ihr seit jener Zeit zu den Bestandteilen des bloßen Keimes hinzugefügt wird, nach und nach entwickeln und veredeln durch die Aufnahme des Christus-Prinzips.
Wir nähern uns damit einer sehr subtilen Wahrheit. Und für den, der die moderne Naturwissenschaft kennt, ist es merkwürdig und interessant, wie es heute schon Gebiete gibt, wo die Naturforscher sozusagen mit der Nase darauf hingestoßen werden, daß etwas im Menschen nicht aus dem Keime stammt. Es sind die Vorbedingungen dafür schon da, nur ist der Intellekt der Forscher nicht weit genug, um das, was er selbst in seinen Experimenten, in seinen Beobachtungen gegeben hat, richtig zu erkennen. Denn in dem, was objektiv in den Experimenten vorgeht, wirkt mehr, als die heutige Naturwissenschaft erkennt. Die Naturwissenschaft käme wenig weit, wenn sie nur der Geschicklichkeit der Forscher überlassen wäre. Während dieser oder jener im Laboratorium steht, in der Klinik oder im Kabinette arbeitet, stehen hinter ihm die die Welt lenkenden und leitenden Mächte und lassen an die Oberfläche kommen, was der Forscher nicht versteht, und wozu er nur Werkzeug ist. Es ist daher durchaus auch richtig, daß sogar die objektive Forschung von den «Meistern», das heißt von den höheren Individualitäten geleitet wird. Nur werden die Dinge, auf die jetzt hingewiesen ist, gewöhnlich nicht beobachtet. Aber sie werden beobachtet werden, wenn die bewußten Fähigkeiten der Forscher mit dem durchdrungen sein werden, was die spirituelle Lehre der Anthroposophie ist.
Dadurch, daß das stattgefunden hat, was ich jetzt geschildert habe, ist mit den Fähigkeiten des Menschen seit dem Erscheinen des Christus auf der Erde eine große Veränderung vorgegangen. Vorher hat der Mensch nur jene Fähigkeiten benutzen können, die ihm aus dem väterlichen und mütterlichen Keime zugeflossen sind; denn nur diese sind so, daß sie sich in dem Menschen ausgestalten. Wenn wir zwischen Geburt und Tod stehen, entwickeln wir das an Fähigkeiten, was wir aus dem physischen Leibe, Atherleibe und Astralleibe sind. Vor der Zeit des Christus Jesus waren die Werkzeuge, die der Mensch für sich verwendete, allein zu präparieren aus dem bloßen Keim; nachher kam das hinzu, was jungfräulicher Geburt ist, was gar nicht durch den Keim angeregt ist. Das kann natürlich sehr verdorben werden, wenn der Mensch der bloßen materiellen Anschauung hingegeben ist. Wenn er sich aber der Wärme hingibt, die von dem Christus-Prinzip ausgeht, dann kann es veredelt werden, und er bringt es dann in die folgenden Inkarnationen in einer immer höheren und höheren Art hinein.
Was aber jetzt gesagt worden ist, das setzt voraus, daß wir verstehen, daß in allen jenen Verkündigungen, welche der Christus-Verkündigung vorausgingen, etwas steckte, was an die Fähigkeiten gebunden war, die aus der Abstammung herrührten, welche der Mensch mit dem Keim empfing; und es setzt weiter voraus, daß wir uns bewußt werden müssen, daß der Christus Jesus zu den Fähigkeiten sprechen mußte, die nichts mit dem Keime aus der Erde zu tun haben, sondern die sich verbinden mit dem Keim aus den göttlichen Welten heraus. Alle die, welche vor dem Christus Jesus auftraten, konnten sich, um zu den Menschen zu sprechen, nur jener Fähigkeiten bedienen, die ihnen in ihrer irdischen Wesenheit durch die Keimanlagen übertragen worden sind. Alle die Propheten und Verkünder, so hoch sie waren, selbst wenn sie als Bodhisattvas herunterstiegen, sie mußten sich, um zu verkündigen, der Fähigkeiten bedienen, die durch den Keim gegangen sind. Der Christus Jesus aber sprach zu demjenigen im Menschen, was nicht durch den Keim geht, sondern was aus dem Reiche des Göttlichen ist. Darauf weist er im Sinne des Lukas-Evangeliums hin, wenn er zu seinen Jüngern über das Wesen Johannes des Täufers spricht:
«Ich sage euch, einen größeren Propheten als Johannes gibt es nicht unter denen, die vom Weibe geboren sind»
das heißt, die in ihrer Wesenheit, wie sie vor uns stehen, erklärt werden dadurch, daß diese Wesenheit durch die physische Geburt aus dem männlichen und weiblichen Keim entstanden ist. Aber er sagt weiter:
«Der kleinste Teil desjenigen, was nicht aus dem Weibe geboren ist, der sich mit dem Menschen aus dem Reich Gottes verbindet, ist größer als Johannes» (Lukas 7, 28).
So Tiefes verbirgt sich hinter solchen Worten. Wenn die Menschen einmal die Bibel studieren werden, durchleuchtet von dem Wesen der Geisteswissenschaft, dann werden sie sehen, daß in ihr physiologische Wahrheiten enthalten sind, die größer sind als alles, was neues, stümperhaftes physiologisches Denken zutage fördern kann. In einem solchen Worte wie dem eben angeführten liegt der Antrieb zur Erkenntnis einer der größten physiologischen Wahrheiten. So tief ist die Bibel, wenn wir siein Wahrheit auffassen.
Was ich Ihnen jetzt gesagt habe, erläutert der Christus Jesus in mannigfaltiger Weise auch in anderer Form. Er will darauf hinweisen, wie das, was sich durch ihn in die Welt einleben soll, ein ganz Neues ist, ein ganz anderes, als was jemals früher verkündet worden ist, weil es mit den Fähigkeiten verkündet wird, die herausgeboren sind aus den Reichen der Himmel, die wir nicht vererbt haben. Er weist darauf hin, wie schwierig es für die Menschen ist, sich nach und nach zum Verständnis einer solchen Lehre, eines solchen Evangeliums aufzuschwingen, wie die Menschen verlangen werden, so überzeugt zu werden, wie sie früher überzeugt worden sind. Aber er sagt ihnen zugleich: Von dem Neuen, was da gekommen ist, von der neuen Wahrheit könnt ihr nicht in derselben Art überzeugt werden; denn was als Zeugnis von der alten Form kommen konnte, das könnte euch an der neuen Form nicht überzeugen. Art und Form im Sinne der alten Wahrheit stellen sich am höchsten dar, so wie es der Mensch fassen kann, in der Weise, wie es symbolisiert wird in dem Zeichen des Jonas. In diesem wird durch die alte Art symbolisiert, wie der Mensch allmählich zur Erkenntnis hinaufwächst und in die geistigen Welten eindringt, oder wie er, um biblisch zu sprechen, Prophet wird (Lukas 11, 29-32).
Das ist die alte Art, zur Initiation zu kommen, zuerst seine Seele reif zu machen, alles vorzubereiten, was die Seele reif machen kann, dann durch dreieinhalb Tage hindurch in einen Zustand gebracht zu werden, in welchem man völlig der äußeren Welt entrückt ist und auch den Werkzeugen, mit denen man die äußere Welt wahrnimmt. Daher wurden die, welche in die geistige Welt hinaufgeführt werden sollten, zuerst sorgfältig vorbereitet; ihre Seele wurde zum Erkennen des geistigen Lebens präpariert. Dann wurden sie durch dreieinhalb Tage der Welt entrückt und dazu an einen Ort gebracht, wo sie auch durch ihre äußeren Sinne nichts wahrnehmen konnten, wo ihr Körper in einem todähnlichen Zustande war, und nach dreieinhalb Tagen wurden sie wieder auferweckt; da wurde ihre Seele wieder in den Körper zurückgerufen. Dann waren solche Menschen fähig, sich an das, was sie als Anschauung der höheren Welten empfangen hatten, zu erinnern und selber von den geistigen Welten zu künden. Das war das große Geheimnis der Initiation, daß die lange vorbereitete Seele durch dreieinhalb Tage aus ihrem Körper herausgeführt wurde in eine ganz andere Welt; da war sie abgeschlossen von der äußeren Welt und drang in die geistige Welt ein. Immer gingen unter den Völkern solche Menschen herum, die Verkünder der geistigen Welt sein konnten; sie waren es, die das durchgemacht hatten, was in der Bibel angedeutet wird als das Ruhen des Jonas im Walfisch (Jona 2, 1). Dazu wurde ein solcher vorbereitet, und er trug dann als alter Initiierter, wenn er vor dem Volke erschien, das Zeichen an sich, das die an sich trugen, die selbst die geistige Welt erleben konnten, das Zeichen des Jonas.
Dies war die eine Art der Einweihung. Es gibt - so sagte der Christus — im alten Sinn kein anderes Zeichen denn das Zeichen des Jonas (Lukas 11, 29). Und noch deutlicher drückt er sich aus im Sinne des Lukas-Evangeliums: Es gibt allerdings als eine Erbschaft der alten Zeiten noch dieses, daß man ohne sein Zutun, ohne Initiation dumpf, dämmerhaft hellsehend werden kann und durch Offenbarung von oben in die geistige Welt hinaufgeführt werden könnte. — Er wollte darauf hinweisen, daß es neben der eben geschilderten jene zweite Art von Eingeweihten in die geistige Welt gäbe, daß es solche Menschen gäbe, die herumgingen unter den anderen Menschen und dadurch, daß sie eine entsprechende Abstammung hinter sich hatten, fähig waren, ohne eine besondere Initiation durchgemacht zu haben, in einer Art erhöhten Trancezustandes Offenbarungen von oben zu bekommen. Und der Christus wies darauf hin, daß diese zweifache Art, sich in die geistige Welt zu versetzen, von den alten Zeiten überkommen ist. Er sagte: Sehet hin und erinnert euch an den König Salomo. - In diesem wollte er eine Individualität jener Art hinstellen, welche ohne ihr Zutun, durch Offenbarung von oben, in die geistige Welt hineinschauen konnte. Daher ist auch die Königin von Saba, die zu dem König Salomo kommt, die Trägerin der Weisheit von oben, die Repräsentantin derjenigen, die dazu prädestiniert sind, alle die Erbstücke dumpfen, dämmerhaften Hellsehens zu haben, wie es in der atlantischen Zeit alle Menschen gehabt haben (Lukas 11, 31).
Diese zwei Arten von Eingeweihten gab es: die eine Art, dargestellt durch Salomo und in dem bildhaften Hingehen der Königin von Saba, der Königin des Südens, zu ihm; die andere Art war die, welche im Zeichen des Jonas erfolgte, das heißt die alte Initiation, bei der man in vollem Abgeschlossensein von der Außenwelt während dreieinhalb Tagen durch die geistige Welt durchgeht. Nun fügt der Christus hinzu: «Hier ist mehr denn Salomo ..... hier ist mehr denn Jonas» (Lukas 11, 31 und 32), und weist damit darauf hin, daß etwas Neues in die Welt eingetreten ist, daß nicht bloß zu den Ätherleibern von außen durch Offenbarungen gesprochen wird wie bei Salomo und daß nicht gesprochen wird zu den Ätherleibern von innen durch Offenbarungen, die der dazu vorbereitete Astralleib dem Ätherleib mitteilen kann, wie bei denen, die symbolisiert sind durch das Zeichen des Jonas. Der Christus will sagen: Hier ist etwas, wo der Mensch, wenn er sich in seinem Ich dazu reif macht, sich mit dem verbindet, was den Reichen der Himmel angehört, weil die Kräfte aus den Reichen der Himmel sich mit dem jungfräulichen Teil in der Menschenseele verbinden, der den Reichen der Himmel angehört, und den die Menschen verderben können, indem sie sich von dem Christus-Prinzip abwenden, den sie aber auch hegen und pflegen können, wenn sie sich mit dem durchdringen, was von dem Christus-Prinzip ausströmt.
So fügt der Christus Jesus — im Sinne des Lukas-Evangeliums — dasjenige seiner Lehre ein, was als ein neues Element damals auf die Erde gekommen ist, und wir sehen, wie sich alle alten Arten der Verkündigung des Gottesreiches durch das Ereignis von Palästina geändert haben. Daher sagt er zu denen, von welchen er voraussetzen konnte, daß sie ihn durch ihre Präparation ein wenig verstehen können: Wahrhaftig, es sind solche unter euch, die nicht nur in der Weise wie Salomo durch Offenbarung oder durch Initiation im Zeichen des Jonas das Reich Gottes sehen können; würden solche unter euch nichts anderes erlangen, so würden sie in dieser Inkarnation niemals das Reich Gottes sehen, sie würden eher sterben. — Das heißt, vor ihrem Tode würden sie das Reich Gottes nicht sehen, wenn sie nicht etwa initiiert würden; dann aber müßten sie auch einen todähnlichen Zustand durchmachen.
Nun aber wollte der Christus zeigen, daß es auch solche Menschen geben kann, die, ehe sie sterben, durch das, was jetzt als neues Element in die Welt gekommen ist, die Reiche der Himmel zu sehen vermögen. Die Jünger verstanden zunächst nicht, um was es sich handelte. Doch wollte er ihnen zeigen, daß sie es sein sollten, die, ehe sie eines natürlichen Todes stürben oder jenes Todes, den man früher bei der Initiation gestorben ist, die Geheimnisse der Reiche der Himmel erfahren würden. Das ist jene wunderbare Stelle im Lukas-Evangelium, wo der Christus von einer höheren Offenbarung spricht und sagt:
«Ich sage euch aber wahrhaftig: es sind einige unter denen, die hier stehen, welche den Tod nicht kosten werden, bis sie die Reiche der Himmel sehen» (Lukas 9, 27).
Das verstanden sie nicht, daß sie, die um ihn herum waren, dazu ausersehen waren, jene starke Wirkung von jenem Ich, von dem ChristusPrinzip, zu erfahren, durch die sie unmittelbar in die geistige Welt hinaufdringen sollten. Die geistige Welt sollte ihnen offenbar werden ohne das Zeichen des Salomo und ohne das Zeichen des Jonas. Ist das geschehen?
Unmittelbar an diese Worte schließt sich die Szene der Verklärung an, wo drei Jünger, Petrus, Jakobus und Johannes, in die geistige Welt hinaufgeführt werden und ihnen entgegentritt, was in der geistigen Welt als Moses und Elias vorhanden ist, und zugleich das Geistige selbst, was in dem Christus Jesus lebt (Lukas 9, 28-36). Sie schauen für einen Moment in die geistige Welt hinein, um ein Zeugnis dafür zu bekommen, daß man ohne das Zeichen des Salomo und ohne das Zeichen des Jonas in die geistige Welt Einblick erhält. Aber zugleich zeigt sich, daß sie noch Anfänger sind: Sie schlafen gleich ein, nachdem sie durch die Gewalt dessen, was geschieht, aus ihren physischen und Ätherleibern herausgerissen sind. Daher findet der Christus sie schlafend. Daran sollte gezeigt werden, welches die dritte Art, in die geistige Welt hineinzukommen, ist, außer der unter dem Zeichen des Salomo und der unter dem Zeichen des Jonas. Das wußte eben derjenige, der für die damalige Zeit die Zeichen der Zeit zu deuten verstand, daß das Ich sich entwickeln mußte, daß es jetzt unmittelbar inspiriert werden mußte, daß die göttlichen Kräfte unmittelbar in das Ich hineinwirken mußten.
Es sollte aber zu gleicher Zeit gezeigt werden, wie die damaligen Menschen, wenn sie auch Exemplare höchster Art waren, nicht fähig waren, das Christus-Prinzip in sich aufzunehmen. Ein Anfang sollte in dieser Beziehung in der Verklärung gemacht werden, aber zugleich gezeigt werden, daß die Jünger zunächst nicht fähig waren, das ChristusPrinzipganz aufzunehmen. Daher versagen gleich hinterher ihreKräfte, als sie das Christus-Prinzip anwenden und einen Menschen heilen wollen, der von einem bösen Geiste gepackt ist; sie können es aber nicht. Da weist der Christus darauf hin, daß sie erst an einem Anfange stehen, indem er sagt: Ich werde noch lange bei euch bleiben müssen, bis eure Kräfte auch in die anderen Menschen einströmen können (Lukas 9, 41). Und er heilt dann den, den die Jünger nicht heilen konnten. Dann aber sagt er, sie noch einmal auf alles hinweisend, was sich als Geheimnis dahinter verbarg: «Jetzt ist die Zeit gekommen, daß der Sohn des Menschen ausgeliefert werden soll in Menschenhände», das heißt, wo das, was die Menschen in ihrer Erdenmission aus sich heraus entwickeln sollen, nach und nach in die Menschen einströmen soll, wo das menschliche Ich dem Menschen übergeben werden soll, das sie in der höchsten Gestalt, in dem Christus, erkennen sollen.
«Nehmt euch diese Worte zu Ohren: es ist an der Zeit, daß der Sohn des Menschen ausgeliefert wird in Menschenhände.
Sie aber verstanden dieses Wort nicht, und es war vor ihnen verborgen, daß sie es nicht begriffen» (Lukas 9, 44-45).
Nun, wieviel Menschen haben bis heute dieses Wort verstanden? Aber immer mehr und mehr Menschen werden dieses Wort verstehen, daß damals das Ich, der Menschensohn, an die Menschen hat ausgeliefert werden sollen. Was für die damalige Zeit als Erklärung beigefügt werden konnte, das fügt der Christus Jesus nun auch bei. Er sagt: So, wie der heutige Mensch vor uns steht, ist er ein Produkt, das entstanden ist aus jenen alten Kräften, die wirksam waren, als noch keine luziferischen Wesenheiten in den Menschen eingegriffen hatten; dann sind die luziferischen Kräfte gekommen und haben den Menschen heruntergezogen. Das alles hat sich in die Fähigkeiten hineinversenkt, welche heute dem Menschen zu eigen sind. In alles das, was aus dem Keime ist, hat sich in des Menschen Bewußtsein dasjenige hineingemischt, was Ihn in eine niedere Sphäre herunterzog.
Der Mensch ist ein zweifaches Wesen. Was er bisher aber an Bewußtsein entwickelt hat, das ist ganz von dem Früheren durchdrungen, von den luziferischen Kräften. Nur das, worinnen Unbewußtes im Menschen waltet, ist dasjenige, was sozusagen wie ein letzter Rest aus der Entwickelung durch Saturn, Sonne und Mond, als noch keine luziferischen Kräfte vorhanden waren, heute als jungfräuliches Teil in den Menschen hineinströmt; aber das kann sich nicht mit dem Menschen verbinden ohne das, was der Mensch durch das Christus-Prinzip in sich ausbilden kann. So wie der Mensch heute vor uns steht, ist er zunächst ein Ergebnis der Vererbung, ein Zusammenfluß dessen, was aus den Keimen heraus stammt. Indem er so heranwächst, ist er von vornherein eine Zweiheit. Nur ist diese Zweiheit schon von luziferischen Kräften durchdrungen. Solange aber der Mensch noch nicht von Selbstbewußtsein durchleuchtet ist, solange er aus seinem eigenen Ich heraus noch nicht zwischen Gut und Böse voll unterscheiden kann, solange zeigt er uns durch den Schleier des Späteren hindurch seine frühere, seine ursprüngliche Natur. Nur das, was an dem heutigen Menschen kindlich ist, hat noch einen letzten Rest jener Wesenheit, die der Mensch gehabt hat, bevor er dem Einfluß der luziferischen Wesenheiten unterlegen ist.
Daher haben wir jetzt den Menschen so vor uns, daß wir einen «kindlichen» Teil und einen «erwachsenen» Teil haben. Der erwachsene Teil ist der von den luziferischen Kräften durchdrungene, aber er macht seinen Einfluß geltend von der allerersten Keimanlage an. Die luziferischen Kräfte durchdringen auch schon das Kind, so daß im gewöhnlichen Leben nicht das zum Vorschein kommen kann, was schon früher, vor dem luziferischen Einfluß, in den Menschen hineinversenkt worden ist. Dasmuß dieChristus-Kraft wieder aufwecken. Die ChristusKraft muß sich mit dem verbinden, was die besten Kräfte der kindlichen Natur im Menschen sind. Sie darf nicht an die Fähigkeiten anknüpfen, die der Mensch verdorben hat, an das, was aus der aus dem bloßen Intellekt geborenen Weisheit herstammt, sondern sie muß an das anknüpfen, was aus den alten Zeiten der kindlichen Natur geblieben ist. Das ist das Beste; das muß sie wieder regenerieren und von da ausgehend das andere befruchten.
«Es fuhr aber der Gedanke unter sie, wer von ihnen der größte sei»
das heißt, wer am meisten geeignet sei, das Christus-Prinzip in sich aufzunehmen.
«Da aber Jesus ihres Herzens Gedanken wußte, nahm er ein Kind, stellte es neben sich und sagte: Wer dieses Kind aufnimmt in meinem Namen,»
das heißt, wer sich im Namen des Christus mit dem verbindet, was aus den vorluziferischen Zeiten geblieben ist -,
«der nimmt mich auf; und wer mich aufnimmt, der nimmt den auf, der mich gesandt hat» (Lukas 9, 46-48),
das heißt, der diesen Teil des Menschen auf die Erde gesandt hat. Da haben Sie die große Bedeutung dessen betont, was im Menschen kindlich geblieben ist und was gehegt und gepflegt werden soll in der menschlichen Natur.
Man kann sagen: Der Mensch, welcher da vor mir steht, hat eigentlich ganz gute Anlagen. Man kann sich alle Mühe geben, diese Anlagen zu entwickeln, wie der Mensch im gewöhnlichen Leben ja auch gute Fortschritte macht. Wie man es heute macht, so wird man nicht auf das in den Untergründen des Menschen Vorhandene Rücksicht nehmen. Man sollte aber auf das im Menschen kindlich Gebliebene schauen, denn auf dem Umwege über dieses kindlich Gebliebene sollen durch die Christus-Fähigkeit erst wieder die anderen Fahigkeiten erwärmt werden. Das Kindliche soll er wir gescheit machen, damit von da aus die anderen Fähigkeiten wieder gescheit werden. Jeder trägt in dieser Beziehunz die kindliche Natur in sich, und diese wird, wenn sie rege ist, auch eine Empfänglichkeit haben für die Verbindung mit dem Christus-Prinzip. Die Kräfte aber, die unter dem luziferischen Einfluß stehen, wenn sie auch noch so hoch sind, sie werden heute nur, wenn sie allein im Menschen wirken, dasjenige, was als Christus-Kraft auf der Erde leben kann, ablehnen und verspotten, wie es der Christus selber vorausgesagt hat.
So wird uns gerade im Sinne des Lukas-Evangeliums klar vor die Seele gestellt, welches der Sinn der neuen Verkündigung ist. Wenn einer, der das Zeichen des Jonas an der Stirne trug, ein alter Initiierter, durch die Menschen schritt, so erkannte man ihn als einen solchen, der von den geistigen Welten zu verkünden hatte. Aber nur diejenigen wußten es, wie ein solcher aussieht, die darüber unterrichtet worden waren; es gehört eine besondere Vorbereitung dazu, um das Zeichen des Jonas zu verstehen. Eine neue Vorbereitung aber sollte dazu gehören, um — mehr als das Zeichen des Salomo und mehr als das Zeichen des Jonas — eine neue Art des Verstehens, eine neue Art, die Seele reif zu machen, hervorzubringen. Die Zeitgenossen des Christus Jesus konnten zunächst nur die alte Art verstehen, und eine den meisten bekannte Art war noch das, was Johannes der Täufer brachte. Daß aber jetzt der Christus Jesus etwas vollständig Neues brachte, daß er Seelen unter denen suchte, die gar nicht so aussahen, wie man sich früher solche Menschen vorgestellt hatte, das war den Leuten etwas ganz Fremdes. Sie hatten vorausgesetzt, daß er bei denen sitzen werde, welche Übungen der alten Art durchmachten, und ihnen seine Lehre verkünden werde. Daher konnten sie nicht verstehen, daß er bei denen sitzt, welche sie als Sünder ansahen. Aber er sagte ihnen: Würde ich das, was ich als ganz Neues der Menschheit zu geben habe, in der alten Art verkünden, würde nicht auch eine ganz neue Form an die Stelle der alten treten, so würde ich dasselbe machen, wie wenn ich einen neuen Flicken auf ein altes Kleid nähen würde oder wenn ich neuen Wein nehmen und ihn in alte Schläuche geben würde. Was jetzt der Menschheit gegeben werden soll und was mehr ist als das Zeichen des Salomo oder das des Jonas, das muß in neue Schläuche, in neue Formen gegossen werden. Und ihr müßt euch dazu aufraffen, um in einer neuen Form auch die neue Verkündigung zu verstehen (Lukas 5, 36-37).
Die, welche verstehen sollten, sie mußten verstehen durch den gewaltigen Einfluß des Ich, nicht durch das, was sie gelernt hatten, sondern durch das, was übergeströmt war aus der spirituellen Wesenheit des Christus in sie. Dazu aber waren nicht diejenigen ausersehen, die im Sinne der alten Lehren vorbereitet waren, sondern die, welche durch Inkarnationen und Inkarnationen durchgegangen waren und sich trotzdem als einfache Leute zeigten, die durch die in sie übergeströmte Glaubenskraft verstehen konnten. Daher mußte auch vor sie ein Zeichen hingestellt werden, das vor aller Augen sich abspielte. Was sich durch Jahrhunderte und Jahrtausende in den Mysterientempeln abgespielt hatte als das Hindurchgehen durch den «mystischen Tod», das mußte sich auf dem großen Schauplatze der Weltgeschichte abspielen. Alles, was sich geheimnisvoll in den großen Initiationstempeln zugetragen hatte, das trat jetzt heraus und stand da als ein einzelnes Ereignis auf Golgatha. In intensiver Weise trat vor die Menschheit hin, was sonst nur vor die Eingeweihten in den dreieinhalb Tagen getreten war, wo eine alte Initiation vollzogen worden war. Daher mußte der, welcher die Tatsachen kannte, den Vorgang von Golgatha als das schildern, was er war, als die in Historie umgewandelte, auf den äußeren Platz der Weltgeschichte gebrachte alte Initiation.
Das ist es, was sich auf Golgatha zugetragen hat. Was die wenigen Eingeweihten früher in den Initiationstempeln gesehen hatten, das Ruhen während dreieinhalb Tagen in einem todähnlichen Zustande, wodurch sie die Überzeugung gewonnen hatten, daß das Geistige immer das Leibliche überwinden wird, daß das Seelisch-Geistige des Menschen einer geistigen Welt angehört, das sollte sich jetzt einmal vor aller Augen abspielen. Eine Initiation, hinausgetragen auf den Plan der Weltgeschichte, ist das Ereignis von Golgatha. Damit ist diese Initiation aber nicht bloß für diejenigen vollzogen, welche damals um dieses Ereignis herumstanden, sondern für die ganze Menschheit. Und was vom Tode am Kreuz ausgeflossen ist, das strömt von da aus in die ganze Menschheit ein. Ein Strom geistigen Lebens geht von den Blutstropfen aus, die auf Golgatha aus den Wunden des Christus Jesus geflossen sind, ausströmend von da in die ganze Menschheit hinein. Denn als Kraft sollte in die Menschheit gehen, was als Weisheit von anderen Verkündigern ausgeflossen ist. Das ist der große Unterschied zwischen dem Ereignis von Golgatha und der Lehre der anderen Religionsstifter.
Es gehört ein tieferes Verständnis dazu, als es heute vorhanden ist, um richtig aufzufassen, was damals auf Golgatha geschehen ist. Dasjenige, woran das menschliche Ich physisch gehängt wurde, als die Erdenentwickelung begann, das ist das Blut. Das Blut ist der äußere Ausdruck des menschlichen Ich. Die Menschen würden ihr Ich immer stärker und stärker gemacht haben und ohne die Erscheinung des Christus in eine Entwickelung des Egoismus hineingekommen sein. Davor wurden sie bewahrt durch das Ereignis von Golgatha. Was mußte fließen? Dasjenige, was das überschüssige Substantielle des Ich ist, das Blut mußte ausfließen. Was damit begonnen hat, als auf dem Ölberge die Schweißtropfen von dem Erlöser wie Blutstropfen herunterrannen, das mußte fortgesetzt werden, indem aus den Wunden des Christus Jesus auf Golgatha das Blut floß. Was damals als Blut geflossen ist, das ist das Zeichen für das, was als das Überschüssige des Egoismus in der Menschennatur hingeopfert werden mußte. Daher müssen wir tiefer eindringen in die spirituelle Bedeutung des Opfers auf Golgatha. Was auf Golgatha geschah, das ist nicht für den Chemiker - als den Menschen mit dem nur äußeren intellektuellen Blick - durchsichtig. Wenn jemand das Blut, das auf Golgatha geflossen ist, chemisch untersucht haben würde, so würde er dasselbe an Stoffen gefunden haben, was er in dem Blute von anderen Menschen finden würde. Wer aber dieses Blut mit den Mitteln der okkulten Forschung untersucht, der findet, daß es in der Tat ein anderes Blut ist. Es ist das überschüssige Blut der Menschheit, durch welches die Menschen in Egoismus hätten verkommen müssen, wenn nicht die unendliche Liebe gekommen wäre und dieses Blut hätte fließen können. Die unendliche Liebe ist beigemischt dem Blute, das auf Golgatha geflossen ist, und der okkulte Forscher findet diese unendliche Liebe, wie sie das Blut auf Golgatha ganz durchdringt. Und weil der Schreiber des Lukas-Evangeliums insbesondere schildern wollte, wie die unendliche Liebe durch den Christus in die Welt gekommen ist, die den Egoismus allmählich herauszutreiben hat, so bleibt er in dieser Rolle. Ein jeder Evangelist schildert das, was er nach seiner besonderen Rolle gerade schildern muß.
Wenn wir noch tiefer in diese Zusammenhänge hineinleuchten könnten, so würden wir finden, daß alle Widersprüche fortfallen, welche die materialistische Forschung etwa finden könnte, wie die Widersprüche in der Vorgeschichte des Jesus von Nazareth dadurch weggefallen sind, daß wir gesehen haben, wie es sich mit dieser Jugendgeschichte verhält. Jeder der Evangelienschreiber schildert das, was nach seinem Gesichtspunkte ihm besonders nahelag; daher schildert Lukas das, was seine Berichterstatter, die «Selbstseher» und «Diener des Wortes», nach ihrer besonderen Präparation haben wahrnehmen können. Die anderen Evangelisten nehmen anderes wahr, der Schreiber des Lukas-Evangeliums nimmt das wahr, was die ausströmende Liebe ist, die auch da verzeiht, wo ihr das für die physische Welt Furchtbarste angetan ist, so daß noch vollständig zu Recht von dem Kreuze von Golgatha die Worte heruntertönen, die der Ausdruck dieses Liebeideals sind — Verzeihung auch dann, wenn einem das Ärgste angetan ist —: «Vater, vergib ihnen, denn sie wissen nicht, was sie tun» (Lukas 23, 34). Verzeihung erfleht der, der da an dem Kreuze von Golgatha das Unendliche vollzieht, aus seiner unendlichen Liebe für die, welche ihn gekreuzigt haben.
Und noch einmal das Evangelium von der Macht des Glaubens. Bekräftigt werden sollte, daß es in der menschlichen Natur etwas gibt, was aus ihr ausströmen kann, was nur vorhanden zu sein braucht, um den Menschen der Sinneswelt zu entreißen, wenn er auch noch so sehr mit ihr verknüpft ist. Denken wir uns einen Menschen, der durch alle möglichen Verbrechen mit der Sinneswelt verwachsen ist, so daß das Gericht der Sinneswelt die Strafe vollzieht; denken wir uns aber, er habe sich das gerettet, was die Kraft des Glaubens in ihm aufkeimen lassen kann; dann wird er sich von einem anderen, der das nicht in sich aufkeimen lassen kann, so unterscheiden, wie der eine der beiden Verbrecher sich von dem anderen unterschied. Der eine hat den Glauben nicht; an ihm hat sich das Strafgericht vollzogen. Der andere aber hat diesen Glauben wie ein schwaches Licht, das hineinscheint in die geistige Welt, daher kann er den Zusammenhang mit dem Geistigen nicht verlieren. Darum muß ihm gesagt werden: Heute noch — wo du weißt, daß du verbunden bist mit der geistigen Welt — wirst du mit mir in dem sein, was im Paradiese ist (Lukas 23, 43).
So ertönen auch die Wahrheiten vom Glauben und der Hoffnung zu der Wahrheit von der Liebe hinzu aus dem Lukas-Evangelium vom Kreuze herab.
Und dann ist noch eines zu erfüllen aus jenem Seelengebiete heraus, das uns insbesondere der Schreiber des Lukas-Evangeliums schildern will. Der Mensch kann, wenn er von jener Liebe durchdrungen ist, die von dem Kreuz auf Golgatha herunterströmte, in die Zukunft hineinsehen und sagen: Auf der Erde muß allmählich die Entwickelung so stattfinden, daß dasjenige, was als Geist in mir lebt, nach und nach das ganze physische Erdendasein umgestaltet. Was vor dem luziferischen Einfluß da war, das Vater-Prinzip, der Geist, den wir empfangen, wir werden ihn allmählich dem Vater-Prinzip wiedergeben; aber wir werden unseren ganzen Geist durchströmt sein lassen von dem ChristusPrinzip, und unsere Hände werden zum Ausdruck bringen, was in unseren Seelen lebt als ein klares, deutliches Bild. Wie unsere Hände nicht von uns, sondern von dem Vater-Prinzip geschaffen sind, so werden sie durchströmt werden von dem Christus-Prinzip. Und indem die Menschen durch Inkarnationen und Inkarnationen durchgehen, wird nach und nach in das, was die Menschen in ihren äußeren Leibern verrichten, das einströmen, was als Geistiges herunterströmt von dem Mysterium von Golgatha bis in das Vater-Prinzip, so daß die äußere Welt durchdrungen werden wird von dem Christus-Prinzip. Nachleben werden die Menschen jene Gelassenheit, die vom Kreuz von Golgatha heruntertönte und die zur höchsten Hoffnung für die Zukunft führt, zu dem Ideal: Ich lasse in mir aufkeimen den Glauben, lasse in mir aufkeimen die Liebe; dann werden Glaube und Liebe in mir leben, und ich weiß dann, daß sie, wenn sie stark genug sind, alles Äußere durchdringen werden. Dann weiß ich auch, daß das Vater-Prinzip in mir von ihnen durchdrungen sein wird. -— Die Hoffnung von der Menschheitszukunft wird hinzukommen zu Glaube und Liebe, und verstehen werden die Menschen, daß sie sich nach der Zukunft hin jene Gelassenheit aneignen müssen: Habe ich nur den Glauben, habe ich nur die Liebe, so darf ich mich der Hoffnung hingeben, daß das, was von dem Christus Jesus in mir ist, nach und nach hinübergehen wird nach außen. Dann werden die Menschen die Worte verstehen, die als hohes Ideal von dem Kreuze heruntertönen:
«Vater, in deine Hände befehle ich meinen Geist» (Lukas 23, 46).
So tönen Worte der Liebe, so tönen Worte des Glaubens und der Hoffnung vom Kreuze herunter in dem Evangelium, wo geschildert wird, wie in der Seele des Jesus von Nazareth die früher getrennten Geistesströmungen zusarnmengeflossen sind. Was ehedem der Menschheit als Weisheit geworden war, das ist als Seelenkraft, als das hohe Ideal des Christus in sie eingeströmt. Und es ist die Aufgabe der Menschenseele, das, was uns durch eine solche Urkunde wie das LukasEvangelium verkündet wird, immer besser zu verstehen, damit lebendiger und immer lebendiger in den Menschenseelen die tief eindringenden Töne werden, die in den drei Worten liegen, die von dem Kreuze heruntertönen. Wenn die Menschen mit den Fähigkeiten, die sich durch die spirituellen Wahrheiten, die uns die Geisteswissenschaft geben kann, in ihnen entwickeln werden, so fühlen werden, daß ihnen nicht mehr eine tote Mitteilung, sondern ein lebendiges Wort von dem Kreuze herunterströmt, dann werden sie sagen: Wir beginnen zu begreifen, daß ein lebendiges Wort in einer solchen religiösen Urkunde enthalten ist, wie sie Lukas geschrieben hat. So muß die Geisteswissenschaft allmählich enthüllen, was in den religiösen Urkunden verborgen liegt.
Durch die Reihe dieser Vorträge suchten wir soviel als möglich von dem tiefen Sinn des Lukas-Evangeliums zu ergründen. Es ist natürlich auch diesem Evangelium gegenüber so, daß ein Vortragszyklus nicht ausreichend ist, um alles zu enthüllen. Daher werden Sie begreifen, daß vieles unerklärt geblieben ist, ohne daß wir besonders betonen, daß vieles unerklärt bleiben muß in einem Dokument mit einem solchen universellen Inhalt. Aber wenn Sie sich auf den Weg begeben, der einmal mit einem solchen Vortragszyklus angedeutet ist, so werden Sie auch immer tiefer und tiefer in solche Wahrheiten hineindringen können, und Ihre Seelen werden immer mehr zu dem Empfangen eines solchen lebendigen Wortes heranreifen, das unter dem äußeren Worte verborgen ist. Die Geisteswissenschaft oder Theosophie ist keine neue Lehre. Sie ist ein Instrument, um das zu begreifen, was der Menschheit zunächst gegeben ist. Und so ist uns Geisteswissenschaft ein Instrument, um die religiösen Urkunden der christlichen Offenbarung zu begreifen. Verstehen Sie Geisteswissenschaft in diesem Sinne, so werden Sie nicht mehr sagen: Da ist eine christliche Theosophie, da ist eine andere Theosophie. — Es gibt nur eine einzige Theosophie oder Geisteswissenschaft, nur ein einziges Instrument zur Verkündigung der Wahrheit. Und wir wenden es an, um die Schätze des Geisteslebens der Menschheit zu heben. Dieselbe Geisteswissenschaft ist es, die wir anwenden, um einmal die Bhagavad Gita, ein anderes Mal das LukasEvangelium zu erklären. Das ist das Große an der geisteswissenschaftlichen Strömung, daß sie in jeglichen Schatz eindringen kann, der auf geistigem Gebiete der Menschheit gegeben ist, aber wir würden sie falsch verstehen, wenn wir uns verschließen wollten gegen irgendeine der Verkündigungen, die der Menschheit gegeben worden sind.
Nehmen Sie gerade in dieser Gesinnung die Verkündigung des Lukas-Evangeliums auf und verstehen Sie, wie es ganz durchströmt ist von der Inspiration der Liebe. Dann wird das, was Sie am Lukas-Evangelium durch Geisteswissenschaft immer besser erkennen lernen, in Ihre Seele fließen und dazu beitragen können, nicht nur zu durchschauen, was die Geheimnisse des Umkreises sind, was uns die geistigen Untergründe des Daseins offenbart, sondern es wird Ihnen aus einem solchen Verständnis der Geisteswissenschaft, die auch das Lukas-Evangelium durchdringen kann, das strömen, was die eindringlichen Grundworte besagen: «Und Frieden in den Seelen der Menschen, in denen ein guter Wille lebt.» Denn mehr als irgendeine Urkunde ist gerade das Lukas-Evangelium geeignet, wenn wir es ganz verstehen, jene warme Liebe in die Menschenseele hineinzugießen, durch welche der Friede auf der Erde lebt, das schönste der Spiegelbilder, das erscheinen kann, wenn sich die göttlichen Geheimnisse auf der Erde offenbaren können. Was sich offenbaren kann, das muß sich auf der Erde spiegeln und im Spiegelbilde wieder hinaufdringen in die geistigen Höhen. Lernen wir in diesem Sinne die Geisteswissenschaft erkennen, dann wird sie uns die Geheimnisse der göttlich-geistigen Wesenheiten und des geistigen Daseins offenbaren können, und das Spiegelbild dieser Offenbarungen wird in unseren Seelen leben, Liebe und Friede, das schönste Spiegelbild, das auf der Erde wiedergibt, was ihr aus den Höhen zuströmt.
So können wir uns die Worte des Lukas-Evangeliums zu eigen machen, die ertönen, als der Nirmanakaya des Buddha seine Kraft herunterströmt auf das nathanische Jesuskindlein. Die Offenbarungen ergießen sich aus den geistigen Welten auf die Erde herunter, und die Offenbarungen spiegeln sich aus den Menschenherzen heraus als Liebe und Friede in dem Maße, als die Menschen sich zu dem entfalten, was das Christus-Prinzip wahrhaftig als den aus dem menschlichen Zentrum, aus dem menschlichen Ich herausfließenden guten Willen zur Entfaltung bringt. Das klingt hell, und das strömt zugleich warm aus diesen Worten heraus, wenn wir das Lukas-Evangelium begreifen:
«Die Offenbarung der geistigen Welten aus den Höhen und ihr Spiegelbild aus den Menschenherzen heraus bringt den Menschen Frieden, die auf der Erde aus sich heraus den wahrhaft guten Willen im Laufe der Erdenentwickelung entfalten wollen.»
Tenth Lecture
What we will be concerned with today is bringing the various insights we have gained in recent days to the culmination of the whole, as it appears to us from spiritual research based on the Gospel of Luke, to that culmination which we call the Mystery of Golgotha.
Yesterday we tried to describe in a vivid way what actually happened at that point in human evolution when Christ walked on earth for three years, and in the previous lectures we tried to characterize how this event could come about through the confluence of the spiritual currents we have considered. The writer of the Gospel of Luke characterizes the entire mission of Christ Jesus on earth in a wonderful way, if we are able to see what he describes in the light of the insights gained from the Akashic Chronicle.
Someone might now ask: How is it that, since the Buddhist spiritual current is so organically woven into Christian teaching, there is no mention in Christian teaching of the great law of karma, of the balancing that takes place in the course of the individual incarnations of human beings? But it would be a misunderstanding to believe that what we are meant to recognize through the law of karma is not also contained in the proclamation of Luke's Gospel. It is there. But if we want to understand this correctly, we must be clear that the needs of human souls are different at different times, and that the great missionaries of world evolution do not always have the task of giving people the absolute truth in abstract form. For people at different stages of maturity would not understand this at all. Instead, the great missionaries must speak to people in such a way that they receive what is right for their particular epoch. What humanity received through the coming of the great Buddha contains all the wisdom that, in connection with the teaching of compassion and love and the description of this teaching in the eightfold path, can lead to a wise understanding of the teaching of karma. And it is said: do not seek in the human soul everything that leads to the teaching of karma and the associated teaching of reincarnation if, starting from this, you do not arrive at this teaching.
Yesterday it was described how, three thousand years after our own time, a large part of humanity will have progressed so far that it will be able to gain the teaching of the eightfold path and with it—as we can add today—the teaching of karma and reincarnation from within itself. But this must happen gradually, very gradually. For just as a plant cannot blossom immediately after we have planted the seed in the ground, but must first develop leaf by leaf according to necessary laws, so it is necessary that the spiritual development that runs through humanity proceeds from stage to stage and that the right thing appears at the right time. Those who, imbued with the abilities that spiritual science can give them, immerse themselves in their own souls today, find the teaching of karma and reincarnation to be a necessary teaching. But note that development is not in vain, that it is really so that only in our time have souls become ripe again to find within themselves what is called the teaching of karma and reincarnation. It would not have been good if this teaching had been proclaimed exoterically a few centuries earlier, and it would not have been good for the development of humanity if what is now the content of spiritual science, what human souls crave, and what is connected with the investigation of the foundations of the Gospels, had been proclaimed openly to humanity a few centuries ago. For this it was necessary that these souls of humanity should thirst for it and develop the abilities to take in the teaching of karma and reincarnation. For this it was necessary that these souls should already have passed through earlier incarnations, including those of the post-Christian era, and experienced what one experiences before one is ready to receive the teaching of karma and reincarnation. If the teachings of karma and reincarnation had been proclaimed as openly in the first centuries of Christianity as they are today, it would have meant demanding the same thing of human evolution as one would demand of a plant to grow flowers immediately instead of green leaves.
Thus, humanity has only now matured to the point where it can absorb the spiritual content of the teachings of karma and reincarnation. It is therefore not at all surprising that in what has been handed down to humanity for centuries from the Gospels, there is much that actually gives a completely false picture of Christianity. The Gospels were, so to speak, handed over to people prematurely in a certain sense, and only today is humanity maturing to develop in its soul all the abilities that can lead to an understanding of what the Gospels actually contain. It was absolutely necessary that what was proclaimed about Christ Jesus took into account the condition of the human soul at that time, so that abstract teachings about reincarnation and karma were not taught, but rather feelings were allowed to flow into the human soul through which the souls gradually matured to accept the teachings of reincarnation and karma. That means that at that time it was necessary to say what could gradually lead to an understanding of the teaching of karma and reincarnation, and not the teaching itself.
Did Christ Jesus and those around him say this? To understand this, we must open the Gospel of Luke and let it come before our souls in the right way. And when we let it come before our souls with an understanding of these things, we will already read how the law of karma could be proclaimed to people at that time.
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and revile you and cast out your name as evil because of the Son of Man.
Rejoice in this day and be glad, for behold, your reward is great in the spiritual worlds” (Luke 6:20-23).
Here we have the teaching of compensation, which, without going into the teaching of karma and reincarnation in an abstract way, endeavors to let the emotional certainty flow into souls that those who are still hungry in any area will experience compensation. These feelings had to flow into human souls. And the souls that lived at that time, into which this teaching poured itself in this form, were only ripe to receive the teaching of karma and reincarnation as wisdom when they were reincarnated.
Thus, at that time, what was to mature in the souls had to flow into them. For a completely new era had dawned, an era in which human beings were preparing, in complete maturity, to develop their ego, their self-awareness. Whereas in earlier times human beings received revelations and these had their effects in the astral body, the etheric body, and the physical body, now the ego was to become fully conscious. But it was to fill itself gradually with the forces it was to receive. Only the one ego that walked on earth at that time and was prepared for this in its physicality, which as the Nathanic Jesus had embodied the individuality of Zarathustra, only this ego could realize the all-encompassing Christ principle within itself. The other people must now gradually develop, in the footsteps of Christ, what was then present in one personality on earth for three years. At that time, Christ Jesus could only implant the stimulus, so to speak, the seed, into humanity, and this seed must now gradually grow and unfold. Provision was also made to ensure that, at the appropriate times, those people would appear within the development of the earth who could now bring what humanity would be ready for at a later time. The one who appeared on earth at that time as Christ had to ensure that immediately after his appearance, humanity received the proclamation in a form that it could understand; and he also had to make provision for the later appearance of individualities who would care for souls in a spiritual sense to the extent that they later became more mature.
The way in which Christ made provision for the times following the events of Golgotha is described to us by the writer of the Gospel of John. He shows us how Christ himself raised Lazarus, that individuality which then continued to work as John, and from whom the teaching emanated in the form described in the lectures on the Gospel of John. But Christ also had to make provision for the coming in later times of that individuality which, in accordance with the further development, could bring into humanity what people would later be ready to receive. To this end, however, Christ had to awaken another individuality. How this happened is faithfully described by the writer of the Gospel of Luke. While he says that he wants to describe what the imaginative and inspired clairvoyants of that time were able to say about the events in Palestine, he also points to what will one day be taught by another; but this will only be taught in the future. And in order to describe this mysterious process to us, the writer of the Gospel of Luke has also woven a resurrection into his document (Luke 7:11-17). What we read about the “raising of the young man at Nain” contains the secret of the continuing Christianity. While in the healing of Jairus' daughter, which I was able to explain to you at least in outline the day before yesterday, the mysteries associated with it are so profound that Christ Jesus takes only a few of the people who were able to witness the healing process with him and then instructs them not to tell anyone, we see another resurrection taking place in such a way that it is immediately recounted. The one was a healing process that required the one who performed it to look deeply into the processes of the physical body. The other was a resurrection, an initiation. The individuality contained in the body of the young man at Nain was to undergo an initiation of a very special kind.
There are different kinds of initiation or initiation. One kind consists in the person who has been initiated seeing the knowledge of the higher worlds light up within himself immediately after the initiation process, so that he can look into the processes and laws of the spiritual worlds. Another type of initiation, however, can take place in such a way that only the seed is first planted in the soul concerned, so that it then has to wait for another incarnation; then this seed emerges, and in the later incarnation the person concerned becomes an initiate in the express sense.
Such an initiation was performed with the young man at Nain. At that time, his soul was transformed during the events in Palestine; it did not yet have the consciousness of having ascended into the higher worlds. It was only in the next incarnation that the forces that had been placed in this soul at that time began to germinate. — The names that were considered at that time cannot be mentioned here in an exoteric lecture; it can only be pointed out that later, in a powerful religious teacher, the individuality that Christ Jesus had awakened in the young man at Nain arose. which were considered at that time; it can only be pointed out that later, in a mighty religious teacher, the individuality that Christ Jesus had awakened in the young man at Nain arose, and that in this way a new teacher of Christianity could arise in later times with the forces that had been sunk into his soul at that time.
In this way, Christ ensured that an individuality could appear later on that would further Christianity. And this individuality, which was raised in the young man at Nain, is called upon to permeate Christianity more and more with the teachings of reincarnation and karma, to connect those teachings with Christianity which, at that time, when Christ himself walked on earth, because at that time they had to be sunk into the souls of human beings in a feeling way.
Christ Jesus, in fact, also in the sense of the Gospel of Luke, points out sufficiently how something completely new, the awareness of the I, entered into human evolution; he points out and one only needs to be able to read it, that people in earlier times did not see the spiritual world flowing into their self-conscious ego, but that they had this spiritual element flowing into them through their physical body, etheric body, and astral body, and that there was always a degree of unconsciousness when divine-spiritual forces flowed into human beings in earlier times. This was now to change. In the past, people had to receive the law of Sinai, which could only speak to the human astral body, in the stream into which Christ Jesus was directly placed. It was given to people in such a way that it worked within them, but not directly from the forces of their ego. These forces were only possible in the times of Christ Jesus, because it was only then that people became conscious of their ego at all. Christ Jesus also hints at this in the Gospel of Luke, where he says that human beings must first become completely mature before they can receive a completely new principle into their souls; he hints at this when he speaks of his forerunner John the Baptist (Luke 7:18-35).
How did Christ himself view this individuality of John? He said: John was called to characterize, before the appearance of Christ himself, in the purest and noblest form, what the ancient prophetic teaching was, what had flowed down from ancient times in its purity and nobility. He saw John, so to speak, as the one who, as the last, brought in the purest and noblest form what belonged to ancient times. The “Law and the Prophets” go up to John. He was to present once again to people what the old teachings and the old soul content could bring to them. For how must this old soul content have worked in the times before the advent of the Christ principle?
Here we have something that will one day become the teaching of modern natural science, if it allows itself to be inspired a little by what spiritual science or theosophy is, even though it would still seem very strange to it today. I must touch on something here that I can only touch on briefly, but which will show you the depths into which spiritual science is called to shine, especially in relation to natural science. If you look around today in the fields of natural science and see how it attempts to penetrate the mysteries of human existence with the limited capacities of human thought, you will find that the interaction of the male and female germ brings the whole human being into being. It is precisely a fundamental endeavor of modern natural science to show how the whole human being comes into being through the interaction of the male and female germ. Microscopy carefully seeks to determine in substances which properties originate from the male germ and which from the female germ, and it is satisfied when it believes it can prove how the human being comes into being through the interaction of the male and female germs. But natural science will be compelled by its own nature to acknowledge that only a part of the human being is determined by the interaction of male and female germ, and that for human beings today, in the present cycle of development, even if we know exactly what comes from one germ and what comes from the other, we have not, as a rule, explained the whole human being.
There is something in every human being that is not stimulated by the germ, but is, so to speak, of virgin birth, pouring into the germ from completely different areas. Something connects with the germ of the human being that does not come from the father and mother, yet belongs to him, is destined for him, pours into his ego, and can be ennobled when it takes up the Christ principle. That which is born virgin in the human being is what connects itself with Christ in the course of human evolution. And this is connected—as natural science will one day recognize by its own means—with that significant transition that took place in the time of Christ Jesus. Before that, nothing could be within the human being that had not come into human beings through the germ. Something really happens to change the development of the ego over time. Humanity has changed since that time; but it must gradually develop and refine what has been added to the components of the mere germ since that time by taking in the Christ principle.
This brings us closer to a very subtle truth. And for those who are familiar with modern natural science, it is strange and interesting that there are already areas today where natural scientists are, so to speak, being confronted with the fact that something in human beings does not originate from the germ. The preconditions for this are already there, but the intellect of the researchers is not far enough advanced to correctly recognize what they themselves have found in their experiments and observations. For there is more at work in what objectively happens in experiments than modern science recognizes. Science would not get very far if it were left to the skill of researchers alone. While one or the other stands in the laboratory, works in the clinic or in the cabinet, behind him stand the powers that direct and guide the world, allowing to come to the surface what the researcher does not understand and for which he is only a tool. It is therefore entirely correct that even objective research is guided by the “masters,” that is, by higher individualities. It is just that the things I have pointed out are not usually observed. But they will be observed when the conscious abilities of researchers are permeated by what is contained in the spiritual teaching of anthroposophy.
As a result of what I have just described, a great change has taken place in human abilities since the appearance of Christ on earth. Previously, human beings could only use those abilities that flowed to them from their paternal and maternal germ, for only these are such that they can develop in human beings. Between birth and death, we develop the abilities that we are in our physical body, etheric body, and astral body. Before the time of Christ Jesus, the tools that human beings used for themselves had to be prepared solely from the mere germ; afterwards, what is virgin birth was added, which is not stimulated by the germ at all. This can, of course, become very corrupted if human beings are devoted to mere material perception. But if they devote themselves to the warmth that emanates from the Christ principle, then it can be ennobled, and they then bring it into subsequent incarnations in an ever higher and higher form.
But what has now been said presupposes that we understand that in all those proclamations which preceded the proclamation of Christ, there was something bound up with the abilities that came from the ancestry which man received with the germ; and it further presupposes that we must become aware that Christ Jesus had to speak to those abilities which have nothing to do with the germ from the earth, but which are connected with the germ from the divine worlds. All those who appeared before Christ Jesus could only use those abilities that had been transmitted to them in their earthly nature through the germ to speak to human beings. All the prophets and proclaimers, however high they were, even if they descended as bodhisattvas, had to use the abilities that had passed through the germ in order to proclaim. But Christ Jesus spoke to that in man which does not pass through the germ, but which is from the realm of the divine. He points this out in the Gospel of Luke when he speaks to his disciples about the nature of John the Baptist:
“I tell you, there is no one greater among those born of women than John the Baptist.”
That is, those who stand before us in their essence are explained by the fact that this essence arose through physical birth from the male and female germ. But he goes on to say:
“The smallest part of that which is not born of a woman, which unites itself with man from the kingdom of God, is greater than John” (Luke 7:28).
Such profound meaning is hidden behind these words. Once people study the Bible, illuminated by the essence of spiritual science, they will see that it contains physiological truths that are greater than anything that new, amateurish physiological thinking can bring to light. In words such as those just quoted lies the impetus for the recognition of one of the greatest physiological truths. So deep is the Bible when we understand it in its truth.
What I have now told you is explained by Christ Jesus in many ways and in other forms. He wants to point out that what is to take root in the world through him is something completely new, completely different from anything that has ever been proclaimed before, because it is proclaimed with abilities that have been born out of the realms of heaven, which we have not inherited. He points out how difficult it is for people to gradually rise to an understanding of such a teaching, such a gospel, and how people will demand to be convinced in the same way they were convinced in the past. But at the same time he tells them: You cannot be convinced of the new thing that has come, of the new truth, in the same way; for what could come as testimony from the old form could not convince you in the new form. The nature and form of the old truth are presented in the highest way, as far as human beings can grasp it, in the manner symbolized in the sign of Jonah. This sign symbolizes in the old way how human beings gradually grow toward knowledge and enter the spiritual worlds, or, to speak biblically, how they become prophets (Luke 11:29-32).
This is the ancient way of coming to initiation: first to mature one's soul, to prepare everything that can make the soul mature, then to be brought, over three and a half days, into a state in which one is completely removed from the outer world and also from the instruments with which one perceives the outer world. Therefore, those who were to be led up into the spiritual world were first carefully prepared; their souls were prepared to recognize spiritual life. Then they were removed from the world for three and a half days and taken to a place where they could perceive nothing through their outer senses, where their bodies were in a death-like state, and after three and a half days they were resurrected; their souls were called back into their bodies. Then such people were able to remember what they had received as a vision of the higher worlds and to tell others about the spiritual worlds themselves. This was the great secret of initiation, that the soul, which had been prepared for a long time, was led out of its body for three and a half days into a completely different world; there it was cut off from the outer world and entered the spiritual world. There were always people among the nations who could be heralds of the spiritual world; they were the ones who had gone through what is hinted at in the Bible as Jonah's rest in the whale (Jonah 2:1). One such person was prepared for this, and when he appeared before the people as an old initiate, he bore the sign that was borne by those who had experienced the spiritual world themselves, the sign of Jonah.
This was one type of initiation. According to Christ, there is no other sign in the old sense than the sign of Jonah (Luke 11:29). And he expresses himself even more clearly in the Gospel of Luke: There is, however, still this legacy from ancient times, that without any effort on one's part, without initiation, one can become dimly, vaguely clairvoyant and be led up into the spiritual world through revelation from above. He wanted to point out that, in addition to the type of initiates into the spiritual world just described, there was a second type, that there were people who walked among other people and, because they had the right ancestry, were able to receive revelations from above in a kind of heightened trance state without having undergone any special initiation. And Christ pointed out that this twofold way of entering the spiritual world had been handed down from ancient times. He said: Look and remember King Solomon. In him he wanted to present an individuality of that kind which, without any effort on its part, was able to look into the spiritual world through revelation from above. Therefore, the Queen of Sheba who comes to King Solomon is the bearer of wisdom from above, the representative of those who are predestined to have all the heirlooms of dull, dim clairvoyance, as all people had in the Atlantean era (Luke 11:31).
There were two types of initiates: one type, represented by Solomon and in the pictorial visit of the Queen of Sheba, the Queen of the South, to him; the other type was that which took place under the sign of Jonah, that is, the old initiation, in which one passes through the spiritual world for three and a half days in complete isolation from the outer world. Now Christ adds: “Here is more than Solomon ... here is more than Jonah” (Luke 11:31 and 32), pointing out that something new has entered the world, that it is not merely a matter of speaking to the etheric bodies from outside through revelations, as in the case of Solomon, and that it is not a matter of speaking to the etheric bodies from within through revelations which the astral body, prepared for this purpose, can communicate to the etheric body, as in those symbolized by the sign of Jonah. Christ means to say: Here is something where man, when he has matured in his ego, connects himself with what belongs to the riches of heaven, because the forces from the heavenly realms connect with the virgin part of the human soul that belongs to the heavenly realms, and which people can corrupt by turning away from the Christ principle, but which they can also nurture and cultivate if they allow themselves to be permeated by what flows out from the Christ principle.
Thus, in the sense of Luke's Gospel, Christ Jesus inserts into his teaching that which came to earth as a new element at that time, and we see how all the old ways of proclaiming the kingdom of God were changed by the events in Palestine. Therefore, he says to those whom he could assume would understand him a little because of their preparation: Truly, there are some among you who cannot see the kingdom of God in the same way as Solomon did through revelation or through initiation in the sign of Jonah; if such people among you were to attain nothing else, they would never see the kingdom of God in this incarnation; they would rather die. That is to say, they would not see the kingdom of God before their death unless they were initiated; but then they would also have to go through a death-like state.
Now, however, Christ wanted to show that there can also be people who, before they die, are able to see the kingdoms of heaven through what has now come into the world as a new element. At first, the disciples did not understand what he meant. But he wanted to show them that they were the ones who, before dying a natural death or the death that people used to die during initiation, would learn the secrets of the kingdoms of heaven. This is the wonderful passage in the Gospel of Luke where Christ speaks of a higher revelation and says:
“But I say unto you, that there are some standing here, who shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:27).
They did not understand that they who were around him were chosen to experience the powerful effect of that I, of the Christ principle, through which they would immediately ascend into the spiritual world. The spiritual world would be revealed to them without the sign of Solomon and without the sign of Jonah. Did this happen?
Immediately following these words is the scene of the Transfiguration, where three disciples, Peter, James, and John, are led up into the spiritual world and are met by what exists in the spiritual world as Moses and Elijah, and at the same time by the spiritual itself, which lives in Christ Jesus (Luke 9:28-36). They look into the spiritual world for a moment to obtain proof that one can gain insight into the spiritual world without the sign of Solomon and without the sign of Jonah. But at the same time it becomes apparent that they are still beginners: they fall asleep immediately after being torn out of their physical and etheric bodies by the force of what is happening. That is why Christ finds them asleep. This was intended to show what the third way of entering the spiritual world is, apart from the sign of Solomon and the sign of Jonah. Those who understood the signs of the times knew that the ego had to develop, that it now had to be directly inspired, that the divine forces had to work directly into the ego.
At the same time, however, it was necessary to show how the people of that time, even though they were specimens of the highest kind, were not capable of taking the Christ principle into themselves. A beginning was to be made in this regard in the Transfiguration, but at the same time it was to be shown that the disciples were not yet capable of taking the Christ principle into themselves completely. Therefore, their powers fail immediately afterwards when they try to apply the Christ principle and heal a man who is possessed by an evil spirit; but they cannot do it. Christ points out that they are only at the beginning by saying: I must remain with you for a long time, until your powers can flow into other people (Luke 9:41). And then he heals the one whom the disciples could not heal. But then he tells them once again, pointing to everything that was hidden as a mystery behind it: “The time has come for the Son of Man to be delivered into the hands of men,” that is, where what people are to develop out of themselves in their earthly mission is to flow gradually into people, where the human ego is to be handed over to people, which they are to recognize in its highest form, in Christ.
“Listen carefully to these words: The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to men.
But they did not understand this saying, and its meaning was hidden from them, so that they did not comprehend it” (Luke 9:44-45).
Now, how many people have understood these words to this day? But more and more people will understand these words, that at that time the I, the Son of Man, had to be delivered to the people. What could be added as an explanation at that time, Christ Jesus now adds. He says: Just as the human being stands before us today, he is a product that has arisen from those ancient forces that were active before the Luciferic beings intervened in human beings; then the Luciferic forces came and pulled human beings down. All of this has sunk into the abilities that are characteristic of human beings today. In everything that comes from the germ, that which pulled him down into a lower sphere has mixed itself into human consciousness.
Man is a twofold being. But what he has developed in consciousness up to now is completely permeated by what came before, by the Luciferic forces. Only that which reigns unconsciously in man is what flows into him today as a virgin element, so to speak, as a last remnant of the development through Saturn, the Sun, and the Moon, when there were still no Luciferic forces present; but this cannot unite with man without what man can develop within himself through the Christ principle. As human beings stand before us today, they are first and foremost the result of heredity, a confluence of what originates from the germ. As he grows up in this way, he is from the outset a duality. Only this duality is already permeated by Luciferic forces. But as long as human beings are not yet illuminated by self-consciousness, as long as they cannot yet fully distinguish between good and evil out of their own ego, they show us, through the veil of what came later, their earlier, original nature. Only that which is childlike in the human being of today still has a last remnant of the essence that the human being had before succumbing to the influence of the Luciferic beings.
Therefore, we now have human beings before us in such a way that we have a “childlike” part and an “adult” part. The adult part is permeated by the Luciferic forces, but it exerts its influence from the very first germ. The Luciferic forces also permeate the child, so that in ordinary life what has been sunk into the human being before, before the Luciferic influence, cannot come to the surface. The Christ force must reawaken this. The Christ force must connect with what are the best forces of the childlike nature in the human being. It must not connect with the abilities that man has corrupted, with what comes from wisdom born of the mere intellect, but it must connect with what has remained from the old days of childlike nature. That is the best; it must regenerate that and, starting from there, fertilize the rest.
“But there arose a dispute among them as to which of them was the greatest.”
That is, who was most suited to receive the Christ principle within themselves.
“But Jesus, knowing the thoughts of their hearts, took a child and set him beside him and said, 'Whoever receives this child in my name,'
that is, whoever unites himself in the name of Christ with what has remained from pre-Luciferic times,
“he takes me in; and whoever takes me in takes him who sent me” (Luke 9:46-48),
that is, who sent this part of man to earth. Here you have emphasized the great significance of what has remained childlike in man and what should be cherished and nurtured in human nature.
One can say: The person standing before me actually has quite good qualities. One can make every effort to develop these qualities, just as people make good progress in ordinary life. The way it is done today, no consideration is given to what lies in the depths of the human being. But one should look at what has remained childlike in the human being, because it is through this childlike remnant that the other abilities can be reawakened through the Christ ability. We should make the childlike wise, so that from there the other abilities can become wise again. Everyone carries the childlike nature within themselves in this relationship, and when it is active, it will also be receptive to the connection with the Christ principle. But the forces that are under the influence of Lucifer, however high they may be, will today, if they work alone in human beings, only reject and mock that which can live on earth as the power of Christ, as Christ himself predicted.
Thus, in the spirit of Luke's Gospel, the meaning of the new proclamation is clearly presented to our souls. When someone who bore the sign of Jonah on his forehead, an old initiate, walked among people, they recognized him as one who had a proclamation to make from the spiritual worlds. But only those who had been taught knew what such a person looked like; special preparation was needed to understand the sign of Jonah. However, a new preparation was needed in order to bring forth — more than the sign of Solomon and more than the sign of Jonah — a new way of understanding, a new way of maturing the soul. The contemporaries of Christ Jesus could initially only understand the old way, and what John the Baptist brought was still familiar to most people. But now Christ Jesus brought something completely new, seeking souls among those who did not look at all like people had previously imagined such people to be, and this was something completely foreign to them. They had assumed that he would sit with those who were undergoing the old kind of exercises and proclaim his teaching to them. Therefore, they could not understand why he was sitting with those whom they considered sinners. But he said to them: If I were to proclaim what I have to give to humanity as something completely new in the old way, a completely new form would not take the place of the old, and I would be doing the same as if I were to sew a new patch on an old garment or if I were to take new wine and put it into old wineskins. What is now to be given to humanity, which is more than the sign of Solomon or that of Jonah, must be poured into new wineskins, into new forms. And you must bring yourselves to understand the new proclamation in a new form (Luke 5:36-37).
Those who were to understand had to understand through the powerful influence of the I, not through what they had learned, but through what had overflowed from the spiritual essence of Christ into them. But those who were prepared in the sense of the old teachings were not chosen for this, but those who had gone through incarnation after incarnation and yet showed themselves to be simple people who could understand through the power of faith that had poured into them. Therefore, a sign had to be set before them that took place before the eyes of all. What had taken place over centuries and millennia in the mystery temples as the passage through the “mystical death” had to take place on the great stage of world history. Everything that had happened mysteriously in the great initiation temples now came forth and stood there as a single event on Golgotha. What had previously been revealed only to the initiated during the three and a half days of an ancient initiation now appeared before humanity in an intense form. Therefore, those who knew the facts had to describe the events at Golgotha as what they were: the ancient initiation transformed into history and brought to the outer stage of world history.
That is what happened on Golgotha. What the few initiates had seen earlier in the initiation temples, the resting for three and a half days in a death-like state, through which they had gained the conviction that the spiritual will always overcome the physical, that the soul-spiritual of the human being belongs to a spiritual world, was now to take place before the eyes of all. The event of Golgotha is an initiation carried out on the stage of world history. But this initiation is not only complete for those who stood around this event at that time, but for the whole of humanity. And what flowed from the death on the cross flows from there into the whole of humanity. A stream of spiritual life flows from the drops of blood that flowed from the wounds of Christ Jesus on Golgotha, flowing from there into the whole of humanity. For what flowed out as wisdom from other proclaimers was to go into humanity as power. This is the great difference between the event of Golgotha and the teachings of other founders of religions.
A deeper understanding than is available today is needed to correctly comprehend what happened at Golgotha. That to which the human ego was physically attached when the earth's evolution began is blood. Blood is the outer expression of the human ego. Human beings would have made their egos stronger and stronger and, without the appearance of Christ, would have entered into a development of egoism. They were saved from this by the event of Golgotha. What had to flow? That which is the excess substance of the ego, the blood, had to flow out. What began when drops of sweat ran down the Savior's forehead like drops of blood on the Mount of Olives had to be continued by the blood flowing from the wounds of Christ Jesus on Golgotha. What flowed as blood at that time is the sign of what had to be sacrificed as the excess of egoism in human nature. Therefore, we must penetrate more deeply into the spiritual meaning of the sacrifice on Golgotha. What happened on Golgotha is not transparent to the chemist—to the person with only an external intellectual view. If someone had chemically examined the blood that flowed on Golgotha, they would have found the same substances that they would find in the blood of other people. But anyone who examines this blood by means of occult research will find that it is indeed a different kind of blood. It is the excess blood of humanity, through which human beings would have degenerated into egoism if infinite love had not come and allowed this blood to flow. Infinite love is mixed with the blood that flowed on Golgotha, and the occult researcher finds this infinite love permeating the blood on Golgotha. And because the writer of the Gospel of Luke wanted to describe in particular how infinite love came into the world through Christ, which is gradually driving out selfishness, he remains in this role. Each evangelist describes what he has to describe according to his particular role.
If we could shine even deeper into these connections, we would find that all the contradictions that materialistic research might find would disappear, just as the contradictions in the prehistory of Jesus of Nazareth have disappeared because we have seen how this story of his youth really was. Each of the Gospel writers describes what was particularly close to him from his point of view; therefore, Luke describes what his reporters, the “eyewitnesses” and “servants of the Word,” were able to perceive according to their special preparation. The other evangelists perceive something else; the writer of the Gospel of Luke perceives what is the outpouring love which also forgives where the most terrible things have been done to it in the physical world, so that the words that are the expression of this ideal of love still resound quite rightly from the cross of Golgotha—forgiveness even when the worst has been done to one: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Forgiveness is implored by the one who accomplishes the infinite on the cross of Golgotha out of his infinite love for those who crucified him.
And once again, the Gospel of the power of faith. It should be emphasized that there is something in human nature that can flow out of it, that only needs to be present to snatch human beings away from the sensory world, no matter how deeply they are bound to it. Let us imagine a person who, through all kinds of crimes, has become so entangled in the sensory world that the judgment of the sensory world carries out the punishment; but let us imagine that he has saved what the power of faith can make sprout within him; then he will differ from another who cannot let this sprout within himself, just as one of the two criminals differed from the other. One does not have faith; the judgment has been carried out on him. The other, however, has this faith like a faint light shining into the spiritual world, and therefore he cannot lose his connection with the spiritual. That is why he must be told: Today, while you know that you are connected with the spiritual world, you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43).
Thus, the truths of faith and hope also resound from the Gospel of Luke, from the cross, to the truth of love.
And then there is one more thing to be fulfilled from that realm of the soul which the writer of the Gospel of Luke in particular wants to describe to us. When a person is imbued with the love that flowed down from the cross on Golgotha, he can look into the future and say: On earth, development must gradually take place in such a way that what lives as spirit within me gradually transforms the entire physical existence on earth. What was there before the Luciferic influence, the Father principle, the spirit we receive, we will gradually give back to the Father principle; but we will allow our whole spirit to be permeated by the Christ principle, and our hands will express what lives in our souls as a clear, distinct image. Just as our hands were not created by us but by the Father principle, so they will be permeated by the Christ principle. And as human beings pass through incarnation after incarnation, what flows down as spirit from the mystery of Golgotha into the Father principle will gradually flow into what human beings do in their outer bodies, so that the outer world will be permeated by the Christ principle. In the afterlife, people will attain the serenity that resounded from the cross of Golgotha and leads to the highest hope for the future, to the ideal: I let faith sprout within me, I let love sprout within me; then faith and love will live in me, and I will know that when they are strong enough, they will permeate everything external. Then I will also know that the Father principle will have permeated me through them. — The hope for the future of humanity will be added to faith and love, and people will understand that they must acquire this serenity for the future: If I have only faith, if I have only love, then I may give myself to the hope that what is of Christ Jesus in me will gradually pass over to the outside world. Then people will understand the words that resound from the cross as a high ideal:
“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).
Such are the words of love, such are the words of faith and hope that resound from the cross in the Gospel, where it is described how the previously separate spiritual currents flowed together in the soul of Jesus of Nazareth. What had previously become wisdom for humanity flowed into it as soul power, as the high ideal of Christ. And it is the task of the human soul to understand ever more deeply what is proclaimed to us through such a document as the Gospel of Luke, so that the deeply penetrating tones that lie in the three words that resound from the cross may become ever more alive in human souls. When human beings, with the abilities that will develop within them through the spiritual truths that spiritual science can give us, feel that it is no longer a dead message but a living word flowing down from the cross, then they will say: We are beginning to understand that a living word is contained in a religious document such as Luke has written. In this way, spiritual science must gradually reveal what is hidden in religious documents.
Through this series of lectures, we have sought to explore as much as possible of the deep meaning of Luke's Gospel. Of course, even with this Gospel, one lecture series is not enough to reveal everything. You will therefore understand that much has remained unexplained, without our particularly emphasizing that much must remain unexplained in a document with such universal content. But if you set out on the path that has been indicated by this series of lectures, you will be able to penetrate deeper and deeper into such truths, and your souls will mature more and more to receive such a living word that is hidden beneath the outer words. Spiritual science or theosophy is not a new teaching. It is an instrument for understanding what has been given to humanity in the first place. And so spiritual science is an instrument for us to understand the religious documents of the Christian revelation. If you understand spiritual science in this sense, you will no longer say: There is one Christian theosophy, there is another theosophy. — There is only one theosophy or spiritual science, only one instrument for proclaiming the truth. And we use it to lift up the treasures of the spiritual life of humanity. It is the same spiritual science that we use to explain the Bhagavad Gita in one instance and the Gospel of Luke in another. That is the greatness of the spiritual scientific stream, that it can penetrate into every treasure that has been given to humanity in the spiritual realm, but we would misunderstand it if we wanted to close ourselves off to any of the proclamations that have been given to humanity.
Take up the proclamation of the Gospel of Luke in this spirit and understand how it is permeated by the inspiration of love. Then what you learn to recognize more and more in the Gospel of Luke through spiritual science will flow into your soul and help you not only to understand the mysteries of the world around you what the spiritual foundations of existence reveal to us, but from such an understanding of spiritual science, which can also permeate the Gospel of Luke, you will be filled with the meaning of the powerful words: “And peace in the souls of men in whom there is good will.” For more than any document, the Gospel of Luke, when we understand it completely, is suited to pour into the human soul that warm love through which peace lives on earth, the most beautiful of the mirror images that can appear when the divine mysteries are revealed on earth. What can reveal itself must be reflected on earth and rise again in the mirror image to the spiritual heights. If we learn to recognize spiritual science in this sense, it will be able to reveal to us the mysteries of the divine-spiritual beings and of spiritual existence, and the reflection of these revelations will live in our souls, love and peace, the most beautiful reflection that reproduces on earth what flows to it from the heights.
In this way, we can make our own the words of the Gospel of Luke, which resound when the Nirmanakaya of the Buddha pours his power down upon the Nathanic child Jesus. The revelations pour down from the spiritual worlds onto the earth, and the revelations are reflected out of human hearts as love and peace to the extent that human beings unfold into what the Christ principle truly brings forth as the good will flowing out of the human center, out of the human I. This sounds bright, and at the same time it flows warmly from these words when we understand the Gospel of Luke:
“The revelation of the spiritual worlds from the heights and their reflection from human hearts brings peace to those on earth who want to develop true goodwill from within themselves in the course of earthly evolution.”