Chapters 15 to 17 — Evangelical Elucidations
In the Light of the Spiritist Doctrine, by Antônio Luiz Sayão, 1902
Chapter 15
Matthew, 4:18–22. — Mark, 1:16–20. — Luke, 5:1–11. The calling of Peter, Andrew, James, and John. — The miraculous catch of fish
Matthew: Chapter 4, verse 18. As Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers: Simon, called Peter, and Andrew, who were casting their nets into the sea, for they were fishermen; — 19, and He said to them: Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. — 20. Immediately, the two brothers abandoned their nets and followed Him. — 21. Continuing to walk, He saw two other brothers, James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were in a boat with their father, mending their nets. And He called them. — 22. At once, they left their father and the nets, and both followed Him.
Mark: Chapter 1, verse 16. As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. — 17, and he said to them: “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” — 18. At once they left their nets and followed him. — 19. Going on a little farther, he saw James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee, who were also in a boat, mending their nets. — 20. Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
Luke: Chapter 5, verse 1. One day, as he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, Jesus was surrounded by a crowd pressing in to hear the word of God. — 2, He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had gotten out to wash their nets. — 3. He got into one of them, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting down, he began to teach the people from the boat. — 4. When he finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down your nets for a catch.” — 5. Simon replied, “Master, we have worked all night long and caught nothing; but at your command, I will let down the nets.” — 6. When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. — 7. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; the others came, and both boats were so full that they began to sink. — 8. Seeing this, Simon Peter fell at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Lord, go away from me, for I am a sinful man.” — 9. He and all those with him were astonished at the catch they had made. — 10. James and John, sons of Zebedee and partners with Simon, shared the same amazement. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be a fisher of men.” — 11. When they had brought their boats back to the shore, they left everything and followed him. (22)
(22) See also John, 21:6.
From this part of the evangelical narrative, the submission of Jesus’ first disciples stands out. Under the inspiration of their guardian angels, they heard the inner voice that urged them to obedience and did what it prescribed, yielding to this kind of attraction that strongly binds together the Spirits who are reciprocally sympathetic to one another.
The fishing, mentioned here, had nothing miraculous or supernatural about it. It was a phenomenon among those that still surprise many today, but later, when the knowledge of Spiritism and Magnetism is sufficiently widespread, they will be recognized as natural and normal facts.
Spiritism is, at the same time, a revelation and a science. As a science, it will spread the knowledge of Magnetism, whose study has been so foolishly despised by the “wise” of the Earth. With this knowledge and that of the evangelical teachings in spirit and truth, Humanity will be mistress of the two sources of all light and all progress, physical, moral, and intellectual. It will then become easy and simple for them to understand many facts still considered impossible today, and whose reality people deny, pronouncing a condemnatory sentence on spiritist science that explains them, a sentence, however, absolutely devoid of any value, since it emanates from those who completely ignore that science.
Fishing was the result of an application of Magnetism. It was produced by a magnetic attraction determined by Jesus, who, deeply understanding, through the supreme degree of his Spirit, this universal agent that governs and drives everything, as he knew and knows the nature of all existing fluids, their properties of action, and the combinations they are capable of, caused the unstoppable force of his will, always in perfect harmony with the divine will, to act upon them, and the great lever produced the desired effect.
It is still beyond human reach to understand the causes of all phenomena, the means by which they occur, and the laws governing their production. Gradually, however, humans are advancing on the path of knowledge, and one day, through their progress, they will reach the ultimate goal, which Jesus had already achieved when the Father entrusted him with the exalted mission of presiding over the formation of the planet we inhabit and the progressive march of humanity to which we belong. This is how, for example, electrical phenomena have been removed from the category of miracles. Magnetic phenomena will likewise be removed, sooner or later.
Spiritism today represents the net cast by Peter. Attracted by the fluids that good Spirits spread, people are coming and will come more and more to throw themselves into this net, in order to be withdrawn from the infected waters of vices and passions in which they are immersed.
Chapter 16
Matthew, 4:23–25 — Mark, 1:21–28; and 3:7–12 — Luke, 4:31–37. Prediction of Jesus. — His fame. — Physical and moral healings called “miracles”
Matthew: Chapter 4, verse 23. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and disease among the people. — 24. His fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to Him all who were sick and tormented by various pains and illnesses: — demon-possessed, lunatics, paralytics — and He healed them. — 25. Great crowds followed Him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
Mark: Chapter 1, verse 21. They then came to Capernaum, where, entering the synagogue on Saturdays, Jesus taught them. — 22. Everyone marveled at his doctrine, because He instructed them with the authority to do so, and not like the scribes. 23. — Now, it happened that there was a man in the synagogue possessed by an unclean spirit, who exclaimed: — 24. What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: you are the holy one of God. — 25. Jesus, in a threatening tone, said to him: Be silent and come out of that man. — 26. Immediately the unclean spirit, shaking him in violent convulsions and releasing a loud cry, came out of the man. — 27. Such great astonishment seized everyone that they asked one another: What is this, what new doctrine is this? He commands with authority even the unclean spirits, and they obey him. — 28. His fame thus spread rapidly throughout all of Galilee.
Mark: Chapter 3, verse 7. Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, accompanied by a great multitude of people from Galilee and Judea, — And, from Jerusalem, from Idumea and beyond the Jordan, having come together with him, from Tyre and Sidon, another great multitude who had heard of the things that He did. — 9. He then told the disciples to arrange a boat for him to enter so that he would not be oppressed by the crowd. — 10. As he healed many, all those who suffered from any illness rushed upon Him to touch him. — 11. And the unclean spirits, when they saw him, prostrated themselves, shouting: — 12. You are the Son of God. He, however, with great threats, forbade them to reveal him.
Luke: Chapter 4, verse 31. He went down to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and taught them on the Sabbath days. — 32. And they were all amazed at his teaching, for he spoke with authority. — 33. Now, there was in the synagogue a man possessed by an unclean demon, who cried out in a loud voice: — 34. “Leave us; what have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” — 35. And Jesus, threatening him, said, “Be quiet and come out of that man.” And the demon, throwing the man to the ground in the middle of the synagogue, came out of him without doing him any harm. — 36. Terror seized them all, and they said to one another, “What is this? He commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they come out at once?” — 37. And his fame spread throughout every place in the country.
As evidenced by these verses, Jesus spent his apparent human life constantly practicing charity, both with the humble and unfortunate, as well as with the great and powerful, preaching repentance everywhere, multiplying around him the healing of body and soul. And those who heard him, amazed by the authority with which He spoke, asked: But what doctrine is this, that makes unclean spirits obey Him?
In the Gospels, therefore, we find evidence that Jesus healed both the ailments of the body and those of the soul, that is, he both restored health to those suffering from physical illnesses and freed those who were held captive by obsessing spirits, or, as it was then said, possessed by the devil. It follows from this that the belief of the Spiritists regarding the influence of disembodied spirits on the incarnated ones is based on the doctrine that Jesus preached and exemplified, as well as on the facts that his charitable action made manifest.
But, what can this argument or this authority be worth for someone who maintains that the soul is the sum of intellectual faculties, a simple function of the physical organism, destined to disappear forever with it, through death? That thought is a secretion of the brain? That the laws of Nature are mere manifestations of uncontrollable forces, devoid of morality, as well as benevolence?
Such is the gospel of the materialists, who unfortunately still dominate. And it is they who hurl epithets of idiots and exploiters of the ignorant good faith at the Spiritists! In this, however, there is nothing surprising. The fury they reveal is identical and has the same origin as that of those who invented the burning furnaces, the caves of ferocious animals. It is still the same that the priesthood has unleashed in the name of Jesus. It is the fire of the batteries that, since all times, line the path that leads to Zion; they are the same poisoned arrows that the hordes of enemies of the truth, hidden along this path, have always launched against those who traverse it.
But, what does it matter, if, justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, as Paul said? (“Epistle to the Romans”, Verse 1). What does it matter, if we have on our side what was said to Abraham (Genesis, chapter 15, verse 1) and the one spoken of in the Psalms (chapter 90, verses 2 to 5 and chapter 104, verse 10)? Let us march forward, clothed in the armor of faith, under the shield of Jesus Christ.
To imagine the power of the magnetic fluids that Jesus possessed, the purest of all Spirits, as well as the power that his will exerted over these regenerating and strengthening fluids, whose nature, combinations, effects, and properties He knew absolutely, it is enough to observe the effects produced by human magnetism and those achieved by healing mediums, even prescription mediums, with whom countless people have been treated for various illnesses with the most satisfactory results.
Performing the cures that, under the name of miracles, are mentioned in the Gospels, Jesus made the doctrine of love he brought to the world the most eloquent propaganda. For this reason, it is the most efficient means used by Spirits to currently promote the Spiritist Doctrine. It is because there is no argument or real authority that can oppose facts. Even less can the opinions of mere doctors who know nothing about Spiritism be opposed to them, especially when many of them have resorted and resort to mediumistic consultations in desperate cases, always finding the satisfaction of their desires with Bittencourt Sampaio, Figueiras, Nascimentos, and many other mediums who have succeeded them, all of them unfamiliar with medical science, but full of dedication and solicitude to disinterestedly help their fellow human beings in their afflictions, serving as instruments for elevated Spirits, faithful servants of Our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom they receive the fluidic-magnetic action, which they transmit to the sick.
Regarding the healing of the soul, that is, the liberation of the possessed, it can only be achieved through serious study of the works of master Allan Kardec, especially The Book of Mediums, works whose careful meditation we recommend to all followers of Spiritism, in order to obtain a rational and complete explanation.
The possessed, as mentioned in the Gospels, were those subjugated by impure spirits, among whom even the most hardened and obstinate in evil could not resist the intensely luminous radiations of purity and perfection of Jesus, whose name is now enough to, if invoked with living faith, produce effects similar to those He personally achieved.
This means that we can only obtain them through fervent prayers, humility, and faith in the boundless mercy of our Savior, because we lack the most powerful weapons that exist for the liberation of a subjugated person — the moral force derived from the spiritual fasting to which He often alluded, and the purity of feelings, which attracts good spirits, whose presence is enough to dominate and subdue, in turn, the most stubborn and fierce oppressors. However, the goodness of Jesus is such that, despite the precarious moral conditions in which we find ourselves, we have witnessed several healings of brothers who regain the use of reason and free will after being deemed incurable madmen by the even more precarious science of men.
Spiritism, which we repeat, is both a revelation and a science, has come to restore the purity of that doctrine which filled those who witnessed the divine Master’s healing with great amazement. It teaches us to distinguish between obsession and subjugation from mental alienation, or madness itself, which results from the dismantling of the cerebral apparatus. This distinction is provided to us through mediumship, which also offers us the appropriate means to repair the damage presented in the material organism after the cause of the apparent madness has been removed, just as with a burned building after the fire has been extinguished.
These facts, to which the sacred scriptures bear witness, have already been proven by notable men, whose observations on the subject are recorded in books and newspapers.
These men, however, believed or believe in the existence and immortality of the soul, as it truly is, and do not consider thought to be a kind of bile, or any other of those secretions that the organism expels or absorbs, or even fixes in its inner cavities.
The Orthodox, in turn, do not dispute the healings performed by Jesus, but rather proclaim them as miracles. Consequently, they declare and maintain that anything men do that is similar or identical is diabolical, without realizing that in this way they place divinity on the same level, since for them Jesus is a fraction of God, and the supreme power of evil — Satan, whose existence they affirm.
Thus, the scholars only accept what comes to them through the intermediary of Science, in whose name they speak, and reject spiritist science as a product of the imagination of ignorant fanatics or scoundrels, even considering its cultivation a severely punishable crime.
On the other hand, the orthodox maintain the same attitude, not out of love for the truth, which is of little interest to them, but because they are very zealous of the prestige of the “demon”, which has greatly contributed to strengthening their power.
Such is the situation that, although already somewhat improved for the better by the rapid progress of the Doctrine of Spirits, it still presents itself to the followers of this doctrine, showing them the external difficulties they must overcome in order to be convinced and confident, and to await the complete fulfillment of the promises of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
They, however, will remain steadfast in their positions, because they see that more and more these promises will be fulfilled, when they see that they are already able to do, under the guidance of Jesus, works similar to those He did, which implies the fulfillment of the promise in these words of his: Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and will do even greater ones (John, chapter 14, verse 12).
And, like those, they verify that the same is happening with these others, since the times predicted in them have undeniably arrived and the advent announced by them has been fulfilled:
And the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit (23), whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you. (John, chapter 14, verse 26).
(23) See previous pages for what we should understand as Holy Spirit.
Chapter 17
Matthew, Chapter 5, Verses 1–12. — Luke, Chapter 6, Verses 20–26. Sermon on the Mount
Matthew: Chapter 5, verse 1. Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on a mountain, sat down, and his disciples gathered around him. — 2. He then began to teach them, saying: — 3. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. — 4. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. — 5. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. — 6. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. — 8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. — 9. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. — 11. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Luke: Chapter 6, verse 20. Jesus, looking at his disciples, said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled; blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. — 22. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you, when they insult you, and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man. — 23. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for great is your reward in heaven, for that is how their fathers treated the prophets. 24. Woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. — 25. Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you will go hungry! Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep! — 26. Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets. (24)
(24) See also Psalms, 14:3; 36:11; 50:19; 61:2. — Proverbs, 14:13; 16:19 — Isaiah, 55:1; 57:15; 61:2, 3. — John, 16:20. — Acts, 5:41; 7:52. — Timothy, 2:5; 5:1.
And the Lord went throughout all Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the Gospel, and healing the sick, with the power that came from Him, that is, with the fluids that, by the act of His will and His magnetic power, He directed upon the sick and those who approached Him. From all places, a great multitude gathered: from Galilee, from Decapolis, from Jerusalem, from the entire coastline, from Idumea, from Tyre, from Sidon, and from the region beyond the Jordan.
All these people followed in the footsteps of the Redeemer, to hear him, to see him cast out impure spirits and heal diseases.
One day, when the gathering was huge, Jesus crossed the crowd, and, moving away from it, climbed a mountain, where he spent the night in prayer. At dawn, as he came down, he found a large part of the people who had followed him there waiting for him. He then stopped halfway up the mountain and, addressing his disciples, he preached the Sermon on the Mount, in which he summarized the way to achieve the “kingdom of heaven”, or the supreme moral perfection, that is, through the practice of work, love, and charity, both in physical and material matters, as well as in moral and intellectual matters. However, some of his words in this sermon have not been well understood.
The Master said: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
What are the “poor in spirit?” They are those whom people call thus because, devoid of pride and vanity, they recognize that they owe everything to their Creator and possess nothing by themselves and for themselves. They have no attachment to the worldly goods, the lack of which causes them no suffering. They walk freely and carefree, not fearing the attacks of thieves of any kind, always trusting in the kindness and protection of the heavenly Father. In short, they are the simple and humble.
He also said: you will be happy when they insult and persecute you. Rejoice, for your reward in heaven will be plentiful, for this is how they persecuted the prophets.
Spiritists can consider themselves immune to all insults that are thrown at them. These will fall back on those who throw them, as long as the Spiritists exemplify, through their public and private behavior, the belief they profess, especially by being kind and charitable to all their brothers. Many will even benefit if they find themselves excluded from the company and contact of those who form the social elite, who are distinguished only by their pride.
However, it is necessary to fully understand the serious duties incumbent upon everyone who calls themselves a Spiritist, in order not to fall into the abuses that many practice under the guise of Spiritism, and which, in part, legitimize the allegations and imputations of the enemies of such a sacred doctrine.
The apostrophe that the just and gentle Shepherd uttered applies to those who, sacrificing everything for the possession of earthly goods, live in luxury and ostentation, indifferent to the sufferings of the unfortunate, and look with contempt upon holy truths. These unfortunate people, as a general rule, are the ones who occupy the most prominent places in the so-called centers of greater and more refined civilization.
Unhappy, indeed, because they are ignorant and do not want to know that many of those who today drag the rags of misery, in other incarnations have insulted humanity with the same ostentation and the same pride.
How difficult, however, it must be for a long time yet, to spread these life-saving teachings, the only ones capable of restoring religion to the great role it must play in the fulfillment of the destinies of humankind, since Catholicism prohibits its followers from knowing them, at the same time as it refuses to teach the truth, avoids discussions, and increasingly shows intolerance and simony, to the point of leaving unchallenged the statement, made in widespread publications, that there were popes who established tariffs of absolution for the most heinous crimes! Everyone is a witness to how the Roman priesthood practices the Gospel, of which it claims to be exclusively entrusted with its propagation by the divine Master.
It is useless to repeat what everyone knows, even through direct observation, regarding the actions of these false prophets, who really are so because they know the truth but hide it in order to have the people submissive at their feet. Because, understanding the truth, they flee from it out of pride, refusing to submit to it and exalting error.
Woe to them, said the just and gentle Shepherd, referring to those of that time and says it today, again, when the number of false prophets is not less.
Located near the Sea of Galilee is the mountain where Jesus gave his sermon, and therefore, it still bears the name of “The Mount of Beatitudes” to this day.
