Jesus said, “Whoever has come to understand the world has found (only) a corpse, and whoever has found a corpse is superior to the world.”
The world and universe are as a body animated by the Spirit of God; the soul of the world is the Word and Wisdom of God. A body without a soul indwelling it is a corpse—stardust blown by cosmic winds! To grasp at the body rather than cleave to the soul is an ignorant thing, for everyone knows that every form eventually dissolves and everybody ultimately dies. Consider this, who would keep a corpse in one’s house or sleep with a corpse or attach oneself to a corpse or place a greater value on a corpse than on the Life-power that was once in it? Would it not be insanity for anyone to do such a thing?
Look and see! The flesh does not endure forever; neither shall the world of flesh and blood endure forever. This body is an animated corpse and so is the world! If you know the body will eventually pass away and the world will eventually pass away, why cling to the body or chase after anything of the world? Why not seek your immortal soul and the soul of the world? Why cleave to the world instead of the Spirit of God, the Life-power? Surely only ignorance would have you attach yourself to a corpse!
In this passage, the Lord asks you this question, “If you gain everything you desire in the world and the whole world itself, but you lose your immortal soul, what good is that to you?” The answer is obvious. Everyone knows the answer perfectly well and would swiftly respond, “It would be no good to me, for when I die, I will not have the world, and losing my soul for the sake of the world, neither will I have my soul in death!” Everyone knows the answer, but who lives and conducts him- or herself according to this common knowledge? If I do not live according to a simple and earthly truth that everyone knows, then how shall I live according to the greater Truth and Light of the kingdom of heaven? If I do not honor that which I can see in plain view, how shall I honor that which is hidden within and above?
Many are called by the Holy Spirit and seek the gate of initiation, but few are they who pass through the gate to enter the path of the great ascension. Only those who discover both in mind and heart that the world is as empty as a corpse are actually set upon the path and established in the Way, for only they are willing to put the world aside and follow the Lord our Savior in the worship of God in Spirit. You must know the world is a corpse so that you might develop your consciousness beyond it. You must see that it is empty in order to seek Divine fullness. Unless you let go of the illusion of the world, you cannot look and see reality as it is! I tell you, you must pray and meditate deeply until the delusion of lack and the power of ignorance is dispelled once and for all time!
When you cleave to the soul of the world, instead of the body of the world, you will be superior to the world. That is to say, when you bind yourself to the Spirit of God, to God’s Holy Word and Wisdom, and so bind God’s Spirit to you, then you shall be free of the ruler of the world, the power of ignorance, and abide in true Gnosis.
Now if I speak of what you already know, there is no need for many words. With few words you are reminded, so that, remembering, you might pray and meditate and be blessed never to forget again. Yes, I pray you remember and seek your soul and the soul of the world in the Lord our God. Amen.