© 1999 Ken Glasziou
© 1999 The Brotherhood of Man Library
The attitudes of many Urantia Book readers to the remembrance supper suffers from a preconditioning derived from the Christian church’s association of the supper with their doctrine of forgiveness of sin through Jesus’ sacrificial death. But the authors of the Urantia Papers, though fully aware of this difficulty, nevertheless place great emphasis on the symbolic significance of the last supper for all who would follow Jesus.
As Jesus handed the “cup of blessing” to his disciples he said, “Take this cup, all of you, and drink of it. This shall be the cup of my remembrance. This is the cup of the blessing of a new dispensation of grace and truth. This shall be to you the emblem of the bestowal and ministry of the divine Spirit of Truth.” (UB 179:5.1)
The Master, we are told, was instituting this remembrance supper as a symbol of a new dispensation wherein the individual emerges from the bondage of ceremonialism and selfishness into the spiritual joy of the brotherhood and fellowship of the faith sons of the living God.
Then, having broken the bread and handed it around, the Master stated that this “bread of life” was representative of the “word of the Father as revealed in the Son.”
The authors of the Papers take pains to stress the dangers of turning this symbolism into some precise, crystallized ceremonial form. But they also inform us that when it is partaken by those who are Son-believing and God-knowing that on all such occasions the Master is really present. Hence it cannot be other than important that we take them seriously.
“The remembrance supper is the believer’s symbolic rendezvous with Michael. When you become thus spirit-conscious, the Son is actually present, and his spirit fraternizes with the indwelling fragment of his Father.” (UB 179:5.6)
Said Jesus, “When you do these things, recall the life I have lived on earth. . . and rejoice that I am to continue to live on earth with you and to serve through you.” (UB 179:5.7)
This Paper’s author describes the inauguration of the symbolic supper as a mighty occasion that took place in the upper room of the home of a friend. There was nothing of sacred form or ceremonial consecration about either the supper or the venue. Jesus concluded by giving us this new supper as a symbol of his bestowal life—the word of eternal truth, his love for us, and the outpouring of the Spirit of Truth.
It is well that we take notice of the repeated emphasis given to the importance of the Spirit of Truth. It comes to a head in Section 2 of the following Paper in which Jesus uses the symbolism of the vine and its branches.
“I am the true vine and my Father is the husbandman. I am the vine and you are the branches. And the Father requires of me only that you shall bear much fruit.” (UB 180:2.1)
An imperative form of address is used in what follows. We are told that every branch that bears no fruit, the Father will take away, but every branch that bears fruit, the Father will cleanse that it may bear more fruit.
“You must abide in me and I in you,” says Jesus, “the branch will die if it is separated from the vine.” (UB 180:2.1)
That comment deserves our concentrated thought and reflection. It appears that Urantia Book readers are dead ducks if they ignore Jesus’ word—see:
“If professed believers bear not these fruits of the divine spirit in their lives, they are dead.” (UB 193:2.2)
Perhaps it would be better never to have had these Papers than to ignore their content, for at least we could have then entered a plea of ignorance.
Jesus continues, “He who lives in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit of the spirit and experience the supreme joy of yielding this spiritual harvest.” (UB 180:2.1)
Would it not be wonderful if the scene subsequently described could some day be reflected in the earthly lives of those privileged to possess the Urantia Papers such that observers would say:
“And when the world sees these fruit-bearing branches—my friends who love one another, even as I have loved them—all men will know that you are truly my disciples.” (UB 180:2.1)
Jesus concludes, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Live in my love even as I live in the Father’s love. If you do as I have taught you, you shall abide in my love even as I have kept the Father’s word and evermore abide in his love.” (UB 180:2.2)
Properly used in group gatherings the remembrance supper could be of great help in cementing loving relationships. As well, it can remind individuals of the necessity to become spirit-conscious so that such symbolic occasions ensure the actual presence of Michael whose spirit (Spirit of Truth) is then enabled to fraternize with our own indwelling Father-fragment. (UB 179:5.6)
The Paper’s author finishes the section with these words: “In fact, the branch exists only for, and can do nothing except, fruit bearing, yielding grapes. So does the true believer exist only for the purpose of bearing the fruits of the spirit: to love man as he himself has been loved by God—that we should love one another, even as Jesus has loved us.” (UB 180:2.5)
The message of these final words from Jesus to those who would follow him could be summarized as: Get your priorities in order. Know that you exist for one purpose only—to yield spiritual fruit. That is now the sole purpose of your very being.
Another reminder. Time is unidirectional. It runs in one direction only—out.
Are you among the “chosen?”
“You are in this world, but your lives are not to be world-like. I have chosen you out of the world to represent the spirit of another world even to this world from which you have been chosen.” (UB 180:3.1)
You have the Urantia revelation. You take it seriously. So are you among the “chosen” and if so, what are your obligations? This is a question we all must consider. Jesus gave us this assurance:
“I will be with you and all other men who desire my presence wherever you may be, and with each of you at the same time.” (UB 180:4.1)
It is of course Jesus’ Spirit of Truth that is with us and indwells us, although that Spirit of Truth never makes us conscious of itself. Rather it makes us conscious of the presence of Jesus.
The Spirit of Truth is described as the new teacher, the conviction of truth, the consciousness and assurance of true meanings on real spirit levels. It is the spirit of living and growing truth, expanding, unfolding, and adaptive truth. If we live “in Jesus,” it is the means by which we become convicted of truth, it lifts us out from the influence of our evolutionary animalistic behavior patterns to a higher and spiritualized level of meanings and values.
“This new teacher is the Spirit of Truth who will live with each one of you, in your hearts, and so will all the children of light be made one and be drawn toward one another. And in this very manner will my Father and I be able to live in the souls of each one of you and also in the hearts of all other men who love us and make that love real in their experiences by loving one another, even as I am now loving you.” (UB 180:4.5)
Are we Urantians drawn towards each other as children of the light? Do the spirits of the Father and of Jesus fraternize in our hearts and souls so that we demonstrate the love of Jesus in our lives? Does the world look at us and say, “Look at those Urantians, how they love one another. Surely they must be Jesus’ true disciples?”
“Truth is a spiritual reality value experienced only by spirit-endowed beings who function upon supermaterial levels of universe consciousness, and who, after the realization of truth, permit its spirit of activation to live and reign within their souls.” (UB 180:5.3)
A new age really is dawning. It is time to “get activated.” We Urantians have been called upon to do so. If we also fail, the banner of truth bearing will simply go elsewhere.
The true believer exists only for the purpose of bearing the fruits of the spirit. (UB 180:2.5)