Edgar Cayce Readings, 1158-4

(Ck. Life Rdg. on appearance as Ruth, sister of Jesus, in Palestine period.)

TEXT

EC: Yes, we have the records here of that entity, Ruth; now the entity known as [1158].
As has been indicated, that experience as Ruth, from the records we find, was a very full experience; and one from which much may be gained in the present. Not only by the material associations, but it may be seen as to how and why the teachings of the Master MUST become THE factor in the experience ever - as well as in the present.
That there may be the proper interpretation, much of that recorded here as a background becomes necessary to be interpreted also:
With the return of Joseph and Mary to Palestine from the Egyptian sojourn, and with the return of the ACTIVE service among the peoples, there was created quite a different environ for Joseph and Mary - the father and the mother then of the entity, Ruth.
For soon after the return, and that recorded in Writ of the journey to the city for that period of the Passover teachings, we find that James - the elder brother of the entity - was born into that experience.
In the next year, when there had been by the Wise Men of the East the beginnings of the teachings of Jesus and his sojourn in Persia, India, and when those activities brought about the change in the material or financial status of the family, Ruth then was born - in that city of Capernaum; and surrounded with the activities that befitted the peoples of that period, that day.
There was awe in the minds of the peoples as to what had taken place at the birth of the mother's, or Mary's, first son.
Hence the entity, Ruth, was rather in awe of the suggestions, the intimations that surrounded that experience; and questioned the mother concerning same.
As the entity grew into maidenhood, and after the birth of Jude, then the death of Joseph brought that brother - Jesus - home! and there were those activities that surrounded the entity concerning that unknown, that strange kinsman; that kinsman whom the peoples held in awe, yet said many unkind things about him.
With the departure of that brother to Egypt for the final initiations or teachings, with John - another kinsman who had been spoken of and held in awe, his mother having been a chosen vessel by the priests of the Essenes, and he, John, being the lineal descendent of the high priests of the Jews - we find that in the entity's latter teen ages such ponderings brought a great many disturbing influences to the entity, Ruth.
As the circumstances from the material angles began to alter, or as the position of the family began to fall away or change as it were, they again brought to the entity the experiences that have found expression in the experience of this entity in the present; that is, the necessity of expending self's efforts mentally, materially, for the aid and understanding of those that are in less fortunate circumstance from the worldly angle - or to bring a knowledge to those in sundry places as to the cooperation that might be attained or gained by those in such circumstances with those in authority politically as well as religiously.
Hence we find the entity was divided in thought and activity between those tenets held by the elder brother, James, those held by the mother, and the actual activities of the entity as one among those of a peoples that were being questioned and doubted!
With the return of John, the cousin, and the beginning of his ministry - one that had renounced his position as a priest that might serve in the temple, to become an outcast and a teacher in the wilderness - to the entity, Ruth, there was brought consternation.
And again there was a questioning with the mother as to those experiences of the mother preceding the birth of that Jesus.
Then the return of Jesus to the Palestine land, after those periods of the tests in the wilderness, after his meeting with John; and then the return to Capernaum and the teachings that he, Jesus, accorded there.
The entity then for the first time heard in the synagogue His first utterances, as to the prophesies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the teachings of the lesser prophets, and as to how they applied in the experiences of that day.
Returning from that meeting, where a tumult was raised owing to the utterances of that new teacher, the entity encountered that entity now the husband; a collector, not in the sense of the "taker in" but the supervisor as to the abilities of various individuals in various positions to pay that tribute; a Roman.
Being not only beautiful of body but active in those conditions that were accorded to those peoples in the less fortunate circumstance, which became a part of the interests of that unusual Roman, the natural consequences of the age, the material circumstance, brought about a bond of sympathy between the two.
At that meeting, the introduction was made by one who has been very close in the cares of the entity in the present experience, as then - a minister to the bodily needs of those whom oft Ruth, as well as the then new companion, had met.
In the haste to acquaint the mother with the sayings of that teacher, or the brother, of whom so much had been asked, by whom so much had been said but so little understood by Ruth, the entity with those two companions acquainted Mary with what had taken place; warning her of the possible entanglements with those new authorities - or the Roman activities.
Hence those again made for questionings in the experience of the entity.
When the associations had advanced then from those periods of the first timidity of the entity, Ruth, with one of other foreign or alien groups, there came about an experience of some resentment towards the mother - as to the advice or counsel given. Yet there was the persistence in the activities, for to the entity, Ruth, the new found friend to HER bespoke of a greater knowledge of the needs of human experience than that held to either by the Essenes or by the orthodox Jewish peoples.
Hence the continuations of those activities, in association oft with that friend.
Then came those periods when the entity, with its friend, its companions, began the travels to ascertain the truth of what had been told by the mother as to the experiences in Bethlehem, those activities of friends in Bethany.
And when there came the period when the raising of Lazarus at Bethany was experienced by the entity as well as the companions, that brought a change which made for a NEW LIFE, a new understanding, a new conception of the manifestations of the Creative Forces or God among the children of men!
THEN, just before the Crucifixion, there was the consummation of the wedding between Ruth and that friend, now the husband - then the husband [1151].
And JESUS attended THAT wedding also; blessed them.
And with the recall of the companion to Rome, during those experiences in Rome, the Crucifixion came about.
With the return and the recall of Pilate before the authorities in Rome, with the meeting again of Ruth with the mother and the holy women - and Lazarus, Mary and Martha, the friends of the mother - and those periods with Elizabeth, the mother of John the kinsman - there were the greater effects from the emotional as well as the active forces brought into the experience of the entity, Ruth.
Hence as it has been given the entity, hold fast to that thou hast gained in Him. For as the entity knew those that were ministers with Him, as the entity was then in the flesh associated with that kinsman and beloved one of Jesus, John - study that as He has given, in those last words of His with His disciples, the apostles, who became - as self and as the companion did - not only by word but by act the living examples of that as He taught, "As ye do it unto the least of thy brethren, ye do it unto thy Maker."
In the latter portion of the entity's sojourn, while children were born in Rome, in those activities of the entity and the companion much aid was brought to those who accepted those new teachings in the Roman experience. Much that gave help and strength to those to bear the persecutions later was established in the hearts and the minds and the experiences of those peoples during the entity's sojourn in Rome - as well as in the Grecian quarters.
And those experiences may be recaptured, as it were, by the entity; by introspection. For He has given, they that call upon Him or upon the Lord in His name may KNOW what has been the experience from the foundations of the world!
Hence the love of the Father createth the pure understanding. And they that lack wisdom may ask of Him who faileth not to give that necessary for the more perfect knowledge, the more perfect activity in the experiences of self day by day.
For even as He hath given, it is not by some great influence from without. For there are Three that bear witness in heaven; the Father, the Word, the Holy Ghost. There are three that bear witness with thee in thine indwelling in the earth; the spirit, truth, and the understanding in Him. These are one; these are AS one.
When an individual entity, as this, may apply those tenets, those truths, indeed doth "My spirit bear witness with thy spirit that ye are the sons, the daughters of the living God."
And how much more in thine experience, thou daughter of Mary, thy elder brother the Christ - may ye know; for He standeth at the door!
Even as thou hast seen Him before those peoples that doubted, so may ye see Him in this experience standing before the door of those that would proclaim some other way.
But He is the Word, He IS the Way, He IS LIFE! and thou hast a hold upon Him, in such manners that many another soul would PROCLAIM - even as some do already - that intercession might be made through YOU, because of thy closeness with the heart of the Son of the living God!
Then hold fast. Turn not away because of those who would give thee this or that, to bring thee to material understanding. For as thou didst bring the heart of thy people to Him, as thou didst bring thy younger brother - though he faltered much; as thou didst give strength to thy elder brother to head the church under all those vicissitudes of distress without, turmoils within, so thou may find in thine inner consciousness that door opened that HE, Jesus, will not pass thee by!
Ready for questions.
(Q) Have I contacted the entity now known as Dr. H. R. Charlton [M.D.] of Bronxville, N.Y., in other incarnations besides the one in Palestine?
(A) As a passing experience, yes. As a contact that made for close, active service, that influences the experiences in the present, we do not find so. But then he was the associate, the companion in the meeting of not only thy husband but in the understanding of thy brother in that experience.
(Q) What was Dr. H. R. Charlton's official title or profession in the Palestine experience?
(A) As indicated, a physician - and a teacher of Luke.
(Q) Is there any constructive use to either of us, or to others, in Dr. H. R. Charlton and myself contacting further in this present life experience?
(A) Much might be said respecting this. Necessary that as experience, as circumstance in the present presents opportunities, there be the presenting of tenets or truths in accord with those teachings; that by even the calling forth of the Son, even the bonds of death are rolled back. And yet not all are ready, not all are called; and neither do all that are called arise. But in the associations as we find, great help may come to others in gaining the understanding that - not by material things, but the arousing through material application oft - the Spirit of Truth may bear witness in a material world!
(Q) Would it be helpful and right for me to tell Dr. H. R. Charlton about the Cayce Life Readings? If so, when?
(A) As the opportunity may present itself. Approach not from that - Remember thine approach as has just been indicated, as to how through Dr. Charlton ye were led to thine own brother! So may YE lead Dr. Charlton to thy brother, through those experiences that may be his - if he within himself seeks even as thou in thine INNER self sought then. Part because of curiosity, part because of resentment; and yet - as the face in the water answereth as face to face - ye were drawn. So in thine expression may ye draw even he as face to face to self.
For ever is there constantly the meeting of self, in the experience of each soul. How few can so separate themselves as to watch themselves go by!
So analyze thine associations then, so analyze thine associations in the present, that ye may ask in faith of Him the wisdom, the manner, the way to present that thou hast found helpful or hopeful in thine experience to thy friend. For these are the manners and means that are in accord with all He hath given - face answers to face! and that seeds sown must be reaped in thine own experience!
(Q) Is the physician, who was my father in a recent incarnation, [early America] known to me today? [1/25/37 See 1158-6, Par. 16-A, and 2/08/37 See 1334-1, Par. 51-A indicating that Dr. [1334] was Mrs. [1158]'s father in the early American incarnation.]
(A) Known to the entity in this very experience of Charlton, yet - as has been indicated - not the greater influence of power then as during that to which there is an ETERNAL tie to LIFE itself! For He, then thy brother as manifested in life, in earth, in physical body, IS Life!
We are through.
Copy to Self
Copy to Ass'n file
[At end of above reading suggestion came for EC to take Castoria to eliminate his cold.]

BACKGROUND

See 1158-2, her Life Reading, on 5/31/36.

REPORTS

11/21/36 See husband's third Life Rdg. 1151-4.
12/02/36 See continuation of her Ck. Life on experience at time of the Master - 1158-5.
4/17/73 GD's note: The following is a Xerox copy from pages 142-143 of SMITH'S BIBLE DICTIONARY (A. J. Holman & Co., Philadelphia, 1895):
JAMES THE LORD'S BROTHER. The children of Joseph and Mary were Jesus, James, Joses, Jude (Judas), Simon, and three daughters whose names are not given (Matt. 13:55, 56; Gal. 1:19, 2:9, 12). His brethren did not believe in Jesus as the Christ at the first (John 7:5), and some of them not until a few days before the Day of Pentecost (I Cor. 15:7). James occupied a prominent position among the apostles, and was surnamed "the Just". James and Peter seem to have been in authority on equal terms when Paul was admitted to the fellowship of the apostles on the word of Barnabas (Acts 9:27; Gal. 2:18), and after that time he acts as the president of the council in Jerusalem (Acts 12:17, 15:13), whose decrees he delivered formally, a position recognized and recorded by Paul (Gal. 2:9), and honored by a formal visit of ceremony in the presence of all the presbyters (Acts 21:18). He is believed to have been appointed Bishop of Jerusalem by Jesus in a vision, as is reported by Epiphanius and others of the early historians of the Church, only that Eusebius says the appointment was by the apostles. Hegesippus, a Jewish disciple in the 2nd century, gives the most minute and interesting account, in which he is described as the brother of Jesus, holy from the womb, drinking neither wine nor spirits, nor eating animal food, and wearing both his hair and whiskers without shaving (but with trimming), and he avoided the use of perfumes and ceremonious bathing, and wore only linen clothes. He was a very constant attendant on the services in the temple, and prayed "on his knees" for the salvation of the people, so that he was looked upon as the "bulwark of the church," and it is said that "all who became believers believed through James." This same authority relates that he was thrown from the gable of the temple to the ground, and then stoned to death, shortly before the siege of Jerusalem. See the HISTORY for the EPISTLE OF JAMES.