"So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known." (Matthew 10:26)
Who is Jesus describing?
Who is Jesus referring to - as "them"? What what is he referring to with regard to what will be known or disclosed?Jesus is continuing his instructions to his disciples as he is sending them out to teach on his behalf. He is discussing those who would persecute them:
"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues." (Matthew 10:16-17)Now Jesus is telling them they have no one to fear. The Supreme Being will protect them, and what they do will be known to the Supreme Being. They won't be able to hide from God. And neither can their persecutors.
This is an important element because some figure that they can do things that hurt others in secret. That no one will know. But this is untrue. The Supreme Being is next to each of us within these physical bodies. He is there for us when we need Him, and He is watching over us.
This means that He sees whatever we do. We cannot hide our self-centered activities from Him.
Every activity that harms someone will bear a consequence.
Is this justice?
Many complain that there is no real justice in this world. That is because they are only seeing with their physical eyes. They are not seeing what takes place over a span of multiple lifetimes.The Supreme Being knows how to arrange the perfect form of justice. And what is that?
Each of us gets to experience precisely what we do to others. Anything we do that impacts another must also be experienced by ourselves in the future. If we help others, we get helped. If we hurt others, we get hurt.
This of course takes place upon our physical bodies - as we are not these physical bodies. They are like vehicles we drive temporarily.
We might compare the system of consequences to a demolition derby: If a driver plows his car into another car, that car will turn around and plow right back into his car - or another car will plow into his car.
But at the end of the demolition derby - after all the cars are wrecked up - the drivers can get out of their beat-up cars - just as we all leave these physical bodies at the time of death.
And just as a demolition derby driver can go drive another car after his derby car is wrecked up, we also may occupy another physical body after this body dies.
How else could we experience all the consequences of the things done in a lifetime?
Is this why there is so much suffering in this world?
Yes. This also explains why some people suffer more than others during this lifetime. This is why some children are born into starvation. It is not that God does not love us or does not exist as some figure - as they consider children born into starvation or congenital defects. Rather, through the new body, the person can experience the results of the actions of their previous lifetime.And it is not as though we are forced to experience these consequences. It is a system intended to allow us to understand how our actions can impact the lives of others.
If we could not experience what we put someone else through we may not be able to learn the effects of our actions. This would cause even more suffering. Those who caused suffering for others would never learn what it feels like, and thus would continue to do so without cessation.
This is why Jesus was asked by his disciples when they saw a man who had been born blind:
The bottom line is that the Supreme Being created a system of justice that will precisely mete out consequences according to our activities. This is not punitive justice. It is designed to allow us to learn.
This is why Jesus was asked by his disciples when they saw a man who had been born blind:
His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2)Because parents' activities can also create consequences that may be reflected in their children, this question came from Jesus' teaching them about the law of consequences.
The bottom line is that the Supreme Being created a system of justice that will precisely mete out consequences according to our activities. This is not punitive justice. It is designed to allow us to learn.
Certainly, we can also learn this lesson otherwise. By simply thinking through how our actions can affect others, or looking at how others' actions have affected others similarly, we can also learn the lesson and grow out of our self-centered predisposition.
This also means that we don't have to blame God for suffering. Yes, He created the system, but His system is so perfect that He rarely has to intercede. The design of the system allows us to learn and grow. It nudges us to love others.
In other words, the world is so messed up today but it is not God's fault. It is because we - as individuals, cultures and individuals - are suffering the consequences of our previous activities. This world is simply reflecting our previous choices made.
This means we have to look at ourselves before we can blame God for the suffering in this world.
