God, the "Great Iconoclast."
  • Alma Turner
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        • Sayings >
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          • Sayings 58, 59, 60
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          • Sayings 73, 74, 75
          • Sayings 76, 77, 78
          • Sayings 100, 101, 102
          • Sayings 103, 104, 105
          • Sayings 106, 107, 108
          • Sayings 109, 110, 111
          • Sayings 112, 113, 114
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The Gospel of Thomas

Sayings of Jesus: 100, 101, 102


Saying 100
They showed Jesus a gold coin and said Caesar's agents demand that we pay his taxes. He replied: Give to Caesar what is Caesar's. Give to God what is God's. And give me what is mine. 

What is so new is "Give me what is mine" since the balance of this is in the canonical gospels. But... it changes everything.  Give Caesar the gold coin? Give God the worship? Give Jesus the willingness to use money, time, heart for the poor, the downtrodden, hungry, cold, marginalized? Or... Give Caesar just enough to stay safe and unharmed; give to God your heart, and give the rest to the poor, to Jesus?
​Money is love and can heal; passed forward, spent, at the right moment, can make someone feel God's love. Brotherly love is a channel for God's love, and that's Jesus' speciality, passing forward that love, the knowledge and experience of the Kingdom. 

​Money is love and can heal; passed forward, spent, given at the right moment, can make someone feel God's love. Brotherly love is a channel for God's love, and that's Jesus' speciality, passing forward that love, the knowledge and experience of the Kingdom. 
​
Saying 101
​
Jesus said: Anyone who doesn't hate his father and mother as I do cannot be a disciple of mine. And anyone who doesn't love his father and mother as I do cannot be a disciple of mine. My mother has... but true... she gave me life. 


Again, a new chunk beyond what is in the canonical gospels, "And anyone who doesn't love his father and mother as I do cannot be a disciple of mine."  I LOVE this paradox and remember feeling it from such an early age, the  absolute rejection of my parents' values and yet a love for them, too. Thank you Jesus for finally giving me peace. When I first got sober, "anyone who doesn't hate his father and mother as I do cannot be a disciple of mine" was powerful scripture my sponsor pointed me to in my first inventory. I was shocked that Jesus would say such a thing. Of course, I had no idea what he did say, but figured it was always along the lines of "love everyone" and "be a good girl." His actual words sounded in direct contrast to both those potentially milk toast mandates, but utterly right considering the case I had built up against my mother and father by that time. But now, so many years later, amends made, with huge love, gratitude, and acceptance for both my parents, it feels like the Gospel of Thomas is right on time to say, "Thank you for giving me life" and yet separating from their ideas, values, and having no expectation of being understood by them. 

Saying 102
Jesus said: Woe to the Pharisees. Like a dog dozing in a food trough for cattle, they neither eat nor do they let the cattle eat. 

We go to church when in despair, to find a meaningful relationship with God, and are blocked by legalistic, theological complexities that send us flying. The Pharisees did the same thing; they abandoned themselves to unnecessary rules and regulations ("dozing") and in the process blocked access to God ("neither do they let the cattle eat"). We can be guilty of the same thing in AA. Let's keep it simple and real.

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  • Alma Turner
    • Alma Turner
    • Site Overview
    • Alma's Blessings
  • 12 Steps
    • Step 1: Humility >
      • Step One Questions
    • Step 2: Hope
    • Step 3: Faith
    • Step 4: Honesty >
      • Money Inventory
    • Step 5: Trust
    • Step 6: Willingness
    • Step 7: Surrender
    • Step 8: Forgiveness
    • Step 9: Justice >
      • Amend White to Black
    • Step 10: Perseverance >
      • Fear Watch
    • Step 11: Contact
    • Step 12: Service
  • Poems, Prayers, Music
    • Beloved Poems by Others >
      • I Stand at the Door by Sam Shoemaker
      • Prayer to the Great Spirit
      • The Guest House by Rumi
      • The Invitation by Oriah
      • Elohai Neshama
    • Poems by Alma >
      • Poems 2017-2020
      • More Poems by Year >
        • Poems 2021
        • Poems 2022
        • Poems 2023
        • Poems 2024
      • Clay Haiku
      • Beatitude Poems
      • Hurricane Ida Poems
      • Prayer Poems
      • Injustice Poems
    • Big Book Prayers
    • Variations on the Familiar >
      • Lord's Prayer Variations
      • Serenity Prayer Variation
      • Creed Variation
      • Psalm Variations
      • Parables etc Variations
      • Invictus Variations
    • Letters
    • Music >
      • Roberta Flack
      • Marvin Gaye
  • more
    • Bible Thoughts >
      • Count the Omer
      • yeshua hamashiach >
        • Books on the Journey to J
        • Brown or Black
        • Teacher
        • Son of Man
        • Activist
        • High Priest
        • Innocent
        • Lynched
        • Alive
        • Sayings >
          • Sayings 1-3
          • Sayings 4-6
          • Sayings 7-9
          • Sayings 10-12
          • Sayings 13-15
          • Sayings 16-18
          • Sayings 19-21
          • Sayings 22-24
          • Sayings 25-27
          • Sayings 28-30
          • Sayings 31-33
          • Sayings 34-36
          • Sayings 37, 38, 39
          • Sayings 40, 41, 42
          • Sayings 43, 44, 45
          • Sayings 46, 47, 48
          • Sayings 49, 50, 51
          • Sayings 52, 53, 54
          • Sayings 55, 56, 57
          • Sayings 58, 59, 60
          • Sayings 61, 62, 63
          • Sayings 64, 65, 66
          • Sayings 73, 74, 75
          • Sayings 76, 77, 78
          • Sayings 100, 101, 102
          • Sayings 103, 104, 105
          • Sayings 106, 107, 108
          • Sayings 109, 110, 111
          • Sayings 112, 113, 114
      • Genesis >
        • High Priest
        • Jacob is Israel.
      • Prophets >
        • Isaiah 30
        • Isaiah 54
        • Jeremiah 31:31-35
      • Frederick Douglas
    • Disciplines >
      • Fasting
      • Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer
      • Reading!
      • 12 White Steps
    • The Gospel of Thomas
    • Psalms >
      • Psalms for Mercy
      • Psalms 23, 46, 91, 139
      • Psalms 121, 1, and 32
    • The Odes of Solomon >
      • Ode 38
    • The Symbol >
      • The Circle and Triangle
    • Blog
    • Preparations
    • A Suggestion