Commentary on Gospel of Thomas Saying 27: True Sabbath Rest: The Heavenly Repose of Meditation

Commentary on Gospel of Thomas Saying 27: True Sabbath Rest: The Heavenly Repose of Meditation

27. Jesus said, “If you do not fast as regards the world, you will not find the Kingdom. If you do not observe the Sabbath as a Sabbath, you will not see the Father.” (translation from the OtherGospels dot com website)

I believe that particular Thomas saying might have been in the Q source of Jesus sayings, quoted in Thomas but not in Matthew and Luke. As I recall, Dr. Samuel Zinner suspects this also. It's a reference to the Saturday sabbath, a day of rest from all earthly labors. But here it may be more inclusive of spiritual rest. Terms like 'rest' and 'repose' are often used for the heavenly realms. My take is, make the Sabbath into a spiritual rest, a day of prayer, meditation, and communion with God in heavenly realms. Meditation is the true sabbath, heavenly repose, going beyond the world of the five senses. I do view meditation as "fasting from the world", the outer world of the five senses, a sensory deprivation technique for perceiving beyond the material realm to see what else is real, to explore the heavens. 

Meister Eckhart: "If the soul is to see God, then it must see no temporal thing, for as long as the soul is conscious of time or space, or of an idea, it cannot know God."

Mystic Verses of Sant Dadu Dayal of Rajasthan - Light and Sound on The Path

 

Mystic Verses of Sant Dadu Dayal of Rajasthan

Do the repetition of God [God's Name] and forget

Him not.

Fulfill the purpose of thy birth

by practicing concentration.

Be steadfast in the remembrance of God.

Practice meditation with love, and sing

the glory of God.

The human body is the door to salvation.

Do the repetitions of God, the Creator

of the universe.

Recognize the Path to your Beloved, O travelers and

take the route of the anguished lover in separation.

Keep the Master's grace in your thoughts, and reflect

upon his pure teachings. Develop love and devotion

with endearment, and keep the thought of the Creator

always before you. Try to merge yourself into God

like water and water. Fix your mind within by

following the Path of the Sound Current. A yearning

will arise; make then an intense and anguished call.

Repeat the Name of your Beloved, day and night,

again and again. With care in thought, word and deed,

you will cross to the other shore.

Nothing to Fear

The all-knowing, almighty Lord is always within us. 

He knows all our needs and is constantly taking care of us. 

With this realization and faith, lovers of 

God have no worries at all.

The perfect Fulfiller is close by;

He is not far off, O foolish one.

He knows all, O deluded one,

And prompt He is in giving.

God is concerned for us, O Dadu;

The Almighty One knows all.

Turn to God, O Dadu, and worry not.

That almighty Companion keeps company

with you

amidst danger and dread.

Hold steadfastly to that Beloved, O valiant mind,

and forsake Him not.

The Provider stands ready with provisions, 

And readily does He provide.

The perfect Fulfiller is close by, 

ever present within us.