What Jesus of Nazareth Said

From Christ, the Messenger by Swami Vivekananda

He had no other idea of himself, no other except that he was Spirit. He was disembodied, unfettered, unbound Spirit. And not only so, but he, with his marvelous vision, had found that every man and woman, whether Jew or gentile, whether rich or poor, whether saint or sinner, was the embodiment of the same undying Spirit as himself. Therefore the one work of his whole life was calling upon them to realize their own spiritual nature.

Give up, he says, these superstitious dreams that you are low and that you are poor. Give up the idea that you are slaves, trampled upon and tyrannized over. Within you is something that can never be tyrannized over, never be trampled upon, never be troubled, and never be killed. You are all sons and daughters of God, Immortal Spirit. ‘Know ye,’ he declared, ‘the kingdom of heaven is within you.’ ‘I and my Father are one.’

Dare not only to stand up and say, ‘I am the son of God, but also find in your heart of hearts: ‘I and my Father are one.’ That was what Jesus of Nazareth said. He never talks of this world and of this life. He has nothing to do with it, except that he wants to get hold of the world as it is, give it a push, and drive it forward and onward until the whole world has reached to the effulgent light of God, until everyone has realized his spiritual nature, until death is vanquished and misery banished.