Posted on Facebook by Samoa Lualim
paralleling ASFG 1 lesson on “THE OPEN DOOR”
BIBLE READING: Mark:10 and I Samuel:10
(page 68)
The Barrier of the Self
When one nears the “door” of the Kingdom of Heaven, the final obstacle is not ignorance, sin, or lack of worthiness—it is the self, the ego. The ego, if clung to, becomes the very bar across the entrance. The moment of spiritual awakening or divine invitation can be lost if the personal self misinterprets it in terms of pride, fear, or self-interest.
This is what happened to Saul in 1 Samuel 10. Though he had been anointed by the prophet Samuel and told of his divine calling, Saul could not yet perceive the spiritual significance of what had occurred. His self-consciousness and hesitation kept him from acknowledging the change; he “stood upon the threshold,” unaware that the door to divine service had already been opened.
Likewise, in Mark 10:17–22, the rich young ruler approached Jesus sincerely, asking what more he could do to inherit eternal life. He had followed the commandments faithfully, but when Jesus invited him to give up his wealth and follow Him, the man went away sorrowful. His love for his possessions—his identification with what he owned—was stronger than his desire to transcend self. In that moment, he too stood before the open door of the Kingdom but could not pass through, because the ego’s attachment to the world held him back.
Connection to “How to Know the Father” (ASFG Lesson 8 )
Edgar Cayce’s ASFG Lesson 8 complements this perfectly. It says we come to know the Father not through belief alone but by living the Father’s attributes—love, forgiveness, and giving. “As we give, so we receive… as we forgive, so are we forgiven.” Knowing the Father means losing ourselves in love and service until “our will becomes one with His.”
Cayce writes that the Father is not a harsh master but “an all-wise Provider, a Father who understands all our needs.” Yet to perceive this, we must lose the self in Him. The prayer “Not my will, but Thine, O Lord, be done in and through me” becomes the living doorway to divine consciousness (a direct echo of Mark 14:36).
Thus, in both texts, the ego’s surrender—not its destruction, but its transformation—is the key to divine awareness. The self that clings, measures, and judges must yield to the Christ-consciousness within, which perceives God as Father and others as fellow children of Light.
The Way of the Cross as Transformation
The passage says, “Again and again Jesus said that the only way to the Kingdom of Heaven is the way of the cross.” The “cross” here symbolizes self-sacrifice, the process by which the soul, still burdened by flesh and illusion, is purified through loving service and mental discipline.
ASFG Lesson 8 adds: “As we lose ourselves in Him, earnestly desiring to put into practice the prayer, ‘Not my will, but Thine…,’ we realize our oneness with the Christ.” Each act of love, forgiveness, or self-surrender builds another rung in the ladder of consciousness—the “steps of our own ladder to the door.”
This echoes Mark 10:21, where Jesus says: “Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor… and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” The invitation is not about poverty for its own sake, but about freeing the soul from bondage to self so that it may know divine unity.
The Still, Small Voice Within
Finally, both Cayce’s text and this passage emphasize inner guidance—the “still small voice” of the God within. As one disciplines the mind through prayer, service, and love, this voice grows clearer, transforming from a whisper into “a symphony of imperishable beauty.”
Just as Saul needed to awaken to the spiritual meaning of his calling, and the rich young ruler needed to hear beyond the letter of the commandment, we too must attune ourselves to the inner Christ, who alone can guide us through the opened door.
Summary Insight:
1. Ego as the final barrier, is illustrated by Saul’s blindness to his own anointing, showing that the self must yield before divine awareness can be realized.
2. Attachment to self or possessions, is demonstrated by the rich young ruler’s sorrow, teaching that letting go of worldly attachments opens the door to the Kingdom.
3. Knowing the Father, is reflected in ASFG Lesson 8, which emphasizes living love, forgiveness, and service—reminding us that the Father is known through reflection and expression, not doctrine.
4. The Way of the Cross, represents inner surrender and spiritual discipline, revealing that self-sacrifice leads to oneness with God.
5. The Still Small Voice, points to inner divine guidance, reminding us that listening within leads to true freedom.
In essence:
To know the Father and enter the Kingdom, one must pass through the cross of self-surrender. The door is always open, but only when the ego drops away can the soul step through, awakening to the realization that the Father and the Son, the Creator and the created, are one.
Affirmation
“I release all desire for self alone.
The Father within me works through love, forgiveness, and peace.
As I give myself to His will, I know His presence and walk in His light.”
Prayer
O Father,
Let not my will, but Thine, be done in and through me.
Free me from the blindness of self and from the pride that bars the door to Thy Kingdom.
Teach me to love as Thou lovest, to forgive as I am forgiven,
to lift up my neighbors as I too am lifted by Thy grace.
May my mind and heart become a dwelling place for Thy Spirit,
until I see Thee in every soul and every moment of my life.
Amen.
Meditation
Sit quietly and center your thoughts upon the Father within.
With each breath, release all thoughts of self — your fears, your ambitions, your possessions, your pride.
Silently repeat: “Not my will, but Thine be done.”
As you breathe in, feel the light of divine love filling you;
as you breathe out, let that love extend to all beings.
Rest in the stillness until the “still, small voice” within whispers peace.
In that silence, know: the door to the Kingdom is open, and you are already within.
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