Edna Lister’s Sermons, 1943

Jesus: The Honeycomb
Edna Lister outline, May 2, 1943, Cleveland, OH; Luke 24:36-49

  “And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them. And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”–Luke 24:36-49.
  A honeycomb is more than a collection of hexagonal cells made of wax. It is a model of perfection in geometry. When you examine a honeycomb closely, you find it perfectly made with the cells tightly sealed. The hive’s worker bees do everything. They build the comb, and clean and repair the hive whenever needed. They work tirelessly to gather nectar, pollen and water to make the honey. They feed and care for all other members of the hive, the queen, drones and larvae. Thus, bees are symbols of industry. They mind their own business, being too busy to pay attention to anything else. A queen rules the hive, and she symbolizes intuition, love and understanding.

  The Promised Land is flowing with symbolic milk and honey, representing the love and aspiration which open the glands of the higher creative centers in the head, among them the hypothalamus, pineal body, and pituitary gland. A honeycomb is strongly formed with a hexagonal structure, yet delicate because it is made of wax. If you rupture a cell, its contents are lost. Your brain cells are similar, strongly made but delicate in retaining the memories they hold. Rupture them and you lose access to the knowledge they held.
  Jesus asked for food and they gave him broiled fish and some honeycomb to eat. The fish represents the substance of earth that is found in the water. The honey symbolizes thousands working together on one idea, to bring their young and themselves through the darkness into Light. When Jesus appeared among them, his disciples were frightened, and thought he was a spirit. Though we cannot see or feel Spirit, his soul was so powerful they felt him. Because he had a form, he ate with them.
  He ordered them to preach repentance and remission of sins, in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Then he promised that they would be endowed with power from on high, and he ascended and left them with freedom to choose. Each new freedom becomes a bondage unless you have an ever-renewing goal out front, ahead of you. Focus your energies on redeeming time, not just saving it. Live now, fully.

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Render Unto God
Edna Lister outline, May 23, 1943, Cleveland, OH; Matthew 21:33-46

  “Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.”–Matthew 21:33-46.

  We are all like the man who planted a vineyard. We come to earth with a spiritual body, hedged about with our physical body. Digging a winepress represents the subconscious mind and creature-like soul of self. The tower symbolizes our head, which contains the golden bowl of soul, the higher creative center in the brain with its glands and neurons. The lease-holding husbandmen, the renters, represent desire, will, and imagination. The son of God is the Oversoul I AM consciousness, which selfishness drags down.

  The Bible is the history of the human race and the living soul. This history is subject to both metaphysical and mystical interpretations. Jesus taught his metaphysics to the many in public as parables, but the mysteries he spoke of only in private among the few. The references to the Jews deal with Israel’s outer national history.
  Jesus is the chief cornerstone. If you fall on this stone, you are broken, but if it falls on you, you will be ground to a powder. To fall on the stone and be broken is the only way to return home to God. The reference is to the doctrine of many lives, reincarnation.

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If I Be Lifted Up
Edna Lister outline, May 30, 1943, Cleveland, OH; John 12:23-36

  “Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor. Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die. The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man? Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.”–John 12:23-36.
  To ascend, first you must surrender all self. Jesus was making this point when he said that unless the grain fell to the ground and died, it could not bear a crop.
  He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.–John 12:25. To love your life is to cling to outer trappings and material possessions. To hate your life in this world is to cling to heaven. Hate, in this sense, means to avoid, to turn from, to abstain, as in Abstain from all appearance of evil.–1 Thessalonians 5:22.
  Jesus then said, Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name.–John 12:27-28. His soul was troubled because his earth life and loves were sweet. He knew he was leaving them. The self-centeredness in personal love pulls at you emotionally, contracting your horizons. The love of God is an impersonal expansive power. Love for God creates poised balance. Love’s child is peace. Love expresses patience, understanding, compassion, and graciousness.

  At last Jesus knew peace. Peace is the soul’s urge, necessity and demand. The Christed creed is I promise to dare. I promise to do. I promise to live as a challenge to all darkness. Love is your Holy Grail.
  Love’s language is giving, not demanding, holding onto, possessing or expecting. The art of love is born of the desire to please, to make another happy, not clumsy, stingy or greedy.
  The quality of love can be soul-centered or self-centered. Love’s capacity is infinite, limited only by what you desire to give. Love’s capacity is always seeking expression through you, and forever it pushes forth.

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The Descending Light
Edna Lister outline, November 28, 1943, Cleveland, OH; John 1:1-9, Acts 27:21-25

  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”–John 1:1-9.
  “But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.”–Acts 27:21-25.
  The Word is the Light. The Light is the Word. The pure Light descends as principle. The pure Word descends as personality. God has given principle the power to become. God has given personality the power of becoming form and to create form from Light. Every man who comes into the world is endowed with Light first, moving through his mind, heart, body and affairs. God then endows him with the power to speak the Word to enliven his mind, heart, body and affairs.
  When Paul told of the angel who had appeared to him, he said, “For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.”–Acts 27:23-25. Paul spoke the Word publicly, virtually saying, “I belong to God. I serve God, and I believe what God has said.” He believed that when he was brought before Caesar, he would be brought before the Light.

  “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”–Matthew 12:34-36. You can discern everything you need to know about a man from his speech. If he speaks of honor and love, he is of the Light, honorable and loving.
  We were all born of the pure Light before we became human in form. You know the Light in principle, and are ready to be the Light expressing as the Word in plan, form, love and substance.

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