Luke 22 with Metaphysical Footnotes (ASV)

^22:1Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. ^22:2And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might put him to death; for they feared the people.

^22:3And Satan1 entered into Judas2 who was called Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. ^22:4And he went away, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might deliver him unto them.^22:5And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money. ^22:6And he consented, and sought opportunity to deliver him unto them in the absence of the multitude.

Cf. Matt. 26:1-5; Mark 14:1-2; John 11:47-53

1. Satan The deceiving phase of mind in man that has fixed ideas in opposition to Truth (adversary, lier in wait, accuser, opposer, hater, an enemy). Satan assumes various forms in man's consciousness, among which may be mentioned egotism, a puffing up of the personality; and the opposite of this, self-deprecation, which admits the "accuser" into the consciousness. This "accuser" makes man believe that he is inherently evil.
2. Judas. Judas Iscariot—the custodian of life. This Judas represents the unredeemed life forces. He also typifies that in humanity which, though it has caught the higher vision of life, still resorts to underhanded methods in order to meet its obligations. Judas carried the money bag, and he betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.

^22:7And the day of unleavened1 bread came, on which the passover2 must be sacrificed. ^22:8And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and make ready for us the passover, that we may eat. ^22:9And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we make ready? ^22:10And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house whereinto he goeth. ^22:11And ye shall say unto the master of the house, The Teacher saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? ^22:12And he will show you a large upper room furnished3: there make ready. ^22:13And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.

Cf. Matt. 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16

1. leaven. The law of increase observable throughout the entire creation is represented by leaven. Unleavened bread. The coming of a time when sincerity and truth shall form the mainspring of men's lives.
2. passover. The Passover is a symbol of man's passing from sense to spiritual consciousness. It is therefore consistent with the giving up of pretense and duplicity by man for the sake of sincerity and truth.
3. large upper room furnished. The mind with its exhaustless store of ideas.

^22:14And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the apostles with him. ^22:15And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: ^22:16for I say unto you, I shall not eat it, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God1. ^22:17And he received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:^22:18for I say unto you, I shall not drink from henceforth of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. ^22:19And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it2, and gave to them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.3 ^22:20And the cup in like manner after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood4, even that which is poured out for you. ^22:21But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table5. ^22:22For the Son of man indeed goeth, as it hath been determined: but woe unto that man through whom he is betrayed! ^22:23And they began to question among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.

Cf. Matt. 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; I Cor. 11:23

1. until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. The outer symbols used are inadequate to the spiritual appropriation of life and substance. Jesus, in his spiritual consciousness, could take no part in the material observance, but that he would soon be raised to a kingdom where he could partake of the real spiritual life and substance which the bread and wine represent. Those who observe the letter of the law in partaking of the Lord's supper do not receive the essence of spiritual life and substance. Spiritual things must be spiritually discerned and spiritually appropriated.
2. he broke it. Bread signifies the body of Christ or divine substance, and it is broken to indicate that man can appropriate it by degrees. No one can assimilate limitless substance, but each may partake of it according to his understanding or his mental and soul capacity.
3. this do in remembrance of me. The disciples had not yet been raised to spiritual consciousness; therefore, they needed the outer representation to lead men to the inner realization of the substance and life which the bread and the wine symbolize.
4. the new covenant in my blood. The promise of new life through the appropriation of the principle of the Christ in one's life and daily activities.
5. But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. The betrayer is sense consciousness, whose hand or power enters into all outer manifestation.

^22:24And there arose also a contention among them, which of them was accounted to be greatest1. ^22:25And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles have lordship over them; and they that have authority over them are called Benefactors. ^22:26But ye shall not be so2: but he that is the greater among you, let him become as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. ^22:27For which is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am in the midst of you as he that serveth. ^22:28But ye are they that have continued with me in my temptations; ^22:29and I appoint unto you a kingdom, even as my Father appointed unto me3, ^22:30that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom; and ye shall sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel4.

Cf. Matt. 20:24-28; Matt. 19:28; Mark 10:41-45

1. which of them was accounted to be greatest. Before we enter into this Gethsemane experience, self being still enthroned, there will be strife as to “who should be accounted greatest.”
2. Ye shall not be so in the kingdom of heaven: but he that would attain to true spiritual greatness, let him be least as to self: for spiritual eminence is attained by the Gethsemane victory over self by self-renunciation.
3. I appoint unto you a kingdom, even as my Father appointed unto me. What I have done in overcoming, ye can do; and, as I have full dominion in my kingdom in the name of the Father, so shall ye have full dominion in your kingdom in the name of the Son.
4. sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. The number twelve represents spiritual fulfillment or perfection. The twelve tribes of Israel symbolize the twelve faculties of man, which man raises to perfection through the I AM.

^22:31Simon, Simon, behold, Satan1 asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat:2 ^22:32but I made supplication for thee3, that thy faith fail not; and do thou, when once thou hast turned again, establish thy brethren. ^22:33And he said unto him, Lord, with thee I am ready to go both to prison and to death4. ^22:34And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, until thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

Cf. Matt. 26:30-35; Mark 14:27-31; John 13:36-38

1. Satan (the adversary) represents fear in the mind of the personal man, causing him to take thought for his own safety regardless of the claims of all others.
2. that he might sift you as wheat. An unstable faith is largely due to man's failure to identify himself with his spiritual source and draw upon divine strength in meeting temptation and tests that seem too much for him to meet successfully.
3. but I made supplication for thee. The Christ prayer of understanding will ultimately bring to your consciousness the pure “wheat” of True Being. When you reach this state of spiritual understanding, you shall be able to “strengthen the brethren.” Only those who have passed through the great stages of overcoming know how to strengthen the weak, who have not made these demonstrations.
4. he said unto him, Lord, with thee I am ready to go both to prison and to death. Simon has not yet learned the great lesson of self-renunciation: he is self-sufficient; we can never go with Christ “to prison and to death,” until we demonstrate over self and self-will in Gethsemane; although with self exalted we may think we can demonstrate over “death”; self and spirit are antipodal; self must be dethroned.

^22:35And he said unto them, When I sent you forth without purse, and wallet, and shoes, lacked ye anything? And they said, Nothing. ^22:36And he said unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it1, and likewise a wallet; and he that hath none, let him sell his cloak, and buy a sword. ^22:37For I say unto you, that this which is written must be fulfilled in me, And he was reckoned with transgressors: for that which concerneth me hath fulfilment. ^22:38And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

Cf. Luke 9:3; Luke 10:4;

1. But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it. When you are alive to the Christ's voice, “sending you out” in his service, you will “lack nothing”; you will be provided for and defended. But when that voice is not heard within, and you are not alive to the spiritual, you had better carefully procure the things of worldly supply and defense

^22:39And he came out, and went, as his custom was, unto the mount of Olives1; and the disciples also followed him. ^22:40And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. ^22:41And he was parted from them about a stone's cast2; and he kneeled down and prayed, ^22:42saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. ^22:43And there appeared unto him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. ^22:44And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly3; and his sweat became as it were great drops of blood falling down upon the ground. ^22:45And when he rose up from his prayer, he came unto the disciples, and found them sleeping for sorrow, ^22:46and said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.

1. mount of Olives. The meaning of this name is “high luminous principle.” And it represents the exaltation of divine love and wisdom in consciousness. The great work in the life of everyone is to incorporate the Christ mind in soul and body. The process of eliminating the old consciousness and entering into the new may be compared to the “wine press and oil,” which is the meaning of Gethsemane.
2. he was parted from them about a stone's cast. The disciples represent the various faculties of the mind: faith, strength, judgment, love, power, imagination, understanding, will, order, zeal, elimination, and life. They are still under the law of sense.
3. in an agony he prayed more earnestly; From birth man is identified with sense consciousness, until it becomes ingrained in him. Separation from sense then causes him to suffer. The prayer that springs from overwrought emotion aroused by fear or apprehension does not prove effectual, unless faith in God proves stronger than the fear. Of itself agonizing does not make prayer effectual.

^22:47While he yet spake, behold, a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them; and he drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. ^22:48But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?1 ^22:49And when they that were about him saw what would follow, they said, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?^22:50And a certain one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and struck off his right ear. ^22:51But Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye them thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. ^22:52And Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and elders, that were come against him, Are ye come out, as against a robber, with swords and staves? ^22:53When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched not forth your hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

Cf. Matt. 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-50; John 18:3-11

1. betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? Every time the life and substance of Spirit is used to further sense demands Jesus (the personal man) is betrayed anew into the hands of His enemies.

^22:54And they seized him, and led him away, and brought him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed afar off. ^22:55And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the court, and had sat down together, Peter sat in the midst of them. ^22:56And a certain maid seeing him as he sat in the light of the fire, and looking stedfastly upon him, said, This man also was with him. ^22:57But he denied1, saying, Woman, I know him not. ^22:58And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou also art one of them. But Peter said, Man, I am not. ^22:59And after the space of about one hour another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this man also was with him; for he is a Galilaean. ^22:60But Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. ^22:61And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter.2 And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how that he said unto him, Before the cock crow this day thou shalt deny me thrice. ^22:62And he went out, and wept bitterly.

Cf. Matt. 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72; John 18:25-27

1. but he denied. Peter denied the I AM (the Christ) instead of the limited personal self. Faith that is in the grip of fear is powerless to express itself truly.
2. And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter. When man turns his attention within himself and examines his faith in the light of his I AM power, he sometimes finds it deviating from its rightful center. A true disciple is always open to repentance. He may backslide and seem to be slipping spiritually, but his spiritual nature finally asserts its supremacy. The turning about of the Lord or the revealing of the face of the Lord represents discernment.

^22:63And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and beat him. ^22:64And they blindfolded him, and asked him, saying, Prophesy: who is he that struck thee? ^22:65And many other things spake they against him, reviling him.

^22:66And as soon as it was day, the assembly of the elders of the people was gathered together, both chief priests and scribes; and they led him away into their council, saying, ^22:67If thou art the Christ, tell us. But he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: ^22:68and if I ask you, ye will not answer. ^22:69But from henceforth shall the Son of man be seated at the right hand of the power of God. ^22:70And they all said, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am. ^22:71And they said, What further need have we of witness? for we ourselves have heard from his own mouth.